 by grandaughters Sylvia Jeanette Ramey Hudson eldest daughter of Gypsie Adaline Chaney Ramey and Gayl Ramey Wells youngest daugther of Gypsie  Jeanette is my (Gayls)oldest Sister and I asked her to write what she remembered about our Grandmother Allie. The Parts in quotations are her rememberances. Allie was born in October 8, 1878, third child of George Washington Belcher and his first wife, Mary Polly of Belcher Kentucky. Allie died September 28, 1959 and is buried as Allie Owens in the Wilson Cemetery. She married first, Abe Chaney in 1895 at the age of 17. Son of Johnathon Chaney and Elizabeth Rains They lived at Ferralds Creek,near Elkhorn City and Belcher Kentucky. Farmed land that had been given Allie by her father George Washington Belcher.  Abe died in 1919. She is listed in the 1920 census with 8 of those children. One child George Washington Chaney died as a baby and James Clarence was killed in a hunting accident at the age of 20. He was hunting with several of his family and fell over a log and accidentally shot himself. "Allie was serious, stern minded lady. Smoked a corncob pipe and even chewed too. She grew her own tobacco, cured it and twisted it in a 8 shape that she would take bites off to chew. Her pipe smelled terrible but she loved it. She would always go to the porch to smoke her pipe, get in a cane-bottomed chair, lean up against the wall and sit there for hours. She was a hard worker and a wonderful person. She was so good to us kids when we visited which I did pretty often. Walking by myself from Little Beaver Creek to Ferralds Creek. They were very poor but she always had some sort of cake, pie or gingerbread baked and in the warming closet on the stove. She made her own clothes, wore about two sets in the winter time. Long dresses to her ankles, long sleeves to her wrists and her neckline was up under her chin. I bought her enough material to make her a dress one time and she embarrassed me - she held it up to her nose and sniffed it. She did that to several bolts until she found one that smelled just right. She said you could tell the quality of good materal by smelling of it. I have since learned that she was right. She also bought the bottons & lace to go on the dress and raised her dress tail up, unpenned a 'BULL-DURN" tobacco pouch out of a pocket she had put on her drawers, and paid for them, embarrassing me again!! Wouldn't today though, just wish I had her here to do that. She wore her hair pulled tight and rolled in a biscuit on top. She had a rough, plank home but it was spotless and she made us make our bed as soon as we got out of it - which I still do today. Mom was like that too. Grandma worked in the fields along with Grandpa Tommy Owens, the only Grandpa I knew on Mom's side. Mom's Dad (Abe Chaney) died when Mom was a young girl about 14, I think she told me. I doubt if Grandma was ever out of Pike County and I doubt if she was ever off Ferralds Creek. "  Allie married Secondly Tommy Owens and for the most part Tommy was father to all the children. Her and Tommy had no children. They lived and farmed the land there on Ferralds Creek. "Grandma was a little taller than Mom which still wasn't very tall but Mom resembled her more than the other girls. She was buxom and kind of heavy but not fat. Had a tummy which she ALWAYS wore an apron over. She Carried her "backie" in it and a "RAG" she would wipe her mouth with. I know she was born at the mouth of Ferralds Creek at Belcher. She was never in our home on Little Beaver Creek, neither was Tommy. Grandma had a beautiful high bed, fit for a queen, chiffon robe and dresser to match and she had "shuck" mattress pads on it and a feather bed on the other bed in a small bedroom, I had to sleep in if Mom & Dad went too. Usually, only Mom would go and Dad would stay with the other kids. When I got older, she would send me by myself. I didn't like either beds because the shucks and feathers bothered me, but I loved going to her house. I would go to the garden with her, help with whatever she needed me to do if I could. And just listen to her talk about her young days of which I can remember very little. She always had to work hard, her and Grandpa Abe had a large farm over there a lot of it was hillsides but they farmed every inch of it they could. Hardly a stitch of anything was took in from the store. There was not any stores to go to except maybe one in Elkhorn City and Pikeville. Pikeville was 22 miles away and no transportation except by train and no money to travel with. Mom would send her little things like coffee or something by me. Mom didn't have much either. I can't ever remember Grandma being sick except when she died. I would bet that is the only time she ever seen a doctor. I loved her and I loved her gingerbread. I can picture her, her home, and everything like that. She had all kinds of pictures of the family on her walls in beautiful old frames that I would just look and look at. She would tell me who they were. . When she told you to do something, you didn't dilly-dally around, you did it!! I didn't mind because I loved her. I (Jeanette) look at myself now and I can see her in me, Mom too as I get older."
born: 26 March 1805, Pike County Ky, died: 30 June 1915 Hunting accident 2...Essie Isabella Chaney Looney born: 9 Dec 1896 Pike County Ky, died: 4 Sept 1978 Married: James Looney 3...Quinnie Elizabeth Chaney mullins born: 22 March 1899, Pike County Ky, died: 4 Sept 1978 Married: Malcolm Mullins 4...Icy Caroline Chaney Nichols born: 13 July 1901, Pike County Ky, died: 15 January 1986 Married: #1??Justice and #2 John Nichols 5...Gypsie Adaline Chaney Ramey born: 2 Oct 1903 Pike County Ky, died" 26 Oct 1997 Crossville Tenn. Married: Teddy Roosevelt Ramey 6...Mary Alice Chaney Steffy born: 3 Nov. 1905 Pike County Ky, died: 22 January 1972 Married: William Steffy 7...Landon Linnet(Lundy) Chaney born: 14 July 1908 Pike County Ky, died: 2 Feb 1984 Married: Emma (Em) Hackney 8...George Washington Chaney born: 1910 Pike County Ky, died: 1910 9...Ercil Geraley (Whitey) Chaney born: 13 March 1913, died: 12 Dec 1982 never Married 10..John Christopher Chaney born: 3 Nov 1915 Pike County Ky, died: 31 Oct 1996 Married: Dorisa Dorothy Lester As does the face of the person we knew we are left with only fragments and clues Of a grand mother, or an illusive ancestor. And we reach out your hand just as far as you can Into the past to search and learn a little bit more. For we are of them, and they remain a part of us.   |