MARY JANE LEMASTER
1872-1944
Mary Jane (Hayes) Lemaster of Kenwood, Johnson County, Kentucky.
Mother LeMaster was born in Johnson County, Kentucky on April the
eighth, Eighteen Hundred and Seventy Two. She was the daughter of
the late Johnnie and Malinda (Frazier) Bayes.
The parentage of this great mother comes from the earlist settlers
of Eastern Kentucky who came here from the great state of Virginia
and their trail from her and across the great Cumberland mountains
can be very easily traced. The Fraziers and the Bayes families
have been among the most prominent people of all our country.
At the tender age of twenty or in the year of Eighteen Hundred and
Ninety Two, she met and was married to Steven LeMaster, a son of
another large mountain family and to this union were born the
following children: Mrs. Grace Lavender, Mrs. Hester Trimble,
Mrs. Alice Williams, Mrs. Sarah Gilliam, Mrs. Fannie Blanton,
Everett, Herbert, Jennie and Roy. Jennie and Roy slipped away in
death in infancy, and her husband, (Steven) some twenty years ago,
by reason of death bade his family good-bye and crossed over to
join that heavenly host.
Brother Steven and this good mother maintained a great home, one
of those old time mountain homes wherein those great and good
principles were taught which rear and produce greater and better
citizens and in proof of this great teaching, their children are
among our very greatest citizens. Her son, Everett is a past
master of Paintsville Lodge three eighty-one Masons. In this great
race of life the children have taken their stations among our very
best citizens and are scattered somewhat over Eastern Kentucky.
This good mother, together with her husband came from God fearing
people and while for years and years she had professed a hop in
God for some reason she did not take her membership with any
church. But years, and months, weeks, days and hours before her
departure she talked with her neighbors and especially with her
children and told them of her great prospects of inheriting that
great city of God. For some six years, this good mother had been
afflicted. The best medical skill was consulted in her behalf,
but all in vain and as the old clock on the mantle came around to
announce the night was half spent, this good mother slipped by her
children as they sat by her bed, and joined the host on the other
side of the river. At the time of her death she was making her
home with her daughter, Mrs. Pane Blanton, of Dwale, Floyd County,
Kentucky.
The body was brought to the Preston Funeral Home where it was
prepared for burial and then returned to her daughter's Mrs. Eddie
Lavender of Paintsville. The following day the body was taken to
her old home at Kenwood, where the services were held in care of
the Elders Reed and McCarty and immediately after the funeral the
body was laid to rest in the Ben Williams cemetery, there beside
her husband and children and friends who had outstripped her in
life.
She leaves to mourn her going besides her children, the following
brothers and sisters: James W. Bayes, Mrs. Beedge Cheek, Mrs,
Dock Cantrell and Mrs. Hansford Estep and a host of relatives and
friends.
Baptist Tidings, Volume 5 NO. 7,
Paintsville, Kentucky Feb., 1944
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