James Roby Presnell

Notes:

Buried:
Zion Hill Baptist Church Cemetery

Died:
Age: 90

James married Susan Ida Tester on 2 Jan 1909 in Watauga, North Carolina, USA. Susan (daughter of William Duke Tester and Alice Adlaide Presnell) was born in Mar 1894 in North Carolina, USA; died on 19 Oct 1984; was buried in Watauga, North Carolina, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Ruby Mae Presnell was born on 27 Jul 1931 in Watauga, North Carolina, USA; died on 14 Jun 1932.
2. David Calloway Presnell was born on 28 Jun 1911 in Watauga, North Carolina, USA; died on 12 Jun 1937; was buried in Presnell Cemetery, Watauga County, North Carolina.
3. John William Presnell was born on 11 Jan 1919 in Beech Mountain, Watauga County, North Carolina; died on 11 Apr 2003 in Vilas, Watauga, North Carolina, USA; was buried on 14 Apr 2003 in Matney, Watauga County, North Carolina, USA.
4. Ollie Presnell
5. Nineveh Gradon Presnell was born on 27 Mar 1914 in Watauga County, North Carolina, USA; died on 30 Apr 1995 in Sparta, Alleghany, North Carolina, USA; was buried in Sparta, Alleghany County, North Carolina, United States of America.
6. Mary Pressnell
7. Blanche Harmon was born on 21 Dec 1922 in North Carolina, USA; died on 21 Sep 1974 in Sugar Grove, Watauga County, North Carolina, United States of America; was buried in Watauga County, North Carolina, United States of America.
8. Arnold Coolidge Presnell was born on 9 Aug 1924 in Watauga County, North Carolina, United States of America; died on 16 Jun 2012 in Sugar Grove, Watauga County, North Carolina, United States of America; was buried in Watauga County, North Carolina, United States of America.
9. Ida Mae Presnell was born on 21 Apr 1934 in Watauga County, North Carolina, United States of America; died on 5 Oct 1971 in Winston-Salem, Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States of America; was buried in Watauga County, North Carolina, United States of America.

John married Mary Jane Trivette in 1883. Mary (daughter of Elisah Trivette and Sarah Eveline Harmon) was born on 27 Jul 1866 in Watauga, North Carolina, USA; died on 7 Feb 1911 in Watauga, North Carolina, USA; was buried in Presnell Cemetery, Watauga County, North Carolina. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

From Terry Harmon:

Miles Presnell was born around 1824 in North Carolina. Some have suggested that his full name was “Harvey Miles Presnell,” and his great-granddaughter, Aner Tester Rominger, even arranged a tombstone with that name on it, but there are no records to substantiate this. In fact, the 1860 Watauga County census records his name as “Miles A. Presnell.” Miles’s son, Jordan H. “Jerd” Presnell, was a patient at the North Carolina State Mental Hospital in the 1920’s and 1930’s, and although more is written about Jerd later, it is important to note here that the hospital archives record Jerd’s parents as Rilda Hix and Miles Abernathy Presnell. There is no indication as to who the provider of this information was, but perhaps it was Jerd himself or Jerd’s son, Harrison Wesley Presnell, who is believed to have sent his father to the hospital. Either way, a son and/or a grandson would probably have known Miles’s name. Jerd’s death certificate also lists his father as “Miles Abernathy Presnell.” Additionally, on the death certificate of Miles’s
son, John Columbus Presnell, John’s father is listed as “Miles Avanathy Presnell.” “Avanathy” was likely a misspelling of “Abernathy.” The middle name “Abernathy” supports the 1860 census listing of “Miles A. Presnell.” It is also interesting to note that Miles Presnell’s nephew, Jackson Ward (son of Miles’s sister, Clarissa Presnell Ward), named one of his sons Miles Abernathy Ward, no doubt after his uncle Miles Abernathy Presnell. Miles Ward in turn named one of his sons Charles Abernathy Ward.

When I discovered that Miles’s middle name was Abernathy, I wondered about the source of it, particularly since Abernathy is not a name common to the Watauga area. I wondered if it was similar to Lorenzo Dow. Many early residents of this area were named Lorenzo Dow. There were several Lorenzo Dow Wards, for example, as well as a Lorenzo Dow Whittington and a Lorenzo Dow Tester. This name was, in fact, originally given in honor of Lorenzo Dow (1777-1834) who, according to Wikipedia, the on-line dictionary, “was an eccentric minister whose infamy, influence and travels throughout the country led to many thousands of U. S. children of the early 19 th century to be named after him. The 1850 U. S. census lists Lorenzo as one of the most popular first names in America. His autobiography at one time was the second-best selling book in the United States, exceeded only by the Bible.” With that knowledge in mind, I searched for a man named Miles Abernathy. Although I did not locate a Miles Abernathy of the same fame as Lorenzo Dow, there was an Abernathy family in early Lincoln County, North Carolina, and at least two of their members were named Miles and others were named James and Nathan - all names that appear in the Presnell family. Miles Presnell’s father, James Presnell, at one point lived in Burke County, and part of Burke County was later added to Lincoln County (1782- 1784). As is believed to be true of the Presnells, the Abernathys moved to North Carolina from Virginia. Although there appears to be no intermarriages or blood relation between the two families, perhaps they were neighbors or associates, and perhaps that is how the Abernathy name came to be part of the Presnell and Ward families.

Miles married Rilda Hicks on 4 Dec 1845 in Watauga, North Carolina, USA. Rilda (daughter of Harmon Hicks and Nellie Tester) was born in Dec 1826 in Ashe County, North Carolina, USA; died in 1902 in Rominger, Watauga, North Carolina, USA; was buried in Mast Cemetery, Rominger, Watauga County, North Carolina. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Elisah married Sarah Eveline Harmon. Sarah was born in 1838 in Watauga, North Carolina, USA; died in 1907 in Watauga, North Carolina, USA; was buried in Watauga, North Carolina, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Buried:
Zion Hill Baptist Church Cemetery

Notes:

Buried:
Mast Cemetery

James married Susanna Benfield in 1818 in Chatham, North Carolina, USA. Susanna (daughter of George Benfield and Sarah Hartzel) was born on 1 Jan 1804 in Taylorsville, Lincoln County, North Carolina; died in 1898 in Rominger, Watauga, North Carolina, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Harmon married Nellie Tester in 1815 in Ashe, North Carolina, USA. Nellie (daughter of Samuel Tester and Mary Elizabeth Daniels) was born in 1802 in North Carolina, USA; died in 1880. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]