|
This picture of William (Bill) Vockery (at center) with my father, William H. Park II and I (Wm. D. Park) at the Vockery residence in Richmond on Wed., 9 June 1999 is a tribute to this Madison County, KY historian who passed away on Friday, 17 September 2004 after a brave battle with cancer. Bill and his wife, Kathy have compiled numerous books invaluable to those researching family lines in Kentucky, in particular, including the Madison Co. Cemeteries book (2 Volumes) and Madison County Marriage and Death record volumes, to mention but a few.
In this picture, Bill discusses the existence of two (2) long, unseen graves on a remote Eastern Madison Co.(KY) farm near Panola in response to our question regarding where my 4-State Pioneer, 5th GGPs, Ebenezer Park, Sr. (1747-1839) and Tabitha Mills (1752-1826) might be buried along Drowning Creek. Though he had never found or seen the stones for himself, he knew of their possible existence. This critical lead from Bill Vockery was the catalyst for the exciting family discovery Dad and I would make a year later, along with census data, land surveys & patents/grants obtained from the Land Grant Office in Frankfort, Kentucky (Kandie Adkinson). On Friday, 30 June 2000, Dad, myself, and woodsman-friends, Gary Estes of Irvine and Dwight Evans of Panola, would find the final resting place of our Ebenezer and Tabitha on land that was once their son, Eli Park's Farm in the woods--underneath fallen yellow pine trees (a result of an ice storm three years prior). It was an exciting discovery to see tombstones that had been lost for over 100 years! And we have Bill and Kathy Vockery to thank for this priceless family gift.
God Bless you, Bill. Your tireless efforts in researching and publishing family history on many family lines in Madison County, Kentucky, have enriched the lives of countless descendants who are now more complete rooted in the knowledge of their ancestors.
|
