Person Page - 194

     Grace was born circa 1867.¹

     Ada was born circa 1873.¹

     Mary was born circa 1869.¹

     Lula was born. She married Henry A. Tabb circa 1893.¹

     Thomas was born at Portsmouth, Norfolk County, Virginia, on 26 June 1869. He married Mary Virginia Barlow on 18 October 1894. He married Annie Trugien Tabb after 1915.¹ Thomas Dawson Gaskins died on 21 May 1950 at Norfolk, Norfolk County, Virginia, at age 80. He was buried after 21 May 1950 at Oak Grove Cemetery, Portsmouth, Norfolk County, Virginia.

     Elmer was born at Todd County, Kentucky, on 4 December 1878.^1,2 Elmer died on 6 October 1940 at Todd County, Kentucky, at age 61.^1,2 His body was interred after 6 October 1940 at Sharon Grove, Todd County, Kentucky, at Gant Cemetery.¹

     Note: He retired as a Coal Miner -worked at "Black Diamond" Coal Mines. He was a farmer most of his life.

He could tell a story about his childhood (or any other subject) and make it come to life. Every time he related his memories it was exactly the same, no variations at all.

He was a kind, generous, gentle man everyone seemed to like. He would take time to spend with my friends even as he showed attention to me.

When I was a young boy Grandpa Tabb would whittle swords out of wood, make me whips out of hickory bark, make me great whistles out of certain vines, and sharpen limbs from trees to make me great apple launchers. I remember that you had to keep the whips in a tub of water so they wouldn't get stiff

Approximately two years before his death at 79, he and I walked between 8-12 miles to see the dedication of a memorial for Merle Travis (A local song writer and performer) who wrote "16 Tons" sung by Tennessee Ernie Ford. I was in very good shape at that time and he walked me "into the ground."

Source: Leslie E. Tabb, Jr. (pastlet@yahoo.com) in an email dated 21 February 2004. He married Nora "Alvie" Stevens.¹ Leslie was born at Todd County, Kentucky, on 28 October 1880.¹ Leslie died on 24 June 1960 at Greenville, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, at age 79.¹ His body was interred after 24 June 1960 at Ennis, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, at Forest Grove Baptist Church Cemetery.¹

     She married Claud Neal.¹ Icey was born at Todd County, Kentucky, on 18 September 1882.² Icey died on 29 January 1941 at age 58.² Her body was interred after 29 January 1941 at Spa, Kentucky, at Elk Creek Cemetery.¹

     William's occupation: Coal Miner and Farmer.¹ He married Myrtle Whitescover.¹ He married Alpha Stevens.¹ He married Sarah Ethel Bartlett.¹ William was born at Todd County, Kentucky, on 27 September 1884.² William died on 20 January 1963 at age 78.² His body was interred after 20 January 1963 at Drakesboro, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, at Highway Cemetery.^1,3

     He married Nora "Alvie" Stevens.¹ Thomas was born in May 1888.² Thomas died on 31 December 1916 at age 28.² His body was interred in January 1917 at Drakesboro, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, at Hayden Cemetery.¹

     Virgil was born on 1 December 1890.¹ He married Geneva Belle Gilbert, daughter of Phillip Ewing Gilbert and Mary Jane Tabb, on 14 February 1912. Virgil died on 30 January 1963 at age 72.¹ He was buried after 30 January 1963 at Gant Cemetery, Sharon Grove, Todd County, Kentucky.²

     She married Virgil M. Johnson.¹ Dicey was born on 18 March 1893.¹ Dicey died on 30 April 1925 at age 32.¹ Her body was interred after 30 April 1925 at Spa, Kentucky, at Elk Creek Cemetery.¹

     He married Dicey Lee Tabb.¹ Virgil was born on 12 August 1884.¹ Virgil died on 27 November 1978 at age 94.¹

     She married Leslie M. Tabb.¹ She married Thomas Richard (Rich) Tabb.² Nora was born at Caldwell County, Kentucky, on 15 May 1895.¹ Nora died on 14 February 1971 at Bremen, Kentucky, at age 75.¹ Her body was interred after 14 February 1971 at Ennis, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, at Forest Grove Baptist Church Cemetery.¹

     Jewell was born at Logan County, Kentucky, on 1 August 1918.^1,2 Jewell died on 17 May 1999 at Hopkins County, Kentucky, at age 80.^1,2 He was buried after 17 May 1999 at Bethlehem Cemetery, Bremen, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky.²

     Leslie was born at Sharon Grove, Todd County, Kentucky, on 6 September 1919.¹ He married Flora Juanita Whitney at Greenville, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, on 9 May 1942.¹ Notes:

MARRIAGE: Married at Greenville, Mulenberg Co., Ky. Courthouse by Judge John Ed Wood.

MILITARY: Army Air Corp Jan 1943 to Nov 1945; Honorable Discharge. He tried to enlist promptly after Pearl Harbor but he was refused because of a deformed trigger finger even though he had hunted since childhood using rifles and shotguns. He then later was drafted and assigned to the Army Air Corp because of his “disability.”

BAPTISM - Dad was baptized in 1942 at Forest Grove Baptist Church in Greenville, Ky.

He was a member of Heritage Baptist Church, Evansville, In. He was a trustee at Alvord Baptist Church in Evansville, In.

OCCUPATION: Dad worked in coal mines in Ky and he began working at BuCyrus Erie (A manufacturer of Heavy Industrial Equipment) as an assembler on the "Erecting Floor" on Nov 17 1946. Leslie Sr. retired from BuCyrus Erie on Dec 23, 1981 after 35+ years of employment

Dad has always been a hard worker and a good provider. I used to kid him by saying that he could save 4 cents out of every nickel he had ever earned. He always said that he had prayed to God for a good job that he could stay working at until he retired. He said that his education was not great but God had provided him with a job that he kept until he retired at the age of 62.

Leslie Sr. was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease for several years and has, at this writing, even has a few days where he does not recognized his wife of 61 years, Juanita. Still he maintains a great personality and shows a lot of love to the family.

When members of the family and friends ask about Dad, I always tell them that he's having some bad times but he is as good as gold. Everyone who knows him, without exception, always answers, "He always has been!"

Source: Leslie E. Tabb, Jr. (pastlet@yahoo.com) in an email dated 23 February 2004. Leslie Earl Tabb Sr. died on 22 August 2005 at Evansville, Vanderburgh County, Indiana, at age 85.² He was buried after 22 August 2005 at Oak Hill Cemetery, Evansville, Vanderburgh County, Indiana.²

     Note; Interests: Home Improvement, Family, and Church.

Military: Was in Army during WW 2; Honorable Discharge.

Retired from the Steel Mills (Inspection Dept.)

Lived in Portland, So. Portland, and now West Brook Maine.

Although it is just a nick name from childhood, everyone here knows him by "Ted" althoug he's not known by that name in Maine. My Uncle has told me that he doesn’t even remember why or where that he got that handle.

According to my father, Uncle "Ted" and Junior was very good guitar players and would play all around the area when they were young boy seven though Junior was extremely young.

Source: Leslie E. Tabb, Jr. (pastlet@yahoo.com) in an email dated 23 February 2004. Oscar was born at Deer Lick, Caldwell County, Kentucky, on 25 November 1922.¹ He married Jane Marie Aceto at Portland, Cumberland County, Maine, on 31 January 1943.¹ Oscar Clayton "Ted" Tabb died on 16 September 2013 at Maine at age 90.² He was buried after 16 September 2013 at Calvary Cemetery, South Portland, Cumberland County, Maine.²

     Note: Junior died before I was born but all of the things I have heard about him were good. He played the guitar as did his brother "Ted," and he was a very good student in school.

When he became sick, my father gave up his job so that he could stay with him. He(my Dad) told me that Uncle Monroe Hill (Married to Elva Stevens Hill, my Grandmother's sister) would come over every night after work to help "sit" with Junior.

My grandmother was one who mourned the death of a loved one visibly hard and long. My father has told me that his Mom would sing around the house constantly but when Junior died she quit singing until after I was born. I was told by my father and my Uncle Jewell that doctors were never able to determine what illness took Junior’s life.

Source: Leslie E. Tabb, Jr. (pastlet@yahoo.com) in an email dated 21 February 2004. Junior was born on 30 June 1928.¹ Junior died on 7 August 1939 at age 11.¹ His body was interred in August 1939 at Drakesboro, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, at Hayden Cemetery.¹

     He married Icey Mae Tabb.¹ Note: "Claud broke his ribs when he lifted a wagon bed and never got well-that was the cause of his death."

Source: Rose Nell Tabb Wilson Murray

Source: Leslie E. Tabb, Jr. (pastlet@yahoo.com) in an email dated 21 February 2004. Claud was born on 12 February.¹ Claud died on 25 June 1910.¹

     Pearl was born on 1 May 1902.¹ Pearl died on 3 January 1925 at age 22.¹ Her body was interred in February 1925 at Spa, Kentucky, at Elk Creek Cemetery.²

     She married William "Will" Warner Tabb.¹ Myrtle was born. Her body was interred in 1905 at Todd County, Kentucky.¹ Myrtle died in 1905.¹

     He married Stella Mae Morton.¹ He married Ivey Georogy.¹ Orbie was born on 12 April 1905.² Orbie died on 22 October 1973 at Browder, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, at age 68.² His body was interred after 22 October 1973 at Drakesboro, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, at Highway Cemetery.²

     She married William "Will" Warner Tabb.¹ Alpha died.¹ Alpha was born. Note: According to Dad's first cousin and Uncle Will's daughter, Rose Nell Tabb Murray Wilson,

Uncle Will married her [Alpha] after Mirtle and before Sarah. She also died in child birth. My Aunt Elvie Stevens Hill (Alpha's sister) spelled her name Alpha (In a letter she sent to me dated Sept., 1985) and Rose Nell says her name was Alphie. So evidently her nickname was "Alphie."

Alpha was my father's Aunt (His mother's sister and his Uncle's Will Tabb's wife) on both "sides" of the family.

Source: Leslie E. Tabb, Jr. (pastlet@yahoo.com) in an email dated 21 February 2004.

     She married William "Will" Warner Tabb.¹ Note: According to her daughter, Rosa Nell Tabb Murray Wilson:

1. "'Ethel' was a midwife and delivered babies. I think [that] nearly all the children I went to school with were delivered by her."

2. Ethel died from "heart failure."

Source: Leslie E. Tabb, Jr. (pastlet@yahoo.com) in an email dated 21 February 2004. Sarah was born on 4 February 1891.¹ Sarah died on 16 May 1963 at age 72.¹ Her body was interred after 16 May 1963 at Drakesboro, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, at Highway Cemetery.^1,2

     Opal was born at Drakesboro, Kentucky, on 6 June 1911. Opal died on 12 January 1912.^1,2 Her body was interred after 12 January 1912 at Drakesboro, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, at Highway Cemetery.^1,2

     Carl was born on 1 December 1912.^1,2 He married Edith Mae Robinson on 31 August 1936.¹ Carl died on 15 April 1988 at Drakesboro, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, at age 75.^1,2 He was buried after 15 April 1988 at Ebenezer Cemetery, Ebenezer, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky.²

     Margie was born on 10 November 1914.¹ Margie died on 27 May 1997 at age 82.¹

     Her body was interred at Drakesboro, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, at Hy Way Cemetery.¹ Vivian died. Vivian was born.

     Elizabeth was born on 29 October 1920.¹ Elizabeth died on 20 July 1990 at age 69.¹

     James was born at Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, on 29 November 1922.^1,2 James Howard Tabb

Remembers His Good Ol Days

I remember back in 1924 our Aunt Dora and Uncle Bun coming to our house. When Aunt Dora would sit down, I would sit down at her feet and rub her silk stockings.

In 1926 Dad bought our farm. He bought the farm with a government loan. I got my first dog that year, his name was Rover.

I remember Buddy [Carl Willie, another son of William Warner Tabb] building a big pen for the rabbits that he raised. He raised black and white ones. The rabbits got loose one day and ran wild. We could not get all of them back into the pen. For years there were black and white rabbits all throughout the fields and woods.

Dad always made his own wagon wheels and I was always with Dad. One day he was making a wagon wheel when the ax handle came off. The ax stuck in my foot.

They poured coal oil onto my foot and squeezed the cut tightly together and wrapped it up. In the summer time, Dad would back the wagon into the pond so that the wheels would expand.

I remember the first time I had to go to court; I was five years old. The Diamond Block Coal Mines closed down and Mr. Thomas had Dad take all of the mules out to our farm, until he could do something with them. There was a little mule and he gave it to me. I named him Bob. When Mr. Thomas came back for the mules, he wanted to take Bob also. My dad said, "No, you are not taking Bob because you gave him to Howard. You take all the others, but you are not taking Bob."

So, Mr. Thomas took Dad to court. When the lawyer asked me if Mr. Thomas gave me the mule, I replied, "Yes sir, he did." The Judge then dismissed the case.

I remember one winter when it was very cold, Dad came home from the mines. All of the cows were out and Dad tried to run them back into the field. One old cow ran between the smoke house and the chicken house, then she fell in the well. All of the neighbors came to help us get her out. Buddy went down into the well and tied a rope around the cow, our mules, Doc, and Jim, helped pull the cow out. Mom brought out quilts and blankets and wrapped the old cow up, the next day she was fine.

Every year at Easter, twenty or thirty families would gather and have an Easter Egg hunt. Every family would bring dozen and dozens of boiled eggs. The eggs were colored with crayons or crepe paper. The coloring was usually left up to the children.

I remember going to the pond when we were kids and catching chuck head fish. We would then build a fire, cook the fish, then eat. I started to school in 1928 at Cedar Dale. They sat me in a seat next to some boy I didn
t know. I cried to sit next to Raymond Dennis. The teacher would not let me.

One day we were coming home from school and as we were going through the field we ran into a nest full of yellow jackets. We were stung all over.

My sister, Mae, went to Drakesboro School. Her school was about six miles from where we lived, so she got to ride a horse.

In 1928 my Grandma Tabb [Sarah C. Driskill] died. She lived in Todd County about forty miles from us. Dad had to hook up about four mules to pull the wagon because we didn
t have a car. Dad had to stop by and pick up his brother Les [My Grandfather, Leslie M. Tabb, William s brother] and his family. All together there was about sixteen of us in that wagon. We filled the wagon with straw and put quilts down. The wagon was so full, Ted [My Uncle Oscar Clayton Tabb] had to ride the coupling pole all of the way there. I remember seeing Grandmother's body. They took her across the backwaters to Browder, there she was sent to Russleville for burial.

Joyce and Robert moved to Paradise and then Buddy and Edith moved in the other half of their house. One time we were visiting at their house and I got to spend the night. Mom, Dad, Bee, Mary, and Rose were heading home and Dad had a wreck. It was a 1928 Chevy; my Dad's ribs were broken, but none of the others were hurt. Dad couldn't work so Buddy would take me to work with him. I worked until Dad was able to go back.

Robert and Buddy raised chickens. Every time a chicken would get sick, they would make me take it to Herman Buchanan and sell it. Whenever the back waters would come up, Robert, Buddy, and I would go across the river and kill rabbits. I would have to clean them and we would give them to everyone. We would always give them to Bubby Short. Dad had eaten so many rabbits his butt got sore. He couldn't even wipe it.

Around that time I met Kay. She would come up to Joyce and Roberts to visit. Of course I was always there. She would always stay late. I was so backwards I would not walk her home, Joyce or Robert would have to. In 1941 Bee and Kay went to Chicago. They stayed with Kay's sister, Louise. They both got jobs at Jefferson Electric making radios. I went to Chicago in July of 1941 and got a job with Metal T Wood, I made panels for refrigerated trucks.


December 7th, 1941 Pearl Harbor was bombed. Kay came home with her Aunt and Uncle and I came home with Arthur Powell. While we were home we decided to get married. We married January 3, 1942. There was a big snow. The reverend Colten married us at Greenville, Ky. Bee was upset that we got married and didn't tell her. She was upset and wouldn't talk to us for a long time.

Buddy and Edith came to Chicago in 1942. Edith did not like Chicago, we all came back home to Paradise, Ky.

Buddy and I went to work at Black Diamond Coal Co. in Drakesboro. Brenda Kay was born in 1943. Right after her birth I went into the Army.

I had seventeen weeks of basic training, that was at Camp Blanding, Florida. After that I got a thirty day leave and came back home. I then went to Camp Shanks in New York, I stayed there for three days then got on a boat to go overseas to Ireland. I stayed in Ireland two days, then went to Scotland and England. There I was on a train for several days.

We had no water and very little food. They trained us so hard they nearly killed us. There were many days when all we had to eat were a little powdered eggs.

Sometime in May of 1944 we joined our outfits on the boat. We stayed there until June of that same year. We were the First Division. Part of our Division went with the Fourth Division, when they came back, we all went back to our own Divisions.

That's when we invaded the French at Utah Beach. General Patton came over August 2nd of 1944 and formed a Third Army. That's when the fight was on. We dug holes in the edge rows. There was only one way in and one way out. The Germans had them both covered.

While there in Normandy, one Battalion went to sleep, and the Germans slipped in and slit all of their throats. From then on, only one at a time could sleep.

I had shrapnel in both of my legs from an artillery shell, that's when my buddy was killed. He was only eighteen years old. He was Russian and his parents were from Pennsylvania. His dad was a coal miner and his parents could not speak English.

They sent me back to the Field Hospital, there I stayed two days, then I was sent back to the front line. We fought all of the way through France.

At the edge of Germany, our company went in breaking the German lines, we were pinned in for three days and nights. We couldn't move at all, we had to stand still. We couldn't eat, sleep, use the bathroom, we couldn't even bat an eye or we could have been killed. The ground was frozen and we were unable to dig a trench. My feet were frozen. From my waist down I felt like I was walking on stilts. There were two hundred men that went in and only thirteen of us came out.

They took the thirteen of us and sent us to a small field hospital. The next day, they flew us to England. I went into the hospital in July, I was there almost a year. I was released from the hospital in April.

I was sent back to the United States, to Camp Carson, Colorado. As soon as I got there I was issued a leave to go home. I called Joe and Robert in Chicago for money to get home on. They sent me thirty dollar. I went to their house in Chicago and Joe and Robert came home to Paradise with me. We stayed home for thirty days then went back to Chicago with Kay, Brenda, Joe, and Bobby. I went back to Camp Carson . Kay and Brenda came there.

I was discharged from the Army. Kay, Brenda, and I caught a train to go back home. We made it to St. Louis and had a three hour wait. That was the first time we were ever in St. Louis. Brenda had broke the elastic in her panties so I caught a bus and went downtown to a store and bought her a new pair of panties. Then I headed back to the train station. From there we went to Evansville, Indiana by train and then took a bus to Drakesboro, Ky. Someone met us there and took us to Paradise.

I was working at Black Diamond Coal Co. when I went into the Service, when I came home I worked for them again, then quit to work for Browder Coal. I worked there until 1951, and went to school to be fire boss.

Sandra Sue was born in May 26th, 1946. We lived upon the hill at Paradise. That was the first house we owned. We sold that house and then moved to Nebo, Ky. and that's when Ronnie was born. He was born July 25th, 1949. We moved back to Paradise and bought a house from Herman Buchanan. Mike was born there December 4th, 1958. The two girls, Brenda and Sandra were married there. We move to Drakesboro in April of 1969 and have lived here for thirty-one years.

(Rose's brother, James Howard (deceased) wrote the following for her Family History Research. There is no date so I don't know when it was written.)

Source: Leslie E. Tabb, Jr. (pastlet@yahoo.com) in an email dated 21 February 2004. He married Kathryn Cavanaugh at Greenville, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, on 3 January 1942.¹ James died on 29 December 2003 at Muhlenberg Community Hospital, Greenville, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, at age 81.¹ His body was interred on 1 January 2004 at Central City, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, at Rose Hill Cemetery.¹