July 16, 2012

Leon,

I am your second cousin, Eva Harlan Bristow.  Our great grandfather and great 
grandmother were George Washington Harlan and Martha Bowman.  

I am interested in finding out more about our common family and in doing 
genealogical research.  I am hopeful that you have information that might be 
helpful in this quest. 

Do you know where our great grandparents lived?  Do you know when G.W. Harlan 
died or where he is buried?  I have visited the graves in the Big Meadow 
cemetery recently, as you know.  I found Martha Harlan's grave and Mary 
Belle's and your grandfather's and his two wives and his young son, Paul's 
grave.  Eary's third wife was my great aunt, a sister to my grandmother, and 
she is buried here in Clinton County at Peolia cemetery as are my 
grandparents.  I understand that Lucian Arnold died the same day as Mary Belle 
and while she was buried in Big Meadow cemetery, he is buried at the Old 
Pleasant Hill Church cemetery several miles away.   Do you know anything about 
this? 

I understand that many of the older Harlans lived in Monroe county.  I wonder 
if G.W. and Martha were married and lived there.  Perhaps he died and is 
buried there and Martha may have moved to Metcalfe or Barren county when she 
married Lucian Arnold.  My family told me that they did marry.  I am planning 
soon to see if I can find the marriage certificate to confirm this.  I suspect 
it would be recorded in either Monroe, Metcalfe or Barren county's 
courthouses.  I will also look for any death records of G.W. Harlan and Luther 
Arnold and for Mary Belle Harlan's marriage certificate.  I also wonder where 
Luther Arnold is buried. 

I remember your mother and your grandfather from seeing them and them visiting 
my family in Clinton county when I was a child.  I also remember Eary's second 
wife, Vesta, who until I visited the cemetery and you told me differently, I 
thought was his first wife and your grandmother.  I wonder if you know any 
contact information for any of our other cousins, perhaps living in your area.  
These would be other great grandchildren of G.W. and Martha or perhaps Arnolds 
who would be descendents of Lucian Arnold.  I remember seeing Luther Arnold 
and Flora Belle Arnold who was married to a Bunch and Jewell Arnold, who 
married another Arnold, also during my childhood.  I know that Luther Arnold 
was a half-brother to Uncle Eary and to my grandfather, John Thomas Harlan, 
and that Flora Belle Arnold, daughter of Mary Bell Harlan, was Uncle Eary's 
niece.   I remember Hobart Bray who was Lousia Jane Harlan Bray's son.  He 
lived with his second wife in Clinton County near my father.  He is also 
buried at Big Meadow along with, I suppose, his first wife. 

I learned from reading your mother's obituary that she had a brother named 
Clifton.  I never knew that.  What can you tell me about him? 

Do you have any pictures of your ancestors on the Harlan side that you could 
email me.  I am particularly interested in pictures of Effie, Eary, Vesta, 
Rachel, G.W. or Martha or perhaps some of the Arnolds. 

My father, Arthur Harlan, married my mother, Annie Ewing.  Her mother was a 
Bagby and that family lived at Hiseville which is near the Big Meadow 
cemetery.  This seems to be merely a coincidence, but I wonder if you might 
know anything about the Bagbys or know any present day Bagbys in your area. 

Thank you for any information you might be able to give me.