A Little Family History
Family Stories
My Oliver Family Line
My Oliver Family Photos
National Origin
Online Oliver Genealogy Research Resources
A Little History

My mother's maternal grandmother was an Oliver, Minnie Lou Oliver (1877-1963).  Great-Grandma was the daughter of Wilson and Mary P. Oliver of Allen County, Kentucky.  Wilson was born in Charlotte County, Virginia.  His parents were William Oliver and Susan Purr.   William was born 1790 in Caroline County, Virginia.  Was William the son or grandson of Douglas, John, or Richard Oliver who were Revolutionary War soldiers?  William moved his family to Allen, County, Kentucky, near Scottsville, sometime before 1840.  William died about 1868 in Allen County.  Wilson married Elizabeth Francis Weaver in 1852 in Allen County, and they had two daughters.  Elizabeth died in 1858.  Wilson married Mary P. Oliver three months later.

Mary was born in 1842 in Allen County.  She was the daughter of Jesse Oliver and Elizabeth Lawrence.  Jesse was probably born in Allen County also.  He was the son of William Oliver who was born in 1773 in North Carolina.  William died sometime after 1854 in Allen County.  Jesse died sometime before 1854.

Wilson and Mary had thirteen children of whom Great-Grandma Minnie was the tenth.  Wilson and Mary's first four children were born just before or during the War Between the States.  During the War Between the States, Kentucky was supposed to have been a neutral state.  Nevertheless, the Union Army used Kentucky as a staging area for its Western Campaign.  Confederate guerrillas began operating in Kentucky to try to cut Union supply lines.  These Confederate guerrillas also committed atrocities against Kentucky citizens, so the Federal Government organized the 52nd. Kentucky Mounted Infantry under the authority of the Act of Congress dated February 7, 1863.  The Act authorized the Government to raise 20,000 troops for the better defense of Kentucky.  The Kentucky 52nd's Co. C was mustered 9/10/1863 in Scottsville and commanded by Capt. John M Billingsley and was be in service 12 months.  They were to be deployed within the limits of the state of Kentucky to cope with Confederate guerrillas, but it looks as if they were sent as far south as Athens and Huntsville, Alabama. Wilson and his brother Thomas and Mary's cousin (possibly) Price Oliver would serve in the 52nd Regiment Kentucky Mounted Infantry  Volunteers, Co. C.   Wilson was discharged 1/17/1865 in Bowling Green Kentucky at the end of his enlistment.  Wilson Oliver was described as being 5'/9" tall, fair haired, of fair complexion, and with blue/gray eyes.  Occupation - farmer.

Wilson died in 1900 in Allen County and Mary in 1924.  Minnie Lou Oliver would marry George Dibrel Cates in 1897.  Follow this link to see what happened to my great-grandma, Minnie Lou Oliver after she was married..

Family Stories

Following is an interesting story that I received from Mary Janyes (great-granddaughter of Wilson Oliver).

Hi Pat- I'm  assuming you can place who I am- Sarah Oliver Younger's granddaughter.  I was just recalling old memories I grew up hearing my father, Chester Younger, tell me about his childhood. Perhaps you have heard about  how all of the Oliver sisters and brothers would have an annual reunion  after they were grown up and married and living away from home.  It would always be in Allen County, and apparently squirrel stew was a favorite dish, and of course it follows that some of the Oliver men liked to go squirrel hunting. I don't remember which of the Oliver brothers did the hosting of the dinner, but whichever it was would make two big pots of squirrel stew to appease all appetites - some with tomatoes and some without tomatoes.  Sally and her family were living in Warren County, and my dad liked to tell how she would get up and fix a lunch to take along on the journey from Warren County to Allen County.  They would get in the horse drawn wagon in the early morning darkness, ride until lunch time and stop along the way, apread out a table cloth on the ground, and eat lunch. Whenever they came to a hill, all the kids had to get out of the wagon and walk up the hill to lighten the load for the horse. Just around dark that day, they'd arrive in Allen county at the home where squirrel was being prepared. So it took from the darkness of the morning to almost darkness in the evening to make the trip that was a distance of 20 miles.  And always all the Oliver family would be there. I think this went on every year from the late 1800's into the 1900's.

My Oliver Family Line

I have a lot of information on Grandma's family in a Family Tree Maker file courtesy of Becky Tennill.  If you're interested e-mail me and I'll zip it up and send it to you.  I plan to post the detailed report at a later date.
jpkilpat@hiwaay.net

Oliver Family Photos
 
Pictures of some descendants of Wilson Oliver.
A couple more pictures of some of the Wilson Oliver Family
More pictures of our Oliver Family
Children of Minnie Oliver  and George Cates
More picture of children of Minnie Oliver and George Cates
Daughters of Lattie Mae Cates Geer Kilpatrick (granddaughters of Minnie Oliver Cates)
Look for Oliver and Tabor Family Photos on the Allen County, Kentucky Web Site
More pictures later.