James Calvin “Calvin” GILES - Spring City Cemetery, Spring City, Rhea Co, TN
Dica Ann “Dicy” GILES - New Hope United Methodist Church Cemetery, Loudon Co, TN
Paint Rock, Roane Co, TN (image courtesy of US Library of Congress)
Photo collage copyright 2006 D Giles Loiselle. Personal, noncommercial use only.

Preface: FINDING DICY

UPDATED notes (Analysis section rethinking: 17 May 2007)
My research: In the 1960s, my first cousin Jerry DENNEY conducted the earliest known family research for our GILES line. Though she knew that our great-grandmother Dicy GILES had been married twice and that she had several children when she married our great-grandfather James Calvin “Calvin” GILES, she did not know Dicy’s maiden name or the name of her first husband. My own questioning of family members over several years had uncovered very little more about Dicy than Jerry had discovered. I refused to give up, however, and now I can happily report that my research was the first to uncover documentation that definitively links Dicy GILES of Paint Rock, Tennessee to

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From The Rockwood Times, Thursday, 17 Jan 1924

J.C.MONTGOMERY After Long Illness

J.C. MONTGOMERY, 79, for 44 years a resident of this section, died Monday afternoon at 2:00 o’clock at Chamberlain Memorial hospital. He had been in failing health for several months, and was brought to the hospital for an operation which, owing to his weakened condition was not performed by his attending physician. Mr. MONTGOMERY is survived by his widow, who was Miss Betty WEATHERFORD, and the following children: Harry and Terrie, who live at the family home at Pine Orchard, and Allen L., Alfred, and Sidney, of Rockwood, and Mrs. Jas. GRAY of Harriman. A sister, Mrs. Florence WILSON, of Iowa, also survives.

The deceased was born Oct. 16, 1845 in Cherokee County, North Carolina, and moved to Rockwood in 1880. He resided here for some time, later moved to Cardiff, and then purchased a farm at Pine Orchard, on the mountain where he lived the rest of his life.

Funeral services were held Tuesday afternoon at the Baptist church, of which he was a member, with Rev. L.W. CLARK officiating.

Interment was at Oak Grove cemetery.

Source: Bailey, Robert L. Roane County, Tennessee Obituaries 1924-1925, Kingston, TN: [The Roane County Heritage Commission], 2003. Softcover, spiral-bound. Obituaries arranged alphabetically. Index (all surnames). 246 pages. (Page 133, Cites The Rockwood Times, Thursday, 17 Jan 1924, Vol 44, No 3.)

NOTES (as of 18 Sep 2006):
One of Jehu’s direct descendants, MONTGOMERY family researcher Nancy YENGER said that traditional family history says that Jehu had been out hunting in the rain for two days, caught pneumonia, and could never completely recover.

Mrs. Jas. GRAY is Loretta Celia “Retty,” wife of James A. GRAY (b abt 1875). Mrs. Florence WILSON is Florence Hasseltine, wife of Thomas William WILSON (b 31 Mar 1872).

The obituary reports that Jehu migrated to Roane County in 1880. He, his wife, and his four oldest children, however, were apparently still living near Shoal Creek in Cherokee Co, NC on 22 Jun 1880 because they are enumerated there in the 1880 Cherokee County census (NARA Micropublication T9-0958, p 303A). If, as his obituary says, he and Rose Ellen PATE (Jehu’s first wife) did migrate that year, it was after that day in June.

Jehu’s older brother David Washington MONTGOMERY (my direct ancestor) was in Roane County, TN from at least 3 Jul 1870. That is the date he was enumerated with his wife Mary BRANDON and their two daughters Lizzie and Rachel, in District 12, Rockwood PO, for the 1870 censuss. Jehu and David’s brother James Wesley “Wesley” MONTGOMERY was also in Roane County for the 1870 census.

If Jehu didn’t migrate until after 22 Jun 1880, as now seems to be the case, he and his brother David were not residents of Roane County at the same time. David Washington MONTGOMERY died 19 Jun 1879, at least a full year before Jehu’s probable migration date.

Jehu, Wesley, and David are the three youngest sons of Allen MONTGOMERY and Susannah (LARGENT) MONTGOMERY of Cherokee Co, NC. The couple had 13 children.

James Wesley “Wesley” MONTGOMERY was a brother of Jehu Chastain and David Washington MONTGOMERY of Roane County, TN. Like them, he was born in Cherokee County, North Carolina and migrated to Roane County not too long after the Civil War. (Others of their MONTGOMERY siblings also migrated to Tennessee from North Carolina and settled nearby.)

James Wesley “Wesley” MONTGOMERY (sources 1, 9)
Birth: 6 Apr 1844 - Cherokee Co, NC (source 1)
Death: 31 Dec 1909 - Rockwood, Roane Co, TN
Burial: Odd Fellows Cemetery, Rockwood, Roane Co, TN (source 10)
Cause of Death: Dropsy (source 10)
Spouse: Martha Matilda “Matilda” PATE Marriage: 20 May 1867 - Cherokee Co, NC
[sources 7,8]
Parents:
Father: Allen MONTGOMERY (1794-1879)
Mother: Susannah LARGENT (1804-1884) (parentage sources 1, 6)

1. He appeared on the Murphy PO census 1 Jun 1850 in Cherokee Co, NC. (source 2)
Allen and Susannah (Largent) MONTGOMERY were enumerated by John Rolen, Ass’t
Marshal:
Lines 28 ff
family 554/557

MONTGOMERY, Allen 57 [son of David MONTGOMERY (Rev War 4039) and Margaret ALLEN]
..Susanna, 47 [Susannah (nee LARGENT) MONTGOMERY]
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