Tom Kuhn

On July 17th 2009 Tom Kuhn, grabdaddy's brother and my great uncle, died at the age of 81 in San Diego. Tom Kuhn had not been in contact with anyone from the family since he left North Carolina and moved to Houston, Texas. He was one of a handful of living veterans who servd on Iwo Jima. He was wounded on Iwo Jima and carried a piece of shrapnel in his chest for the rest of his life, because of his injury he received the Purple Heart.

Iwo Jima was one of the last islands to be taken during World War II in the Pacific. The Joint Chiefs of Staff decided that the island needed to be taken and General Holland M Smith, USMC, was given overall command of the campaign. The 4th and 5th Marine divisions would do the fighting on Iwo Jima. Iwo Jima was a fairly small island that was composed of black sand made from sulfur (Iwo Jima means sulfur island in Japanese). Iwo Jima is located 650 nautical miles to the south of Japan. The island itself is very small at about four miles long; regardless of size this island would become the sight of one of the most devastating battles in World War II. American losses from the battle on Iwo Jima would total to 6,825 while the Japanese would lose almost all of their 22,000 defenders. The fighting would be so intense on the island that one in every three American solders would either be killed or wounded in the battle.[1] Iwo Jima would produce the most famous photograph in United States History, the six flag-raisers raising the flag on top of Suribachi. The battle would also solidify the fighting capabilities of the United States Marine Corps as an elite fighting unit. President Ronald Reagan said it best when he explained that “some people wonder all their lives if they’ve made a difference. The Marines don’t have that problem.” The Marines certainly showed valor on Iwo Jima but the defense of Iwo Jima by the Japanese was certainly equal to the bravery shown by the invading Marines. The Japanese, under General Kuribayashi, would make a brilliant stand to try to hold their sacred homeland. The Japanese leaders had predicted that if they could make the losses high enough, the American people would give up in the face of so much adversity. They were almost right, until the release of the flag-raising photograph reenergized the people of the United States. Iwo Jima certainly became one of the major and most important battles ever fought in American history. The island of Iwo Jima would prove to be a great struggle between the Untied States and Japan.
[1] Bradley, John H. Iwo Jima. 13 Feb. 2008 http://www.iwojima.com/battle/battled.htm.

Many heroes emerged from the battle on Iwo Jima. Some of these heroes were the men who had raised the second flag atop Suribachi. Harlon Block, John Bradley, Rene Gagnon, Michael Strank, Franklin Sousley, and Ira Hayes became household names for raising the flag over Iwo. Of these six men only three survived Iwo Jima, John Bradley, Rene Gagnon, and Ira Hayes. They toured the country on the Seventh War Bond Drive which was extremely successful because it rode the wave of popularity created by the flag raising photograph. These men were heralded as the heroes of Iwo Jima, parades were thrown in their honor and statues were built to forever commemorate their actions on top of Suribachi. John Bradley expressed the attitude of the men best when he said, “The real heroes of Iwo Jima are the guys who didn’t come back.” The men were amazed at the impact that the photograph had on America. To them it was a photograph, to America it symbolized victory. The men who were there claimed that the flag-raising was pointless and nobody noticed it, but it caught America’s spirit at a time when she had become weary from war. The picture was even compared to Washington Crossing the Delaware, regardless of the flag raisers desires the picture elevated them to a celebrity status.[1] Others heroes also emerged from the volcanic ash of Iwo Jima. Herschel Williams received the Medal of Honor for single-handedly destroying six pillboxes against stiff enemy opposition. Donald Ruhl received the Medal of Honor posthumously for his actions on Iwo Jima. He had charged a pillbox alone and by himself killed nine enemy soldiers. The following day a grenade was tossed near him and his fellow Marines. Donald could have escaped but instead he threw himself on top of the grenade saving the lives of his comrades. In all, 27 Medals of Honor were awarded to the men who fought on Iwo Jima. Chester Nimitz said it best when he explained that, “Among the Americans who served on Iwo Jima, uncommon valor was a common virtue”.[2] Another American who served on this island was Thomas Murray Kuhn. Not much is known about his actions that day but I do know that he was wounded in the leg and chest which left him with a limp for the rest of his life and a piece of shrapnel in his chest. He received the purple heart for his actions that day.
Iwo Jima was one of the greatest battles in the Pacific; it was on this island that the reputation of the Marine Corps as an elite fighting unit was solidified. Iwo Jima has earned its place in American history along with such historical moments as Gettysburg and Valley Forge. The battle produced the single most famous photograph ever taken and the battle also quickened the defeat for the Empire of Japan. The men who died on Iwo Jima, regardless of their side, truly impacted history forever. It was on this island, made of sulfur, that the two great nations of America and Japan collided. The battle that ensued cost many men their lives and helped shape the history of the United States Marine Corps. Iwo Jima was not won by any brilliant General who made a strategic move, the battle was won by the Marine Corps rifleman. It was won by American boys, like Tom, with blood, sweat, and tears. These men who fought on Iwo Jima are a member of Tom Brokaw’s Greatest Generation. It took a special type of warrior to fight and win on Iwo Jima. Iwo Jima will long be remembered as one of the greatest and most triumphant moments in American history. The heroic actions of the men who fought here will long be remembered as some of the bravest actions ever carried out while under fire. This is why the Kuhn family has a history to be proud of, we have men in our family tree who have given so much for their country. Men who were willing to die for their country like Glen. Our family has earned its place in history as one who truly has sacrificed much for this great nation. Glen fought and died in the Battle of The Bulge, Tom fought and was injured on Iwo Jima, and MF Kuhn fought through the harsh winters of Korea also with the Marines. The Kuhn family was built upon the shoulders of these great men and it is up to us who are living now to make sure that what our ancestors did is never forgotten. This is why i firmly believe that I am who I am because of my ancestors.
[1] Bradley, James. Flags of Our Fathers. New York: Bantam Books, 2001
[2] Warren, James A. American Spartans. New York: Pocket Books, 2005.

The Greatest Generation

The United States of America owes its existence to one generation, the greatest generation. This generation was first labeled by Tom Brokaw as the greatest generation because of the sacrifices its members made to ensure freedom for their followers. This particular generation faced two of the most massive armies this world has ever seen, Germany and Japan, and defeated them by way of guts and determination. This generation was first hit by the Great Depression, then shipped oversees to fight a war, and then returned home to rebuild America. It is true that people of all generations that will follow must live in the shadows of these men and women from the greatest generation. John McCain said it best when he said, “We (United States) are the makers of history, not its victims.” The position of power the United States enjoys now is because of the sacrifices made by the men from another age. Since World War II, no generation in America has had to make the sacrifices made by the greatest generation. I would argue that no other generation will ever be capable of making the sacrifices that these men and women made. This generation had more asked of them than any generation that came before them; also this generation delivered more than any generation will ever be able to do in the future. These men and women represented a different breed of Americans; they came from a tougher America that can not be found today, they represent what this country was built on, bravery and perseverance. The men of the greatest generation bravely answered the call to arms when the world was thrown into turmoil. These men were not afraid to die in places they had never heard of before, places like Iwo Jima, Bastogne, and El Alamein. The women of this generation answered the call to arms on their own when they took manufacturing jobs in order to ensure that American men had what they needed in order to fight. We are free because this generation sacrificed so much, we owe our existence to those who came before us and we will forever be indebted to them. We should not only honor these men on Veterans Day but on every day. If you know a veteran tell him thank you for the sacrifices he made to protect your freedom.

Memorial Day...A Time to Remember

With Memorial Day just around the corner I decided to do a little research with regards to this holiday. The holiday was originally established after the Civil War to honor the Union soldiers who had died fighting to preserve the Union. Some time after World War I the holiday was expanded to honor all fallen heroes from the wars America has been involved in. This is certainly one of my favorite holidays because during it we celebrate the men who helped create a free country for us to live in.
We honor the men who died in the American Revolution as America pushed aside an oppressive King in order to establish a new country founded on freedom. We honor the men who died in the Civil War as the South fought for state’s rights and the North fought to preserve the Union. We remember the men who gave their lives in World War I in the trenches of Europe. We also honor the greatest generation who fought in World War II to save the world from evil dictators. We also honor the men who fought in the cold mountains of Korea and the tropical jungles of Vietnam. Now more recently we honor the men and women who serve in Iraq and Afghanistan as they bravely fight a war against a cowardly enemy in order to make the world safer. The Untied States has definitely paid the price for its freedom and it is on this national holiday that we look back to honor the brave men who made the ultimate sacrifice for their nation.
The Kuhn family definitely has a lot to be thankful for on Memorial Day. Granddaddy’s brothers Glen and Tom both served in World War II and Granddaddy served in Korea. Glen was the only one of the three who lost his life in battle. Glen died during the Battle of the Bulge in Europe which was the last major offensive by the Germans of the war and ultimately broke the back of the Third Reich, which Hitler had predicted would last for 1,000 years. I recently learned that Tom served in the United States Marine Corps and fought on Iwo Jima. Iwo Jima was a pivotal island in the Pacific that the United States needed in order to bomb Japan. The Japanese defended this eight square mile island with 22,000 of their best troops. It took 35 days for American perseverance to win out in this epic battle and at the end of the 35 days 6,825 Americans lay dead in the black ash of the island. Tom was wounded on this island in the leg and received the Purple Heart for his service to his country. I am told that he walked with a limp the rest of his life which was no doubt a testament to his love for his country. The torch was next passed to Granddaddy who served in Korea during the Korean War. The Korean War began when North Korean troops crossed the 38th Parallel leading to US and UN combined intervention. The Marines pushed the North Koreans all the way to the north of the peninsula until they pushed them almost into China. This almost started World War III as General Douglas MacArthur wanted to continue the invasion into China by using the atomic bomb and defeating the Communists in China. MacArthur was removed from command and the Chinese entered the war. The Marines then began to “advance in another direction” back to the 38th parallel where eventually a cease fire was agreed to. Marines are still in this country to this day to ensure the peace.
There is no doubt that the Kuhn name has participated in many wars that helped America become who she is today. I am sure that there are others who have served this great country from our family but at this time I am unaware of their names. So as you go about your weekend think of all the veterans who served their country bravely to ensure our freedom. If you know someone who served call them and thank them for what they did. We certainly do owe our freedom today to the men, living and dead, who served this country in times of crisis.
Following is a little poem I found that I really do like. I’m not too found of the term of old geezers but the poem does have a very good point. It is to these people that we today owe our lives……
OLD GEEZERS
"Geezers" are easy to spot:
At sporting events, during the playing of the National Anthem,
Old Geezers remove their caps and stand at attention
and sing without embarrassment. They know the Words and
believe in them.
They remember the Depression, World War II, Pearl Harbor,
Guadalcanal, Normandy and Hitler. They remember the
Atomic Age, the Korean War 1950-53-55, The Cold War,
the jet age, and the moon landing, the 50 plus Peacekeeping
Missions from 1945 to 2005, the Jet Age and the Moon
Landing, not to mention Vietnam.
If you bump into an Old Geezer on the sidewalk, he will
apologize.
If you pass an Old Geezer on the street, he will nod or tip
his cap to a lady.
Old Geezers trust strangers and are courtly to women.
Old Geezers hold the door for the next person and always,
when walking, make certain the lady is on the inside
for protection.
Old Geezers get embarrassed if someone curses in front of women and children and they
don't like the filth on TV or in the movies.
Old Geezers have moral courage. They seldom brag unless it's about their grandchildren.
It's the Old Geezers who know our great country is protected, not by politicians or
police, but by the young men and women in the military serving their country!
Our country needs Old Geezers and their decent values. We need them now more than
ever!
Thank God for Old Geezers!

Possible Passage From Europe

In my North Carolina History class at Lenoir-Rhyne we have been studying how the different groups of people came to inhabit the Americas. The one that was of particular interest to me was the one dealing with German immigrants that arrived with William Penn in 1681. William Penn received land in the new world because King Charles II had owed a large debt to Penn’s father and after his father’s death Charles II granted land in the new world to William to settle the score. Since the Kuhn family came to North Carolina out of Pennsylvania this is of great interest to our ancestry.
The winter of 1688-1689 was the worst winter on record in Northern Europe. During this time period King Louis XIV of France had just laid waste to the Palatinate region in one of the many wars that occurred in the region. The Palatinate Region is in south-western Germany. It was attacked because France and Germany were locked in the conflict known as the War of The League of Augsburg. Louis destroyed the region to keep it from sending food to Brandenburg, the German capital. During the attack cities such as Mannheim, Heidelberg, and Worms were burned to the ground driving 500,000 Germans into exile. These exiled Germans needed somewhere to go, many would find it in the New World.
It is highly likely that this is how the Kuhns left Europe. This area of Germany is quite possibly where our family originated. Many of the refugees from this area traveled to the Netherlands and flooded seaports looking for passage to the New World. Many of them joined William Penn as he traveled to the Americas looking for religious freedom. I have not proven this situation to be true but it is a very likely possibility on how the Kuhn name reached the Americas. This was one of the largest exoduses from Europe by Germans which is why I believe that it is how we found our way to this great country.

Kuhns in a historical context

I know that alot of times hearing dates when a person was born and the dates of when that person died can be very confusing. In this post I am going to try to put a few of our ancestors in place with important historical events that occurred during their lifetime.
Mary Katherine who is my five time great grandmother and the wife of William was born in Pennsylvania around the year 1760. She was born during the French and Indian war which must have been a dangerous time to live in because of the constant threat of an Indian attack. She, along with William, were alive and even in the same state when the Declaration of Independence was signed. This must have been a very frightening, yet amazing time to live in. America had just declared herself free of the most powerful nations in the world. I can just imagine my ancestors sitting around the dinner table talking about the Declaration of Independence and if America could win her independence much like we still talk about politics today at the dinner table. Mary Katherine and William both lived through the revolution and 17 years after it was over Mary Katherine left as a widow to rejoin her family in Tennessee. Mary Katherine died in the year 1831 in Carter County, Tennessee.
Most of her sons would have already died before the Civil War but it is possible her son John was alive for the start of the war. Mary's grandson Joseph would have been alive during the civil war. He was the son of John and Mahalah. He would have been in his later twenties when the civil war began. He must have heard stories of Gettysburg and Sherman's march to the sea. He probably thought about joining the fight. I am unsure of what side he would have chosen to support because so many people in the eastern part of Tennessee and Western part of North Carolina supported the Union.
Joseph's son was Millard Fillmore. Millard lived from 1851-1929. He was ten years old when the Civil War erupted. He would have seen California adopted into the union early in his lifetime. He would have been 26 when Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone. He also lived during the Spanish-American war and he saw the separate but equal standard passed by congress. He also lived through World War I. Shortly before his death he must have heard a story about a man who flew a plane all the way across the Atlantic, Charles Lindbergh. If I could pick any one's life to live during it would definitely have been Millard's. He saw some of the greatest events in America's history.
Samuel Elsworth Kuhn was born in the 1890's. In his life he saw World War II take place and saw the Korean War start.
I hope this has helped put our ancestors lives into more of a perspective for you. There is no doubt that our ancestors have given us a history to be proud of.

Discovery...

During the first trip to Carter County we, Grandmommy, grandaddy, dad, and myself, went to the Sinking Creek Baptist Church. We found the church right where it was supposed to be and learned that it is the oldest church in Tennessee's history. You may ask what the importance of this church is to the Kuhn family. It was that Peter Kuhn, the son of Mary Katherine and William Kuhn, was a pastor there for some time. In the book Pioneer Baptist Preachers there is a brief summary of his evangelist career. "Elder Peter Kuhn was born in Pennsylvania December 1, 1793, and came with his parents to Washington County, Tenn., at an early period in the settlement of the state. Having lived in this county a number, of years he moved to Sullivan County, where he spent most of his ministerial life. He was twice married and reared a considerable family, but the children, I am told, moved west and south, and perhaps none of them are now living. For many years he was a member of Muddy Creek Church, being also pastor of the church for a good many years. He was also pastor of Rocky Point Church in Sullivan County for a long time: Elder Kuhn went far and near to attend and hold revival meetings; his gifts were in thatdirection. He was an evangelist rather than a pastor. He preached the gospel in the demonstration of the Spirit and in power, and his preaching was effective in winning the lost to the Saviour. Like many other preachers of his day, his education was limited and most of his preparation for the pulpit was made between the plow handles, or while laboring in some way with his hands to support himself and family. Brother Kuhn, I am told, "had a sunny disposition, was a good singer, was well reported of by his neighbors, was a good man, and enjoyed the confidence and esteem of all who knew him." He lived to a good old age, making his exit from life as he neared the seventy-eighth milestone on the journey, and his body was laid to rest in the graveyard of the old Muddy Creek Church. His grave is marked by a neat tombstone bearing the inscription: "Elder Peter Kuhn, born December 1, 1793; died November 15, 1871. For forty years he was a faithful preacher of the gospel." A link to the record of the cemetary is a follows, his name and inscription appear on the site http://www.tngenweb.org/sullivan/cemetery/muddy_creek.htm. This certainly shows that Christianity has always been in the Kuhn family. The description of him did not mention when he preached at Sinking Creek. However he preached at Sinking Creek from 1812 to 1833. I have in my possession a record of some of the deeds he did at Sinking Creek. Among these deeds he was called to do are various committees that he served on while pastor. As we left this church I suggested we should look for the Hendrix family cemetary. I had a map from the book my grandparents gave me and it showed this cemetary to be very close to our location. We pulled down a side road and looked but saw nothing. I got out of the car to go ask someone at one of the houses nearby if they knew anything of an old cemetary. My dad joked that if he comes out with a shotgun you should probably run. I didn't find this funny because this house looked like the kind of place where that could happen. Anyways this semi-suspect man pointed me in the direction of his landlord's house saying there was an old cemetary on the top of a hill. I asked the somewhat scared landowner if they had any old cemetaries nearby. She said they did and that if I went straight up the hill beside the house I would find it. I couldn't understand why she seemed so scared until I told my girlfriend the story. She said that it isn't everyday that a 6'2" 275 pound guy knocks on your door asking to look for a graveyard. I guess I kind of see her point. Anyways, me and dad went looking for this graveyard. When she said straight up the hill she wasn't kidding. We were almost on hands and knees trying to scale the mountain. Finally at the top of the mountain, completely out of breath, we discovered someting neither of us could have dreamed of. We found out it wasn't the right graveyard but we did find that Andrew Kuhn, son of Jacob Kuhn, was burried there. His birth and death dates are a few years off compared with what i originally had but anyways it is in fact the son of Jacob, Andrew. He originally left for Kentucky in the 1840's but must have returned to live in Carter County or to be burried there. This was the most amazing discovery ever. I saw something that I had discovered on paper come to life on top of that hill in Tennessee. Me and my dad both agreed that this hill was the perfect burial spot for anyone. You could see from miles around once you stepped outside of the trees. There were other graves scattered around the location but no names other than Cooper were discovered on the tomb stones. After I returned home I learned that this was in fact known as Cooper Cemetary back in the day. I have already planeed our next trip to Carter County. I plan to go to the old Kuhn lands that were originally the lands of John and Jacob. I hope to find John and Mary Katherine's graves on this land also.

Glen Kuhn

Glen Kuhn was one of Grandaddy's older brothers. Glen Kuhn was born in the year 1918 and died in the year 1944. He died during World War II in the Battle of the Bulge. The Battle of the Bulge was the last major offensive by the Germans of the war. Its goal was to split the main line of the British and American forces. Most of the American casualties occurred within the first three days of battle, when two of the U.S 106th Infantry division's three regiments were forced to surrender. The Battle of the Bulge was the bloodiest of the battles that U.S. forces experienced in World War II; the 19,000 American dead were unsurpassed by those of any other engagement. For the U.S. Army, the battle incorporated more troops and engaged more enemy troops than any conflict before that time. The German objectives ultimately were unacheived. Glen Kuhn was killed sometime during this battle. He is buried in the cemetery in France at Normandy. We found his name among the lists of men who had given their lives for their country in Carter County. A new memorial has been built to honor men who paid the ultimate price for their country. Men such as Glen who died for their country are what makes me proud to be an American and proud to claim the name of Kuhn.

Trip Two, Carter County

The second trip i embarked on lead me to Carter County, Tennessee. This is a very historic county for the Kuhn family. The main town in this county is Elizabethton. Grandaddy said of Elizabethton that, "If I ever had a hometown, I guess this would be it." We first went to the graveyard on the land where Grandaddy spent the early years of his life at. I am not sure of the exacts of how long he lived there but I do know that he never worked the land there because he was too young. I heard Grandaddy say that he remembered playing in the yard around the small orchard that was there. Anyways, there is a grave yard on this land and this is the reason why we were there. I had been there once before about 10 years ago. In my mind I pictured a nice graveyard neatly kept with a few weeds here and there. I was wearing shorts and flip-flops which even more shows how unprepared I was. I walked up to the graveyard and was dumbfounded. What I had pictured in no way compared to the six foot high briers that covered the entire graveyard. I didn't really know what to do until i saw my dad (also wearing shorts) jump the gate and start looking then i decided to follow. Grandmommy and Grandaddy also helped and together we uncovered all of the Kuhn graves. My legs still have scrapes on them along with at least a million bug bites. The graveyard was in horrible shape. We were all dissapointed with the condition that it was in. Anyways we continued on and read the tombstones and I recorded and took pictures of all the tombstones. I was disappointed to only find the oldest people buried there were Grandaddy's grandparents, Millard Fillmore and Margaret Kuhn. I had hoped to find at least two more generations worth of graves there. The lady who owned the land was also there. She is grandaddy's cousin which makes her my third cousin, I think. Anyways, she has done some extensive research on the KUHN name. She threw a monkey wrench into my family tree when she said she had uncovered that Millard Fillmore was adopted at age 18. I wasn't expecting this but she had really good proof that this happened. She said she found paperwork that showed that John, Millard's father had filed for adoption with the courthouse in Carter County. This was very interesting so I decided to look into it. I believe it is true that he was actually the son of Savina and Joespeh before their marriage and was adopted at a later time by his original parents. Millard was born in 1851 shortly after his parents were married. Aunt Edna, grandaddy's older sister backs up this story that I just told, in that she believes he was born prior to their marriage. However this is still not for certain. The lady we talked to, Grandadydy's cousin, said his last name was Perry. I will not know for certain until i have been able to do more research for myself in regards to this matter.
After this trip we went in search of Sinking Creek Baptist church and the old Hendrix cemetery. This is a whole different story in itself.

Research and so on...

So far i have had a lot of success researching the families' history. I found in the book i was given by my grandmommy and grandaddy a list of Kuhn descendants. Starting with Mary Katherine Kuhn to John Kuhn, to Joseph Kuhn, to Millard Fillmore Kuhn, to Samuel Elsworth Kuhn, and all the way to a name i believe i have heard of, MF Kuhn. This list gave me a good bit of work to do. I researched all the names and came up with records from censuses taken in Tennessee and even some death records. The census of 1850 shows a John Kuhn married to a Mahalah Kuhn, Joseph was born in Pennsylvania married in the year 1818 living in Carter County. John was 62 years old at this time. Katherine his daughter who was also born in Pennsylvania was living with him along with sons Joseph, born in Tennessee, and Peter, who was also born in Tennessee. Katherine was 19, Joseph 16, and Peter 12. Their land was valued at $450. In 1870 John was not listed so i assume he had passed away. His son Joseph now 36 had married Savina who was 39. They had a son who was 19, his name was Millard Fillmore. Neither Savina or Millard were able to write according to the census. In 1880 Jospeh and Savina were still married at the grand age of 46 and 48 respectively. Millard had moved out and married Morgan who where the same age, 29. They had one son at this time, Joseph who was 19.

The Kuhn family originated out of Pennsylvania. Mary Katherine who is my five time great grandmother was married to William who died in the year 1798. I have found records showing that William is buried in Maryland. I hope to visit there some time soon. Mary Katherine Kuhn was originally Mary Katherine Hendrix. The Hendrix family was originally from Pennsylvania also and had moved to Carter County, Tennessee some time earlier. In 1800 she left to rejoin her family. She must have been a remarkable woman because she had 8 children that accompanied her on the journey. They were Jacob, Christopher, John, Peter, Mary, Margaret, Katherine, and Nancy. Once in Tennessee the family settled down alongside of the Hendrix family. The Kuhns became very close with the Hendrix family. This can be seen by the way that Solomon Hendrix included many Kuhn's in his will. The most important part of the will to the Kuhn family was as follows, “ First I give unto my nephew (probably meant nephew-in-law) Jacob Kuhn in consideration of ( paper torn here) me and in consideration of natural love and affection, one hundred acres of land, being part of the tract I now live on, including his present place of residence- Buts and Bounded as follows. Beginning on a cherry tree near the main road________ thence north twenty degrees west ten poles to a stake, thence south seventy-one degrees East fifty eight poles to a white oak, thence south twenty degrees east sixteen poles to a stake on the main road, thence running with said road so far as to fence for one hundred degrees adjoining the original line next to Buffilow Creek, which land is to be in Kuhn’s wholly and in fee simple on the death of myself, but is to possess and enjoy the same and have the rents, issues, and profits thereby; from my death to do with and dispose of as he may think proper.” This land remained in the Kuhn family for many years but was eventually sold and the money was used to purchase land a little farther north. This land was the land that Grandaddy grew up on. Other members of the Kuhn family were given feather beds and other things. Many Kuhns are listed as buying items from the auction of Solomon Hendrix shortly after his death.

The land of the Hendrix was originally in Jacob's possession but he decided to leave for Kentucky with his side of the family shortly after being given the land. Jacob had been married to Elizabeth Hendrix some time earlier. Jacob and Elizabeth had ten children, all of which were born in Carter County, Tennessee. They took all their children to Kentucky except one child. Ruth Kuhn had married Henry Carter and had left on a wagon train to Texas. In 1835 John Kuhn and his wife Margaret Tipton along with Hannah Kuhn and her husband Lewellyn Crouch joined a wagon train and moved to Kentucky where they found a recently established area called Grant County. They sent back word of a bountiful land which lead to Jacob moving his whole side family to this area. Once in Kentucky the Kuhn family had no church. They set up a church in one of their houses and invited traveling pastors to come preach every Sunday. Eventually towards the end of Jacob and Elizabeth’s life Elizabeth, not Jacob, donated a portion of land to build Clark’s Creek Baptist Church and cemetery on. Jacob and Elizabeth are both buried in this cemetery. Also another place I would like to visit. Their children are as follows: Ruth, John, Hannah, Catherine, Mary, Andrew, Ann, Elizabeth, Dulcena, and William.

Trip one, Grandmommy and Grandaddy's House

The first excursion I took on this mission was to grandmommy and grandaddy's house. I was swamped with information. I was given the book that would be my starting place for my research. At this point I was clueless as to how i was going to research all of the information that i desired to know. I found a website called ancestry.com which has proven to be an extremely valuable tool. I am currently raising funds to pay for the $25 a month membership (donations are welcome). Anyways I saw a picture of one of my ancestors who was high sheriff of Mithcell County when it was combined with Avery County. He was sitting on his horse pointing his pistol toward the person wo painted the picture. I also was given a guided tour through all of grandaddy's war pictures from training in boot camp to the war in Korea. It certainly was one of the most facinating trips to the mountains i have ever been on. I left their house that day with questions swirling around in my head. I would soon put all the pieces togethor in order to trace the Kuhn name all the way back to they year 1798.

The Inspiration...

The Village Blacksmith
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Under a spreading chestnut-tree
The village smithy stands
The smith, a mighty man is he
With large and sinewy hands;
And the muscles of his brawny arms
Are strong as iron bands

His hair is crisp, and black, and long
His face is like the tan
His brow is wet with honest sweat
He earns whate’er he can
And looks the whole world in the face,
For he owes not any man.

Week in, week out, from morn till night,
You can hear his bellows blow;
You can hear him swing his heavy sledge,
With a measured beat and slow,
Like a sexton ringing the village bell,
When the evening sun is low

And the children coming home from school
Look in at the open door;
They love to see the flaming forge,
And hear the bellows roar,
And catch the burning sparks that fly
Like chaff from a threshing floor.

He goes on Sunday to the church,
And sits among his boys;
He hears the parson pray and preach,
He hears his daughters voice,
Singing in the village choir,
And it makes his heart rejoice.

It sounds to him like her mother’s voice,
Singing in Paradise!
He needs must think of her once more,
How in the grave she lies;
And with his hard, rough hand he wipes
A tear out of his eyes.

Toiling, rejoicing, sorrowing,
Onward through life he goes;
Each morning sees some task begin,
Each evening sees its close;
Something attempted, something done,
Has earned a night’s repose.

Thanks, thanks to thee my worthy friend,
For the lesson thou hast taught!
Thus at the flaming forge of life
Our fortunes must be wrought;
Thus on its sounding anvil shaped
Each burning deed and thought.

I was assigned to read this poem in my English 231 class at Lenoir-Rhyne. I of course was totally upset. I hate poetry, period. I have never liked it and I never thought I would until I read this particular poem. The first thing that popped into my head was my granddad. I thought of seeing my granddad work in the Christmas trees and of a particular story about him I had once heard. It was the story of the farm that he lived on in North Carolina. I had heard the story many years earlier. The story goes that Grandaddy had to quit school because of the need to plow the fields of the farm he lived on. He had to work every day for sometimes more than eight hours a day to have the fields ready for the planting season. This was no simple task. In case you haven’t been to Avery County, North Carolina lately it’s not very flat land. Their was no tractor to be found, just a plow and two horses. This is where the Kuhn work ethic was forged. Sunup to sundown my grandfather worked the field. This field was not just used to sale crops but it also produced the food for the family. He had no helpers during the plowing stages, but during the planting and harvest he had helpers. It was the land, almost 60 acres, and himself. To accomplish this task took a very special man with a work ethic that can be rivaled by no one. I have heard stories about how hard it is to plow a field. I can never imagine doing over 60 acres by yourself. I think my teacher received a pretty good analysis paper by me on this poem. She simply wrote “Wow” on the paper. I began to think more and more about my family and where we had come from. Little did I know that this would lead to a ton of research and a sense of pride in the name Kuhn that I will never lose.
I decided to trace the name Kuhn back as far as possible. All the way back to Europe if possible. I began to pester my dad about taking me to see Grandmommy and Grandaddy in order to just listen to what they had been through in their lifetime. I finally went to visit and became hooked on the history of the Kuhn family. I was given a book, “The Hendrix Family of Carter County Tenn.” by Violet Hendrix that they had in order to get me started on researching the family. The book proved to be one of my most valuable resources for discovering the secrets of my ancestors. The Kuhn family married into the Hendrix family way back when William married Katherine. This book took me all the way back to this date. It also contained a will where the Kuhn family is given a certain piece of land in Tennessee. It also talks about when the Kuhns left for Kentucky. So far I have traced our history back to the late 1700’s to my great great great great great grandfather and grandmother. Their names are William Kuhn and Mary Katherine Kuhn. I was able to complete what the woman who published the book I had received was unable to do. She could not find Mary Katherine’s husband. I’m not bragging because I had the internet at my disposal whereas she had a typewriter. Anyways this that follows is a summary of what I have been able to learn. I have included stories and everything I can possibly find about the following people. Truly what follows is something to be proud of.