Memorial to Thomas and Mollie Grubbs Shirley

Photos and article sent by Margo Elmhorst

Cousins coming together for dedication of Memorial Marker to their ancestors  

 

Alton Shirley and Fritz Elmhorst working to install the Monument

 

Thomas and Mollie Grubbs Shirley Monument

 

James Young 

James Young knows more about Thomas and Mollie Grubbs Shirley than anyone I know. He has personal items belonging to them. He lives in the area and knows where various family members are buried and where their homes were, etc. I have had the privilege to visit his home and be taken around to many of those places by him. He is a great friend!  He is also the father of Richard and Fred Young of the Kentucky Headhunters who have their own Country Music group. 

http://www.kentuckyheadhunters.com/

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THOMAS SHIRLEY and  MOLLIE GRUBBS MEMORIAL

Posted October 7th, 2003

Thomas Shirley descendents, pictured below, are standing at the site of the proposed memorial. They are Alton Shirley,  his son Timothy Shirley and his uncle, James Howard Young, all of Kentucky, Margo Shirley Elmhorst, of Florida, and Dick Moore, of Indiana. The house Thomas and Mollie built on this very site, their graves in the field in front of the picture and the nearby Granny Shirley's Spring, pictured below, will be commemorated on a stone to be erected here and surrounded by a fence. 
 

UPDATE: AUGUST 2005

Part of letter from Margo Elmhorst:

Well, we are home from a 2 week vacation and part of it was to pick up the memorial stone and base in Elberton, GA and take it to the Alton Shirley (cousin of James Howard Young) farm which is between Wisdom (remember the Young and Shirley store?) and Dripping Springs Church and get it set up. This farm is part of the original homestead and in close sight of the spring, homestead and graves. What a nail-biter that all was!!! But, as they say down south, we got 'er done! The next day about 30 people from 6 states finished the work and had the dedication. It was wonderful! Most of the people were from Thomas and Mollie's sons Richard (Nancy Green) and Thomas Jr (Hannah Dale), however one group was from Thomas' brother, Richard (Dorcas Cullins). Marilyn Smally came from Missouri with her daughter and little 5 year old triplet granddaughters. She was able to tell James Howard what had become of Richard's daughter, Amy. James Howard's grandson came with him.

I will send a write up and pictures soon, if you want to post them. Thanks again for all your help with our project! It really made a difference. Several people found out about it through the Assn. website and contributed and it was so touching to see some of the Shirleys meet for the first time. Margo

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PHOTOS BELOW WERE TAKEN IN 2004

SORRY THE LINK TO THESE PHOTOS POINTS TO AN ALBUM AT SHUTTERFLY.COM. THEY NO LONGER WORK.

This is the area where the monument will be placed!

 

Alton Shirley (nephew of James Young), Timothy Shirley (son of Alton),

James Young, Margo Elmhorst and  Dick Moore (cousin)

 

Timothy Shirley at Granny Springs

 

Margo Elmhorst and James Young

 

Tim Shirley pushing down the weeds to get to the Shirley headstones

 

Thomas Shirley Jr.'s Headstone

Hannah Dale Shirley's Headstone

 

Margo Elmhorst standing between

Thomas Jr. and Hannah Shirley's headstones

 

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The Indiana-Illinois Shirley Cousins Reunion 2003! 

In the case is the fife played by their great grandfather, Jacob Smith, at the battle of Perryville, KY in Oct. 1862.

 

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