In Memory of
Miriam Waggoner Heiskell
October 15, 1918 - January 21, 2016
Obituary
On January 21, 2016, Miriam Heiskell died peacefully at home surrounded by three generations of loved ones. She was born on October 15, 1918 in Morristown, TN, to A. B. and Blanche (Proffitt) Waggoner and grew up in Maryville, TN, in a close-knit family with three brothers and twenty-three first cousins.

Ruby Rema Rice Little, daughter of Marcellus “Sillus, Sill” and Isabel “Ibbie” Weaver Rice was born on July 23, 1907 at the home her parents had built around 1904 on Bull Run Creek just inside Knox County. Ruby’s ancestors had been on Lost Creek since 1798, and her parents had lived in Big Valley until the early 1900s. The Rice name remains familiar to many Union Countians.

I found these terms in a very old Bible with a note, “Here is a table which it would be well for us to cut out or copy for reference in our Bible studies: It was copied from a January 17, 1895 newspaper. I have no idea if it was a local or Knoxville paper.

A day’s journey was about twenty three and one fifth miles.

The Paulette community is located at the south end of Union County. I have heard that the community may have been named for a Paul family living in the area. In researching the Union County Census, the 1880 Census listed one family by the name of Paul. The family consisted of the William J. Paul family living between George and Orleana Evans and Josiah and Sarah Russell. The enumerator for District 2 was David S. Turner. (I do not know if Paulette may have been in District Two in the 1880s) William J. Paul was 33 years old in June of 1880.

It was a cold, snowy, winter day in the school year 1941-42 at Maynardville Elementary School. It was also my first year of school. I had a new snow suit of gray tweed with a maroon velvet collar and buttons that I was very proud of. I was also one of the first graders who had to learn about riding a school bus. I did not have a watch, and I don’t remember if I could tell time then; but I do remember that I worried constantly about missing the school bus and not having a way to get home.

James M. Heiskell, descendant of Daniel who left then Knox County and settled in Monroe County, and his wife Marian who ran the Heiskell School at Buckhead in Atlanta until last year were two of the most gracious people I've ever met. [bhp] James died about a year ago and Marian in her 90s is in fragile health. Carol DeMar, one of the teachers at Heiskell School, wrote this in 2009:

Great Expectations
May 5, 2009 by American Vision

It seems no time since last Christmas. Perhaps this is because you have been doing nice things for me all year long. First, I must thank The Shopper for the opportunity to write this column and to you for reading it. The thank-yous to me for preserving Union County history are like a Christmas present every time I hear it. The opportunities the Museum of Appalachia’s Fall Festival and the Union County Heritage Festival provided me to renew old acquaintances and to make new ones, and to help persons in search of their heritage, are gifts to me in ways I could not even imagine.

Why Maynardville? Because a bright young lawyer named Horace Maynard, who had come to teach at East Tennessee College that later became The University of Tennessee, was sympathetic to the cause of the establishment of Union County, Tennessee. After the Act creating Union County, Tennessee, was passed on January 13, 1850, Knox County filed a lawsuit because Knox County did not want to lose a significant valuable land base. Horace Maynard agreed to defend Union County without charge and walked from Knoxville to Liberty to do so. He usually spent the night at the home of Mr. And Mrs.

The third weekend in July, Millers from all over the country will descend on Union County for another Miller Reunion. Here’s a little history about what they celebrate. For the most part the people at the reunion will be descendants of Martin Luther Miller, who was born in 1758 near Heidelberg, Germany, came to America and settled for a time in Alamance County (Orange County), North Carolina..

Dear Sammie,

From the time I can remember until your mother, Paralee, could not drive any more, we looked forward to the spring visit of the Cox family. Since I can remember, Uncle Charlie was already deeply stricken by rheumatoid arthritis and had to use double crutches to walk, so Aunt Paralee had learned to drive–years before it was common for women to drive a car.