Jessie was a storekeeper and a carpenter. He and Emmie ran a general store on Dry Creek Road in Clearfield. Jessie also made coffins. He is listed as the undertaker on a lot of old Rowan Co. death certificates, but he wasn't a mortician. In the days when most country people didn't mess with embalming, they just listed whoever supplied the coffin as the undertaker.

Jessie Petitt's bible1 has entry "Jessy Pettit was Born January 27th 1881" and another entry "Jessie Petitt Dead Nov 7, 1966."

His WWI draft registration card, issued in 1917/1918 (the images on Ancestry do not show the side of the card that has the date it was filed), says Jessee Petitt, age 37, residence Crix, Ky, born 27 Jan 1881 in Rowan Co., Ky, occupation farmer, self-employed, nearest relative Emma Jane Petitt.

Social Security Death index lists Jessie Petitt, b. 27 Jan 1881, d. Nov 1966, SSN 404-03-0881 issued in KY, last residence in Clearfield, KY.

Death Certificate (from KY Vital Statistics Dept) for Jessie Petitt d. 11-7-1966, age 85, in Morehead, Rowan Co. states that he was b. 1-27-81, occupation carpenter, married, father Preston Petitt, mother's maiden name Mary Riddle, informant Geneva Bays, cause of death "ascending cholongitis with septic shock".

Emma was a midwife, and delivered a lot of babies in Rowan County. She apparently also nursed the ill, as her name appears on several death certificates as the “attending physician”, but she had no medical training. She kept the books in the store, which were mostly records of running accounts, since they sold most goods on credit. The farmers would pay up when they sold their crops.

Social Security Death index lists Emma Petitt, b. 13 Nov 1885, d. Aug 1974, SSN 307-26-9303 issued in Indiana, last residence in Morehead, KY.

Her death certificate records Emma Petitt died Aug 23, 1974, age 88, in Morehead, Rowan Co. It states that she was born Nov 13, 1885, widowed, father David Clark, mother's maiden name Susie Jones, informant Nellie Baldridge, cause of death "respiration arrest due to cerebral vascular accident." Emma's obituary also says that her father's name was David Clark. But marriage, census, etc., records show that it was Samuel Clark (see his notes), which agree with Phil McBrayer's interview of granny. Since Emma's father died when she was only 2 or 3, probably Nellie did not know his name, and either confused him with Emma's brother David, or assumed that David had been named after his father.

Rowan Co. Marriages Bk 4, p.359, has marriage license application and certificate for Jessie Pettit (spelled that way, with the double t's in the middle) and Emmie Clark. The license application is dated 19 Nov 1902 and says that the marriage is going to be performed at Wm Dehart's in Rowan Co. on Nov 20th. The certificate states that the marriage was performed on Nov 21st at the home of Wm Dehart in Rowan Co., witnesses Wm Dehart and Julus Trent. The application gives Jessie's age as 21, residence as Fraly, Ky, occupation farmer, and states that it is his 2nd marriage. Emmie's age is 17, residence Minor, Ky, 1st marriage. All principals and their parents born in Rowan Co.

Jesse and Emma were first cousins once removed, since Jesse's mother Mary Riddle and Emma's paternal grandmother Martha Riddle were twins. It was Emma who started spelling the family's name as "Petitt".

Jesse and Emma had 55 grandchildren and at least 104 great-grandchildren.

Jessie is listed with his parents in 1900.

1910 census of Kentucky lists in Rowan Co., Cristy Creek prec, p. 10A, family #167:
Jessee Petitt, 29; (w) Emma J, 24; (s) Truby, 6; (d) Vesta, 4; (d) Nelly, 2; (d) Martha, 9/12. Married 6 years, 2nd for Jessie, 1st for Emma. All born in KY.

1920 census of Rowan Co., Ky, Wagoner precinct, p. 6B, taken 17 Jan, lists as family #106/109:
Pettitt, Jessie, farming, 38; Emma, wife, 34; Truba, dau, 16; Besta, dau, 14; Nella, dau, 12; Martha, dau, 10; Violey, dau, 8; Stella, dau, 6; Sanford, son, 3 11/12; Harrison, son, 1 10/12. All born Ky Ky Ky.

Neighbors are David Jennings and Willie Riddle. This census page is marked in the margins as “Ridge Road between Wagoner Creek and Dog Creek”.

1930 census of Rowan Co., Ky, Wagoner precinct, enumerated 12 Apr, lists on p. 5B as family #89:
Petitt, Jesse, 49, age at first marriage 16; Emma J., wife, 44, age at first marriage 17; Stella, dau, 17; Sanford, son, 14; Harrison, son, 11; Delila, dau, 10; Icy, dau, 7; Geneva, 4 10/12. Icy born in West Virginia, all others born Ky/Ky/Ky.
(Note that the reason for the mismatch in age at first marriage is that this was Jesse’s second marriage.)

1940 census of Rowan Co., Ky, Clearfield, enumerated April 22, lists on p. 6B as family #91:
Pettit, Jesse, 58, merchant at general store; Emma, wife, 54, clerk at store; Lila, dau, 20; Isa, dau, 18; Bays, Lee, son-in-law, 22, mechanic at garage; Geneva, dau, 14, married.