John spelled his last name “Petit” in his first marriage record and in the 1900 and 1910 censuses, but his second marriage record says “Pettit”. His sons Roscoe and Frank used the Petitt spelling, as do Roscoe’s descendants, but most of Frank’s male line descendants use the Pettit spelling, as do most of the descendants of his second marriage, to Ty Trent.

HIs gravestone in Ieager Cemetery , next to Ty’s, spells his name John P. Pettit, with the dates Sep 15, 1867 - Dec 20, 1938.

Jessie Petitt bible1 has entry "Joney Pettit was Born September the 15th 1867", and another entry "Johnie Petitt died Dec 20, 1938". A more recent letter from Lila Chadwell, probably based on the bible entries, since the names are listed in the same order, says instead "Johnie Petitt borned February 15-1861 Died Dec. 20 1938". He is not in the Kentucky death index, which probably means he died in West Virginia. But Fay Beck says that there is no death certificate on file for him in McDowell Co., either, so it must have been another county.

Stone in the New Sill Cemetery reads "Malissie Pettit died August 1937". (The same cemetery that has the graves of her sons Frank & Roscoe.)

I could not find a death record for either Malissa Carter or Malissa Pettit (or spelling variants.) Perhaps she married a third time? Or maybe she died in West Virginia or another state and was brought back to Rowan County for burial.

1900 census of Rowan Co., Ky, Hoggtown precinct, enumerated 17 June, lists on p. 8B with Samuel Clark (Malissa's father), family # 139:
Malisee Petit, 32, b. Feb 1868, married 14 yrs, mother of 4 children, all living; Roscoe, son, 12, b. May 1888; Linna, dau, 10, b. June 1890; Jipsey, dau, 9, b. Feb 1891; Frank, son, 8, b. Mar 1892. All born in Ky, Malissa's father b. in VA.

The year of birth for Roscoe, Gipsy and Frank are all one year later than the birth year in their death records. Since I don't know which is correct, I have entered their years of birth as a range. (Too bad the 1890 census was destroyed. :( )

In 1930 she was listed as Maliccia Pettit, 63, widowed, mother in law, with her daughter Lennie and John Fouch.

Rowan Co. Marriage Bk A, p. 55, lists marriage of John Petit and Melissah Clark at Sam Clark's on 24 Dec 1885.

Rowan Co. circuit court records a divorce decree for Malissa Pettit vs John Pettit on 6 Nov 1908. Malissa remarried two days later.