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.

County Clerk's Office in Welch, WV has recorded the following:

Pettit, Nickety, born 22 Mar 1878, Iaeger, WV, died Dec 1, 1961, Iaeger, WV, age at death 83. Cause: cerebral hemorrhage. Contributory cause: hypertension. Housewife, widowed. Parents: Harvey Trent and Rennie Lambert. Name and address of informant: Jason Pettit, Flint, Mich.

Her obituary in the Welch Daily News read:

Funeral services for Mrs. Nickety Pettit, 83, widow of John Pettit, who died Friday at her home in Iaeger after a long illness, were to be held at 1 p.m. today at the residence in Red Bird Community, with burial in Iaeger Memorial Cemetery at Roderfield. The officiating minister is the Rev. Clyde Roberts.

A native of Sandy Huff, near Iaeger, Mrs. Pettit was a daughter of the late Harvey and Rennie Lambert Trent. She was a member of the Sandy Huff Church of Christ. Surviving are three sons, Asa and Jason Pettit, of Flint, Mich., and Bill Pettit of Iaeger; 16 grandchildren and several great-grandchildren.

Her gravestone, next to John’s, spells her name Nicatie Pettit, with the dates as above.

Rowan Co. marriage book 7, p. 456, records marriage on 5 Oct 1911 of John Pettit, 45, s/o Preston & Mary Pettit (spelled that way), to Nickety Trent, 33, b. W. Va., d/o Harvey & Rena Trent, by Harvey Trent at his house, witnesses Rena Trent & Harvey Trent Jr., bond surety by W. T. Caudill. It is marked as a second marriage for John, and his residence is given as "east Virginia."

Aunt Oly says that "Uncle Johnnie's boys" lived in West Va., near Stark. By this she must mean his sons by Ty, as Frank and Roscoe lived in Morehead. Stark is a tiny community at the end of state road 17, near the small town of Jeffrey, in Boone Co.

Except where other records are explicitly mentioned, all the information I have on the family of Johnnie and Nickety is from Fay Horn Beck of Bluefield, Virginia, a daughter-in-law of Johnnie's son William A. Pettit.

All three of Johnnie and Tye's sons were born while he was still officially married to Malissa Clark.

1890 Tax Rolls of Hogtown Prec., Rowan Co., KY, lists on p. 36, line 9:
John P. Petit, 25 acres, neighbor Wm Kegley, 1 male over 21, no children 6-20. (People in other categories are not enumerated.)

1900 census of Mingo Co., WV, enumerated June 6, lists in Hardey district, as family #168:
John Petty, 22, b. Sep 1867, Ky Ky Ky; Tie, 21, b. Mar 1879, Va Va Va; Willie, 8/12, b. Sep 1899, 8/12, Ky Ky Va.

1910 census of Mingo Co., WV, lists in Hardee District, as family #143:
Pettit, John, 45, KY US US; (wife) Tella, 33, WV WV WV; "Tella" mother of 3 children, 3 living; (son) Willie, 10, WV KY WV; (son) Jason, 8, WV KY WV; (son) Acy, 3, WV KY WV. Both John and "Tella" (presumably Nickety) are listed as married 14 years, and as married only once.

1920 census of Buchanan Co., Virginia, Rock Lick district, enumerated 5 Jan, lists on p. 5A as part of household #79:
Pittit, John, 51, head, widowed, saw mill, b. Ky Ky Ky; Jacen, 17, son, b. Ky Ky Ky; Asie, 13, son, b. Ky Ky Ky. (The place of birth entries for Jason and Asie are incorrect.)

The household contains 3 other heads of families one of which is listed as a hotel cook, so it was apparently a boarding house. The next household is that of John’s son Willie Pettit age 21 with wife Mollie.

John was not really widowed, but apparently he and Tye were separated at the time. In 1920 Tye was probably listed with her parents, although the line is rather illegible. (See their census notes.)

They were back together by 1930, though:

1930 census of Boone Co., WV, Crook precinct, enumerated 16 April, lists on p. 13B as family #227/230:
Pettit, John, 62, age at first marriage 30, b. Ky Ky Ky, lumbering; Nickety, wife, 49, age at first marriage 19, b. WVa WVa WVa; Jason, son, 28, single, b. WVa Ky WVa, cuts coal at coal mine.