Family Group Sheet
NameJohn Lafayette Link
Birth8 Jul 1836, Morgan Co., Kentucky
Death20 Jan 1929, Morgan Co., Kentucky
FatherSimon Link (~1808-)
MotherMary “Polly” Mynhier (~1811-)
Other spousesRhoda Ann Sexton, 2C5R
Marriage21 Aug 1895, Morgan Co., Kentucky
SpouseJane Alfrey
Notes for John Lafayette Link
His death certificate (Vol. 15, #07312) records John L. Link, age 93 years 6 months 14 days, born 8 July 1836, died 20 Jan 1929 in Morgan Co., Ky, widowed, father Simon Link born in Pennsylvania, mother’s maiden name Mary Manhear born in Menifee Co., Ky, cause of death paralysis, informant Fannie Lewis, Blaze, Ky, burial in Lewis Cemetery.
His great-granddaughter Ethel (Brewer) Adkins said he lived to be 105, but apparently somewhere along the line his age got stretched.
His great-granddaughter Ethel (Brewer) Adkins said he lived to be 105, but apparently somewhere along the line his age got stretched.
Census
1850 census lists John as age 14, with his parents Simon & Mary Link. He is also redundantly recorded in Bath Co. with his mother’s brother Thomas C. Mynhier as John Link, age 14.
1860 census of Morgan Co., Ky records as family #70:
John Lynk, 24; Rodah A., 29; Mary C., 4; James B., 3; Casea W., 1. All born in Ky.
1870 census of Rowan Co., KY, Pearce prec., dated 15 June, lists on p. 123, family #10:
Link, John, 37, farmer; Rhoda, 38; James, 12; Cassandra, 10; Robert, 9; Nancy, 8; Simeon, 5.
Also listed with the family is Andrew Brown, 26, farm laborer. All born in Kentucky.
1880 census of Morgan Co., Ky, district 87 (Blair’s Mill), p. 19 (handwritten), p. 539A (stamped/microfilm), lists as family #154:
Link, John, 40, farmer, Ky Pa Ky; Rhoda, wife, 40; James, 23, son; Cassorette, 21, dau; Robert, 20, son; Nancy, 19, dau; Peter, 16, son; Emma, 9, dau. All except John born Ky Ky Ky.
1900 census of Morgan Co., Ky, District 6, enumerated 5 June, lists on p. 4B as family #67/68:
John L. Link, 64, b. July 1835, Ky/Pa/Ky; wife Nancy, 17, b. Sept 1882, Ky/Ky/Ky, married 0 years, mother of 0 children; son David H., 12, July 1887, Ky/Ky/Ky; boarder Preston Petitt, 26, Nov 1873, Ky/Ky/Ky.
The number of years married column for John has what looks like either 5/12 or 6/12, or even possibly 3/12, overwritten with a large 0. The left side of the 0 cuts through the number of months, so the only part of it that is legible is the lower loop.
Preston Petitt is very likely to be the Preston Link age 8 listed in the 1880 census of Morgan Co as a boarder with the family of Bluford Elliott. He is probably an illegitimate son of John Link and Lizzie Petitt. (David Hopkins Pettit b. ca 1905 son of John Link’s son John Tom Pettit, may have been named after the above David H. Link, who would be his half uncle.)
1910 census of Morgan Co., Ky, District 7 (Panthers Branch), enumerated 27 April, lists on p. 8A as family #108/109:
John L. Link, 74, b. Ky/Pa/Ky, farmer, 5th marriage, married 10 years; wife Nancy J., 25, b. Ky/Ky/Ky, 1st marriage, married 10 years, mother of 0 children; son David H., 22, b. Ky/Ky/Ky, married 1 year; dau-in-law Martha J., 15, b. Ky/Ky/Ky, married 0 years.
Note that the age for Nancy is two years younger than that implied by the 1900 census.
1920 census of Panther’s Branch, Morgan Co., Ky, enumerated 7 Jan, lists on p. 4A as household #63:
Link, John L., 84, Ky Pa Pa; Nancy, wife, 35, Ky Ky Ky.
The following household is that of Nancy’s parents, and the one after that is her sister Louisa with her husband Willie Johnson.
1860 census of Morgan Co., Ky records as family #70:
John Lynk, 24; Rodah A., 29; Mary C., 4; James B., 3; Casea W., 1. All born in Ky.
1870 census of Rowan Co., KY, Pearce prec., dated 15 June, lists on p. 123, family #10:
Link, John, 37, farmer; Rhoda, 38; James, 12; Cassandra, 10; Robert, 9; Nancy, 8; Simeon, 5.
Also listed with the family is Andrew Brown, 26, farm laborer. All born in Kentucky.
1880 census of Morgan Co., Ky, district 87 (Blair’s Mill), p. 19 (handwritten), p. 539A (stamped/microfilm), lists as family #154:
Link, John, 40, farmer, Ky Pa Ky; Rhoda, wife, 40; James, 23, son; Cassorette, 21, dau; Robert, 20, son; Nancy, 19, dau; Peter, 16, son; Emma, 9, dau. All except John born Ky Ky Ky.
1900 census of Morgan Co., Ky, District 6, enumerated 5 June, lists on p. 4B as family #67/68:
John L. Link, 64, b. July 1835, Ky/Pa/Ky; wife Nancy, 17, b. Sept 1882, Ky/Ky/Ky, married 0 years, mother of 0 children; son David H., 12, July 1887, Ky/Ky/Ky; boarder Preston Petitt, 26, Nov 1873, Ky/Ky/Ky.
The number of years married column for John has what looks like either 5/12 or 6/12, or even possibly 3/12, overwritten with a large 0. The left side of the 0 cuts through the number of months, so the only part of it that is legible is the lower loop.
Preston Petitt is very likely to be the Preston Link age 8 listed in the 1880 census of Morgan Co as a boarder with the family of Bluford Elliott. He is probably an illegitimate son of John Link and Lizzie Petitt. (David Hopkins Pettit b. ca 1905 son of John Link’s son John Tom Pettit, may have been named after the above David H. Link, who would be his half uncle.)
1910 census of Morgan Co., Ky, District 7 (Panthers Branch), enumerated 27 April, lists on p. 8A as family #108/109:
John L. Link, 74, b. Ky/Pa/Ky, farmer, 5th marriage, married 10 years; wife Nancy J., 25, b. Ky/Ky/Ky, 1st marriage, married 10 years, mother of 0 children; son David H., 22, b. Ky/Ky/Ky, married 1 year; dau-in-law Martha J., 15, b. Ky/Ky/Ky, married 0 years.
Note that the age for Nancy is two years younger than that implied by the 1900 census.
1920 census of Panther’s Branch, Morgan Co., Ky, enumerated 7 Jan, lists on p. 4A as household #63:
Link, John L., 84, Ky Pa Pa; Nancy, wife, 35, Ky Ky Ky.
The following household is that of Nancy’s parents, and the one after that is her sister Louisa with her husband Willie Johnson.
Notes for Jane Alfrey
For a long time I thought this Jane Alfrey was the same person as the wife Nancy J. who died in 1941 and who was enumerated in the 1900, 1910 and 1920 censuses. But at that time, I had the census records only from the Soundex index, which shows the age (and for 1900, birthdate) columns, but does not mention the marriage details columns.
When Ancestry got all the census images online, I was finally able to consult the full census records and find that the 1900 and 1910 censuses were both consistent in declaring that Nancy and John were married about 1900 or late 1899 (married 0 years in 1900 and married 10 years in 1910). Also John’s entry in 1900 stated that it was his fifth marriage.
So I am removing the indentification of the Jane Alfrey from the 1895 record with the wife Nancy J. from the 1900 and later censuses and the death record. That means I do not have any information on the age of Jane, since she did not appear with John Link on any censuses. It is possible that Alfrey is not her maiden name, but the name of a previous husband.
When Ancestry got all the census images online, I was finally able to consult the full census records and find that the 1900 and 1910 censuses were both consistent in declaring that Nancy and John were married about 1900 or late 1899 (married 0 years in 1900 and married 10 years in 1910). Also John’s entry in 1900 stated that it was his fifth marriage.
So I am removing the indentification of the Jane Alfrey from the 1895 record with the wife Nancy J. from the 1900 and later censuses and the death record. That means I do not have any information on the age of Jane, since she did not appear with John Link on any censuses. It is possible that Alfrey is not her maiden name, but the name of a previous husband.
