Pine Mountain Settlement School
Series 09: BIOGRAPHIES – Families
1930 – 1961

NAPIER FAMILY, 1930 – 1961

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TAGS: Napier Family, Pine Mountain Settlement School, Pine Mountain Community, PMSS Boarding School Students, PMSS Community School Students

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According to Ethel de Long’s  DEAR FRIEND LETTER 1911 [Hindman], the Napiers are descendants of the of the four original settlers of Greasy — Minyards, Napiers, Turners and Chappels. Many Napiers were among the student body at Pine Mountain Settlement School. 

For additional assistance in locating histories of families in Eastern Kentucky see:

Harlan County, Kentucky Genealogy – FamilySearch Wiki

Early Settlers on the Poor Fork of the Cumberland River, Harlan County Kentucky and Adjoining Counties by Jackie Owen (1990) [out of print – Contains information on the Creech Family and related families as well as black-and-white photos, and an index. It also includes family charts, pages for recording births, marriages, and deaths and information on the families of: Adams, Ball, Blair, Branson, Caudill, Chadwell, Collier, Creech, Day, Ely, Ewing, Howard, Kelly, Napier, Nolan, Parker, Posey, Scott, Sims, Spencer, Turner, and others.]

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Napier Family: HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE PMSS COLLECTIONS

Barbara C. Napier’s handwritten letter is transcribed on the page for GRACE LEWIS CREECH.

Ben F. Napier (b. 1872), a farm laborer, was the father of Sarah Ellen Bailey (b. May 7, 1914). Sarah described her mother, Malissa Jane (Curry) Napier (b. 1873), as a “great herb doctor” who was happiest when she was sitting at her spinning wheel. According to the 1920 U.S. Census, Sarah, at five years old, was the youngest of eight children. Her brothers were Bradley (24), George (20), Floyd (17), Ada (15), Johney (9), Loyd (7). She had one sister, Lizebeath (12). At the time of the Census, the family was living in Jane, (Harlan County), Kentucky. SARAH BAILEY biography.

Ben Napier and Lloyd Turner wrote “Turner’s True Story,” in which the grandson of Lloyd Turner tells the story of slick horse and mule trading by Loyd and Ben Napier with Mr. Chapel. MARGARET MOTTER WRITING: “TURNER’S TRUE STORY.”

Darlene Napier is listed as “Reporter” for the Youth Group “C” in the 1963 GUIDANCE INSTITUTE REPORT (pp. 49-58).

Floyd Napier married Lilly (or Lillie) Day and had 3 children: Sol, Nel, and Delphia, according to genealogy information in SOL DAY’s biography.

Glynn Napier is named in one of Glyn Morris’ 1934 letters. GLYN MORRIS 1934 Correspondence. Glynn Napier’s article “A Description from the Study of ‘The Tale of Two Cities’” was published in the student publication, PINE CONE 1932. She was the editor of the “World News” section of PINE CONE 1934.

H. Napier’s sixth grade letter is transcribed as an example of Kentucky mountain parlance. MARGARET MOTTER NOTEBOOK.

Id and Lira Napier are mentioned in a letter from Evelyn K. Wells to her family dated May 4, 1918(?), describing a shooting on Abner’s Branch. EVELYN K. WELLS 1918 Excerpts From Letters Home.

James Napier wrote a children’s letter (#49), to Miss [Margaret] Motter. [Notation at top of page: “…1930s?”] “English II. “Two years ago I decided to quit school. I was in the first year high school…I decided to go up in Ohio to try to get a job, so the first day I got there I went to work so it made me believe I were a real man and didn’t need any education….[the foreman] put me a hold of a pick and shovel and told me to work hard. When he said that my mind turned toward how I were going to live so I returned home and begin to school again and I never have had least idea at that kind of work any more.” EDUCATION – CHILDREN’S WRITING III.

John Calvin Napier and Shafer Napier were listed among the men from Perry County, KY, who were U.S. Army Privates in the WWI. Source: “Hazard, Heart of the Coal Fields” by Samuel Morse Chenault, Lexington Herald, [Dec. 21, 1919]. LOCAL HISTORY SCRAPBOOK “Hazard, Heart of the Coal Fields 1919.” They were also among those listed in the LOCAL HISTORY SCRAPBOOK narrative, “History of the Combs Family,” by S.S. Combs.

Kyle Napier is mentioned in the October 2008 Notes: “In recent years, Ben [Begley] has [worked] with Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission (KSNPC) and Kentucky Natural Lands Trust, which is working to preserve special natural areas on Pine Mountain” in partnership with the School. The article quotes Ben as saying, “I…never tire of spending time in the forest with my colleagues: Hugh Archer, Tom Barnes, Marc Evans, Kyle Napier, and Wally Roberts. We are always learning from each other.” BEN BEGLEY Biography.

Mr. Napier was the operator of a “big shovel” during the building of the road, as described in the PMSS Notes of 1948. He was the father of Birdie Napier, a Pine Mountain student. PMSS NOTES 1948.

Opal Napier is listed as a student in the CONIFER – 1949 May Supplement.

Warren Napier is listed as “Recorder” for the Hall Area in the 1963 GUIDANCE INSTITUTE REPORT (pp. 26-37).

Napier Family: IN PINE MOUNTAIN VALLEY AREA, 1934-1942

TITLE	LAST NAME	FIRST NAME	DATE OF INFO	SOURCE OF INFORMATION
Mr. & Mrs.	Napier	Ben	1934 – 1942	MAP OF COMMUNITY RESIDENTS 1934 – 1942
Mr. & Mrs.	Napier	Lloyd	1934 – 1942	MAP OF COMMUNITY RESIDENTS 1934 – 1942

Napier Family: PMSS WORKERS

NONE FOUND

Napier Family: PMSS BOARDING STUDENTS, 1930-1937

STUDENT NAME	YEARS AT PMSS	GRAD?
Napier, Burl	1930-1933
Napier, Glynn (Gwendolyn)	1930-1933
Napier, Haney	1930-1931
Napier, Lillian	1937
Napier, Opal	1934-1935

Napier Family: PMSS COMMUNITY SCHOOL STUDENTS, 1952-1961 

LAST NAME – FIRST NAME – MI – DATE OF BIRTH – DATE OF RECORD

Napier Alonzo 1943-12-17 1958

Napier Anna 1939-04-25 1955

Napier Doyle Lee 1949-01-16 1959

Napier Daryl 1959-04-12 1959

Napier Helen Golda 1945-09-21 1952

Napier Helen Louise 1945-07-28 1958

Napier J.R. 1949-09-10

Napier John Dotson 1942-09-08 1956

Napier Kelly John 1945-01-30 1960

Napier Mack 1942-03-18 1958

Napier Sharon 1951-02-18 1959

Napier Sheila 1947-08-10 1961

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See Also:

ALICE COBB STORIES About Sarah [Napier] Bailey 1940
SARAH [NAPIER] BAILEY Biography

ALICE COBB STORIES Hike to Napier and Gabes Branch

Mr. Napier’s Observations of Pine Mountain

WILLIAM NAPIER & BONNIE McINTOSH

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Napier Family: GALLERY

Title	Napier Family
Identifier	NAPIER FAMILY
Creator	Pine Mountain Settlement School, Pine Mountain, KY
Alt. Creator	Ann Angel Eberhardt ; Helen Hayes Wykle ;
Subject Keyword	Napier Family ; Pine Mountain Settlement School ; Pine Mountain Community ; PMSS Boarding School Students ; PMSS Community School Students
Subject LCSH	Napier Family. Pine Mountain Settlement School (Pine Mountain, Ky.) — History. Harlan County (Ky.) — History. Education — Kentucky — Harlan County. Rural schools — Kentucky — History. Schools — Appalachian Region, Southern.
Date	2018-05-28
Publisher	Pine Mountain Settlement School, Pine Mountain, KY
Contributor	n/a
Type	Collections ; text ; image ;
Format	Original and copies of documents and correspondence in file folders in filing cabinet.
Source	Series 09: Biography – Families
Language	English
Relation	Is related to: Pine Mountain Settlement School Collections, Series 09: Biography – Families
Coverage Temporal	1930 – 1961
Coverage Spatial	Pine Mountain, KY ; Harlan County, KY ;
Rights	Any display, publication, or public use must credit the Pine Mountain Settlement School. Copyright retained by the creators of certain items in the collection, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Donor	n/a
Description	Core documents, correspondence, writings, and administrative papers of the Napier Family ; clippings, photographs, books by or about the Napier Family ;
Acquisition	n/d
Citation	“[Identification of Item],” [Collection Name] [Series Number, if applicable]. Pine Mountain Settlement School Institutional Papers. Pine Mountain Settlement School, Pine Mountain, KY.
Processed By	Helen Hayes Wykle ; Ann Angel Eberhardt ;
Last Updated
Bibliography	Source(s) ”Napier.” PINE MOUNTAIN VALLEY COMMUNITY RESIDENTS LIST 1910s-1940s ; GUIDE TO BOARDING SCHOOL STUDENTS, 1929-1949 ; COMMUNITY SCHOOL STUDENTS LIST GI-Z. Series 09: Biography – Families. Pine Mountain Settlement School Institutional Papers. Pine Mountain Settlement School, Pine Mountain, KY. Internet resource.

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