Hiram FEE was born about 1820 and is thought by some to be a twin to Henderson [see Chapter Four, page 26]. On 16 Dec 1841 Hiram married Sarah BLANTON, born February 1824, daughter of William and Susannah BROCK BLANTON. Hiram and Sarah first lived on Laurel Branch running north from the Cumberland River, just downriver from Wallins Creek. Apparently, when they married they had chosen to live near Sarah's family rather than over on Catron's Creek or Martin's Fork where his family lived.

When the Civil War began, Hiram furnished corn [15 1/2 bushels] for the use of the Harlan County Battalion State Guard Unit, purchased 23 Feb 1863 and received $7.75 for it (see voucher copy). In October of 1863, Hiram, although in his forties, enlisted in Company F of the 47th Kentucky Volunteer Infantry, a Union unit. He is described on the muster roll as being 44 years of age, born in Harlan County, 5 feet 9 inches tall with a dark complexion, blue eyes and dark hair.

The chief cause of death during the Civil War was not violence but disease and Hiram was no exception. He died 17 Dec 1863 at Camp Nelson KY of measles, one day after his 22nd wedding anniversary, leaving Sarah with a house full of young children including Hiram, just a few months old.

After Hiram's death, Sarah owned property on Jesse's Creek on the south side of the Cumberland River and also lived for sometime with her son George in Leslie County and later with her daughter Rachel. Sarah died 31 Oct 1905 according to her pension file.

School census records from the 1890's lists grandchildren John D, Ewell V and Caroline in Sarah's household. Caroline is Calvin's daughter but the identity of the parent of John and Ewell is not at all certain. Descendants of Calvin cannot place them in that family nor do they seem to belong to George. They have been tentatively placed in the section on John simply because they had to be put somewhere and he is the likeliest parent. Nothing much is known about John D, or of John's two known children, William D and Joseph. Of these four boys, only Ewell has been located as of the 1900 census.

Hiram and Sarah had eight children:

1. Rachel FEE born February 1843 married #1 11 Apr 1861 in Harlan to William M HOWARD born Nov 1839 son of John and Elizabeth JENKINS HOWARD. They divorced by 1867 and Rachel married #2 [?1892 Bell Co] to Wiley BELCHER (William Howard married #2 Martha). Wiley was born ca 1833 Tennessee and died by Nov 1896, son of Elizabeth BELCHER and, reputedly, David ROGERS. Wiley's first wife was Susannah COLDIRON, daughter of Jesse and Lavina BLANTON COLDIRON. Thus, Rachel would be a first cousin of Wiley's first wife. Rachel's brother George married Wiley's niece Joana. In 1900, Rachel, her two daughters and her mother are all listed together. Rachel is noted as 2 children, 2 living.
   1. Sarah E. HOWARD born Feb 1862. [Listed by some researchers as daughter of Hiram and Sarah but she is granddaughter] In 1900, she is listed as a widow who has had two children, one of whom is living.
   2. Bathsheba BELCHER born Oct 1883.

2. Calvin FEE born about 1846 died ca 1885* married (5 Jan) 1874 [surety by Jefferson SAYLOR] 2/385 in Harlan to Mary OSBORNE daughter of Hiram and Nancy BRUMMETT OSBORNE. Tax lists show him first with property in 1875, nearest neighbor, Hiram OSBORNE, his father-in-law.
   1. Lavina FEE born Nov 1875/6 married 1898 in Harlan to Russo HOWARD born June 1877 [SAYFF pg 13] 1900c (pg 218) hh118; lived Jesse's Creek
      1. Clarence HOWARD born Oct 1899 married ---- MCDONALD
      2. Mae HOWARD married Andy JOHNSON
      3. Effie HOWARD ms Ed JONES; lived in Louisville KY
   2. Jarvis Noe FEE: born 15 Feb 1877 died 9 May 1950, buried in Knox Co; married (5 Apr) 1897 in Harlan [surety by NJ SAYLOR] to Sarah K/C SAYLOR born 17 June 1882 daughter of John P and `Pop' SAYLOR [?permission slip]. Lived 1900c Forester's Creek; lived at Bailey's Switch, Hunting Shirt Creek near Barbourville in Knox Co
      1. Willie FEE born Nov 1899 died young
      2. Chester Cecil FEE born 11 Feb 1904 at Layman [delayed birth certificate.*] died 31 May 1980 at Covington KY of cancer; was a policeman for many years; married #1 -------------; married #2 Carol FINN *delayed certificate in 1941 proven by affidavits by father Jarvis Noe Fee age 64 and non-relative W J Taylor age 79 dated 21 Dec 1941; Chester address at that time was Covington
      3. Mary FEE married a POPE; died [of cancer] in Hamilton Ohio
      4. Verna FEE married Ezra GIBSON Sr, died [of cancer] in Hamilton Ohio
   3. Carolyn FEE born July 1880/1 in Harlan died 1974 in Berea married [27 Jan] 1895 James Jackson SCOTT born ca 1877 in Harlan died 1949 in Berea son of William Bert and Matilda HELTON SCOTT. Carolyn's mother died shortly after she was born and her father died when she was about 5 years old. "She was reared by grandma Osborne." [1900 listed 2 children, 1 living hh 80 (pg213)]
      1. unknown infant born and died by 1900
      2. America SCOTT: born Apr 1898 married Bert HUMFLEET
      3. Lawrence Albert SCOTT: married Lelia
      4. Luther Calvin SCOTT; married #1 Bessie; #2 Mary E
      5. Jarvis Fee SCOTT: married Marilyn ABNEY
      6. Walter Bert SCOTT: married Grace ROBERTS
      7. Kathleen COOK born 1926, an orphan reared by James & Carolyn; married 1946 Homer BANKS.

3. Lavina FEE [aka Melvina] born about 1848 married ca 1874 Jesse BRICE born about Feb 1853/4 in Tennessee. In 1870, Lavina is listed at home and, as a domestic servant, in the household of Wiley BELCHER and his first wife, Susan COLDIRON. Wiley later married Lavina's oldest sister, Rachel. Jesse BRICE stood surety for both of Lavina's brother George's marriages.

   In the 1900 census, Jesse and Viney FEE BRICE are renting a farm in the Sims Creek District of Bell County. Viney is listed as having had 8 children, 6 of whom are living in 1900, 5 of these are listed in the household. Living next door is Floyd BRICE born Aug 1878. It is almost certain that Floyd is also their son and probably Ewell and Thomas have died.

   1. Ewell BRICE born ca 1877
   2. Thomas S BRICE born ca 1878*
   3. John BRICE born ca 1880 [1/12 at census]
   4. Floyd BRICE born Aug 1878 (probably ca 1881) married Charity born Feb 1878. Floyd apparently died not long after the 1900 census (or they divorced) as Charity remarried ca 1908 to Edward MOTT and their 1910 Bell County household includes the three BRICE children
      1. Elizabeth BRICE born March 1897
      2. Jessee BRICE born December 1898
      3. John BRICE born ca 1901
   5. Delia BRICE born Mar 1882
   6. Dora BRICE born Apr 1884
   7. George BRICE born Jan 1888
   8. Clinton BRICE born Jul 1891 married 15 Jul 1917 Bell to Goldie DELPH
   9. Hiram BRICE born May 1893, living 1930, postal worker in Pineville, mentioned in his uncle Hiram FEE's obit.

4. John FEE born 8 Oct 1849 married 1875 in Harlan [surety on bond was 15 July by Jesse BLANTON] to Nancy SAYLOR born about 1856 probably the daughter of Joseph and Sarah SAYLOR [see Say FF]. John disappears from the tax lists after 1881 and may have died as no further trace is found.
   1. William D FEE born ca 1877
   2. Joseph FEE born ca 1879
      The next two boys may or may not be John's sons. They are listed as grandchildren in Sarah BLANTON FEE's household in the 1894 to 1897 school census and are placed here only tentatively.
   3. Ewell V. FEE born 10 Jul 1880 married ca 1898 Vestenia [HOPKINS?] born Oct 1881; 1900c says 1 child no longer living. They are living next door to Calvin's son Jarvis [cousin?]; Later school census [1913 Dixietown and 1914 Molus]
      1. Shirley FEE born 10 Mar 1905
      2. Denver FEE born 7 Feb 1907
   4. John D. FEE born 15 Aug 1882 (not found after 1897 school census.

5. Lucy FEE born 2 July 1852VR in Wallins Creek in Harlan married 1883 in Harlan to Hiram C. BROCK, the widower of her sister Susan. Mary England writes about Lucy: "married first Hiram C BROCK, had 4 children, divorced him then married (2) George BLANTON. Now George was previously married (maybe 2 times) and divorced. Lucy Fee and George had a daughter, Sarah Blanton, who married Henry Saylor, my 2ggfather from Harlan Co."

   This cannot be wholly accurate as Lucy's marriage to Hiram Brock was in 1883 and the aforesaid daughter of Lucy and Henry Saylor was born in 1872. It is possible that it is simply turned around and that Lucy first married or just plain had kids by George Blanton before her marriage to Hiram Brock,

   Hiram Clinton BROCK born 1 Jan 1850 died 10 Feb 1925 of cancer in Bell Co., son of Zachariah and Margaret BLANTON BROCK. married Susan Fee in 1878; married Sena Taylor; married Lucy Fee in 1883/5; married Mary Elizabeth Overton. In the 1870 census of Harlan County, Hiram has a fifteen year old wife named Caroline and a 3 year old daughter Minty J.

   1. Sarah BLANTON born 1872 died 28 May 1912 in Harlan married Henry SAYLOR born 1869 son of Henry and Polly SAYLOR HOPKINS
      1. William Benjamin SAYLOR born 7 May 1890 Pathfork married 1909 Alice HOBBS

6. George C. FEE born 22 [or 3rd] March 1857VR in Harlan married #1 (14 Feb) 1876 to Jiles BRICE and #2 (19 Jul) 1878 [5/12] to Joana BELCHER, born ca 1861, daughter of Stokely and Juda MIDDLETON BELCHER. Surety at both marriages was George's sister Lavina's husband Jesse BRICE. [check Jesse and Lavina's marriage date re these sureties.] In 1880, George and his wife were in Leslie County, the household included his mother Sarah, his brother Hiram and a niece, Lonery BROCK

   At this time there is no further definitive information on George and Joanna BELCHER FEE. Leslie County records do mention a Juda FEE marrying, having children, etc. She does not seem to fit into any of the other FEE families in the Leslie County area and IF George and Joanna had a daughter, it would be natural to name her after Joanna's mother. For these reasons, Juda is tentatively placed in this family.

   1. Juda FEE married #1 12 Jan 1900 Leslie Co [4/128] by RR Caldwell JPLC at Samuel Caldwell's witnesses were SM & Polly Caldwell to James SAYLOR; married #2 Farmer CALDWELL born Leslie Co son of William & Sally SAYLOR CALDWELL
      1. Ben SAYLOR born 26 Feb 1901 LeslieVR
      2. Sally CALDWELL, twin, born 30 Mar 1904 LeslieVR
      3. Matilda CALDWELL, twin, born 30 Mar 1904 LeslieVR ...see SAYFF

7. Susan [?Caroline?] FEE born 16 July 1858VR in Harlan married 1878 in Harlan to Hiram C. BROCK who married her sister Lucy in 1883, "after Susan's death"
   1. Lonery BROCK born ca 1879 listed with Susan's mother Sarah Blanton Fee in 1880 household of Susan's brother George in Leslie Co.

8. Hiram FEE born 21 Oct 1863 killed 13 Aug 1930 in Pineville buried at OddFellows Cemetery. Hiram married #1 - 2 Dec 1886 Sarah BINGHAM in Bell County at Elijah Bingham's [Permission slip {USE!} signed by E S & Lucinda BINGHAM and noted on end of it by Hiram Fee that he is 21 years old] Sarah Bingham Fee born 16 June 1868 died 4 Nov 1891 buried Asher Cem in Bell County. Hiram married #2 on 23 Oct 1893 to America Hendrickson in Bell County at Margaret Hendrickson's and #3 on 7 Mar 1895 to J Serepta Woodard in Pineville. The 1910 census lists Hiram as a widower, occupation "typewriter" (public practice, self employed) with an 18 year old son, Willie, occupation bookkeeper in a bank. Willie's age indicates that he is a son of the first wife and it is probable that Sarah BINGHAM FEE died at or shortly after his birth.

   According to contemporary news accounts, Hiram was shot down by Jim Frank Lester "As friends were holding him back from seeking his insulter, Hiram Fee, 56, former councilman here for many years, was slain by the man he was seeking, Frank Lester, a taxicab driver. The killing took place about 10 o'clock last night in the business section, as a number of persons were on the streets.

   "After the shooting, Lester ran into a drug store and defied the police, threatening to kill anybody who approached. The police used argument vainly, but did not rush the man. In a few minutes, Lester left the store by a back door and escaped.

   "A short time before the killing, Fee was going up the street when he met Lester and another man and after a brief talk, Lester slapped Fee in the face. Fee then went home, and appeared on the street in a short time with a pistol in his hand. Friends gathered around and caught his arm to prevent trouble. As they were holding him, Lester came around the corner and opened fire, Fee being shot four times through the body."

   Lester's version, given after his capture says that Fee intervened in an argument between Lester. himself and a county officer named Manning, the outcome of the argument being that Lester slapped Fee. According to Lester's story, Fee then went home to get a gun and came back, approaching Lester, Fee shot once first before Lester fired four shots at him. Lester received 21 years for the slaying.

   Hiram's obituary says that he was politically active, a former councilman, formerly in the post office, later a bookkeeper and accountant, and was connected with local bus companies. He was "survived by one son, Will, whereabouts unknown", probably his only child.

   1. Willie FEE born ca 1892 (probably born on or days before Sarah BINGHAM FEE's death 4 November 1891)
   The following incident may or may not be Hiram's son Willie. The Willie Fee referred to has not been placed in any of the other Fee families.

   On July __ 1939, a Willie Fee shot and killed Bill Roberts at Stanfill. George Titler calls this killing union related and states that he, Titler, had bond set at $21,000 for charges arising from his union activity at the `Battle of Stanfill' "on the same day this hearing was held, a Union miner, Bill Roberts, was killed by a scab at the Stanfill mine by Willie Fee. It is ironic," Titler continues, "that Judge Ball set Fee's bond at $5000 while my bond was $21,000."

   News accounts of the time were not so quick to blame the Roberts killing on the union troubles: "July 15: Bill Roberts was shot and killed at Stanfill. Willie Fee, employee of Mahan-Ellison Coal Co., was held as the slayer."

   "Jailer Ben Middleton said today that the beating of Willie Fee, of Stanfill, in county jail Monday, `had no connection with the Stanfill picket lines because neither of the men accused in the fight had been on the picket line. it was just a fist fight.' Fee, an employee of Mahan-Ellison Coal Co., and who had signed warrants against members of the picket line after the fatal battle with National Guardsmen and pickets last week, accused five persons of attacking him in jail where he was held on a murder charge in connection with the slaying of Bill Roberts, union miner, last Saturday."

   Questioning of several old residents of the Stanfill area made it clear that, in local opinion at least, the killing of Roberts by Fee was just another drunken argument that got out of hand. The two were good friends drinking together when the fight erupted, some say over a girl.

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