CENTENARIANS

Logan County Arkansas Genealogy Trails



LUCY KENDALL WILSON HOPKINS ESPY
1858-1962

Contributed by Virginia Allen, great-granddaughter

Lucy Wilson was born July 14, 1858 in Bethel, McNairy County, Tennessee, daughter of Washington Wilson and Lucinda Street.  They were living in Verona, Lee County, MS according to 1870 and 1880 census.  Lucy often told stories of the Civil War in Mississippi.  They were burned out after the war and a group left Mississippi between February 26, 1881 and July 16, 1883.  Her father had died in 1869.  There were eight children in Lucy's family so I am sure that her mother had struggled.
The group leaving Mississippi and Tennessee traveled by boat and then by wagon train on their way to Texas and/or Oklahoma.  Lucy was married and had one child.  Her wagon had wheel problems somewhere outside of Fort Smith, Arkansas so they stayed there, later moving to Ola, Arkansas.
Lucy's husband, James Stewart Hopkins, served as a law enforcement officer and died on Dec. 26, 1884 after being shot in Logan County, AR at Magazine at a Christmas party by a drunk.  There were now two children, Troy, who later was a blacksmith and barber in Magazine and Euphia Carneal born in 1883 and later married Charlie Allen, who served as Scott County, AR sheriff for a short time.
Lucy married Rev. Stephen Douglas Espy on January 14, 1889.  He was the minister that had taken her home the night of the murder of her husband.  Two children were born to Lucy and Mr. Espy, Glen Douglas Espy and Grace Espy.  Rev. Espy died of pneumonia on January 15, 1907 and is buried at Ellington Cemetery in Magazine.
Lucy was an outstanding seamstress and kept her family together by sewing for people.  Although she had two husbands and lived to be almost 104, she only had husbands alive for thirteen years.
Lucy fell and broke her hip and spent her last days in a nursing home in Little Rock.  She was a very religious woman and has descendants in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Michigan, South Carolina and Texas.  
Lucy died July 11, 1962 at Little Rock, Arkansas and is buried at Roseland Memorial Cemetery.