Alexander Barrett Stone

Alexander Barrett (A.B.) Stone

Birth, Parents & Siblings

Alexander, frequently known as A.B., was born on September 9th, most likely in 1856. However, there are discrepancies about his birth year based on birth, marriage and death records, which do not include an unlocatable birth certificate. He was born in Union County, Kentucky to parents John Squire Stone, who was 56 years old and Ellender Gibson, who was 42 years old at the time of his birth. His father, John and his first wife, before she died in 1848, lived in Virginia before moving to Kentucky. Therefore, A.B. would have been the first generation of Kentuckians in this family. A.B. was the fourth oldest of five children, including William R. (1849), Lucinda (1853), Isabelle (1850?) and Josiah (1859).

Growing up

He grew up and lived in Webster County his entire life. Note that after he was born, Webster County was formed in 1860 from parts of Union, Henderson and Hopkins counties (This is why his birthplace is cited as Union County). He would have been roughly between 5 to 10 years old during the Civil War.

Marriage & Children

He married Sarah Jane Jenkins on January 22, 1880, in Dixon, Webster Co., Kentucky, when he was 23 years old and she was 30 years old. They were married at her older brother, Willis’ home. They had four children, including Louis Alvin (1880-1959), Lonnie Vernon (1882-1948), Willis Evans (1883-1948) and Norma Lee (1884 – 1972).

Adulthood

According to a Webster County Marriage Record, A.B. was a farmer when they got married. Also notable is that he signed his marriage record with an X, “his mark”, meaning he may have not yet been able to read and write at that point. Fortunately, he could read and write by the 1900 census.

From History of the Union Association of General Baptists, published by the Home Mission Board, Union Association, 1953:

“Rev. A. B. Stone was born in Webster County, Kentucky, where he lived his entire life from September 9, 1855, to February 20, 1920. He was converted at Cedar Grove General Baptist Church in 1885, was soon ordained a Deacon in which capacity he served until he began preaching and was ordained by the Presbytery of Union Association. Rev. Stone, during his thirty-five years to his ministry as a pastor, served most of the churches of Union Association and was pastor of Dixon General Baptist church at the time of his death. During his ministry he organized many churches, held many revivals and witnessed hundreds of conversions. He was a man of high ideals, determination and energy; loyal to denominational enterprises, stood four square for righteousness and was admired by the denomination and the public.”

“Sarah J. Stone, wife of Rev. A.B. Stone was born in Webster County, Kentucky, March 31st, 1855, and was married to Rev. A.B. late in 1879 (sic). To this union were born four children, three of whom survive. She was converted at an early age and for forty years lived as a constant helper to her husband enjoying the blessings and enduring the hardships of a minister’s wife. Her husband did farming to augment his low salary which he says never exceeded two hundred and fifty dollars per year. She lived to see all her children converted, married, in homes of their own and members of the church. She passed away in 1940 and rests beside her husband in Oak Grove cemetery, Dixon, Kentucky to await the resurrection”

From obituary 1:

“A pall of gloom was cast over Dixon Saturday morning when the news of Rev. A. B. Stone’s death was learned. It came as a great shock to his many friends as he had been in the best of health and was seen on the streets of this city on Friday afternoon. He had been to Clay assisting in a meeting and returned Friday on the noon train. The deceased was one of the best-known men of the county, having charge of churches or assisting in revivals in most every General Baptist church in Western Kentucky. He made friends wherever he preached and had a strong following, both with members of his church and other denominations. He always called himself a “preacher of the old type” and said the words that he thought he should speak. He was truly a good man and tried hard to do the thing he thought was right uprightly walking before man and his God. Bro. Stone was a member of the Masonic and Odd Fellows lodges and a member of the General Baptist church of this city. He had been in the ministry for more than thirty years being ordained when quite a young man. He and Rev. Jim Bumpass, who conducted his funeral at the General Baptist church Sunday afternoon, have been associated with each other in the ministry for the same number years. Bro. Bumpass paid a glowing tribute to the deceased brother, touching his life’s work as one who had accomplished much and everlasting good.”

From obituary 2:

“Rev. A. B. Stone, one of the best-known ministers in Western Kentucky, died suddenly at his home in Dixon Saturday morning at 2 o’clock, of acute indigestion. He was ill only a few minutes. Rev. Stone was a minister of the General Baptist church and had been preaching the Gospel about twenty-five years. He was a man of more than average ability and, was a revivalist of considerable note. He had conducted many revivals in Indiana and was almost as well-known there as he was in Kentucky. He was a man universally beloved where he was known and his death brings deep regret to all. The deceased was sixty-three years old and is survived by his wife, three sons and one daughter. The sons are former County Clerk Lonnie V. Stone, a well-known attorney at Clay Willis Stone, of Clay, and Rev. L. A. Stone, a general Baptist preacher at Oakland City, Indiana.”

Apparently, A.B. and Sarah Jane moved frequently, living with family, friends and congregations. According to Bonnie Maude Overby Dinsmore in her own hand:

“A.B. and Sarah Moves:

Cutsinger Place – Louis Alvin born here
John Hearin Place – Norma Lee born here
Andy Morehead Place
Move to another Andy Morehouse Place (Granny Jenkins dies here at age 84). Took Granny in a blizzard to see Jane Russell.
Moved near Rock Style Church
Jim Bell Place near Cholybeate (Cholebyette?) Springs (had 100 acres here)
Elender Stone place next
Tilden – next move
Atlas Chandler place near Little Zion. Louis joined Army from here
Dixon – next move, stayed here”

Anecdotally, A.B. bought his mother’s home (Ellender Gibson Stone), before Norma Lee Stone (Mama O’by) married. His wife, Sarah Jane Jenkins, “got after the place right away, and cut all her rugs to fit this new place. A.B. only stayed a few days, and then he sold the place!”

Death

A.B. died suddenly at home at 2:00 in the morning on February 21, 1920, in Dixon, Kentucky. His Death Certificate says that the cause of death was “Angina pectoris”, and contributory was “Acute indigestion “, which we now know was probably a heart attack. He preceded his wife in death and was buried in Oak Grove Cemetery in Webster County, Kentucky.

Riordan-Durant Family Tree

Connecting Generations, Sharing Stories

Alexander Barrett (A.B.) Stone

Capturing Memories: An Ancestral Photo Album

Riordan-Durant Family Tree

Connecting Generations, Sharing Stories

Alexander Barrett (A.B.) Stone

Capturing Memories: An Ancestral Photo Album

This website uses cookies.