Sixth Generation


686. Ruth Barton was born on 24 November 1919 in Cherokee Co NC. About 1970 she was a retired as a school teacher. She died on 30 December 2012 at the age of 93 in Andrews Cherokee Co NC.

Ruth Barton and Ray Carl Pullium were married about 1945. Ray Carl Pullium was born on 29 December 1913 in Andrews Cherokee Co NC. He died on 13 July 2008 at the age of 94 in Alexander City Tallapoosa County Alabama, United States.

Ruth posted in GenForum in 2000, "All I know is that my father told me we came from Meath county. He was very knowledgeable about his family. There were many Okellys who lived in Tara which is in county Meath. My grandmother claimed that her people were prominent in Ireland."

Rick O'Kelley's Comments:  My Y-DNA test results places our ancestor in Co Fermanagh 4200 years ago and a second ancestor in Co Sligo 4015 years ago.  That was 3000 years before surnames came into use, we must have created a very large family in Ireland, I have found some O'Neill's kin that also share these two ancient ancestors so I think it is reasonable that to believe that our ancestors were prominent in Ireland.  Since Ruth's death people who claim to have talked with her claim she told them that we came from near Tara and were "Princes" a clear reference to O'Dugan.  Surprisingly when I went to looking at a map of Ireland Published in the 1800s said to show the land holdings from 1000CE to 1600 CE, I do find an O'Kelley Prince living just a few miles east of Tara.  I didn't think much of it at the time but my Big Y 700 DNA test results matches me to the remains of Claristown 14 who was found in a "Ring Ditch Burial" along the Northeast border of the land this O'Kelley Prince once owned.  Claristown 14 lived about the time of 141 Irish Monarch Aed of Slaine, and his stronghold was about 5 miles Northwest of Claristown 14 gravesite.  It seems reasonable to believe that this O'Kelley Prince was likely a descendent of Aed of Slaine.  To be one of those buried in a "Ring Ditch Burial" Claristown 14 had to be someone of importance and the most important person would be buried in the center of the "Ring Ditch Burial".  All I have been able to find on this burial is what is contained in the brochure.  

see http://genforum.genealogy.com/cgi-bin/pageload.cgi?tara::okelly::166.html for Ruth's complete post.