Lanier, Hankins, Hopkins & Taylor Families

• Born: 1 December 1884, Hopkins County, Kentucky ^1161,1162
• Marriage: John William "Will" McCAULEY on 27 September 1904 in Earlington, Hopkins County, Kentucky ¹¹⁴⁸
• Died: 16 May 1942, Greenville, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky at age 57 ¹¹⁶¹
• Buried: 17 May 1942, Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Greenville, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky ^1151,1161

  More Information:

• Namesake: Verda's middle name, Waller, was the maiden name of her great, great, great grandmother, Dorothy Waller and was also the middle name of her paternal grandmother's sister, Mary Waller Goodloe. Verda was said to not like her middle name and adopted Jane as her middle name instead (probably in honor of her paternal grandmother, Isabella Jane Goodloe).

• Residence: 1884 1904, Hopkins County, Kentucky. Verda was born and raised in Hopkins County. The family was living in Earlington 4 years before she was born. Sometime between 1880 - 1891, they moved to Dalton. In 1903, they moved from Dalton to Earlington where they were living when Verda and Will got married.

• 1900 United States Federal Census, Lee Hankins household, Hopkins County, Kentucky ¹¹⁶²: Verdie was living with her parents in Dalton. She was listed as Verdie W. Hankins, daughter, age 15, born Dec 1884 in Kentucky.

• Newspaper Clipping: Earlington Bee on 3 March 1904 in Earlington, Hopkins County, Kentucky Cabin Hill Items
Miss Verda Hankins was not at prayer meeting last Thursday night on account of sickness in the family.

• Newspaper Clipping: Earlington Bee on 8 September 1904 in Earlington, Hopkins County, Kentucky Cabin Hill:
Mrs. Vernon Wyatt, of Dalton, visited Miss Virdie [sic] Hankins one day last week. [Mrs. Wyatt (Dicie Vernon Goodloe) was the cousin of Lee Hankins but was close in age to Verda so they were apparently good friends.]

• 1910 United States Federal Census, J. W. McCauley household, College Street, Greenville, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky ¹¹⁶⁷: Verda was living with Will and their 3 daughters. She was listed as Verda McCauley, wife, age 25, mother of 3 children-all living, born in Kentucky.

• 1920 United States Federal Census, John W. McCauley household, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky ¹¹⁵⁷: Verda was living with Will and their 6 children. She was listed as Verdie W. McCauley, wife, age 35, born in Kentucky.

• 1930 United States Federal Census, J. W. McCauley household, Kennedy Brasher Road, Greenville, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky ¹¹⁵⁸: Verda was living with Will and 7 of their children. She was listed as Verda McCauley, wife, age 45, married at age 19, born in Kentucky.

• Obituary: Published in The Greenville Leader on 21 May 1942 in Greenville, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. ¹¹⁶⁸ Mrs. J. W. McCauley

Mrs. J. W. McCauley died in the hospital here at 2:15 p.m., Saturday, May 16. For a number of years she had been compelled to lead a very inactive life because of a serious heart ailment that had troubled her since early youth.

Funeral services were conducted at Pleasant Hill church at 4 o'clock last Sunday afternoon. Crowding the church and grounds to pay a last tribute to Mrs. McCauley was one of the largest gatherings ever to attend a service of any kind at Pleasant Hill church.

Mrs. McCauley is survived by her husband, J. W. McCauley; ten children, Mrs. Ferman Dukes, Mrs. Gordon Lucas, Mrs. Rhea Wells, Mrs. Mel Carver and Mrs. George Dockins; Kathryn, Jimmie Nell, John W., David and Joseph L. McCauley; her 81-year old mother, Mrs. S. A. Hankins of Madisonville; five sons-in-law, one daughter-in-law, sixteen grandchildren and three brothers.

• Memorial: This poem was found in a scrapbook at Pleasant Hill Church and was transcribed by Faye Hopkins McCauley (probably in the 1970's).

View Full Transcript

• Grave Marker: John W. & Verda J. McCauley, Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Greenville, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. ¹¹⁵¹

Verdie Jane married John William "Will" McCAULEY, son of Joseph Smith LANIER and Nancy Jane BENNETT, on 27 September 1904 in Earlington, Hopkins County, Kentucky.¹¹⁴⁸ (John William "Will" McCAULEY was born on 1 March 1875 in Alabama,¹¹⁵⁰ died on 20 July 1959 in Owensboro, Daviess County, Kentucky ¹¹⁴⁹ and was buried on 21 July 1959 in Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Greenville, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky ^1149,1151.)

• Marriage Bond: 26 September 1904, J. W. McCauley and Verdie Hankins, Hopkins County, Kentucky ¹¹⁶³ Principal: J. W. McCauley, Surety: T. L. Hankins. Both parties were living in Earlington.

View Marriage Bond, License and Certificate

• Wedding Ceremony: 27 September 1904, Earlington, Hopkins County, Kentucky. Will and Verdie were married at the home of her parents, Lee and Samantha Hankins. Witnesses were W. T. Hodges & Samuel Wyatt. [Wyatt was the husband of Lee Hankins' 1st cousin, Dicie Vernon Goodloe. Any relationship to Hodges is unknown.] The ceremony was performed by Elder Jas. H. Dame. ¹¹⁴⁸

• Wedding Announcement: Earlington Bee, 29 September 1904, Earlington, Hopkins County, Kentucky. Married: Mr. William McCauley of Daniel Boone, and Miss Verdia Hankins, of this city, were united in marriage at the residence of the bride's parents Tuesday evening at 7:30 o'clock Rev. James Dame, of Manitou officiating. The groom is an industrious miner and the bride is the daughter of Rev. Lee Hankins, of this city, and an estimable young lady. Their many friends extend congratulations.

• Residence: 1904 - abt 1908, Hopkins County, Kentucky. Will & Verda lived in Hopkins County from the time of their marriage until about 1908.

• Residence: 1908, Greenville, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. ¹⁴⁰ Will & Verda moved to Greenville about 1908 and remained there for the rest of their lives. They lived in a house on the corner of Depot and College Streets in town and then moved to a farm outside of town sometime after 1910. Their first house on the farm burned to the ground in the early 1920's and they lived in an old store building until they could build the house pictured here.

• Photo: Will and Verda, ca. 1941.

• Photo: Will and Verda, ca. 1941.

• Photo: Verda and Will, ca. 1942.

• Children: Will & Verda had 11 children; 4 sons and 7 daughters. Their youngest son died before his 1st birthday but the others lived to adulthood and raised families of their own. ¹⁴⁰

  Marriage Notes:

Click here for more photos of Will & Verda and their family.