Pylant Geneology

Notarized statement from Gelene Pylant Newhouse, daughter of Felix Eugene Pylant, dated March 19, 1994:

<p>To Whom It May Concern: Some time in the 1950's, my father, Felix Eugene Pylant, of Petersburg, Tennessee, became interested in Pylant family history. This was mostly instigated by my first cousin, Nell Douthat Miller, of Pocatello, Idaho, who asked for his assistance. She had converted to Mormonism and was particularly interested in genealogy. The accompanying history is as he presented it to me, having made a copy for each of his children. (The dates of his grandchildrens' births in ink, were added by me, on the last page.) I understand that some of this information was documented by Middle Tennessee records, Mormon archives, and memorabilia, family memories and letters. <p>When I was about eighteen years old, and home for a vacation from school in St. Louis, Mo., - in the late 30's - he took me for a ride in the area and we went south of Howell, Tennessee, walked from the main road to an open field, and near a large tree on the periphery was a stone with the carving as follows: Betsy Pylant Died 1826 Age 108 Yrs. It was explained that this was our forebear - the first that he knew of. Being of the age of 18, it didn't interest me for further details. However, the stone is quite vivid in my memory. The location is limited to the above description, since I'm not familiar with the area and it was years ago. <p>He states in his history: "The first of the Pylant family that we know of is Betsy Pylant, whose husband we do not know. She was full blood Irish, he was full blood English. They lived in Wake County, North Carolina, about the time of the Revolutionary War and it is supposed that he was killed in that war. Their religion was not known. She died in 1826 at the age of 108. She had four sons; Ben, Billy, Robert, and John; John being the great-great-grandfather of Eugene Pylant."