It has been said that Nancy Barland once christened a steamship on the Mississippi River. This steamer, The Nancy Barland, then operated up and down the mighty Mississippi for many years.
Nancy Barland was born October 21, 1796 and married Jesse Nelson sometime around 1816. Their first child, Anna Jane Nelson was born in Kentucky on October 27, 1817. Their second child, William B. Nelson was born in Monroe County Kentucky on October 5, 1822.
William B. Nelson married Daranah F. Armstrong of Pleasant Valley on February 8, 1861. The oldest child of Daranah and William B. Nelson was Sarah Ellen Nelson, who was born at Liberty Grove, Dallas County, Texas on March 14, 1866. Sara Ellen Nelson then married John Arden Pelton, the son of Abijah “Ledge” Pelton and Charlotte Kinkead.
Anna Jane Nelson married John R. Kirby in 1838. John was the son of Robert Kirby and Kibby Coyle. Anna Jane continued to live in Kentucky until 1854 when both she and her brother, William B. Nelson, traveled to Liberty Grove as members of the 1854 wagon train from Monroe County, Kentucky.
The first child of Anna Jane and John Kirby was Andrew Barland Kirby. Andrew married Sarah Ann Ballard in Kaufman County, (now Rockwall) Texas on January 21, 1863. Sarah was the daughter of Ruben Ballard and Eliza Butler. The second child of Anna Jane and John Kirby was Nancy A. Kirby who married first James Karmic and then Lewis J. Ballard. Lewis J. Ballard was also a child of Ruben Ballard and Eliza Butler.
Nancy A. Kirby and Lewis J. Ballard had seven children total. These children were namely Louisa Ballard who married James Madison Wells; Bell Ballard who married Rice Collins; Ellen Ballard who married Jim Summers; Frank Ballard who married Florence Willis; Vica Ballard who married Pat Herrin; Lucy Ballard who married Oscar Raney, and Lewis Ballard, Jr.
Nancy Barland Nelson died at Liberty Grove on November 21, 1877 and was buried at Big A Cemetery in Rowlett, Texas. Her descendants are buried at Big A Cemetery, Cottonwood Cemetery and Pleasant Valley Cemetery.
By Jim Foster
