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Balford Henry Stephens Sr. was born on Aug. 8, 1898 in the Pine Knot area of Whitley Co. (now in McCreary Co.), Kentucky. He was the son of William Whitmill Stephens (1869-1956) and Sarah Jane Wilson (1873-1937), the first of their three known children. Both of Balford's parents were born in Scott Co., Tennessee.

Balford's father, William, moved his family, including 14 year old Balford, from Strunk, McCreary Co., KY to Parksville, Boyle Co., KY in 1912 and settled in an area that came to be known as Tennessee Ridge. The old dirt road they lived on was then called Maple Grove Road. It is now called Tennessee Ridge Road.

William was the son of Alvin Stephens (1840-1883) and Louis Eldora Cordell (1844-1911). Alvin had died from Tuberculous (TB) contacted while serving as a soldier during the Civil War. He was just 42. Six of his nine known children contracted the disease from Alvin when he returned home from the war.

Alvin was the son of Whitmill Stephens (1809-1866) and Elizabeth Waters (1807-bet 1871/80). Whitmill was the son of Solomon Stephens (1781-bet 1870/80), who was the son of Moses Stephens II (1762-1853), who was the son of Moses Stephens I (1743-1801).

Balford's mother, Sarah Jane, was born in Scott Co., TN. She was the daughter of Henry Wilson (1851-1895) and Sarena Catherine "Reny" Moses (1848-1905). Sarah Jane is buried in Wilson Cemetery #4 in Boyle County as are both of her parents. That cemetery is located below and just behind Tennessee Ridge and the former Stephens farm.

Balford was born on Tennessee Ridge and lived his entire life there. He loved farming. He especially enjoyed working with his cattle and gave each of them a name. According to his son, Balford "Steve" Stephens Jr (1930-2013), he also raised pigs and chickens but did not name them, saying he "didn't like to name anything he was going to eat someday".

Balford was married three times. His first wife was Martha "Marthy" Herring (1901-1920), daughter of Thomas "Tom" Herring (1872-aft 1930) and Lydia Ann "Liddie" Adams (1873-aft 1930). His first marriage was short-lived as Marthy died at the age of 19, just a few days after giving birth/death of their second child, Balford Stephens Jr. (1920-1920). Their first child, Edna Stephens (1918-1918), also died at birth. Marthy and her two children are buried in the Chestnut Grove Church Cemetery near Parksville, Boyle Co., KY. Their grave sites are now unmarked or unidentifiable.

Balford's second wife was Margaret Leona Wilson (1907-1954). She was the daughter of Elihu Wilson (1861-1931) and Malinda Farmer "Lindy" Waters (1882-abt 1907?) but was actually raised by Jeptha P. "Jep" Spradlin (1874-1946) and Deliah Jane "Delilah" King (1874-1949), a G-GD of Thomas Murray "Tom" King. The Spradlin family moved to Boyle County, KY from McCreary Co., KY about 1919.

Balford and Margaret lived just a short walking distance from each other on Tennessee Ridge. When they married he was a young widower (23 ). Margaret was just 14. They were married on Jan. 20, 1922 in Scott Co., Tennessee by Balford's cousin, Rev. Burel King (1875-1945), a GG-GS of Thomas Murray King. Balford thought a lot of Rev. King and later named a son, Burel E. Stephens (1941-1995), after him. Balford and Margaret were married for 32 years and had 12 known children. They are listed in her memorial.

Margaret died on June 25, 1954, in Danville (hospital), Boyle Co., KY at the age of 47. She is buried in Wilson Cemetery #4 located below Tennessee Ridge on Hwy 37 between Junction City & Forkland, near Johnson Branch Rd and not far from Parksville.

Balford's third marriage was to Lola Blanche (Langford) Mathes (1904-1964). They married about 1955. Both had been previously married twice. She too, is buried in Wilson Cemetery #4 but does not have a burial marker.

Balford died on May 28, 1964 in the Danville hospital (Boyle Co.) at the age of 65. He is buried in Wilson Cemetery #4, beside his second wife, Margaret. They are buried next to two of their infant children, Edna Stephens (1918-1918) and Dorothy Janette Stephens (1942-1942), their first and last known offspring. Because the burial sites of the two infants were always unmarked, a non-relative was mistakenly buried on top of them years later.

Balford's last name is spelled incorrectly as "Stevens" on his headstone. It should have been Stephens. The confusion was the result of one of his sons (Eugene) legally changing the spelling of his last name from Stephens to Stevens while he was in the Navy during WWII. According to another son, Balford Henry Stephens Jr (1930-2013), the rest of the family did not change their name and continued to spell it as "Stephens".

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The information contained in this memorial for Balford Henry Stephens Sr, his wife, family members, ancestors and descendants, is thought to be correct. This memorial is revised/corrected, however, as new information becomes available.
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