Hortense is the daughter of Rachel Malvina Lee and adopted by Isaac Friley. Her birth is recorded in Russell County Virginia. Family story has it that she was separated from her mother for a time during the civil war. We are not sure where she was in 1870 at age 9 but said she was traveling from Virginia to Kentucky with this family who 'kept her instead of returning her to her mother.' This is according to the story Hortense told Margie her daughter. She is back living with her mother Rachel Lee and Rachel's next husband Henry C. Bates as noted the 1880 Letcher County KY Census. Hortense's relationship to Henry C. Bates is a hired servant and Hortnese is also with her baby son Irven in 1880. Hortense first was with Solomon Emory aka "Buddy" Baker (the lawyer S.E. Baker) then Joseph Coleman Reynolds and had several children by both marriages. By 1900 she is living with Joseph Coleman Reynolds in Millstone, Letcher County Kentucky. By 1910 they moved to a homestead and attempted a farm near Crowder Oklahoma in Canadian Pittsburg County. They ended up in Chehalis, Washington and went visiting back to Kentucky by 1920.


Obituary for Mrs. Hortense Reynolds: Funeral services for Mrs. Hortense Reynolds, who died yesterday at the home of a daughter Mrs. George Owen Rogers on the Spurr Pike, will be held at 2 p.m. Friday at Kerr Brother Funeral Home. Dr. J. Archer Gray, pastor of Everybody's Church will officiate and burial will be in the Lexington Cemetery. Mrs. Reynolds 82 was a daughter of the late Isaac and Rachel Lee Friley of Roanoke, Virginia. Survivors include two other daughters Mrs. Amanda Triplett, Seattle Washington, Mrs. Audrey Potter, Whitesburg; five sons, Luther Baker, Whitesburg, Irvin and Elijah Baker both of Keene, Virginia, James M. Reynolds Detroit, Michigan and Coleman Raynolds, Fairbanks, Alaska and 18 grand children.


Our family is nearly certain this is most likely Hortense's mother Rachel living in the 1850 Census with Hortense's grandparents being Martin and Fanny (Cook?)Lee. Hortense gave the name Jim Turner as the name of her real father and said Isaac Friley was the father whom raised her. She and her mother could not read or write so we have various spellings of the names.Still working on the pre 1880 history for Hortense. comments extremely welcome!

1850 Census District 54, Russell County, Virginia
Family Number:1109

Martin Lee age 34
Fanny Lee age 29
Elisabeth Lee age 14
Sydney Lee age 12
Phoebe Lee age 11
Rachel Lee age 10
David Lee age 5
Martha Lee age 4
Hugh Lee age 1

Hortense's grandfather, Rachel's father, has died and here Rachel Malvina Lee is 19 listed as Malvina Lee. Hortense is born one year after this census in Russell County Virginia.

1860 Census Post Office:Dickensonville, Russell County, Virginia Census taken October 6 1860

Fanny Lee age 43 Seamstress value of personal estate $30
Malvina Lee age 19 value of real estate $200
David Lee age 15 farm laborer value of real estate $200
Martha E Lee age 14 value of real estate $200
Sarah C Lee age 9 value of real estate $200
Nancy Lee age 7 value of real estate $200
Eliza Lee age 3
Eunice A E Lee 1/12



1870 Census Precinct 2, Letcher County, Kentucky
Henry Bates age 25 Farmer b. Kentucky
Rachel Bates age 28 Keeping House b. Virginia can not read or write

(Hortense should be nine but is not with her mother, this fits her story)

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1880 Census Whitesburg, Letcher County, Kentucky
visit 328, household 332

Henry C. Bates age 35 married works on farm b. KY parents b. KY
Rachel Bates age 37 wife married keeping house b. VA parents b. Va
Marget Bates 6 daughter b. KY father b. ky mother b. VA
James M. Bates age 3 Son father b. ky mother b. VA
Belle D. Bates age 5 months Daughter father b. ky mother b. VA
John Bates age 27 single blank works on farm b. KY parents b. KY
Martha Bates age 25 single sister keepng house b. KY parents b. KY
James Bates age 17 single brother works on farm b. ky parents b. KY
Hortence Lee age 19 Servant Single b. VA parents b VA
Irven Lee (Baker) age 6 months boarder single b KY father b. KY mother VA

note that 1/2 brother James Bates age 3 in this census was killed and buried in Crowder Oklahoma Cemetery.(He was a sherriff and was shot by a one-armed postmaster in the local bank according to the newspaper. Note that Irven Lee is the son of S.E. Baker, Solomon Emory Baker was a lawyer and Judge, Whitesburg KY and ended up with custody of Hortense's Baker children)

1900 Census, Letcher County, Kentucky
Reynolds, Joseph head(Hortense's second husband)
Lee, Hortense (Joseph's 2nd wife)
Reynolds, Coleman son age 7
Reynolds Aggie daughter age 5
Reynolds, James son age 4
Reynolds, Margie daughter age 1
neighbors:
Reynolds, Minerva head (Joseph's first wife Mary Manerva (Morgan))
Mary C. daughter age 18
William Cody son age 8


1910 Census Canadian, Pittsburg County, Oklahoma
Joseph C Reynolds age 61 m2
Hortence Reynolds age 49 m2 married 18 years 11 children 9 living
Coleman Reynolds age 17
Augie Reynolds age 14
James M Reynolds age 12
Margie Reynolds age 10
Amanda Reynolds age 6

For Hortense: by 1910 one Reynolds son (David Coleson Reynolds with unknown burial site) died as a toddler and Baker son died as a teenager


1920 Census Baker County, Letcher, Kentucky
Joseph C Reynolds age 71 b. VA farmer
Hortense Reynolds age 60 b. VA
Augie Wannebo age 24 b.KY married
James Reynolds age 22 motorman in coal mine single
Margie Reynolds age 20 single
Dorthy age 5 b. Washington Grand daughter mother b. US father b West Virginia

1930 Census Parcuvia, Lewis County, Washington
Jim M Reynolds age 33 Head KY VA VA Works in Saw mill
Joe Reynolds age 82 Dad VA VA VA
Hortence Reynolds age 69 Dad's wife VA US US
Dorthy Cook age 16 grand daughter b. WA US US
Emille age 8 relative b. WA US US
Polly age 5 relative b. WA US US
Dotsie Reynolds age 3 relative b. WA US US