One of her brothers was a bad outlaw...

...or one of her great-grandfathers was, rather, the "her" being my Grandmother Rowe. Exciting new information (or rather, old information newly revealed) in the wake of a family funeral in Harlan County this past weekend. My Granny Rowe is the daughter of a man named Sign Kassam (a Syrian immigrant to Appalachia, whole 'nother story altogether) and of my Granny Kassam, who was originally Sally Turner. Granny Kassam's father was John Turner, who brought a lot of his family with him when he moved down from the mountains to Adair County. Turns out my great-grandfather John may have left Harlan to escape the reputation of his father, Devil Jim Turner.