The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-03-22
ELEVEN WIVES ISI MARTIAL RECORD
"UncIe Frank" Warren Just Died in Kentucky;
 Had But Four Children

EAoAlh "oAASAAB HAAO "0o tN NAiCli he died this week, had had II wives, not mere 10 as they had supposed.
 But the error was an excusable one. Uncle Frank married and di- vorced them "jest too quick for a body to calclate."
 Uncle Frank had been known as "the marryingest man in the moun- tains" and at his funeral Wednes- day were his 16 year old widow, seven of his former wives, and sev- eral hundred of his in-laws and former in-laws, all weeping and carrying-on, assuring one another that there never had been a better husband or better in-law than Uncle Frank.
 The hill tops of this country along the Kentucky Virginia line are dot- ted with the cabins Uncle Frank built for his wives and the coun- try is full of his in-laws and former in-laws for the families are large here and his brides usually had eight or 10 brothers and sisters plus 20 to 30 uncles and aunts plus scores of cousins. It seemed that every other man was relative or former relative of Uncle Frank and each one had good word to say for him.
 Liked Them Young
 Uncle Frank liked them young, his in-laws and former in-laws said with smile and a wink. And he liked them pretty, too. But he treated them good and each of his 10 former wives, all of whom were between 12 and 16 when they mar ried him, received not only a cabin but all his worldly goods with the exception of his saw mill. That saw mill always permitted him to &C., cumulate more substance, another wife, and, finally, another divorce.
 Joe Asher is the father of Carrie Asher, and, in consequence, was Uncle Franks father-in-law No. 5. He felt so kindly toward him, though their relation was dissolved years ago, that he allowed with enthusi- asm that he had been the hand somest, softest talking man in the mountains. Asher saw him only a few days before he died. Though he was "A, he was swinging his lean, tall body over the hills on his daily four mile walk from cabin to saw mill like man 30 years younger.
 Was Regular Sheik"
 Asher said Uncle Frank had been regular sheik" He rode a fine horse, wore store cloathes when he went a-courtin' and his fine appear ance plus his fost-talkin im- pressed the girl to the point where they didn't know whether they were "a-goin' or a-comin'."
 ASher-without naming names said that some of Uncle Frank s former wives loved him better than they do their present husbands and had so conflded to him at Uncle Franks fusleral. They loved him so much that not one asked alimony he said. But Uncle Frank was gen. erous-he was so generous that he had once given him $1,000.
 County Attorney Walter B. Smith spoke of Uncle Frank with warmth.
 Uncle Frank was a great fellow" he said. He was admired by every body. asked him one day who was that cute little girl he had ons his arm, and he said, That's my new wife. When I can't get along with one, I try and get another told him he was all dressed up, and he said, I don't wear my working clothes all the time. When I go a-courtin' I spruce up.'"
 Proud of His Wives
 Uncle Frank was very proud of his wives and they were, indirectly the cause of his death. He had been collecting pictures of them to hang on his cabin wall so the pictures together with his 11th wife, 16 year old Cynthia, could console his de- clining years. He went out in bliz- gard to walk miles through the hills after a picture former in-law had promised him, and caught a cold which developed into pneumonia. He liked to talk about them, saying he was never a man to waste any time "a-courtin'." He'd meet them, talk a while, then propose And they always accepted at once. He said he jest had a way" with women. The most trouble he had was when he married his cousin, Callie Warren, then 12, and his fourth wife. Callie's relatives ob- jected so they eloped. A few miles behind were the relatives, with six shooters and squirrel rifles land murder in their hearts" They ar- rived in Cumberland Gap with a lead of half hour or so, just enough to get married. The rela- tives then decided that there was nothing to do but forgive them.
 Records of Marriages
 The records in Pineville court house showed that Uncle Frank di- vorced Millie, his first wife, in 1909 when he was 43. They had been married some 20 years as best the neighbors could recall. In 1914, Rosie got a divorce; in 1919, Charity; 1922, Callie; 1925, Carrie; 1927. Mollie; 1928, Ceannie; 1884, Bertha; 1885, Minnie. Somewhere between the first and the last Mary got her divorce. She knew she got it here but she couldn't recall just where she had fitted in the succession.
 Just before his death, Uncle Frank had told his neighbors sadly that he had been very unlucky. Though he had had Il wives. he had but four children.