Dade County History Book

Mr. Luke and Annie Ivey

Mr. Luke and Annie Ivey came to Dade County on November 14, 1920 to be married at the courthouse. The young couple lived in Henegar, Alabama. Mr. Luke was a farmer & Annie was a school teacher. They just fell in love with the beautiful area. They moved to Georgia in just a short while to the area that is now Big Sandy Golf Course. In the 30’s times were hard & by this time there were 3 girls to feed so the family moved back to the farm in Henegar, Alabama. Nearing the end of the 30’s the economy was getting better.

Luke and Annie Ivey decided that Dade County would be a good place to raise their family. The family had now grown to 6 children.

Mr. and Mrs. Ivey purchased land (approximately 500 acres) from Wilson Hardly on Jan.21, 1939 in what was know as the Big Woods. Mr. Luke Ivey began making a road from the top of the mtn. at White Oak Gap up the Brow road winding in and out around trees. Mr. Ivey and the children began to cut timber and get ready to build the home for the family to be able to move to Dade County in a few months. The acreage had more than enough timber for the home.

The family worked long hours getting ready to move, and on December 27, 1940 on a cold day the Ivey family moved to what is known now as New Home Community.

Dad loaded a 1941 Ford truck, an uncle came in a wagon pulled by a team of mules and Grandfather Ivey sent his 1 ton Ford truck loaded with belongings & grandchildren. It took the mules and wagon l0 hours to make the journey from Henegar.

When the family of eight arrived in the Big Woods there was no mail service, no electricity, no phones and no roads except log road; to receive mail the family went off the top of the mountain on a log road to Shellmound, Tennessee to a post office.

Mr. and Mrs. Ivey were active in the community and county events. Mr. Ivey checked with the local post office to see about the mail coming to New Home, it wasn’t long until the mail came to the Matthew Patton place. By this time the roads were graded across the gorge hill & around the loop.

Years passed and Annie Ivey and the children became active in a church that was organized called New Home Baptist. By the mid 40’s Mr. and Mrs. Ivey had an addition the family, a baby girl called Jane. This made a total of 9 in the family.

Mom and Dad taught the family to work hard, to be honest, respectful of others and give your best. The family lived at the original Ivey home place on Ivey rd. until Jan.1946-when they moved again. Mr. and Mrs. Luke Ivey had Mr. Luther Gaddis to build the family a larger house across the loop, where the family resided until the children were married and Mr. and Mrs. Ivey lived there the rest of their life.

From Luke and Annie Ivey’s children were 3 school teachers in Dade County School System, Wilodean Patton, Thelma Gray Blevins, and Edith Lane; Two Baptist preachers Charles Ivey and Alton Ivey. One Baptist deacon & business man, Jack Ivey; A Baptist minister’s wife, and Dade County Tax Commissioner, Jane Moreland.

Annie Ivey was an excellent home maker and mother. She helped farm, can food, freeze foods, make the children’s clothes, quilt and a great cook and housekeeper.

Luke Ivey worked hard and was an excellent manager of the family, great provider and wonderful dad.

In Mr. Ivey^’s lifetime he served as chairman of the Dade County Board of Education, chairman of the Family and Children service, chairman of A. S. C. in Dade County. He worked long and hard to help rebuild Davis School when it burned. Mr. and Mrs. Ivey worked endless hours to get electricity and phone service to New He Community. Dad was grateful to Mr. Tom Renfro from Georgia Power for all of his help and Mr. Tatum’s help in getting phone service.

Dad and Mom taught us to appreciate Dade County and to do whatever we could do to contribute to make this a better place to live, attend church, and better schools.