Catherine "Katy" Border, daughter of John and Catherine (Sellards) Borders and granddaughter of Hezekiah Sellards, was born near Walkers Station in the present Bland County, Virginia, August 12, 1797. She came to Kentucky with her parents about the year 1804, where her family settled near the present Johnson-Lawrence County line, then in Floyd County, Kentucky. per Floyd County records she married John Brown on June 25, 1817. John was born ca 1797 in Virginia and died in Kentucky ca 1875. Katy died during the last week in January of 1903 at the old Brown homestead on Georges Creek, being in 105th year. She was the last survivor of the eight children of John and Catherine (Sellards) Borders.

According to February 6, 1903 Big Sandy News obituary, Katy's husband, John, was a well known Baptist minister. His home was, for almost a century, a noted stopping place for travelers as the river road up Big Sandy then passed by his place. On August 30, 1903, the memorial funeral service for Katy was at the old Brown homestead, on the same spot of ground she and John settled in the early part of the 19th century.

At this writing the names of the parents of John Brown are still unknown. It would appear from the records of the birth of their daughter, Elizabeth, they lived for a short time in the area of the present Wise County, Virginia, which could be a possibility of the area of his parentage. Wise County, as such, did not exist when Elizabeth was born, as this county was not formed until the 1850's, thus the reference to Wise County has to be a later reference to the area of her birth.

On a torn piece of yellow paper, similar to the old railroad bond, with faded brown ink, we find the following permission slip by Katy's mother. The portion with the line marked through was so marked on the slip as written. In this longland note, Catherine (Sellards) Borders did not cross the "t's".

June the 20th 1817
Mr Wilm J. Mayo Sir please give
This is to certify I have given liberty to John Brown to marry my daughter Caty Borders and please to send licens to him for the same. Given under my hand.
Wit /s/ Catty Borders
/s/ J Sam Davis

Also recorded on page 70 of Marriage Book 1, of Floyd County the following is listed by the minister performing the ceremony of this couple.

I do hereby certify that John Brown and Caty Borders was lawfully married on the 25th day of June 1817.
/s/ Sam Hanna