Current Fayette County Superior Court Clerk Sheila Studdard has honored those clerks of court who came before her, dating back to 1830.
Fayette County is fortunate to have all its original records and she went back to the first clerk of record, John D. Stell. Several of his descendants still reside in the county.
She photocopied the signature of each one from a record they would have signed, learned as much about each one as could be found in the Fayette County Historical Society, and obtained photos of as many as could be located.
There are now 16 framed tableaus in the waiting room of the Superior Court office and your are invited to view them the next time you are in the Justice Center.
Research revealed three family members served in the court: John D. Stell, 1830, James J. Stell, 1849, and W. J. Stell, 1920. It also revealed the longest serving, N. W. Kelley, from 1920 to 1960, and the second longest was W. J. “Bud” Ballard, 1966 to 2000.
Studdard said that she is using the same official superior court seal as used by her predecessors, and that it weighs just over six pounds.
