"Anam Cara" (Scots-Gaelic for "Soul Friend") The Estep Family & Friends Cemetery is located on the Estep Family farm (99 acres more or less, used to be the old Messinger Farm) near the head of Fall Creek, Branchland, Lincoln County, West Virginia 25506. Floyd Elvis & Mary Lillian Stephenson Estep est'b June 12, 1973 -- 2 tracts ( Parcel #007.000 68 acres more or less -- Parcel #008.0000 30 acres). Deed Book 189, Page 572 & 79, Page 469. They named the farm "Green Acres" The Estep Farm. The farm was re-deeded to Floyd only as he and Mary divorced (July 13, 1990 Deed Book 253, Page 115). When Floyd became ill with Stage 4 Advanced Prostate Cancer with Extensive Bone Metastasis, he re-deeded the farm to his daughter, Karen Elaine Estep & his grandson, Shane Austin Estep. 10/28/2013 12:59:47pm time filed, Transaction #2013007995 Deed Book 367, Page 436. Karen agreed to allow Duane Elvis Estep (her brother) and Shane agreed to allow him (his father) to rename the farm "An talamh uaine brèagha againn" Scots-Gaelic meaning "Our beautiful green land". They also agreed to allow Duane and his brother, James Allen Estep to start to build a family cemetery on first flat above Duane's home (if you look straight ahead and up as you reach end of blacktop you can see cemetery location.
Our Estep/McCoy (Mackay) heritage is almost evenly divided between Scots-Irish and English. The Estep's are refurbishing the old farm sign "Green Acres" The Estep Farm in honor of their father & mother. New signs will be purchased to mark the farm and the cemetery along with roads on the farm and road to cemetery, to be called "wynds".
The cemetery is in the final stages of building. The grave site for Duane Elvis Estep has been marked in the cemetery and he has planted two Weeping Cherry Trees in the center of the cemetery, two Adam Yucca near back of cemetery, numerous pine trees around the grounds, and a walnut tree. James and Duane plan on building a "Moon Gate" of stone in the Scots-Irish tradition and Scots-Irish stone walls around the cemetery. Duane suffers from same cancer his father was burdened with.
Duane is married to Cristy Rita Johston Estep: his children are Hilary Shay Ruggles Clay, Dr. Brittani Shantel Lowe, Nicholas Christian Ruggles, and Shane Austin Estep. Grandchildren at present: Kennedi Pearl Clay, Hadley Shay Clay, & Jagger Michael Clay (children of Jonathan Michael Clay).
The name "Anam Cara" was inspired by a song on a CD "The Promise" that was sent to Duane by an Irish-English performer, Caitlin Grey. According to Caitlin, In Irish Gaelic, the phrase "anam cara" translates as "soul mate".