From NKAA, Notable Kentucky African Americans Database (main entry)
The Colored Home of the Friendless (Paducah, KY)
The Colored Home of the Friendless, an orphanage for African American children, was located at 1404 Rudy Street in Paducah, KY (as listed in the 1939 Paducah, KY, Consurvey Directory, v. 2). Mary Belle Purdle Merriweather (1878-1947, born in Caldwell County, KY) was the matron of the home. She was the wife of World War I veteran Luke Merriweather (1877-1921).For more on the Merriweathers, see Mary Bell Merriweather and Luke Merriweather at findagrave.com.