Monday's Child

Monday's Child is Fair of Face

This will be a series stemming from this blog post.

*Disclaimer: Before the time of actual birth records it's hard to be certain what year an individual was actually born as you will see as you read along.

My 2nd great grandmother, Isabell Singleton Athey, was possibly born on Monday, April 1, 1872,  in Collin County, Texas, to Benjamin Franklin Athey and Martha Ann Singleton Hodge. She was named after her maternal line. Isabell for Martha's mother, Isabell Peach and Singleton for Martha's father, John Singleton Hodge.

Her siblings were:

• Benjamin Franklin Athey Jr.
• Susanna "Susie Anna" Athey
• Duran Peach Athey
• Martha Lavona Athey
• Emma Wilson Athey
• Henrietta "Etta" Athey
• John Dillard Athey
• Charles Monroe Athey
• Lucy Jane Athey
• Arthur Mart Athey

In the earliest picture I have of Isabell, or Bell, as I have seen several times, she looks to be about 5 or 6 years old. Then there's another where she appears to be in her mid to late teens.



According to Poem Shape, the term "fair of face" can not only mean a child is beautiful or good looking, fair can also mean auspicious or fortunate. So a "Monday's Child" would be beautiful and have a prosperous life. I may be partial but I think my ancestor was very pretty. Let's see if her life can be classified as prosperous.

To help us get the biggest picture of Isabell's life, I want to try to outline the events of those close to her (siblings/parents) as well.

BIRTH OF ATHEY CHILDREN

I will start with the birth of the eldest child, Isbabell's brother, Benjamin Franklin Athey, Jr.

Benjamin's obituary says he was born 6 Dec 1869 in Millwood, Collin County, TX. However I believe it was actually 6 Dec 1870 or 71. His parents were married 3 March 1871 in Kaufman County, TX. The Athey and Hodge family were enumerated together in 1870 but they weren't married and there were no babies listed in the household. He could've been born out of wedlock in 1870. If he was born in 1871 that would make Isabell's birth year of 1872 impossible, hence the disclaimer at the top of this post.

Isabell was the next child born on 1 April 1872, according to her Death Certificate. Census records show her birth year as 1876 (1880 census - making her a Saturday child), 1874 (1910 census - making her a Wednesday child), 1873 (1930 census - making her a Tuesday child). I have yet to locate her in 1900 or 1920 and there are no other records that indicate a birth date.

Next up is a sister, Susanna Athey. I just discovered her while researching for this blog. I don't know how I missed her all these years as she was right there with the family in the 1880 Collin County, Census. Her birth year is given as 1874 (1880 census), Sept 1872 (1900 census), 1873 (1910 census) she may very well have been older than Isabell.

Then there was Duran Peach Athey. His middle name comes from his maternal grandmother's maiden name. Duran was born on the 29th of December. Again, I can't be certain of the year. The 1880 census says 1878, 1877 (1910 census and death index), 1875 (1940 census), 1877 (WWI and WWII Draft), 1874 (Death Certificate)

Next, Martha Lavona Athey was born 2 May 1879 (1880 census and death certificate), 1880 (1920, 1930 & 1940 census)  *Fun fact - I am related to Martha on my paternal side and her first husband, Frank H. May is related to me on my maternal side.

Then there is Emma Wilson Athey who was born on the 15th of May 1882 (1910 & 1920 census), 1881 (1930 census & SS Death Index).

Henrietta "Etta" Athey was born 7 Dec 1881 ( Find A Grave memorial) 1883 (1900 census) 1882 (1910 census).

John Dillard Athey was born 12 May 1884 ( Death Certificate and Obituary) 1885 (1910 & 1930 census) 1883 (1920 census)  1882 (1940 census) 1889 (SS Application)

Charles Monroe Athey was born 25 April 1885 (SS Application & WWI Draft) 1886 (1910, 1920, 1930, Death Certificate, Find A Grave, & WWII Draft)

I'm not certain of the order of birth between the last two children. Lucy Jane and Arthur Mart.

Lucy Jane was born 27 May 1888 (1940 census, Death Certificate, Death Index and Find A Grave memorial), 1889 (1910 census) 1885 (1920 census) 1890 (1930 census)

Arthur Mart Athey was born 6 April 1888 ( WWI Draft) 1887 (1920 census) 1891 (1910, 1930, Death Certificate, Find A Grave Memorial, & WWII Draft) 1893 (1940 census) 1890 (SS Application)

The birth year of 1891 as an option for Mart brings us to the next big thing to happen in the life of Isabell and all her siblings, the death of their mother. The 1891 birth year would be impossible if the death date of his mother is accurate. She is said to have died 3 March of 1891 so there's no way he could've been born in April of that same year.

The only record I have for Martha Hodge Athey's death is her Find A Grave memorial. There is not stone showing a death date there and Death Certificates weren't required by the state of Texas until the year 1903. I wonder, considering Martha's age, 35 years, if maybe she didn't die due to complications with childbirth. Either of Arthur Mart, Lucy Jane, or an unknown infant who died as well. Most likely the later.

MARRIAGES OF ATHEY CHILDREN 

1891 The next big event to take place would be the first marriage in this Athey family. Susanna Athey married Mr. John A Clark on 4 Oct 1891 in Rockwell County, TX
1892
Benjamin Franklin Athey Jr married Miss Viola Bethel Beaver on 24 July 1892 in Collin County, Texas.
1894
Isabell Athey married a Mr. C E Moore on 2 Sept 1894 in Rockwell County, TX This C E Moore is a bit of mystery. I've heard his name was Charles or Charlie. He and Isabell had one son named Henry Edwin Moore so I suspect the 'E' stood for Edwin. It's also been said that Mr. Moore was Native American.
1897
Emma Wilson Athey married Mr. James Robert Byrd on 18 Sept 1897 in Rockwall County, TX
1898
Henrietta "Etta" Athey married Mr. M Chancey McGinnis on 9 Jan 1898 in Collin County, TX
1900 
Martha Lavona Athey married Mr. Frank H. May on 29 July 1900 in Collin County, Texas.

Their father Benjamin Franklin Athey Sr. died on 6 Sept 1900. Frank H. May was the temporary administrator of his Estate.
1901
March 1901 **Frank H. May was adjudged insane. This comes from a newspaper article found on Newspapers.com from The Democrat out of McKinney, TX for the date of  21 March 1901



** Turns out the above article contains a typo. The man actually adjudged insane was Thomas H. May b. 1870 from TN. I found the actual court records. He spent the 1910, 1920, & 1930 census as a patient in Terrell, Kaufman, TX as a patient and died in March 1935.

Also, from the same source on 10 Oct 1901 there is the divorce of Isabell from C E Moore, granted by Judge Dillard. In that same paper is the marriage of Isabell Moore to Mr. James Thomas Foster. Their marriage license is dated for the 6th of Oct 1901. The wording of the divorce article gives the date of her divorce as 5th Oct 1901

1904
Duran Peach Athey married Miss Emmer/Emma May Curry on 1 Feb 1904 in Bowie County, Texas and John Dillard married Miss Eliza Jane Jones on 8 March 1904 in Hunt County, Texas.

1905
Three marriages took place this year. Charles Monroe Athey married Miss Martha Valonia Askins on 12 July 1905 in Rockwall County, Texas, Lucy Jane Athey married Mr. Audrey DeWitt Smith on 29 October in Collin County and an abandoned/divorced Henrietta "Etta" McGinnis married Mr. Bert Clarence Robert 16 Nov 1905 in Collin County, Texas.

1911 Duran Athey's wife and infant daughter, named after her mother, died.

1914 Arthur Mart/Mark Athey married Miss Alice L Cain/Kain in Nacogdoches County, TX in June 1914. I can't find an actual marriage liscense/bond but there's an index and her name is transcribed as Alice King. Two dates are given for their marriage the 7th and the 14th. Alice died in 1931 and sometime after that Arthur Mart married Bertha Mae Watson Bobbitt.

1915 Martha Lavona Athey May remarries Mr. George D. Orman 8 January in Henderson County, Texas

1916 Susanna Athey Clark died 4 Oct 1916 in Van Zandt County, Texas

1917 Duran Athey remarries a widow, Miss Minnie Lee Jones Robbins, in Collin County, Texas.

THE LIFE OF BELLE ATHEY

Belle's father was a corn & cotton farmer it would seem from reading through his Estate Records. In one instance it said that "B F Athey along with his daughters Belle Moore and M L May, owned a growing crop consisting of about 37 acres of corn and cotton" In another paper is stated that Belle was a widow living with her father and she had a four  year old son, Henry Edwin Moore. There's not much as far as documentation on Isabelle's first  husband. In fact the only reference I can find is her marriage and that only gives his name as C E Moore - no age, race, or anything else. BUT I can tell you what a cousin of mine shared with me. She is the daughter of Isabell's daughter, Evie Mack Foster Alexander. Evie's husband Fred Alexander conveyed this to his duaghter:

"Charlie Moore was one half Native American (Cherokee) and was working for Belle's dad. She was very young and fell in love with him and married him, I think in Rockwall County. One day when uncle Henry was a baby (he was born in Rockwall), Charlie left home to go to the bank in Dallas and disappeared. After many years he was declared dead, and she married grandpa Foster. He was carrying money is what I was told, and they thought he was killed along the way. Anyway that's what daddy told me. Granny and uncle Henry were very close I think, because mother had a postcard written to her (granny) from uncle Henry while he was in the service during WWI and was very sick."

As shared above, in 1901 Isabell was granted a divorce and she married my 2nd great grandfather James Thomas Foster. J T Foster was the son of Malcolm Foster, and it's assumed Mary Knox as there is a marriage record for Malcolm and Mary. The first census James is shown in is the 1880 Collin County census which only gives initials. The wife of Malcolm is clearly given as N J Foster. If Mary died and he remarried there's no record that I have found. And no death record for either Mary Knox or "N J" from the 1880 census.


THE CHILDREN OF JAMES AND ISABELL

Not long after James Thomas and Belle were married she became pregnant with their fist child,

• Mary Ellen Foster was born in Simms, Bowie, Texas on the 28th of Sept 1902. She died soon thereafter. 
• Evie Mack Foster was born December 1, 1903,  Simms, Bowie, Texas
• James Arthur "Art" Foster was born June 7, 1905, Simms, Bowie, Texas
• Jodie Sidney Foster was born December 22, 1906, Collin County, Texas
  
  
• Wesley Lewis Foster was born March 25, 1908, Collin County, Texas
• Jessie Marion Foster was born January 30, 1910, Midland Texas he died not long after
• George Franklin Foster was born April 14, 1911
• Ivy May Foster was born October 18, 1913 she died as an infant but there is a picture of her with Evie Mack Foster 
  

• Willie Belle Foster, my great grandmother, was born January 30, 1915, Simms, Bowie, Texas
• Bessie Lee Foster, was born Christmas day, December 25, 1916
• Harvey Sims Foster, was born March 2, 1918, Bowie County, Texas
  

  

   Right to Left: Henry Edwin Moore, Arthur Foster, Jodie Foster, Wesley Foster, George Foster, Harvey Foster. 

Isabell's parents both died before she was even 30. Her first husband left and never returned leaving her to raise their only son. She remarried, gave birth to 11 babies and lost 3, I can't imagine how heartbreaking that would've been. Stories that survive about James Thomas aren't exactly fairy tales. He was a hard man, prone to temper fits. One story says that Isabell could give as good as she got. The story says an argument broke out between the two and they were so mad at each other that they took turns chunking their dishes out the door. At the end of the fight there was only one plate left. They had to use syrup bucket lids for plates for a time. At meal time Isabell would always give James the one last plate - maybe for spite? Anyway, new dishes were purchased before company came.

Again, Evie Mack's daughter shared this story of Grandpa Foster:

Grandpa had a BAD temper. My daddy, Fred Alexander, stopped him many times, I was told, from whipping the boys and old mules when they didn't perform as they should. My mother, Evie Foster, laid a pillow in a bottomless chair one time and put it at grandpa's place at the table. When he sat down to eat he fell through and everyone laughed. Mother said his face got red as he looked all around. Then his eyes fell on her and said "daughter you're the only one who would do this." Guess she was the only one who get by with it.

James Thomas Foster died in 1927 leaving Isabell to raise at least 4 children, the youngest being 9, all by herself.

Isabell delivered babies all around the country side including her own grandson, Charles (my grandpa). Her services were never hampered day or night by the fact that she had asthma. She would never take pay for the deliveries, but most surely some gave her eggs, chickens, butter, vegetables, or whatever they could. She passed away when my grandfather was only 6 months old on November 3, 1935. She was only 63 (if her birth  year was indeed 1872).

I'm not sure about you, but I don't find Isabell's life to have been what most consider prosperous. I'm pretty sure I ruled out 1872 as a birth year, anyway. From the existing records it's possible that she was a Saturday's child, who worked hard for a living, Wednesday's child, full of woe, or Tuesday's child full of grace. I can definitely see her as a Saturday's child and a Wednesday's child. What do you think?

Until next time,
Becky

*I've been terrible about keeping up with this blog, but my SIL has been plugging away. Be sure to stop by and check out her blog over at Days of Our Lives

Mother Goose And Genealogy

It's been some time since I've written a post, mainly because I was lacking prompts or story lines. Today I was reflecting on one of my favorite books as a child, The Real Mother Goose, when the idea came to me to use a Mother Goose poem as a prompt. I plan on finding an ancestor to fit each of these lines. I will compare their life to the adage and see if this poem warrants any merit.

Illustration by Blanche Fisher Wright

Monday’s child is fair of face,
Tuesday’s child is full of grace,
Wednesday’s child is full of woe,
Thursday’s child has far to go,
Friday’s child is loving and giving,
Saturday’s child works hard for a living,
And the child that is born on the Sabbath day
Is bonny and blithe, and good and gay.

First a little history about this poem which I found online from Poem Shape: The poem Monday’s Child, was first recorded in 1838, in A. E. Bray’s Traditions of Devonshire (Volume II, pp.287-288). This doesn’t mean that Monday’s child is a contrivance of 1838. Tradition (from which this proverbial poem springs) can be dated back, at least, to the 1570’s.

Today's post will just be an introduction where I'll lay out who I've chosen to blog about. Look for a post a day next week to correspond to the day mentioned. If I can't pound out one a day then definitely one a week on the corresponding day, of course.

Monday's child - Elizabeth Isabell Athey
Tuesday's child - Winey Lawson Newman
Wednesday's child - Benjamin Rufus Nall (I'm also a Wednesday child)
Thursdays' child - Ora Francis McClung
Friday's child - Clara Inda Evans
Saturday's child - Bondell Bynum
Sunday's child - Permelia "Mealy" Turner

Finding ancestors that were born on specific days proved harder than I imagined. I would've preferred a more even balance of males and females but this was the best I could come up with. It took forever to find a Sunday child.

Just for fun, what day of the week were you born on? How do you think your life has gone compared to this little poem?

What I Now Know

A little more than 10 years ago, my mother gave me three books that she had been given when genealogy was a hobby of hers: "House of Boyer" by Edith Boyer Suggs 1963, A hand typed and bound book simply titled "Melson Book" compiled by Andrew Melson 1973 and "The Patricks And Spadra Creek The Census And Statehood" by Heartsill Patrick King 1976.

I always understood how I was connected to the Boyers and Melsons but I could never find a connection to the Patricks. I knew from research that several of my ancestors lived in and around Spadra Township but that was the best I could come up with -- until this week.

If you've ever done genealogy research, especially if its ever become a hobby, or addiction, you understand how easy it is to jump from one line to the next and before you know it you easily have hundreds of surnames to try to keep up with. The family lines with the most records are usually the ones you spend the most time on so those without much information tend to get shuffled to the back and forgotten. That's how it was with my Lassiter/Lassater/Laster line. I knew from the "House of Boyer" and later from a marriage record that my 5th great grandmother was Nancy R Miysa Lassater and that she married Leander P. Martin on February 18th 1836 in Lawrence County Arkansas. And that was as far as I could get, so I moved on to more fruitful family lines.

On page 18 of "House of Boyer" it says that my 4th great grandmother, Parmelia Boyer married John Leander Martin who was the son of L. A (that's an error, his middle initial was P) and Nancy Laster Martin of Tenn.

The first record I have for John Leander Martin is the 1850 Spadra, Johnson County, AR census. He is 10 years old and in the household of a James H. and Sarah Lasiter, several young children with the name Lasiter and one other young boy with the last name Martin, an Abram who is 12.

This is because John and Abram's parents had already died. His father in 1840 and his mother, Nancy, in 1847.

James H. Lasiter was Nancy's brother. His wife was Sarah PATRICK - hence the mystery third book, "The Patricks And Spadra Creek The Census And Statehood" This book is written about the author's great grandmother Hannah Caroline Patrick King. On page 19 it mentions that in 1841 her older sister Sarah married James H. Laster. While this book is not necessarily about anyone in my blood-line it is a well written and very enjoyable read. This book let me know what life was like in the area where my ancestors lived, the hardships they endured and the mindset of that era. I highly recommend it, if you have ancestors from the Johnson County area during the years of 1830-1870.

I believe that the parents of Nancy and James H. Lassiter were Frederick Lassiter and Nancy Smith who were married in Gates County, North Carolina in 1802.




At this point in time I don't have any actual records proving that Frederick Lassiter and Nancy Smith were the parents of Nancy and James, as all of my genealogy research takes place from my computer and there are no records online for Frederick Lassiter in Johnson County available on Family Search or Ancestry other than the 1850 census where there is a Frederick Lasiter, living alone, 70 years old from NC in Horeshead Township, Johnson County, AR, and a Tax list for the year 1838. There is however in 1840 what could be a Frederick but its transcribed as Francis (looks like a cross between the two) living in Johnson County. The oldest male is 60-69 which fits my Frederick.

This line has intrigued me enough that I'm actually planning my first genealogy road trip. It is Spring Break for us and my husband took off work for the week - the timing is perfect.

I would love to find a Will or Probate Records for Frederick Lassiter, and Leander P Martin.

From what others have posted online, it is said that Frederick Lassiter and Nancy Smith were the parents of:

1. Abraham Laster - b. 1804     d. 1861    m. Nancy Puckett
2. Samuel Harrison Laster - b. 1806    d. 1883    m. Sarah "Sally" Barker
3. Penelope Laster - b. 1810    d. 1863    m. Dotson Belt
4. Nancy R. Laster - b. 1815    d. 1847    m. Leander P. Martin
5. James Hance Laster - b 1820    d. 1865     m. Sarah Ann Patrick
6. John H. Laster - b. 1822    d. 1865    m. Emily S. James
7. Sarah Miranda Laster - b. 1825    d. 1909    m. James Thomas Gillam
8. Elizabeth Jane Laster b. 1827   d. 1904    m.(1) James Calhoun Baskins   m.(2) Thomas M Baskins

It is also said that Frederick, his wife Nancy,  their son Abraham and his wife, and my ancestors Leander Martin and Nancy Lassiter are buried in an old cemetery known as "Old Harmony"  not to be confused with Harmony Cemetery also in Johnson County. (There is also a young Harrison Martin buried there who is believed to be a third child of Leander and Nancy.)

When trying to find out how to locate this cemetery so I could add it to my road trip I found the following:

"It was an adventure in itself finding the small overgrown and hidden cemetery. It is called Old Harmony Cemetery and is on the Harl Coffee farm. The headstones were either too old to read or too hard to get to because of the overgrowth"

That was posted in 2006 - so I'm hoping that is no longer the case.

In the meantime I can glean more information about this family by researching the "children".

Samuel Harrison Laster's Civil War records state that he was 45 in 1864 and that he was born in Gates County, North Carolina. That adds up to the above marriage record for Frederick Lassiter and Nancy Smith. All census records indicate that Samuel was actually born around 1806/7 - I wonder if he wanted to appear younger so that he would be accepted into the US Army.






In 1810 Gates County, NC listed under the household for Frederick Lassiter are the following individuals:

2 males under 10 (Abraham and Samuel)
1 male 26-44  (Frederick Lassiter)
1 female 10-15 (unknown)
1 female 26-44 (Nancy Smith)
1 female over 45 (unknown)

More information that groups these "children" with Frederick Lassiter is the census and marriage records of Wilson County, TN

In 1820 Lebanon, Wilson, TN under the household for Frederick Lasater are the following individuals:

1 male under 10 (James Hance Laster)
1 male 10-15 (Samuel Harrison Laster)
1 male 16-18 (Abraham Laster)
1 male 26-44 (Frederick Lassiter)
1 female under 10 (Nancy R. Lassater)
2 females 10-15 (Penelope and unknown - possibly Elizabeth who married Alexander Smith)
1 female 26-44 (Nancy Smith)

In 1824 there is a marriage record for Abram Lasseter to Nancy Puckett




In 1828 there is a marriage record for Samuel H. Lasater to Sally Barker



Other marriages taking place between 1820-1830 for individuals with the last name Lassiter are:

Rebecca m. William Crook in 1824
Mary m. Alfred Hite/Hill in 1825
William m. Polly Hill in 1828
Stanford m. Leah Fonch in 1830 (Stays in Wilson County. Born 1812 NC)
Elizabeth m. Alexander Smith in 1830 (This family ends up in Lawrence County, AR) making her a possible child of Frederick as well. She was born about 1808 in NC. But it is doubtful as I have just discovered an 8th child of Frederick and Nancy Smith Lassiter named Elizabeth Jane who married Baskins brothers, James Coulhoun and then Thomas Middleton (my 6th great grandfather).



In the 1830 Wilson, TN census under the household of Frederick Lasiter are the following individuals:

2 males 5-9 (John H and unknown)
1 male 10-14 (James Hance Lassiter)
1 male 50-59 (Frederick Lassiter)
1 female under 5 (unknown)
1 female 5-9 (Sarah Miranda Lassiter)
1 female 15-19 (Nancy R. Lassiter)
1 female 20-29 (Penelope Lassiter)
1 female 40-49 (Nancy Smith)

There is a separate household in Wilson, TN for both Abraham and Samuel that same census year.

At this point in time the strongest piece of evidence I have for Frederick being the father of my Nancy R. Lassiter is a Tax List for the years 1833, 1835 and 1836 that places him in Strawberry Township, Lawrence County, AR, where Nancy and Leander Martin were married in 1836.




He is the only Lassiter that shows in Lawrence County during that time period.

As I mentioned before in 1840, Johnson County, AR there is a possible record for Frederick Lassiter.

The ages for the individuals are:

2 males 15-19 (James Hance and John H)
1 male 60-69 (Frederick)
1 female 5-9 (unknown)
1 female 10-14 (unknown)
1 female 15-19 (Sarah Miranda)
1 female 50-59 (Nancy Smith)

Below is a screenshot - so you can decide for yourself.

The one I believe to be Frederick is right above Dotson Belt - who is his son-in-law. You can also see Abraham Laseter.

By 1850 Frederick is living alone, his wife Nancy having died two years earlier. He would live for two more years before joining her. As said before, the two are supposed to be buried in Old Harmony Cemetery.

One more piece of information before I bring this post to a close is the speculation** that this Frederick Lassiter fought in the War of 1812.

**It is no longer speculation. In the Bureau of Land Managment Land Grant files you can find the PDF image of Frederick's Military Warrant that states he fought he was a private in Captain Martin's Company Tennessee Volunteer Militia (Brice Martin)

A widowed Frederick also married the widow Delilah (Payne) Basham and there's a land record for her and his land as well that mentions his military service.

 FamilySearch provides the service cards for a Frederick Lassiter (spelled a variety of ways) that served in the War of 1812 in both Bradley's Reg't of Ten Vols and Hall's Reg't of Ten Vols. They are BOTH him.

The Tennessee Secretary of State has a website that explains the Regimental Histories of Tennessee Units During the War of 1812. The one that pertains to Frederick is as follows:

COLONEL EDWARD BRADLEY

DESIGNATION: 1st Regiment of Tennessee Volunteer Infantry

DATES: September 1813 - December 1813
MEN MOSTLY FROM: Sumner, Giles, Lincoln, Montgomery, Overton, Rutherford, Smith, and Wilson Counties

CAPTAINS: Abraham Bledsoe, Harry Douglass, James Hambleton, John Kennedy, William Lauderdale, Brice Martin, John Moore, Travis Nash, Thomas Haynie, John Wallace

BRIEF HISTORY:
This unit was originally under the command of Colonel William Hall during Jackson's excursion to Natchez. Bradley took over the regiment when Hall was promoted to brigadier general. Bradley's regiment then became part of Hall's brigade, along with Colonel William Pillow's Second Regiment of Tennessee Volunteer Infantry. This brigade participated in Jackson's first campaign into the Creek Nation. Bradley's regiment fought at the Battle of Talladega (9 November 1813) and muster rolls show many casualties from that battle, especially in the companies of Captains Abraham Bledsoe and Brice Smith.
The line of march for this first campaign followed the route from Fayetteville to Huntsville, then to Fort Deposit and Fort Strother. The troops were dismissed in December 1813. The number of men in each captain's company varied from twenty-nine to seventy-two soldiers.

If I make it to Johnson County this week -- I'll be sure to post what I find.

Until next time,
Becky

When Close Enough Is As Close As You Can Get

This post will eventually be a collaboration between myself and my sister-in-law from Days of Our Lives. She and I both love genealogy and like most true genealogist whenever you meet someone, anyone, you always wonder if you're related somewhere back in time. Though she and I have never found any common ancestors we have found some close calls. This post will be about my Rich/Cracks(?) line and her's will be about her Seeley/Foster line because they both lived in Lawrence County, Missouri, during the 1850 census. Her ancestor is listed as household #343 and my family is listed as #345. But more about that later.

For now here is an introduction to all that I can find on my ancestor, John Wesley Rich. When researching ancestors during this time period, I always like to start with the 1850 census because its the first census to list names, birthdates, and birth locations. This information isn't always exact and sometimes we may wrongly assume that a person listed is a child when it could be a niece or nephew but it does give me a place to start.

In 1850 I find John W. Rich living in Spring River Township, Lawrence County, MO with his wife Nancy and the following children: Kilion (my ancestor), Sarah J., Selina (?), William H., Robin, Achilles (?) and John W. Jr.

According to this census John W. Rich was born 1813 in Kentucky and his wife Nancy was born 1815 in Indiana. She lists Indiana as her birth state in all census records except one, the 1880 census, where her birth state is given as Illinois. My ancestor, Killian, whom all records indicate is their oldest, was born about 1837, in Illinois.  1 Aug 1834, in White County, Illinois, you can find a transcribed marriage record for Westly Rich and Nancy Cracks. I've sent off for a copy of the record and am still awaiting its arrival.  I have long suspected that Nancy "Cracks" is actually Creek because of where I find this family in 1840. In the Hamilton County, Illinois, 1840 census, you will find the Wesley Rich family listed a few names above the Abram Creek family. Abram isn't old enough to be Nancy's father but is old enough to be her brother and in later census records also gives his birth state as Indiana.


Since writing the record came in. Well not the record I was hoping for but a record nonetheless, and attached was a post-it letting me know that the marriage record itself is missing or was never returned and all they have now is the index. I'll attach an image of what they sent me. Notice Nancy's name was spelled both C-R-A-C-K-S on the left, and C-R-E-A-C-K-S on the right. Later I'll provide more evidence for why I believe it should've been C-R-E-E-K.



In the 1840 Hamilton County Census we find the Wesley Rich family.

1 male age 5-9; Killian Rich
1 male age 15-19; unknown
1 male 20-29; John Wesley
2 females under 5; Sarah Jane & Selina/Sidney
1 female 20-29; Nancy Creek

As stated above, the family is living in Lawrence County, Missouri in 1850.

Below is an image from  USGenWeb showing the Townships of Lawrence County to give us an idea of where it was my ancestor lived. The 1850 census stated that John Wesley and family lived in Spring River Township, while my SIL's ancestor lived in Mount Pleasant Township. Not as close as I would've imagined considering they were just a few names apart in the census records.

I have also found a land patent from 1859 in Barry County, Missouri where Wesley Rich was given or purchased 80 acres from an Abraham Baker. Barry County sits directly below Lawrence County. And Spring River Township is right on the southern border of Lawrence County. What I find strange is the date. The patent was issued 10 June 1859 but one year later 21 June 1860 this family had left Missouri and were now living in Burnett, TX. Why in the course of one year after receiving 80 acres would you relocate to a place so far and unknown?

Going back once more to the 1850 census we can look at the approximate birth years and birth states of the Rich children to help us understand where this family may have lived.

The oldest child, my ancestor, Killian was born about 1837 in IL. Illinois is consistently given as his birth state in all other census records I have found him in.

The next child is Sarah J. who was born about 1838 in AR. She gives AR has her birth state in 1860 as well but in 1880 Illinois is listed as her birth state and her age is listed as 35 which is about 7 years too young.

If Sarah J. was indeed born in AR around 1838 that fits with a few land and tax records I find for a John W. Rich in Washtington County and Benton County. Which is interesting considering that's where my SIL's SEELY family ends up. But my gut tells me I'm reaching.

In 1836 there is a John Rich listed in the Washington County, AR tax lists and in 1837 there is a John Rich listed in the Benton County, AR territory tax records. In 1857 in Fayetteville Land Office a John W. Rich registers 40 acres. In 1841 a John Rich of Benton County registers 1858 acres in the Fayetteville Land Office.

I've started to understand the importance of geography when it comes to genealogy. It's quite beneficial to understand that boundary lines for townships, counties, cities, and states have changed significantly in the years. And people seemed to travel and move around great distances compared to most of us today. I found the following newspaper article from 1835 pretty interesting while trying to focus on my RICH family and the possibility that they would be in and out of IL, MO, and AR in such short time frames. It mentions Spring River where this family lived in 1850, but where was the state line in 1835?




Here's a great GIF showing how much the US changed over the years.

My John Wesley Rich went by John W. and Wesley interchangeably in all the records I have found for him. I'm not certain if the records found in AR are indeed him, but considering his daughter says she was born there makes it a possibility. I did do a search for any other John Riches living in AR around this time period and found a John Rich living in Osage Township, Benton Co, AR in 1850. According to that census record he was born in 1785 in Virginia. There is also a John Rich listed in the slave schedules of Washington County, AR - Illinois Township. But I haven't found a John W. Rich in any of the earlier AR census records to match the Land Record dated 1857.


Now picking up where I left off with the 1850 census and the birth dates/states of the RICH children. The next child listed is where things get a little tricky, and by tricky I mean frustrating. 

In the 1850 Lawrence County, Missouri, census there is a female child, Selina, born 1840 in IL but in the 1860 census she is not listed with the family but there is now a male child, Sidney, born 1841 in IL who was not listed in the 1850 census. So either the census taker or the person giving information was terribly wrong or there is a Selina and Sidney but they weren't living together in same household during each of the above censuses. Maybe Selina died? Maybe Sidney was a relative and not a child? Keep this Sidney on your mind......

The next child listed is a William H. who is in both the 1850 & 1860 census records. He was born 1842/43 in Missouri. He clearly has an 'H' for his middle initial in BOTH records but later in life his middle initial becomes an 'M'. He names his son William Henry and on his death certificate he says his father was "Wes Rich".

Next up is Robin/Robert who was born in 1844/1847 in Illinois. In 1870 I have found  Robert Ritch with wife Nancy and young son Arvell living in Van Zandt County, TX in dwelling #76 family #84 AND in the same dwelling but family #85 is George and Sidney Rich. Robert's siblings? I think so but their ages are way off from the 1860 census and Sidney who was a male is now female. You tell me.

Then another tricky/frustrating child. In 1850 there's an Achilles who was born 1847 in IL, but in the 1860 census there is no Achilles but a new child named Orvel P who was born 1848 in IL. Another confusing thing about Orvel P is that he later is found as Arville Sexton, but his brother Robert Robin named a son Arville Pool.

The last child listed in the 1850 census was John W. born 1850 in MO. This child will be the subject of an interesting connection later on in this post.

In 1860 new children living with the family are: Jeremiah b. 1852 in MO, Caroline b. 1855 in MO and George W. b. 1859 also in MO which tells me they hadn't lived in Burnett County, TX for very long when the 1860 census was taken.

This family has long been a brick wall with few records or legitimate sources providing consistent details. I have nothing prior to the transcribed marriage record. And very few death dates/locations for the individuals that I can connect. In gearing up for this blog I've been emailing a few people I've found online who are also researching this line and wouldn't you know, I've contacted someone with a possible lead. She descends from a James Rich who was born in about 1816 in KY who married an Elizabeth Creek who was born 1824 in IN, according to the 1850 Alexander, IL, census. She wonders if this is a case of brothers marrying sisters. I think it's worth looking into.

I've decided to use DNA to break through this brick wall and I've pretty much proven that Nancy's maiden name was actually CREEK and that she was a granddaughter of Killion Creek Sr. Last year I had my dad's DNA tested using Ancestry. I linked his results to my tree and filled in my tree to to Killion Creek Sr. After doing that I was able to find that he matches six descendants of Killian Sr via five different children - 2 descendants of Abraham (1783-1859) one descendant of Nancy Creek Webb (1780-1868), one descendant of Susanna Creek Renfrow (1788-1851), one descendant of John Creek (1744-1851) and one descendant of Catherine Creek Sandusky.

Elizabeth Creek who married James Rich is thought to be the daughter of Killian Creek Jr. and Sarah Saxton, Considering that Nancy and John Wesley Rich named a child Killian and another Orville Sexton.  I think its a pretty safe bet to say Nancy and Elizabeth "Betsey" were sisters. I haven't been as successful in finding a solid lead on the Rich side of the tree. ***See Note***

There is another piece of evidence connecting Nancy and Betsey as sisters or James and John Wesley as brothers. This has the potential of getting confusing so bear with me.

John Wesley and Nancy  Rich are listed with the following "children" across the span of the 1850, 1860 & 1880 census ( I place children in quotes because relationships weren't listed until 1880) :

1850 Lawrence County MO:                                
Killian
Sarah Jane
Selina
William H
Robin
Achilles
John Wesley

1860 Burnet County TX:
Sarah J
Sidney (male)
William H
Robert
Orvel P
Wesley
Jeremiah
Caroline
George W

1880 Lamar County TX:
Sarah J (now Cartright - widowed - listed as a daughter - and her birthdate is off by 6+ years)
Elizabeth Cartright - granddaughter
George W - listed as a son
Next page lists several young Sison children listed as sons and daughters may be an error or children of Sarah J by a second marriage.

For now we're going to focus on John Wesley from the 1850/1860 census. Both give his birth date as 1850 and birth state as Missouri.

In Cooke County, TX on 27 Nov 1872 a Westly Rich marries a "Tennie" Lovet, daughter of Samuel and Johanna Lovett. In 1880 this young family is found living in Collin County with a son, 3 year old J. W. Rich.

That may seem unlikely that this is my John Wesley looking at how far Burnet Co is from Cooke County but this family moved and moved a lot! There are tax records placing John Wesley Sr in Milam County Texas in 1867. And Tennesee Lovett's family was in Smith County, TX in 1860 - I'm telling you, people moved a lot more back then; chasing land, work, and sometimes gold.

Case in point...

Remember that James Rich and Betsey Creek that were mentioned earlier? They end up in Santa Cruz California. Betsey dies in 1893 and James remarries a woman by the name of Ruth. In 1900 James and Ruth are living in Mendocino, CA and living with them are a 64 year old Sidney Smith listed as his niece (is this my Sidney Rich?) and an Ephraim Rich listed as his nephew. Sidney Smith says she was born in 1836 in IL and her father was born in TN and her mother IL. Ephraim Rich living with him is listed as a nephew, but his age would nearly have to make him a great nephew. He says he was born in Texas in 1880. A little more searching reveals Ephraim to be the brother of a John Wesley Rich who was born in 1877, also in Texas, and according to my email buddy, cemetery records indicate these two were the children of Wesley and Tennessee Lovette Rich. She was kind enough to send me those and I've attached them below.

There are also several interesting newspaper articles about these brothers. If you happen to have an account with Newspapers.com check the Ukiah Republican Press. Here's one such article for you.



Several online trees place James Rich, 1816 KY/1811 IL as the son of Jeremiah Rich and Sidney Lowery. Is this who my mystery Selina/Sidney 1840/1841 M/F is named after? These trees also say that Jeremiah and Sidney have a son named John who was born in 1828 - that kind of puts a damper on my theory that they could be parents of my John Wesley considering he was born in 1813. I may not know who John Wesley Rich Sr's parents are, but I'm getting closer. *****See Note*****There are so many individuals descending from this line that have inconsistent details from age, birth state, to gender! I'm definitely writing many of their details down in pencil so if I need to change it later I can.

I hope I haven't confused you too much. I know my head is spinning. I also hope that I've been able to give you some facts you didn't previously have or at the very least have pointed you in a general direction if you're looking for your own answers.

Hopefully someone will end up reading this who has some knowledge they can lend me. PLEASE if you're related to anyone mentioned in this post and you think I've made an error or you've tested your DNA or you just want to connect, don't hesitate. I love connecting with family!

If you descend from John Wesley Rich and his wife Nancy, I have created a FB group. You can find it here: Descendants of John Wesley Rich and Nancy Creek

Until next time,
Becky

***Note****: See last posting this I have been searching on AncestryDNA and have confirmed matches to several descendants (6 at this point) of William Alfred Rich and Mary "Polly" Hooker. Considering John Wesley Rich's age - he would be a grandson.

How Many Worley's Can There Be?

I've come across one of those ancestors; the one who you can't peg down when it comes to his beginning but a lot of assumptions can easily be made, and have been made, and some of those assumptions are just wrong--terribly terribly wrong, and you just want some facts, not assumptions.

In an attempt at understanding this ancestor a little better, I decided to blog about him, because I've found that blogging helps me to slow down and really look closely at all the information I have and sometimes things jump out that I haven't noticed before.

The ancestor I'm referring to is Worley D. Linville. Some have him as Worley Daniel Linville and others still as Worley Daniel Boone Linville. But all the records I have found only say Worley D. Linville.

The 1850 census is always a good starting point because it was the first census to name all the individuals in the household, as well as listing their ages and birth places.

In the 1850 Randolph County, Alabama, census we find Worley D Linville age 34 born in KY, Margaret C Linville age 19 born in GA, Elizabeth Linville age 67 born in NC and little Margaret E Linville age 1 born in AL.

From this census record I can glean that Worley's parents may be found somewhere in KY during the 1810-1820 census periods and that his mother is most likely the 67 year old Elizabeth Linville who is living with him. Margaret C is his wife Margaret Catherine Newell, her name later comes from her death certificate where her full name is given as Margret Catharine Linville and her parents names are William P. Newal and Pricilla Jones. I have yet to find a marriage record for Worley D and Margaret Catherine. The most likely reason is the fact that Randolph County had a destructive courthouse fire in 1897.

Continuing my search in Randolph County there is in the 1840 census a Worley Lindville listed as the head of household with the following living with him:

2 males age 20-29
2 males age 30-39
1 male aged 50-59 - too old to be my Worley D. Linville but maybe he was named after his father.
1 female age 10-14
1 female age 15-19
1 female age 20-29
1 female age 50-59 - IF this is Worley D's family most likely the Elizabeth from the 1850 census.

Often in my research I will use Google to search for my ancestors. There has been a lot of valuable 'feet on the ground' research done before so much was uploaded to the internet. And then that research has been shared later on. It may not be actual records but the research is definitely worth considering. When I did this I came across the following from USGENWEB:

Historical Records of Randolph County: Sep 16, 1846

Larmbird [Lambert] Linville administrator of the Estate of Worley Linville [SR] deceased, stated Worley died interstate and the land cannot be divided equally among his heirs and that Daniel and William Linville (both full age and reside in Kentucky) Elizabeth Jackson late Linville, Elender Cassels late Linville both full age residents of Georgia, Rebecca Phillips late Linville wife of Wilkins Phillips of full age and residing in Miss It is ordered that notice be issued to *Merriam Linville and Mark Cassels to appear in Court in October. Is the above mentioned Daniel my Worley D. Linville that some say is Worley Daniel Linville? If there was a courthouse fire in 1897 where did the above information come from? I've searched FamilySearch for probate/estate records for Randolph County and there are NONE, most likely because of the fire. Are the heirs listed all children?  Also of note, most online trees have the following two women listed as possibilities for Worley Sr.'s wife: 1) Rachel Pugh and 2) Elizabeth Jackson. 

From the above Estate I have concluded that Elizabeth Jackson is the married name of his daughter not his wife. She married William Jackson on 6 June 1841 in Carroll County, GA.  And the Worley Linville who married Rachel Pugh 23 March 1829 in Hardeman County, TN was alive and well in Tippah County, Mississippi for the 1850 census. Meaning there is another Worley Linville out there that is not my Worley Linville.  For the time being, my tree will have Worley Sr.'s wife listed as Elizabeth LNU  b. 1783 NC

Now going back to that 1840 Randolph Co. Census, keeping in mind that exact birthdates aren't very accurate using census records, and using it in conjunction with the Estate information I discovered this:

2 males age 20-29 - Worley D. & Lambert
2 males age 30-39 - William & ?
1 male aged 50-59 - Worley Sr.
1 female age 10-14 - Eleanor Ellender (married Mark Cassells brother Absalom)
1 female age 15-19 - Merriam (Martha)* (married to Mark Cassells)
1 female age 20-29 - Elizabeth (married William Jackson 1841) or Rebecca (married to W Phillips)
1 female age 50-59 - Elizabeth LNU


There is a William b 1809 KY living in Mercer Co. KY in 1850 (<-- William in such a common name I can't be certain this is indeed the William mentioned in the Estate), Lambert b. 1812 KY living in Randolph Co. AL in 1850, Rebecca Phillips b. 1813 KY married to William Wilkins Phillips living in Pontotoc Co. MS, Elizabeth Jackson b. 1814 KY married to William Jackson living in Heard Co., GA, Worley Daniel? Linville b. 1816 KY living in Randolph Co., AL and Eleanor Ellender Cassels b. 1823 KY married to Absalom Cassells living in Troup Co., GA.

All of the above children show the state of birth to be KY - this is what I have found for Worley Linville in census records in the state of KY. The names beside the age ranges are estimates and if any children are married but living in the household with Worley Sr they could be spouses of children.

1810, Rockcastle County, KY - Worldly Linville (Rockcastle County was formed in 1810)

3 males under 10 -
1 male age 26-44 - Worley Sr.
1 male 45+ - Worley's FIL?
1 female age 16-25 - Elizabeth LNU

*** In the 1810 census directly beneath Worldly Linville is the household of a William Linville and a William Linville Jr. - It would seem plausible and likely that Wm Sr. is Worley's father and Wm Jr. a brother. The census for William Sr. says he's 45+ in 1810.

1820, Rockcastle County, KY - Worley Linville

3 males under 10 - Worley D., Lambert, & ?
1 male age 10-15 - William ?
1 male age 26-44 - Worley Sr.
1 female age 26-45 - Elizabeth LNU

1830, Laurel County, KY - Wirley Linville

1 male age 10-14 - Worley D.
3 males age 20-29 - Lambert, William & ?
1 male age 50-59 - Worley Sr.
1 female under 5 - Ellender
2 female age 5-9 - Merriam & ?
1 female age 10-14 - Elizabeth
1 female age 15-19 - Rebecca
1 female age 50-59 - Elizabeth LNU

There is another record for Worley being in Laurel County KY other than the 1830 census.
In Deed Book G, pages 338-339, Laurel County, KY you can find the following:

"Know all men by these presents that I, Worley Linville, am held and firmly bound unto William Brown in the penal sum of two hundred dollars, well and truly to be paid as witnesses my hand, January the 14th, 1840.

"The bond is [unreadable two words] obligation is [unreadable word] as the said Worley Linville hath this day bargained and sold unto the said William Brown a certain tract or parcel of land lying and being on Rockcastle River on both sides, the beginning in Laurel County and state of Kentucky, containing fifty acres [unreadable word] by the name of the said Linville old river place for the consideration of one hundred dollars ninety four for being paid in have and the said Linville binds himself and his heirs to make the said Brown a special deed when the other six dollars is paid and binds himself for the purchase money back if the land is ever lost in testimony. I have hereunto set my hand and seal to wit this 14th day January 1840.

"Worley Linville

"I assign the within bond to John Decker, December the 5th 1841. Signed: Wm Brown, Attest: Thomas B. Nichols

"I assign the within bond to Thomas Brown, August the 27th day 1845. Signed: John H. Decker, Attest: William Reynolds

"The value received, I assign the within bond to Wm Brown, Aug 1st 1846. Signed: Thomas Brown

"For value received, I assign the within bond to Wm McQuary this 25 of Nov 1847. Signed: Wm Brown

"I assign the with bond to Wm Reynolds this 27 of January 1849. Signed: William McQuary

"I assign the with bond to David M. Minks and William A. Dire this 23rd day Oct 1850. Signed: William Reynolds

"For value received, I assign my interest of the within bond to Wm A. Dyer, Nov 23rd 1851. Signed: David M. Mink

"For value received, I assign the within bond to David M. Mink, January 1st 1858. Signed: John Roberts

"For value received, I assign the within bond to Andrew Decker, Feb 21st 1860. Signed: D.M. Mink, Attest: William McGraw

"This the 21st day of August 1868, I assign the within bond to James Smith of all my interest and [unreadable word] of me and my heirs with none back me or my heirs. Signed: A.M. Decker

"For value received, I assign the within bond to Isaac Mize this 26 day of August 1870. Signed: James Smith, Attest: James Cooper, Wm Lickliter

"State of Kentucky Laurel County, SS
"I, R.L. Ewell, clerk of the Laurel County Court do certify that the foregoing bond from Worley Linville to William Brown with the different assignments, last assignment of James Smith to Isaac Mize 26th Aug 1870, was produced to me in my office, signed for record. The same together with this certificate hat been duly admitted to records. Given under my hand this 8th day of June 1874, R.L. Ewell, clerk."

For now it is my opinion that Worley Daniel Linville is the son of Worley Linville Sr. and Elizabeth LNU and the grandson of the 1810 William Linville Sr. and wife unkown.

His siblings are William, Lambert, Rebecca Linville Phillips, Elizabeth Linville Jackson, Merriam Martha Linville Cassells and Eleanor Ellender Linville Cassells... possibly a brother or two who I have yet to discern and who weren't mentioned in the Estate or in this transcription of the Estate.
About 1848 Worley Daniel Linville married Margaret Catherine Newell. They had the following children who lived into adulthood:

Margaret Elizabeth b. 1849
Priscilla Frances b. 1852
Martha Jane b. 1854
Samantha Evaline b. 1857
Emma Josephine b. 1860
William Worley b. 1861
Isaac Marion b. 1865 - named after Margaret Newell's brother who died in the Civil War 9 June 1864
James Lafayette b. 1869

As stated before, in 1850 Worley Daniel with his wife, mother, and infant daughter Margaret, were found living in Randolph County, AL

In 1860 the family was still living in Randolph County, post office is listed as Rockdale. By this time Pricilla, Martha Jane, Samantha and Emma Josephine had been born. Also with this family is the 16 year old daughter of Worley's brother Lambert, Barbary E. Linville.

On 15 April 1864, Worley Daniel enlisted with the Confederacy and was elected First Lieutenant of Co. E of the 3rd Alabama  Reserves. Not much is known about his military career. His service records are only 2 pages long and I haven't been able to find any pension filed for him.

By 1870, Worley and his family, now with the three young boys; William, Isaac and James, are living about 50 miles North in Haralson County, GA. Their post office is listed as Tallapoosa. The year prior, in 1869 his daughter Priscilla Frances married Thomas Pope in this same county.

In November 1871 his oldest daughter Margaret Elizabeth married James F. Hughes in Haralson County.

In 1873, his daughter, Martha Jane, my ancestor married Jesse Josiah McClung in Haralson County, GA. They were married by JJ's maternal uncle Jesse G. Newman.

On 10 March of 1874, Worley Daniel Linville departed this life at the age of 57. He is said to be buried in Plunkett Cemetery, Collinsville, DeKalb County, Alabama.

Not long after his death, his daughters Samantha Evaline and Emma Josephine marry though I have yet to find marriage records. The 1900 census for these two sisters says they were married in 1874. Samantha E married Henry Washington Turner and Emma Josephine married her first cousin on  her maternal side, Isaac Johnson Harcrow. He was the son of W.L. "Lindsay" Harcrow and Lucinda T. Newell according to his Dearth Certificate.  Lucinda T. Newell was the sister of Margaret Catherine Newell.

In 1880 the widow Margaret is living with her three sons, William, Isaac and James in DeKalb County, AL not far from her married daughters Emma Harcrow and Priscilla Pope who are on the previous census page. Her married daughters Martha Jane McClung and Samantha Tanner are also living in DeKalb County very near one another but not as close to their mother and male siblings. Her oldest daughter Margaret Elizabeth Hughes is living in the neighboring county of Etowah.

In 1888, my ancestor, Martha Jane McClung dies at the young age of 33, possibly from childbirth.

The 1890 census is gone, but by 1900 most of this family has migrated to TX where in 1895 Margaret Elizabeth Hughes passed away at the age of 45. She is buried in Navarro County.
Pricilla and her family stayed in Alabama, where she died at the at of 77 in 1929.
It is said that Samantha died in 1902 in Wood County, TX - I can't find any record of her death. She would've only been 43. In 1900, Emma Josephine and her family are found living in Ellis Co and by 1910 they had moved to Haskell County where her mother Margaret Catherine is found living with Emma and Isaac's married daughter Laura Jackson. In 1919 the matriarch of this family passed away at the age of  88. Emma continued to live in Haskell until the age of 78. I was actually able to find her obituary from 1938 on Newspapers.com


William Worley became a prominent ranchman in the "Charlie Community". His first wife Fannie Owens died very young from fever in 1907. He remarried to a Louvenia Hellums. William Linville died in 1927 and was buried in Charlie, Clay County, TX at the age of 66.

Issaac spent most of his life in Palacios, Texas. He died there in 1949 at the age of 84.

James Lafayette passed away two years earlier in 1947 at the age of 77 in Haskell County, TX where he had lived for at least 40 years.

The thing I have learned about this family - whether it be the children of Worley Sr. or the children or Worley Daniel - many of them passed down that crazy name. Worley Sr.'s daughter Rebecca named a son Worley Phillips, my Worley named a son William Worley, Martha Cassels named a son Worley Absalom Cassels. Next generation - Worley Daniel's daughter Emma named her first born son Worley Harcrow,  Isaac Marion named a son John Worley and somewhere back in time there was that Worley Linville who married Rachel Pugh and settled in Tippah County Mississippi. Who was he named after and how is he tied into this family? Maybe that can be my next line of research.

Until next time,
Becky


Please be sure to check out my sister-in-law's post at Days of Our Lives  on her German immigrant ancestor and his final resting place.

Life On Antelope Flat

 

This blog post will not be comprised of my words but words from my ancestors and distant relatives that were preserved by the Truscott Historical Preservation Association in their publication Between The Wichitas, published in 1985.

This book sat on the shelf at my Grandmother's and I can remember skimming through it when I was still too young to understand the wealth of information and memories it held. While researching my Jones line last year I kept remembering that my grandmother had a book that she said had stories about her ancestors. I couldn't remember much more about it other than the word Wichita. She passed away in 2010 and I'm not sure what happened to her copy so I did a search online and I eventually found the book. I told my husband how much I would love to have it and to my surprise he bought it for me for my birthday. It was the perfect gift. And now I wanted to find a way to share this gift with any of you who share a few of these relatives with me.


While there is a lot of information about the John Calvin Jones family in this book, this post will primarily be about my Rutherford line-- my second great grandfather James Walter Rutherford, his wife Ora Frances McClung and the memories their children shared.

I recently came in contact with a woman on Ancestry who descends from James and Ora's daughter Glennie. She shared a couple wonderful pictures with me, and then she and I began emailing and eventually have connected on Facebook. This post will be for her and all the other long lost relatives I have out there ... may we soon connect.



The James Walter and Ora Frances Rutherford Family - Minus my Great Grandmother Myrtle Jones

 

 

The above picture was one that my new found cousin shared with me. Seated are my 2nd great grandparents and standing behind them left to right are their children, Laverne, Lona Belle, Opal, Elba, Glennie and Jesse Newton Rutherford. My great grandmother Lurie Myrtle Jones isn't pictured as she and her family were living 5 hours away in San Antonio. That would date this picture between the years 1934-1944.

James Walter Rutherford was the son of Thomas Franklin Rutherford and Martha Ann Wright. He was born 7 April 1877 in Tippah County, Mississippi. Ora Frances McClung was the daughter of Jesse Josiah McClung and Martha Jane Linville. She was born 1 July 1880 in DeKalb County, Alabama. The Rutherford family had made their way to Texas by 1880. The McClung's didn't come until 1895. On Christmas Day 1898 James Walter and Ora Frances were married in Mt. Pleasant, Titus County, Texas.

 

The newly married couple weren't in Titus County long. On 2 Oct 1899 the couple had their first child, my grandmother, Lurie Myrtle Rutherford who was born in Santa Anna, Coleman County, Texas, where the family shows up in the 1900 census living just a few households away from his parents. James and Ora went on to have three more children while living in Santa Anna, Jesse Newton, who was named after her father, Glennie, and then Elba. In 1907 James Walter purchased 338 acres at a place called Antelope Flat in Foard and Knox Counties. In January of 1908 the family loaded up a covered wagon and made their way some 150 -175 miles north.




Jesse, baby Glennie, Lurie Myrtle circa 1904



James Walter, Ora Frances, baby Lurie Myrtle and infant Jesse Newton

Here is a recollection of the trip as recalled by their son Jesse who would've been six at the time.

"Their stock, other than the team, consisted of a milk cow and a brood sow which was strapped in a crate on the wagon. A stove was carried inside the wagon and used for warmth and cooking purposes.

On the journey from Santa Anna to Antelope Flat, Jesse spent most of his time hunting for the family, mainly quail and other small game.
 

Upon reaching the Brazos River, which was overflowing due to heavy rains in the area, they had to wait a few days before attempting to cross.

After arriving at Antelope Flat, they removed the wheels from the wagon and lived in the wagon until a more permanent shelter could be made."

And here is what was shared by their daughter Opal who hadn't been born yet, but remembered the stories her mother would tell:

"In January 1908, they loaded their wagons and hack with what they could carry, with Mr. Peratte, the man from whom James Walter had bought the land, driving one. Opal recalls her mother saying she bought canned salmon for supper each night along the way -- along with a bottle of red-pepper sauce. It took a week to move; so, needless to say, the pepper sauce lasted a long time. At Antelope Flat, they camped in wagons and tents near a tank while building their houses."

Opal was the first child born after moving to Antelope Flat. She was born 3 December 1910.

I've done quite a bit of searching online for more information about Antelope Flat and the closest I could find was a place still on the map today called Antelope Flats but I don't feel that is the same place. From my book, Antelope Flat (no 's') is said to be "located northwest of Truscott, in the very northwest corner of Knox County, with part of it extending into the southwest corner of Foard County." The flat was given it's name from the antelope herds that loved the open country.

In 1909, the Antelope Flat School District 19, was formed by the Knox County commissioners court. The first the school house was located on land owned by a Dr. Kincaid but later James Walter donated some of his land so that the school could be located in the center of the community and closer to the newly opened public road.

Here are memories shared by my great grandmother, Myrtle Rutherford Jones:

"In 1911 or 1912 Papa let them-- the school district-- have an acre to move the one room house over there. We had a big wood stove in the middle of the room. The boys got the wood and carried water from a family that lived a short way south. A few years later, Papa dug a cistern and it was still there when they left the farm and went to Knox City. My first teacher was Mr. Jim Burnson, a fine teacher who taught all the grades"

 

A Ms. Clara Brown wrote:

"The Antelope Flat school had long desks which could seat two pupils at once. The water supply was rain water which fell on the roof and was guided into a cistern by gutters. If it did not rain, they hauled water from dirt stock tanks to fill the cistern. Water was drawn up from the cistern with a rope and tin bucket; then the water was poured into another bucket and carried into the building. Everyone used the same tin dipper."

James and Ora's daughter Elba remembered carrying cornbread to school during WWI when there would be "wheatless" days.

 

 The Antelope Flat school was in existence from 1909 - 1933. This little school building was the center of all community activity. Community spelling bees, arithmetic matches, box suppers, as well as serving as the communities place of worship. Every year the community also held a Easter egg hunt.

As the community grew children would begin their school years at Antelope Flat but then by 8th grade they would commute eleven miles to the nearest High School in Truscott. Below is the first school bus used to transport children.



James and Ora's daughter Opal remembered attending Antelope Flat for seven years and then one year at the Truscott school.

"(We) had to walk only one-fourth mile to school but with the deep snows in those days, it seemed farther. In those days you started school at age seven. Before that time, she was working in the field chopping and picking cotton. When Opal was eleven years old, her older sister Elba was driving the mules to the header barge; and her job was to ride in the header barge and keep the wheat pushed back. Opal was soon covered with wheat, and her father had to stop the header and help dig her out." 

 

Their daughter Lona, who was born 12 April 1915 remembered attending school until 8th grade... she remembers:

"(We) stayed out of school a lot to work in the field as their parents needed their help, although it was not easy to make up grades. Times were hard, but they never realized it. They went to church on Saturday night and Sunday as did almost everyone else on Antelope Flat. Occasionally they would have a singing or a party which was enjoyable."

James and Ora's youngest daughter, Laverne,  was born later in life about the same time two of the Rutherford grandchildren were born; Edwin was Myrtle's oldest child born in March 1923, and Dorothy was Glennie's oldest born in  Jan 1924 while Laverne was born in June of that same year.

Below is another picture that was recently shared with me. Left to right is my great grandmother, Myrtle holding Edwin, Ora holding Laverne, and Glennie holding Dorothy.

Antelope Flat 1924

 Laverne remembered that she went to school at Antelope Flat for three years....

"Her teachers were Miss Campbell, Inez Eubanks, and Mrs. Madole. In the first grade, there were three children: Dorothy Collier, Wrowena Nichols, and Laverne. Their school activities were very limited. They played baseball, but the big thing was putting boards across the borrow dith and walking on them. When Mrs. Madole taught, she lived in one side of the school building. In the winter she would as each student to bring a vegetable and milk, sugar and cocoa. Boy, could she make a good stew and hot chocolate for their lunch, cooking it all on the old round pot-bellied wood stove.

One week the girls made the best play house out of tumble weeds from the Rutherford farm. The school house was on their farm, but Mr. Rutherford had given the land for it. He decided that since we had the weeds all in one place, he could burn them and get rid of the seeds-millions of them. So that's what he did, and there went the playhouse."

 

Laverne and Opal shared quite a bit of memories from when they were growing up. I will start with Opal's memories since she was the oldest of the two:

"(Father) raised his own mules, and he drove the fast ones: but the ones the girls drove to the go-devil harrow and cultivator were slower. With only one boy in the family, the six girls had to work hard.

Travel back in the early days was by horse-back, hack or wagon. They got their first car in the early teens - or rather about 1915. It was a Dodge touring car--open in the summer, but in the winter they had side curtains to put on to make it a little warmer."

 

"Drinking water was also a problem. They had a well, also a spring, which their father walled with rock, but they could not drink water from either one. They also had a tank which would fill with good rains, but they got their drinking water from a well on Matt Black's place about two and one-half miles west of their home. The Black's lived in a dug out. As a small child, Opal used to wonder why they had their lamps lit in the day time. Kerosene lamps were all they had to give light at that time.

They had to make their own entertainment. One of Opal's fondest memories of those years is getting her father to play the piano. Their favorite was "Oh, Those Golden Slippers"; after so many years, Opal can still hear that tune as he played it.

They would all gather around the piano and sing hymns. He was also a wonderful bass singer and also played the violin. In fact he played for the W.O.W. when he was single and after moving to Truscott. He also picked the guitar.

As Opal grew older, they went to parties, candy pullings, ice cream suppers and fruit suppers. There were singings at different homes on Sunday nights. They had a Union Sunday school; and once each month, they had church on Saturday night, Sunday morning and Sunday night. The only two preachers Opal can remember are Bro. Balch and Bro. E. G. New. Each August they would have a revival meeting--sometimes lasting two weeks. They would enjoy that, for they did no work in the fields during that time.

In the summertime, they made lots of ice cream. Someone would go by wagon to Truscott and get the ice in 100-lb. blocks; and they would turn the crank by hand and make ice cream. At times, families would gather at the North Wichita River to seine fish; and they would really enjoy those fish fries.

Mrs. Rutherford (Ora Frances) was kept busy cooking, washing on the rub board, ironing with the sad irons heated on the wood stove. With six children, she was kept busy. She also raised chickens and turkeys.

Each fall they would butcher several hogs, their main source of meat for the entire year. They would render the fat in the wash kettle to make enough shortening to last until the next November."

Next are memories shared by the youngest Rutherford child, Alta Laverne :

"They didn't have radios, and their entertainment was getting people together with guitars and fiddles and the Rutherford's piano to make music. Laverne loved for Daddy to play "The Spanish Fandango" on guitar. He could play the piano too, even though by that time his fingers did not bend very well. Laverne remembers, "He could sing bass like I've never heard anywhere else when we would go to the church revivals under the old brush arbors! I can still hear him and Mr. J.T. Holmes singing that bass"

We always attended revivals of all denominations when we started going to church at Truscott every summer. But before going to service, we would go to Bates Grocery Store and get cheese and crackers and Delaware Punch drink and have our supper.

The good old medicine shows always came to town in the fall. The song "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" used to blare out over the loud speakers. They would walk the streets on the old wooden sidwaks--go by the café and smell the hamburgers--on to the drug store. What a treat to get an ice cream cone or a coke in a glass.

At that time of year, they knew it was not long before cold weather and time to kill hogs. Their dad would build a big fire under a barrel of water. When it began boiling, he would shoot a hog, scald it in the barrel, and hang it up to start scraping it and then cutting it up. Next morning for breakfast Mrs. Rutherford would have hot biscuits, tenderloin, and syrup and butter.

They pulled boles, and took bales of cotton to Truscott to be ginned. If Mr. Rutherford was late getting home, his wife would start worrying. The family would go out in the yard and listen for the rattle of the old wagon and team harness. He would usually buy a bushel of oranges and apples--a very special treat. Of course he always brought Laverne all-day suckers and stick candy.

Grain harvest was an exciting time also. Mrs. Rutherford cooked for the threshing crews. Laverne remembers eating her smothered chicken and their father's home-cured hams.

Mr. Rutherford finally got his combine; and the last summer Laverne was home he had more sunflowers in his field that he had wheat. He asked if they could pull them out; he would combine a swath, and pull more. They worked hard, and he made a good crop.

Of course, the tractor was the greatest thing ever, but Laverne missed the old horses. Her dad would come in, and she would meet him to drive the horses to the tank for water. He would be so tired, but she'd ask him to play ball with her, and he would.

When Laverne was about three, she had been in the cotton field with him and her mamma. She had a little flour sack her mother had for Laverne to pull boles in. That night Laverne's dad gave her a silver dollar for working. " I am sure I did not deserve it, but I still have that dollar," she says today.

Christmas Eve was a very special day. They would go to Truscott and visit until late afternoon--o home and Laverne and her Dad would light the old lantern and go to the pasture and cut down a cedar tree for their Christmas tree. her mother would pop corn, and they would string that and decorate the tree. Laverne still has a little cedar chest and rocking chair she got for Christmas on Antelope Flat--also a pair of brown gloves with fur (fake) on the tops. They are really worn but have such good memories attached she could never part with them.

Mrs. Rutherford was sick a lot when Laverne was young so Laverne started cooking and keeping house. Her mama taught her to crochet when she was sick in bed."

There is another brief memory of JW and Ora Rutherford shared by a neighboring family by the name of Nichols. Bill and Venice Arp Nichols had purchased a new Ford touring car in early 1929. In January of 1930 Venice  was due to have a baby "any day now"....

"Venice's youngest brother Oscar Arp, was staying with them. As the time drew near for the baby to arrive, Bill and Oscar would go out and start the car to be sure it would be ready when they needed it to go to a neighbor's to call the doctor. When the time arrived; the car started; but to their surprise, it would  not move, the wheels were frozen.

Oscar started off on foot to get Mrs. Rutherford (Ora) and later realized his feet and hands were frostbitten. Mr. Rutherford (James Walter) took them back in his car. In the meantime, Bill had gone by horseback to Hoss's house to borrow his car so he could drive to Pete Moody's to telephone Dr. Clark in Crowell."

One more memory from my book before I wrap things up. In the back of the book it lists the names of the individuals mentioned and the page numbers they appear on. Next to James Walter Rutherford are the page numbers, 30, 42, 76, 119, 200, 253, 332, 392, 499, 526-529, and 614. I have scoured these pages but one page number listed gave me a chuckle. On page 42 I cannot find his name or a reference to his family anywhere. But.... there is one little snippet that I wonder if it might be speaking of him. The small paragraph only says, "In the 1920s three local sisters turned over the family outhouse one Halloween, however; their father was in it. After tearing out the bottom boards, he crawled out! He was furious and blamed everyone in town except his three daughters."

James Walter Rutherford lived to be 73 years old. He died 12 Aug 1950. Ora lived another eight years and passed away 14 July 1858 at the age of 78.

I'm curious when they left their farm on Antelope Flat and moved into town in Knox City.

I hope those of you who read this enjoy these stories and memories that were preserved for us. And I hope even more that you will take the time to share your memories too so that those who come after us can have a glimpse into their past and where they came from.

Until next time,
Becky