This will be my last blog for about two weeks. We are heading out tomorrow for a two-week camping trip down around Lafayette, Louisiana. That area is the heart of Acadiana. I hope to enjoy a few Cajun dinners in one of the many fine restaurants in that area. So what if the cholesterol is high...you gotta die from something so might as well have a full belly when you go!
I'm still searching for some associate editors to write an occasional blog. You can write about your Coffey/Coffee family or any of those lines that connect to them. If interested, contact me via e-mail. My address is above right.
Susan Barsheba (Bob) Fletcher was a daughter of James Nelson & Rebecca M. O'Quinn Fletcher. Her father was brother to George William Fletcher who married a sister to my 3G-grandfather, James R. Bishop. She was born in Mississippi, and probably in Lawrence or Copiah Co.
The Bishops first settled in Lawrence Co. after leaving Georgia. My earliest Bishop ancestor was William Bucner who was in that county at least by 1818 when he purchased land in the SW part of S22, T7W, R19W comprising 160 acres. He paid a total of $320 to the US Government for the property. William sold the property on Jan. 1, 1834 and began moving west. He was 66 years old at the time and made it only as far as Union Co., AR where he died in 1852.
William's son, James R. Bishop was my ancestor. His daughter, Adaline Amanda married George William Fletcher. As mentioned above, Susan's (Bob) father was brother to George. That's why I have a drawer full of Fletcher family information.
Bob was the ninth of 14 children born to James and Rebecca. There were six boys and eight girls, all born between Nov., 1838 and Oct., 1864! Rebecca likely didn't remember what it was like not to be pregnant! She died in 1880. James died in 1864, worn out I reckon from trying to feed all those kids!Bob married William Caswell Crocker on Nov. 9, 1873. He was born Aug. 5, 1844 in Mississippi. and died Jan. 15, 1901 in Texas, probably Anderson Co. Bob died there on Jan. 1, 1916 and is buried in the Tennessee Colony* Cemetery.
William Caswell is probably also buried here, but I have not yet found his headstone.
He and Bob had at least seven children:
Eugenia Alice, born Jan. 2, 1875
Toy Crawford, born Sep. 29, 1877
Allen Baxter, born Jul. 5, 1879
Savannah Ida, born May 25, 1882
Oliver Arnold, born Nov. 29, 1887, died Jan. 17, 1928. He is also buried at Tennessee Colony.
Hanna Jane, born Apr. 8, 1890
Ebon Nealy, born Mar. 29, 1895, died Mar. 29, 1899. He is also buried at Tennessee Colony.
As usual, I can be reached at the above e-mail address if corrections to this info are needed.
*Yes, there is a town in Texas with that name!
Photo of gravestone courtesy of Kristen Merritt on FindAGrave
