John Bowen Davis

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Sherry Hightower on July 9, 2009 at 4:44pm

Cheryle,
I just looked over the death certificates and didn't find one for him. Strange because Texas is good about posting their DC online, especially during the time frame for his death.

Permalink Reply by Cheryle Hoover Davis on July 10, 2009 at 3:49pm

It is possible he died in Oklahoma, but he is buried in Shamrock Cemetery, Wheeler County, in Texas. His half-brothers and sisters lived on the Reservation in Oklahoma and he was known to visit them, so it is possible he died on a visit there?

Thank you for going to the trouble to look this up, Sherry!

Permalink Reply by Cheryle Hoover Davis on July 12, 2009 at 7:26pm

Wow, Chris!! I am amazed at what you found, and deeply grateful for this!!

I'm sorry I haven't replied before this, we were out of town, and I just saw your post here. I will get back with you tomorrow.

In the meantime, know we are very appreciative for the information you have supplied!

Thanks you, Cheryle

Chris Dunham said:

I suspect that John Bowen Davis was the son of William and Julia Davis, who lived in Precinct 4, Hopkins County, Texas, in 1870, and in Precinct 6, Hunt County, Texas, in 1880. The 1910 and 1920 censuses say that John B. Davis' father was born in Georgia, his mother in Tennessee, which matches the information given in 1870 and 1880. Julia's age in 1900 (58) is a pretty close match to her age in 1870 (27) and in 1880 (39). And the couple's son "Johnie" was born about 1874-5 in Texas, which matches the birth date of your husband's ancestor.

Yet more evidence that this is the right family is found in the 1860 census of Beat 4, Hopkins County, Texas. I find there a "July A. Bowen," 19, born in Tennessee, living with her (I presume) mother Esther D. Bowen, 45, born in Tennessee. Esther was evidently the widow of William Bowen. If Julia's maiden name was "Bowen," this would explain how John got his middle name.

As for half-siblings, it appears that the "Salley Ragney" who lived with the family in 1880 may have been Julia's child from a previous relationship, and therefore a half-sister of John. She was several years older than the other children, but was not listed first among William and Julia's children in 1870. The 1880 census indicates that her father was born in Texas, while the father of the other Davis children (William) was born in Georgia.

Permalink Reply by Cheryle Hoover Davis on July 13, 2009 at 1:18pm

Chris...MORE than helped! I've been working on this line this morning, and have now definitely confirmed who John Bowen Davis' parents were....and then able to go back 5 more generations...all thanks to you!!