Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Laura Alice Barnett Conner

I have been working aggressively on my husband's Conner family. Mostly because my Mother-in-law and Sister-in-law planed a trip to take Grandma to TX and OK to visit the places her ancestors were from. Also I have made contact with two more distant cousins just with in the last week. So there is a great deal about the Conner's we now know through our collective knowledge of the family.

Laura on the other hand I know almost nothing about other than that she married William Monroe Conner and had 14 children.

William Monroe Conner was born 15 Mar 1868 somewhere in Missouri. He meet his wife Laura Alice Barnett and married her when she was only 12 about 1891 in Missouri. This of course didn't set very well with her family since they were to get married later on. I believe there was also an issue with her family because she was full blooded Cherokee and William was only partial Cherokee. Laura was born on 14 Feb 1876 somewhere in Missouri.

It appears that had at least the first and maybe the second child in Missouri before they relocated to Williamson County, Texas. I found them in Williamson County, Texas in the 1900 census.

By 1920 the family has moved to Martin Township, Harmon County, Oklahoma.

Then in 1930 I finally found them on the family farm, that Grandma remembers, living in Dryden Township, Harmon County, Oklahoma.

From what Grandma remembers she believes that Laura died around 1970 in Hollis or Dryden, Oklahoma. I have not been able to find death records for her or a grave in the Harmon County area. Our fear is that the family begin to burry their loved ones on the farm in Dryden and that now the graves are lost. Laura lost the farm because she couldn't pay the taxes after William died, so there is no telling for sure.

Her birth information was copied from her bible many years ago. It now seems to be lost or in the hands of one of the branches of the family we have yet to make contact with. Her marriage was an estimate on my part based on information from different family members and the birth of the first child. However, the cousin who just contacted me may have her marriage record. I'll try to get a copy from her later to confirm a date.

One of the cousins that contacted me last week was the one to confirm what we had suspected for some time, Laura was full blooded Cherokee. She remembered seeing a photo of Laura as a child in Indian attire and standing in front of a tee-pee in Missouri. I wished we knew where that photo was now.

I've tried to put a picture I have of William and Laura on here, but it doesn't seem to be working for me today. I'll try again some other time. If anyone out there knows any information on this Conner family from Texas and Oklahoma there are several of us doing this research and would greatly appreciate any information you can share.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I can't confirm that they are the same family, but there are some Conner/Barnett's in the Kemp, OK and Hendrix, OK area. One of the few Barnett's left I knew died a few years back named Rosalie (not sure on the spelling) better known by all of us as Mimmi. She got the Barnett name from my Grandfather A.B. Barnett, but the Conner blood still runs strong in the area through my great Grandfather, Grandfather, Father, two brothers and myself.

Anonymous said...

Rosalie Barnett Obituary
Date of Birth:
Saturday, September 6th, 1924
Date of Death:
Saturday, November 7th, 2009
Funeral Home:
Holmes-Coffey-Murray Funeral Home
www.holmescoffeymurray.com
121 N. 5th Ave.
Durant, Oklahoma, UNITED STATES
74701
Obituary:

Funeral Services for Rosalie Barnett will be Wednesday, November 11, 2009 at 2:00 PM at the Hendrix Baptist Church.

Rosalie was born September 6, 1924 to Benjamin Franklin & Bettie Ann (Duncan) Rash in Peacock, Texas. She passed from this life on Saturday, November 7, 2009 in Denison, Texas.

Rosalie accepted Christ as her Savior when she was nine years old in a cottage prayer meeting held by Bro. Ron Grey. She was baptized the same year into the Peacock Texas Baptist Church by Bro. Sidney Cox. She taught Sunday School for all ages from juniors to adults. Rosalie was active in UMW and taught Junior G.A.'s. She was active in Vacation Bible School almost every year when she was young. Rosalie was not only very involved in her church activities, but also in many school and community activities when her husband was County Judge in Aspermont, Texas. She served as President of PTA, President of School Band Club, and of the Phoenix Club.

Rosalie moved to Oklahoma in 1967. She worked for the U.S. Postal Service as a postmaster in Kemp. In 1992 she retired. During that time her and her husband joined the Kemp Baptist Church. Here she taught the Adult Sunday School for a short time. Later they moved their membership to Hendrix. At Hendrix she taught the Junior Girls Sunday School Class. They took up collection each Sunday until they received enough money to buy carpet for their Sunday School Room. Everyone was so proud of it, as if it were the first carpet in the church. That year she also went with the children to Falls Creek and was blessed very much.

Later, Rosalie and her husband moved their membership to the Oakridge Church to be with her in-laws. She taught the intermediate boys and girls Sunday School Class for a short time. After Mr. Barnett passed away Rosalie moved back to the Hendrix Church. She was blessed by the church and all the people in it. She loved them greatly.

In her golden years she was not as active as she once was. She did however enjoy seeing young people take part in the things she always enjoyed doing. She still kept her membership at the VFW Auxillary and enjoyed helping Veterans. She donated money, time, and effort for thirty years contributing to the many wonderful activities the VFW participates in.

Rosalie also liked playing bingo. Most of all she enjoyed spending time with her family and friends. She will be greatly missed.

Preceded in death by: her parents, husband, A.B. Barnett in 1996, two brothers, one sister, and one daughter, Vickie Lynn Conner.

Survivors include: Daughter, Sherrie & husband Ronnie Dickerson; two grandsons, Bryan Dickerson and Quenton Conner; two granddaughters, Ebony Reynolds and Shawndell Wade; seven great grandsons: Michael, David, Aaron, Conner, Jordan, Jarad Wade, Brandon & Cole Reynolds.

Interment will be at Kemp Cemetery with Billy May, Terry Sweeney, Garrell Conner, Ronnie Dickerson, and Bryan Dickerson serving as pallbearers. Honorary Pallbearers include: Oscar Sutton, Melvin Reilly, Earnest Sinor, Moe Blankenship

(I am the Grandson Aaron.)

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