Lewis Howard

Family of Lewis Howard

1. Lewis Howard was born on 15 Apr 1820 in Pickens Co, SC. He died on 20 Feb 1897 in Rocky Comfort, MacDonald, MO. He was buried in Prosperity Cemetery.

Lewis' brother, Joab, was married to his first wife's sister. At least the first three children were born in Lumpkin Co., GA. They stayed in Polk Co., Arkansas before and after the death of his 1st wife, Esther in 1858.
He re-married after the 1860 census in Polk Co., and moved to Missouri in the spring of 1862, at the outbreak of the Civil War. His family was accompanied to MO by the Richard Shockley family. Richard married Martha Ann May, the sister of Lewis' 2nd wife Elizabeth.
Lewis had 16 children, with two wives, three children died before him. All children married but one.
The 1860 Polk Co. census has an 18 yr. old farm laborer helping Lewis. He is Maxwell Reece born in SC, and is the brother of his deceased wife Easter Reece.
In 1872 Lewis wrote a letter to his brother Samuel in Dawson County, GA explaining the desirability of farming in southwestern Missouri. See [LETTER] below
Rocky Comfort was in Newton Co. until approx. 1880 when it became part of McDonald Co.

Lewis married (1) Esther Reece daughter of William Uriah Reece and Easter E. Wood on 7 Feb 1847 in Lumpkin Co, GA. Esther was born on 8 May 1823 in Pendelton Co, SC. She died in 1858 in Dallas, Polk Co, AR.

Alt. spelling: Reese. May have been visiting or living with her sister Winna & brother-in-law Joab (her husband's brother) in Arkansas when she died.

Lewis and Esther had the following children:

2 M i. John Keeth Howard was born on 25 Apr 1848 in Lumpkin Co, GA. He died on 31 Dec 1926 in Newton Co, MO. He was buried in the Rocky Comfort Cemetery.

John married Sarah Jane Shewmake daughter of Thomas Wiley Shewmake and Nancy Horner on 19 Jan 1868 in Newton Co, MO. Sarah was born on 16 Dec 1850 in Perry Co, TN. She died on 14 Dec 1924 in Barry Co, Mo.

3 F ii. Elizabeth Malinda Howard "Malindy" was born on 24 Apr 1850 in Lumpkin Co, GA.

Elizabeth & Winna were twins. The 1850 census has them at 3 mos. of age. Winna appears to be a family name with Elizabeth naming her daughter "Winnie" (the familiar for Winna) after her twin sister, and her mother's older sister.

Elizabeth married John Thomas Shockley son of Richard B. Shockley and Martha Ann May on 16 Feb 1868 in Rocky Comfort, Newton Co, MO. John was born in Apr 1851 in Polk Co. AR.

4 F iii. Winna Amanda Howard "Winey Armindy" was born on 24 Apr 1850 in Lumpkin Co, GA.

Winna married James Edmund Shewmake son of Thomas Wiley Shewmake and Nancy Horner on 2 Aug 1868 in Neosho, MO. James was born on 9 Apr 1849 in Perry Co, TN. He died on 3 May 1934 in Barry Co, Mo.

5 F iv. Angeline Easter Howard was born on 28 Sep 1852 in Lumpkin Co, GA.

6 M v. Joab A. Howard was born on 16 Dec 1854 in Lumpkin Co, GA. He died on 2 Jul 1911 in Granby, Newton Co, MO. He was buried in Granby Memorial Cemetery.

Joab married (1) Charlotte Shewmake "Lottie" daughter of Thomas Wiley Shewmake and Nancy Horner on 24 Dec 1876 in Newton Co, MO. Charlotte was born on 18 Jan 1856 in Newton Co, MO. She died on 23 Aug 1889 in Newton Co, MO. She was buried in Rocky Comfort Cem.

Joab married (2) Sarah Emeline DeBusk daughter of DeBusk and Edaline Bible on 20 Nov 1890 in Rocky Comfort, MaDonald Co, MO. Sarah was born on 6 Sep 1861 in Clay Co, IL. She died on 2 Dec 1944 in Buhl, ID.

7 M vi. Lewis A. Howard Jr. was born on 5 Jan 1858 in Polk Co, AR. He died on 2 Jul 1914 in McDonald Co, MO. He was buried in Prosperity Cem.

Lewis married Susan Alsadine Shewmake "Dinah" daughter of Thomas Wiley Shewmake and Nancy Horner on 14 Apr 1876 in Newton Co, MO. Susan was born on 25 Nov 1857 in Newton Co, MO. She died on 8 Aug 1906 in McDonald Co, MO. She was buried in Prosperity Cem.

Lewis married (2) Elizabeth T. May daughter of Dr. Abraham Silas May Jr. and Mary Ann LaRue. Elizabeth was born on 14 Apr 1834 in TN. She died on 29 Mar 1913 in Rocky Comfort, MO. She was buried in Prosperity Cem., Rocky Comfort, MO.

Her son Hiram is probably named after her brother.

Lewis and Elizabeth had the following children:

8 F vii. Mary Ann Howard was born on 8 Jun 1862 in Newton Co, MO.

9 M viii. Abram Howard was born on 10 Jun 1865 in Newton Co, MO.

10 M ix. Shearidan Howard "Sherd" was born on 4 Dec 1866 in MO. He died on 18 Oct 1944 in Newton Co, MO. He was buried in Granby Memorial Cem.

Shearidan married Anna Jane Paul "Fannie" daughter of Harris and Sarah A. on 17 Jun 1886 in Newton, AR. Anna was born in Sep 1868 in Grundy, MO. She was buried in Granby Memorial Cem.

11 M x. Columbus Howard "Lum" was born about Sep 1868.

Columbus married Nancy Baker on 11 Feb 1891 in Barry Co, MO.

12 M xi. Hiram H. Howard "Hy" was born on 24 Aug 1869 in Granby, Newton, MO. He died on 20 Oct 1928 in Buhl, Twin Falls, ID. He was buried in the Buhl Cemetery.

Hiram married (1) Mary Elizabeth Davidson "Lizzie" daughter of Thomas Davidson and Nancy Margaret Duncan on 23 Dec 1888 in Barry Co, MO. Mary was born on 29 Nov 1869 in Granby, Newton, MO. She died on 19 Jan 1926 in Buhl, Twin Falls, ID. She was buried in Buhl Cemetery.

Hiram married (2) Rowenah Wilson about 1926.

13 M xii. James Howard was born on 16 Apr 1871 in Newton Co, MO.

14 M xiii. Samuel Howard was born about 1872. He died before 1880.

15 F xiv. Sarah Howard was born about 1874. She died before 1880.

16 F xv. Susan R. Howard was born in 1878.

1872 Letter

The following is a transcription of a letter sent by Lewis Howard to his brother Samuel in Dawson County, Georgia. The text is uncorrected and includes the same spacing, but contains some explanatory notes.

Newton County Mo

May the Ninth 1872

Dear Brother and Sister I amst imebrace Present opportunity of writing you A few lines we are all in tolerable health at this time hoping these lines may find you all in good health Samuel I waunt you to exescuse my neglect fulneys [neglectfulness] A bout writing and I will try and do better far the time to come Samuel I will give you the descripttion of our country the best I can and I think it is one country that you would like there is prairie lands and timbered lands most all produces well the land that is farmed and cultivated here will raise from twenty five to sixty bu of corn per acre oats about the same wheat from 10 to 25 jenerly [generally] tho the wheat crop last year was in gered [injured] by the frost in the spring makes wheat scearcer an hire [scarcer and higher] than common the wheat crop look this spring look tolerable well we have wells and springs wells on the prairie and barons [barrens] springs is not so plenty as wells tho all good water as you ever drank a good fruit country apples espesialy also vegetabbly country of all kinds and we have rail roads plenty of market for ever thing at some price Now says you on what terms and how can a man git land there well you can home stid or buy of the Railroad company from two dollars and fifty cts two [to] five dollars per acre Raw unimproved land is hire as you mite supose tho it is cheaper than it was two years ago you can buy improved lands at __ and __ dollars per acre best prices of provision wheat 125 cts per bu corn 125 cts bacon 7 cts cows and ________ 25 ___ horses 75 and 100 dollars oxen 60 to 80ty Samuel I think this country would gust suit you well it is far a head of that country for me to make a living in and what sort of school free schools fore most in the year and subscription schools just when you want them Samuel - I would advise you if you are not saddis fied [satisfied] to stay there and I dont believe that you are to come here and see this country and if it dont suit you out further west will the last letter that I received from you was last March

I received a letter from Ivory not long sence and he was maried and a talking of going out on the frontiers of Texas to settle I have lived in Texas Arkansaw and this abeter country than they are

I will give you the names of my children

R-- [crossed out - possibly Ray]
John Keeth
Elizabeth malindy
Winey Armindy
Angaline
Joab
Lewis
Maryann
Abram
Shearidan
Columbus
Hiram
James

This is the names of all of my children the three oldest of them is maried

So I will bring my letter to a close asking you to write and not do as I have done from Lewis and Elizabeth Howard To Samuel and Margret Howard

In Lewis's funeral service on 20 Feb. 1897, it was stated that he came to Missouri in the spring of 1862; and that he was the father of 16 children, three of them having gone on before.

Lewis' son, Samuel was born in 1872 [the same year as the letter to his brother Samuel] and Sarah was born in 1874. So if there was a first child Ray? Then there was another child yet to be identified, that may have died at birth.