|
Page
81
Chapter
12
Prudence
Jane Stark & William "Bill" Herrin Biography
William
Herrin, Sr. was born in 1807 in what was called the Mississippi
Territory at that time. [1] He was the son of Abel Herring.
Before 1825, he married a women whose name and family is
unknown. Although a record of the marriage has not been found,
because William is listed in the 1820 census living in the home
of Abel Herring, the marriage may have occurred in either
Ouachita Parrish or Chicot County, Arkansas. The Herring land
was located very close to the Arkansas border and often people
from that area would go to Eudora or Lake Village to conduct
business. They were living in Ouachita Parish in 1830 for a
William Herrin is recorded in the census that year as being
"William A. Herring, age 20-30 years old, with a spouse,
age 15 -20 years old , one male child under five and a daughter
under five years old." The son under five years old was
probably James Herrin, born in 1826 or 1827, according to his
tombstone. The daughter's name is unknown. [2] Sometime after
1830 and before 1834, William’s first wife must have died for
William then married his second wife, Prudence Jane Stark around
1834, probably in either Ouachita Parish, Carroll Parish [Was
created from part of Ouachita Pariah in 1831], or Chicot County,
Arkansas.
A
daughter, Prudence Jane Stark, was born to Daniel R. Stark and
Nancy Hawley in 1815 in Genesee County, New York.[3] William
Hawley Stark, the brother of Prudence, was their first born
child indicating they were probably married before December of
1808. Prudence's father purchased lots #13 & #14 in section
zero of township #11, range #1 from the Holland Land Company on
March 28, 1809. This property was located west of the township
of Caledonia in Genesee County in an area that would later be
divided into parts of Niagara County, Erie County, and
Cattaraugus County. The original Genesee County was located in
western New York west of the Genesee River.
Prudence
had an older sister named Sarah, and a younger brother named
Asahel "Asa" Stark. The youngest in this family was
Amanda or Matilda, who died young. Prudence was the
granddaughter of Asahel Stark who was the son of Christopher
Stark, Jr. who was the son of Christopher Stark, Sr., who was
the son of William Stark, Sr. who was the son of the Stark
family patriarch, Aaron Stark, who migrated from England around
1630, settling in New London County, Connecticut.
Prudence
lived only about one year with her family in Genesee County, New
York. They were only a few miles from Niagara Falls and Lake
Erie and her grandparents, Asahel and Sarah Stark, lived in
nearby Penfield, Ontario County, New York. Probably living with
the family was her grandfather, Samuel Hawley, a veteran of the
Revolutionary War who had lived in Massachusetts before the war.
Early in the year 1816, the family moved to West Baton Rouge
Parish, Louisiana, a trip of some 750 miles which was most
likely made by boat. Imagine the logistics of transporting a
family and household goods over such a vast distance around
1816. From Genesee County, one would move over land to the
Allegheny River, located just south of the county on the New
York and Pennsylvania border. The Allegheny then flows from
north to south through western Pennsylvania and comes together
with the Monongahela River near Pittsburgh to form the Ohio
River, which then flows into the Mississippi and then south down
the Mississippi to Louisiana.
The
family settled on the west bank of the Mississippi River in a
community called Port Allen, located directly across from the
growing community of Baton Rouge. Property was purchased by
Daniel R. Stark in 1817 which was described as "four acres
front to the river Mississippi."[4] Prudence’s Uncles
named William, Samuel, and John R. were already living in the
region when the family arrived and making the trip to Louisiana
from New York was her grandfather, Samuel Hawley. The
Mississippi River from the Gulf of Mexico to Baton Rouge by 1816
was a fairly well settled region, for Louisiana had been
admitted as a State six years earlier and there was considerable
commerce up and down the Mississippi River in the early part of
the 19th century.
Tragedy
struck the family within fours years of their arrival when
Daniel R. Stark died suddenly on June 20th 1820. With assistance
from her father, Samuel Hawley, and brother-in-law, William
Stark, Prudence’s mother handled the probate proceedings which
provided the names of the children of Daniel R. Stark. This is
the first document to be found which shows the relationship of
Prudence Jane and her siblings to Daniel R. Stark and Nancy
Hawley which states "Know all men by these presents that
where as Nancy Holly Stark has presented a petition to this
court praying for tutorship in order to administer on the
property in community between [?her?] and her children and
whereas this Nancy Stark has come before this court and has
fulfilled all the formalities in such case required by law,
it.... [Not legible] ....children named William, Mariah,
Prudence, Esahl, and Amanda, and fully authorized to act as such
pertaining to [?the?] laws. Given by the hand and seal this [??]
of July 1820. Signed: Ph. Favrot."[5]
On
September 5, 1820, William Stark and his wife, Victoria
Betencourt, provided a donation of $2,200 to the children of
Nancy Hawley, widow of Daniel R. Stark, with the benefactors of
this donation being named William, Muriah, Prudence, Esahl, and
Amanda. [6]
Nancy
continued to live in Louisiana and is believed to have married a
man named McGowan, although a record of this marriage has not
been found but is suggested in her father’s Revolutionary
Pension Application presented in court in 1826.[7] On May 31,
1826, Samuel Hawley, living in Floyd County, Indiana declared,
"...he is 68 years old ....That my occupation is that of
a farmer, that I am weak, feeble and unable to labor, that I
have one daughter only, her name is Nancy McGowan, aged 37
years, that she has five children, William, fifteen years of
age, Maria, 13 years of age, Prudence, 10 years of age, Asahel,
8 years of age, and Matilda, 5 years of age - my daughter, her
two oldest children, are able to support themselves by their
labor the three others, Prudence, Asahel, and Matilda are not -
all of which compose my family and looks to me for a support."
If this Nancy McGowan was the same Nancy Hawley Stark in
Louisiana, we find she was married to someone named McGowan
before this petition was made and note the declaration names the
grandchildren of Samuel, which are very similar to the names in
the previous two documents. Nancy Hawley probably moved to
Indiana to live with her father, presumably after Mr. McGowan
died; or she obtained a divorce and moved near the Stark family
living nearby in Washington County, Indiana. This document
records Prudence’s age as 10 on May 31, 1826. The 1850 census
reports Prudence was 35 years old establishing her birth year as
around 1815. If she was 10 years old on May 31, 1826, then she
may have been born after May 31st in the year 1815.
________
|
1) |
Ancestry.com.
1850 United States Federal Census [database on-line].
Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images
reproduced by FamilySearch. Source
Citation: Year: 1850;
Census Place: Calcasieu, Calcasieu, Louisiana;
Roll: M432_230; Page: 394A; Image: 305. |
| 2) |
Ouachita
Parish, Louisiana 1830 census. The Calcasieu Parish 1850 Census
listed a James Heran, age 24 living next door to Bill Heran
which would place his year of birth as 1826. James Herrin is
buried in the DeHart Cemetery in Newton County, Texas where his
tombstone records his year of birth as 1827. A daughter over the
age of 20 is not listed in the 1850 census for Bill Heran. This
daughter may have died young or was married by 1850. |
|
3) |
"Western
New York Land Transactions, 1804 - 1824"; Extracted from
the Archives of the Holland Land Company, by Karen E. Livsey,
page 45. Sarah's father, Daniel R. Stark, purchased land in
Genesee County March 28, 1809. |
| 4) |
West
Baton Rouge Parish Probate Packet #85 of Daniel R. Stark,
deceased on the 20th June 1820. See Book E, page 77 of the
Parish Deed Records for when the property was purchased in 1817. |
| 5) |
West
Baton Rouge Parish Probate Packet #85 of Daniel R. Stark. |
| 6) |
Transcription
of West Baton Rouge Parish Court Document; William Stark &
His Spouse give $2,200 to the Children of his Brother, Daniel R.
Stark; Dated September 5, 1820; "Know all men by these
presents that I, Nancy Hawley, widow of the late Daniel R.
Stark, acting as mother and...[Not Legible]... [probably tutor
meaning guardian] of the children of the said Daniel R. Stark,
named William, Prudence, Muriah, Esahl, and Amanda, do hereby
accept in the name of these children, the donation which has
been made to them by William Stark and Victoria Betencourt, his
wife, which donation is the sum of two thousand and two hundred
dollars to be paid by the said Wm Stark and Victoria Betencourt
in the month of March, eighteen hundred and twenty-two to me and
any other person legally authorized to act in the name of
...[Not Legible]... children, their executors administrators.
Signed: Nancy Stark." [Transcribed by Clovis LaFleur,
December 2002 from copy of original in file] |
| 7) |
Samuel
Hawley Service: Revolutionary War pension of a Samuel Hawley,
S34916, National Archives Trust Fund. Record of this pension
granted in Indiana July 27,1826. States: "Samuel Hawley of
Floyd Co. in the State of Indiana…." |
|
|
Page
82
Prudence
lived for some period of time in Floyd County, Indiana with her
mother and grandfather, Samuel Hawley, and probably had contact
with her grandmother, Sarah Stark, and her Stark Uncles and
Aunts living in nearby Washington County. However, the
Washington County Stark family members began to move to Illinois
starting in 1828 for Archibald Cass Stark had twin sons born in
Indiana in April of 1828 and the next child, Jasper, was born in
Illinois in 1830 indicating the family was on the move.
On
April 22, 1828, the Mississippi Pension Agency in Natchez,
Mississippi wrote a letter to James Barbon, Secretary of War,
requesting "Samuel Hawley, a pensioner on the rolls of the
Indiana Agency makes application as per affidavit enclosed for a
transfer to my department in having removed to the state of
Mississippi. The pensioner resides in a remote corner of our
State and will call for his pay (which by his statement is
...[Not legible]... since 4 March 1827) in about two months
[?hence?], at which time I expect to see notification of his
transfer. Signed Most Respectfully, Your ...[Not
legible]..."[1] From this statement, we know a pensioner
named Samuel Hawley had been living in Indiana until April of
1827. This document reveals he has moved and is now living in
the jurisdiction of the Mississippi Pension Agency. If this is
the same Samuel Hawley, then could his daughter and
grandchildren have moved with him and where might they have been
living?
Possible
proof of where they were living can be found in the Ouachita
Parish, Louisiana Marriage Records. Sarah Mariah Stark, most
likely the daughter of Nancy Hawley, married John T. Lewis on
December 28, 1828. The Lewis family had moved from Orange
County, Indiana to Louisiana at about the same time or earlier
and records reveal Samuel S. Lewis, the father of John Taylor
Lewis, served as Justice of the Peace in Ouachita Parish.[2]
Around
1830, William Hawley Stark married Elizabeth Zachary, daughter
of Benjamin Zachary and Elizabeth Odom of St. Tammany Parish.[3]
At about this time, it is believed William Hawley purchased
acreage in Ouachita Parish [Could have been Carroll Parish,
formed in 1832 from part of Ouachita Parish] most likely using
the money he received as a gift from his Uncle William Stark.[4]
One would presume he received his share on his twenty-first
birthday in August of 1830. Prudence and her Mother may have
lived with William and his new bride until Prudence married
William Herrin for the Vicksburg Register newspaper (Vicksburg,
Mississippi), dated July 2, 1835 reported "Another
Revolutionary Soldier is no more... Died at the upper settlement
on Bayou Macon in the Parish of Carroll, State of Louisiana, on
the 4th day of June 1835, Samuel Hawley, aged about 80 years, a
native of the State of Massachusetts, and once a soldier of the
Revolutionary army. Mr. Hawley was a pensioner and lived for
several years back thus secluded and remote with his child and
respected by all who knew him."[5] Since Samuel only
had one child, Nancy Hawley, it would probably be correct to
speculate from the newspaper report he lived with his daughter
on the above property sold by William Hawley Stark in 1848 to
Alex Sappington of Carroll Parish, Louisiana, which was located
at the head of Bayou Macon; or probably in the region of the
"upper settlement on Bayou Macon."
The
date of marriage of Prudence Jane Stark and William Herrin is
not known with certainty. Prudence was the second wife of
William, for the Ouachita Parish, Louisiana 1830 census records
there was a William A. Herring in the age range of 20 to 30
years old who was head of the household. From the 1850 census
for Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, to be discussed later, we know
William was born in 1807, for his age is recorded as 43 years
old.[6] If the William A. Herring reported in the 1830 census is
the same "Bill Heran" reported in the 1850 census,
then the 20-30 year range for his age in 1830 would include the
year 1807.
William
Herrin was the son of Abel Herring of Ouachita Parish, Louisiana
and reported living in the home of William A. Herring in 1830
was a female in the age range from 15 to 20 years old, a male in
the age range from 0 to five years old, and a female in the age
range from 0 to 5 years old. Therefore, the female whose age
range is 15-20 could not be Prudence, for although she would
have been 15 years old in 1830, the latest year of birth for one
of the children in the 0 to 5 year range, assuming they were not
twins, would have been 1828, when Prudence was 13 years old. The
Calcasieu Parish Census for 1850 provides a clue the male, age 0
to 5, was most likely "James Heran", living next door
to "Bill Heran" whose age was listed as 24, placing
his year of birth in 1826 and within the range in the 1830
census.[6] If this James Herrin, to be discussed in more detail
later, was a son of William Herrin, then Prudence would have
only been 11 years old when he was born and could not have been
the first wife of William.
The
1850 census reveals there was a son named William, age 15 years,
living in the "Bill Heran" household establishing his
birth year as about 1835.[6] If William Herrin, Jr. was a son of
Prudence and William, Sr., then their latest year of marriage
was about 1834. William Herrin was known to be living next door
to William Hawley Stark in Ouachita Parish, for he sold property
adjacent to William Hawley Stark’s property in 1848 on
approximately the same date to Alex Sappington of Carroll
Parish, Louisiana.[7] Therefore, there was plenty of opportunity
for Prudence to come to know and marry William Herrin.
________
|
1) |
Copy
in Samuel Hawley Revolutionary War Records. |
| 2) |
"The
Handbook of Texas Online", article titled "Samuel S.
Lewis." BIBLIOGRAPHY: C. K. Chamberlain, "East
Texas," East Texas Historical Journal 4 (October 1966).
Mrs. Harry Joseph Morris, comp. and ed., Citizens of the
Republic of Texas (Dallas: Texas State Genealogical Society,
1977). Texas House of Representatives, Biographical Directory of
the Texan Conventions and Congresses, 1832-1845 (Austin: Book
Exchange, 1941). |
| 3) |
Clovis
LaFleur Estimate. Their first child, Daniel L. Stark was born in
1832, according to the 1850 census records for Newton County,
Texas. Bennett Hiram Zachary lived near William Hawley Stark and
Elizabeth Zachary in Newton County and is believed to be her
brother. He has been confirmed to be the son of Benjamin Zachary
and Elizabeth Odom of St. Tammany Parish in the publication
titled, "The Zachary Family, From Virginia to Texas",
self published by Clovis LaFleur in 1999. See Biography of
Benjamin Zachary at the conclusion of this biography. |
| 4) |
In
a land record dated October 28, 1848; deeded to Alex Sappington
of Carroll Parish, La.( W.H. Stark and his wife signed this in
Newton County, Texas, this being witness by Harriott Merirtt
(spelling) & Nancy Hardin; 160 acres, noted in West Carroll
Parish, Conveyance Old Book A, page 136. The sale here was
recorded Nov 29, 1848. Transcribed & Contributed by Pauline
Mobley, caldonia@bayou.com, September 9, 2002. |
| 5) |
Source
1:Marriages and Deaths from Mississippi Newspapers, Volume 3:
1813 - 1850, page 173. Compiled by Betty Couch Wiltshire. Source
2: Pauline Mobley at email address caldonia@bayou.com
transcribed & contributed Samuel Hawley’s obituary. |
| 6) |
Calcasieu
Parish, Louisiana 1850 Census. Reports "Bill Heran",
age 43, was born in Mississippi and the name of his spouse was
Prudence, age 35, born in New York." |
| 7) |
Recorded
November 30, 1848 one day after William Hawley Stark’s
transaction was recorded in West Carroll Parish, Louisiana Old
Conveyance Book A, page 136. William Herrin’s Transaction was
recorded on page 137 of this same conveyance book and was the
sell of property to Alex Sappington by William Herring of Newton
County, Texas. A witness to this transaction was John De Hart,
married to William’s half-sister, Mary Commander Herring who
would move to Newton County, Texas in 1849. (See more on John
DeHart family on page 109.) |
|
|
Page
83
William
doesn’t appear in the 1840 census in Louisiana, indicating he
may have moved to Texas before 1840, although this is not known
with any certainty. He is first recorded in Newton County, Texas
September 30, 1846, when he recorded his cattle brand along with
Bennett Hiram Zachary and his brother-in-laws, William H. Stark
and Asa L. Stark.[1]
January
11, 1847, the Newton County Commissioners met and among those
listed as competent Jurors in the County were John F. Lewis
[Probably John T. Lewis, Prudence Jane Stark’s brother-in-law
married to her sister, Sarah Mariah Stark], Asa L. Stark, B. H.
Zachary, and William Herring [Probably Herrin], the husband of
Prudence. Persons on this list were qualified and liable to
serve on Juries in Newton County for the January term of the
County Court. On the same day, the County Court passed orders
related to roads and overseers of roads within the County. The
following entry was made in the minutes of the meeting;[2]
"Road Precinct 5. Road from W. H. Starks to the Ford on
the creek near Wm. Herrings. Asa L. Stark, Overseer. List of
hands, E. S. Hunt & hired Negroes, William Herring, James
Herring, Joshua Hickman, Wm. F. Dobbs Negro." Note the
names William Herring and James Herring. James is probably
William’s son, who would have been 20 to 21 years old in
January of 1847. The road to be constructed was to start near
William Hawley Stark’s home, who was the brother of Prudence,
and end near the home she shares with William Herrin/Herring.
Her husband was to be one of the hands working for Asa L. Stark,
overseer of this project and Prudence Jane’s younger brother.
Therefore, these documents establish the families lived in close
proximity to each other.
On
July 12th 1847, the Commissioners Court ordered "Road
Precinct No. 4 be omitted and Wm. H. Stark, L. D. Saunders, and
T. D. Porter be added to the list of hands on Precinct No. 5."
Therefore, starting in July, William Hawley Stark was working on
the Road Crew with his brother Asa L. Stark as overseer and his
brother-in-law, William Herrin. The last record we have for
William Herrin in Newton County was the deed selling his
Louisiana Property, recorded November 30, 1848 which stated
William was a resident of Newton County. Sometime around 1845,
James Herrin married Nancy Jane Lewis, the daughter of John
Taylor Lewis and Sarah Mariah Stark who was the sister of
Prudence Jane Stark. This date of marriage is based on the birth
date of James and Nancy's first child, Samuel McFarland Stark
June 30, 1846.
William
and James Herrin and their families moved to Calcasieu Parish,
Louisiana, across the Sabine River from Newton County, Texas
sometime after November 30, 1848 for they are listed in the 1850
census for that year living in dwelling #443, family #509 . The
family is recorded in this census as follows:[3]
Bill
Heran, age 43, planter, born in Misissippi
Prudence
Heran, age 35, born in New York
William
Heran, age 15, born in Louisiana
George
Heran, age 11, born in Louisiana
Andrew
Heran, age 9, born in Louisiana
Mary
Heran, age 8, born in Louisiana
Stephen
Heran, age 6, born in Louisiana
Asa
Heran, age 4, born in Louisiana
Edward
Heran, age 2, born in Louisiana
Listed
in dwelling #444, family #510 was James Herrin as follows:
James
Heran, age 24, Laborer, born in Louisiana
Nancy
Heran, age 21, born in Louisiana
Samuel
Heran, age 4, born in Louisiana
George
Heran, age 2, born in Louisiana
Robert
Heran, age 6/12, born in Louisiana
Also
listed in the home of James was James L., age ?12?. Could this
have been a nephew of William? No record record of a child named
James has been found suggesting William and Purdence had a son
born in 1838.
The
last living record found for William Herrin and Prudence Stark
was February 4th, 1854, when his brother-in-law, Asa Lafitte
Stark, sold land in Orange County, Texas to H. B. Force for the
sum of $50. A witness to the sale of this property was William
Herring, who signed with his mark. This William Herring is not
to be confused with William P. Herring, Jefferson County
merchant, who could sign his name. This was most likely William
Herrin who married Prudence Jane Stark and was known to be
living across the Sabine River in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana as
documented in the 1850 census.[4]
The
1850 census establishes the identity of Prudence Jane Stark, for
the Prudence in this record was born in New York and their
children, as recorded above were William Herrin, Jr., born in
1835, George Herrin, born in 1839, Andrew Jackson Herrin, born
in 1841, Mary Herrin, born in 1842, Stephen Herrin, born in
1844, Asa Herrin, born in 1846, and Edward Herrin, born in 1848.
Another child, Matilda Herrin, was born in 1852.[15] Little is
known about these children except for Matilda and Edward.
________
|
1) |
Newton
County Records, 1846, Transcribed by Melba Canty, County Clerk
in 1976. |
| 2) |
Commissioners
Court Minutes of Newton County, 8/22/1845 to 2/18/1851,
transcribed by Melba Canty, County Clerk, 1976. |
| 3) |
Ancestry.com.
1850 United States Federal Census [database on-line].
Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images
reproduced by FamilySearch. Source
Citation: Year: 1850; Census Place: Calcasieu, Calcasieu, Louisiana;
Roll: M432_230; Page: 394A; Image: 305. |
| 4) |
Orange
County, Texas, Deed Book B, Pages 348 & 349. |
| 5) |
Newton
County Historical Commission, Newton County, Texas Census, 1880,
(Transcribed 1980), page 40, dwelling #59, reported Matilda was
the wife of Napoleon B. Lewis. Reports her father was born in
Mississippi and her mother was born in New York. This agrees
with the birth places of William Herrin and Prudence Jane Stark,
reported to be her parents. Reports Matilda was born in Texas. |
|
|
Page
84
Prudence
Jane (Stark) Herrin Family Group
|
If
you would like to see more, click HERE to download PDF
Formatted Three Generation Descendants Report for
Prudence Jane Stark.
Click
on Thumbnail photos below to see enlarged photographs.
Use Back button to return to this text.
Author's
Comment:
Click
on this phrase to go to a searchable online
genealogical database entitled, "Descendants of
Aaron Stark [1608-1685].
In the surname search window, enter first the surname,
then comma, then given name. Clicking on
"List" will take you to a list of persons in
the database with that surname and given name. Look
down the list for birth and death dates. When they
match the person on this web site, click on the name
in the list. This will take you to the data page of
the person of interest. You can then navigate from
that page to the ancestors or descendants of that
individual.
|
|
|
Prudence Jane
Stark (Daniel R. Stark6, Asahel Stark5,
Christopher Stark (Junior)4, Christopher
Stark (Senior)3, William Stark (Senior)2,
Aaron Stark [1608-1685]1) was born 1815 in
New York, USA, and died AFT 1852. She married William
"Bill" Herrin Sr. ABT 1834. He was born
1807 in Mississippi, USA, and died AFT 1854.
|
| |
|
Children
of Prudence Jane Stark and William "Bill"
Herrin Sr. are:
| i. |
William
Herrin Jr. was born 1835 in Louisiana. He
married Mary Hoosier. She was born
1841. |
| ii. |
George
Herrin was born 1839. He married Mary
Drake. |
| iii. |
 Andrew
Jackson Herrin was born 1841 in Louisiana.
He died in 1911. He married Mary Jobner.
He was buried in the Trout Creek Cemetery,
Newton County, Texas. |
| iv. |
Mary
Herrin was born 1842 in Louisiana. |
| v. |
Steven
Herrin was born 1844 in Louisiana. |
| vi. |
Asa
Herrin was born 1846. He married Sarah
M. Lewis 12 APR 1863 in Newton, Texas,
USA, daughter of John Taylor Lewis and Sarah
Mariah Stark. She was born ABT 1845 in Texas. |
| vii. |
  Edward
E. Herrin was born 20 JUL 1849 in
Louisiana, and died 28 NOV 1932 in Beaumont,
Jefferson County, Texas. He married Georgina
Ann Zachary 18 MAR 1882 in Newton, Texas,
USA. She was born 19 JAN 1867 in Newton,
Texas, USA, and died 29 MAY 1935 in Beaumont,
Jefferson County, Texas. Both were buried in
Bob Herrin Cemetery, Newton County, Texas. |
| viii. |
Matilda
Herrin was born ABT 1852. She married Napoleon
B. Lewis 02 FEB 1869 in Newton, Texas,
USA, son of John Taylor Lewis and Sarah Mariah
Stark. He was born MAR 1850. |
|
|
|
Page
85
Prudence
Jane Stark Family Scrape Book & Photo Album
[Click
on Thumbnail photos below to see enlarged photographs.
Use Back button to return to this text.]
|
 Photo:
Edward Herrin & Georgian Zachary Family, 1915
(Edward Herrin was the son of Prudence
Jane Stark & William Herrin). Back Row L-R:
Edd Herrin (Seated), with hand
on Jack ??, Beatrice Herrin (Daughter of William
Herrin), Georgina "Georgian" (Spouse of
Edd Herrin), Holding Harold Herrin (Son
of Edger Herrin); Middle Row L-R: Maude
(Asa Louis Herrin's spouse), Ollie Robinson (Edger
Herrin's Spouse), Mary Bell (Daughter of
William Herrin), William "Bill" Herrin, Ellen
Frost (William's Spouse); Down in Front: Asa
Louis Herrin holding his daughter
Jewel.
------------------------------------------
Edward
E. Herrin
William
Herrin, Sr. was born in 1807 in what was called the
Mississippi Territory at that time.[1] William’s
second wife was Prudence Jane Stark, whom he married
before 1835, and one of their children, born in 1848,
was Edward Herrin. Edward E. Herrin and Georgian Zachary
where married March 18, 1882 in Newton County, Texas.
The couple settled first near Newton, Texas, possibly in
the Devil’s Pocket region, where their children named,
William (1885-1956), Asa Louis (1886-1980), Sarah Edna
(1888-1962), Maude Mae (1890-1982), Lula (1891-1892),
Edger (1893-1968), and Arthur (1896-1973) were born. The
family moved to Leesville, Vernon Parish, Louisiana
sometime after the birth of Arthur. They were living
near this community in 1909, according to Maude’s
account; "When I First Heard of the Pentecost."
Edward died in 1932 in Texas. Georgian died in 1935 in
Beaumont, Texas. They are both buried in the Bob Herrin
Cemetery located in Newton County, Texas
------------------------------------------
The
Night Edward Herrin Died:
Composed by Maude Mae (Herrin) La Fleur at the time of
Edward's death. [Some passages were
edited for clarification. Clovis La Fleur, Jr. Dec. 28,
1998.]
When
my father died, I’ll always have these sweet memories
as I sat by his bedside. I said,
" Papa, let us pray." I prayed and he knew
me so well and held my hand. He would say, "Sweet
Jesus, save my soul. I love Thee
dear Lord. Please take me home to heaven--Sweet
Jesus-- Oh-- I love Thee sweet Jesus. Thank Thee
for you saved my soul, sweet Jesus, precious Jesus, I
love Thee." He said,
"Hurry, I am tired.", and turned over still praying, " I love Thee Lord, sweet
Jesus." He only laid then a few
minutes and got up and waited on himself for his kidneys
to act.
He lay back down and still praying as I sat by his side,
so happy to hear him praying,
still softly calling on God and thanking him
for saving his soul and he turned over and died
instantly. So Sweetly, I shall
never forget when my Dear Father died.
By
Maude (Herrin) La Fleur
-----------------------------------------
Poem
composed by Maude Mae (Herrin) La Fleur at the time of
her Mother’s death. [Editor’s Note: Composed by
Maude in Grant Parish, Louisiana
about June, 1935. Some editing has been done for
clarification. Clovis La Fleur Jr., December 28, 1998].
Georgian Zachary was born Jan. 19,
1867 and died May the 28th, 1935 in Beaumont, Texas and
was 68 years, Four Months, and 10 days Old.
Prayer
for Georgian (Zachary) Herrin
You
have left us Mother Dear,
But
fond memories linger near,
Sleep
on darling and rest a while,
For
we’ll meet again in the land of smiles.
Mother
dear, when ever the tide falls,
It
seems we lovingly hear you call,
"
Come live with me in my heavenly house,
Where
sorrow and pain are never known."
Mother
dear, how we miss you,
For
the family circle is broken too,
You’ve
gone to your heavenly place,
To
ever behold your saviors face.
We
placed Dear Mothers body here,
While
we sadly turned away,
She
with Jesus will remain,
Until
the resurrection, and rise again.
By
Maude (Herrin) LaFleur
-------------------------------
 Arthur
Bonaparte Herrin was the youngest son & child of Edward Herrin and Georgian Zachary. He
was born in Newton County, Texas, November 4,
1897, according to the family bible of Edward &
Georgian. He died August 13, 1973
in Jefferson County, Texas, and was buried in the Bob
Herrin Cemetery, Newton County, Texas.
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Page
86
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 Rev.
Robert Lee Vaso La Fleur & Maude Mae (Herrin) La
Fleur
[Photo
taken on their wedding day, January 4, 1916]
By
Clovis La Fleur, Grandson, 1998
Robert
and Maude were married January 4, 1916 in Elton,
Louisiana.
Clovice Leevaso, Sr. was born November 8, 1916 in
De
Quincy,
Louisiana, the same year Robert and Maude were
married.
He was named after his grandfather. Robert Lee
"Bob" La Fleur was born
April 15, 1918 in De Quincy and named after
his
Father. He became pastor of the De Quincy Pentecostal
Church in 1919-1920. Arthur Lavelle La
Fleur was born June 17,
1920 in De
Quincy and was named after Maude’s youngest
brother.
Mary Jeanette La Fleur was born November 25, 1923 in
De Quincy.
-------------------------------------------------------
 [Family
Photo, 1947 in Oakdale, LA - L-R:
Rev. R. L. LaFleur; Maude May (Herrin) LaFleur; Clovice
"Clo" L.
LaFleur; Robert "Bob" Lee LaFleur; Arthur L. LaFleur; Mary J. LaFleur]
The
family moved to a farm near Sugartown on the line
separating Beauregard Parish and Allen
Parish, about 19 miles
from
Oakdale, in 1929. According to their son Bob, the Parish
line ran through the property. Robert was
Pastor of the Oakdale Pentecostal
Church from 1929 until he passed away April 2, 1964
in Oakdale. The children attended school
in Sugartown, Louisiana, located
22 miles East of Oakdale in Beauregard
Parish..
The three boys graduated from Sugartown High School.
About 1938, Robert and Maude moved to
Oakdale where Mary Jeanette
graduated from Oakdale High School in 1940.
The
first church I remember was built on concrete peers and
wood beams. It had apparently replaced an
earlier church destroyed by fire.
Robert preached the sermons and Maude also
preached
sermons and played the piano. Visiting Ministers were
my friends and the congregations
enthusiasm would make the
church
rock on its foundation. It was an exciting time to a
small child, but, also a sad time
because of World War II. I can still
remember
seeing the names of members of the church killed in
action to the left of the choir loft.
Robert
would visit the congregation in the mornings and prepare
his sermons in the afternoon. Church
services were conducted on
Wednesday
nights, Friday nights, Saturday nights, and Sunday
morning and night. On Sunday Morning,
before church, he preached a
sermon on the Oakdale radio station. Maude played
and would accompany the choir. She
preached sermons many
times at the
DeQuincy Camp meetings.
After
the Death of Robert, Maude married Brother Wilkins on
September 6, 1966, a retired widower
Pentecostal minister. They
traveled
about and preached sermons for many years. After
Brother
Wilkens passed away, Maude’s health began to fail and
she lived in Lake Jackson with her son
Robert Lee until her death
October
30, 1982. She is buried in the Oakdale Cemetery next to
Robert.
---------------------------------------
The
Passing of A Pastor
My
God who looks down from above,
Upon
a broken heart of love,
The
sleep I need has gone tonight,
But
soon there will be a new dawn and sunlight.
I
think of our pastor of yesterday,
His
body tonight in the cemetery lay,
And
remember the years on knees we knelt,
Praying
for the lost and often times he wept.
A
heart full of passion and love for all,
Who
were hungry for God and answered his call,
Yet,
now fifty long years have come to an end,
And
I’ll tell you it’s not been easy, my friend,
But
Pasturing a church is easy, you say,
For
our faithful Brother LaFleur, my husband to obey.
I,
his wife for forty eight years, can tell you for sure,
It
wasn’t easy, but he loved us all, did our Pastor
Robert LaFleur.
[Signed:
Maude Herrin LaFleur, May 11, 1964 on Monday morning at
2 AM]
-------------------------------------
 Edger
Herrin (Son of Edward Herrin
and Georgian Zachary) was born
September
17, 1893 in Newton, Newton County, Texas1 and died
December 28, 1968 in Houston, Harris
County, Texas. He married Ollie
Lee Robinson
December
27, 1913. She was born May 19, 1896 in
Newton
County, Mississippi and died May 24, 1986 in Houston,
Harris County, Texas. Edger and
Ollie were buried in the Resthaven Cemetery,
Houston,
Harris County, Texas. Edger’s occupation was
Carpenter.
-----------------------------------------------
 Sarah
Edna Herrin (daughter of Edward Herrin and Georgian
Zachary) was born March 24, 1888 in Newton County,
Texas. She married first, Wilce Young, December 4, 1903.
She married 2nd, Charles Edwin Staner after 1914. With
Wilce Young, Sarah had three children named Clarice,
Wayne, and Harold. Sarah died in 1962 and was buried in
the Bob Herrin Cemetery, Newton County, Texas.
---------------------------------------------------------
 Harold
Howell Herrin (Son of Edger
Herrin and Ollie Robinson) was born February 24, 1915 in
Oretta, Louisiana and died June 26, 1991 in
Houston,
Harris County, Texas. He married Mildred Alice Parr March
4, 1934 in Houston, Harris County, Texas. Harold was
buried in the Resthaven Cemetery
in Houston, Harris County, Texas.
----------------------------------
 Lois
Ruth Herrin (Daughter of Edger
Herrin and Ollie Robinson) was born March 16, 1918 in
Orange, Orange County, Texas. She married
Emory
Maness January 19, 1935 in Houston, Harris County,
Texas. They had one child named Mary Ruth Maness (b.
August 9, 1936 in Houston, Harris
County, Texas). Lois married second, Dee Countryman
about 1943. They had no children. She married third,
Fred Ellis Tucker, February 24,
1944 in Houston, Harris County, Texas. They had two
children named Sally Louise (b. August 10, 1945) and
Daniel Lee (b. February 6, 1947).
Fred Tucker died August 22, 1995 in Missouri City, Ft.
Bend County, Texas. Lois Ruth died January 10, 1998 in
Montgomery County, Texas of cardiac
arrest. Emory Maness was buried in the Forest Park
Cemetery in Houston, Harris County, Texas. Lois
Ruth
and Fred Ellis Tucker were buried in the Stafford City
Cemetery in Stafford, Fort Bend County, Texas. [Photo:
Lois Ruth (Herrin) & Fred Tucker.] |
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