Seventh Generation

605. Christopher Yancy THOMAS was born on 21 November 1851 in Calhoun County, Arkansas.^187,212,213 He died on 9 April 1899 at the age of 47 in Fannin County, Texas.^212,213

1880 Census. Fannin Co TX. Precinct 4, Hh 35
C. Y. Thomas, age 28, Farmer, b. AR, father b. VA, mother b. NC
L. E. Thomas [female], wife, age 24, b. AL as were her parents
Ella G., 4 months, b. TX in February, daughter.
Washington Cason, age 2, stepson, b. GA
J. W. Rowden, age 20, Boarder, works on farm, b. MO

An online database had C. Y. Thomas's wife as Lydia Elizabeth Johnson. She was first married to John W. Cason by whom she had a son Washington Cason, b. 7 Nov 1877, Titus, TX, d. 1 Feb 1960, Kiowa, Pittsburg Co, Oklahoma. She died 7 Feb 1884, Bonham, TX
With the above information I discovered her grave, Willow Wild Cemetery, Bonham, with the dates as born 9 May 1856, died 7 Feb 1884.

Found 14 April 1899 issue Fannin Co., Texas "Bonham News"

Sunday morning at 4 o'clock Christopher Yancy Thomas died at his home in
this city after a weeks' illness. On the Monday before he was compelled
to leave M. Rosenbaum's store where he was at work and go home to bed,
erysipelas having broken out on his face. Very few people knew that he
was seriously sick and the news of his death was entirely unexpected to
most of his friends.

Monday morning at 9:30 funeral services were conducted at the residence
by Eld. Chas. Carlton and Rev. C.M. Threadgill, after which the remains
were buried in Willow Wild cemetery.

Mr. Thomas was born in Calhoun Co., Arkansas on Nov. 21, 1851. He was too
young to enter the army but boy as he was, he joined a company whose business
it was to protect the homes of the neighborhood and to assist the Confederate
army by burning bridges in front of the enemy and such like work.

In 1863 he came to Texas and had lived in this county ever since. He had
been a member of the Christian church for 15 years or more. He was a man
of strong convictions in religion and politics and he never feared or hesitated
to contend for principles he believed in whether they met popular approval
or not. As is always the case with such men, he made some warm friends
and some enemies.

He leaves surviving a WIDOW and 5 CHILDREN, besides 4 brothers and a sister
who have the sympathy of the community in their sorrow.

1900 Census. Fannin Co TX
Katie Thomas, age 41, widow, b. Jan 1859, TX, father & mother b. TN
Ida M., dau, b. Sep 1886, age 13, b. TX, father b. AR, mother b. TX
C. Y., son, b. May 1890, age 10
Ray M., son, b. Oct 1892, age 7
Walter Stegall, boarder, age 26, b. TX, father b. AR, mother b. TN
[Daughters Ella and Lev were living with Lindsay Thomas and family in 1900. Katie appears to have been their stepmother.]

Willow Wild Cemetery, Bonham, Fannin Co, TX
Christopher Y. Thomas, b. 21 Nov 1851, d. 9 Apr 1899
Mrs. C. Y. Thomas, b. 1859, d. 7 Mar 1922 and Katie J. Thomas, b. 19 Jan 1859, d. 22 Mar 1922 [this would appear to be a duplicate listing]
C. Y. Thomas, b. 30 May 1890, d. 27 Apr 1958
Rhea Mills Thomas, b. 9 Oct 1892, d. 1 Apr 1979

Christopher Yancy THOMAS and Lydia Elizabeth JOHNSON were married circa 1878 in Texas. Lydia Elizabeth JOHNSON was born on 9 May 1856 in Barbour County, Alabama.²¹² She died on 7 February 1884 at the age of 27 in Fannin County, Texas.²¹²

Online database gives parents as William S. and Elizabeth Johnson.

John Washington Cason, her first husband was much older - born 24 Feb 1818, Anderson Co, SC. He died 26 Nov 1877, Titus Co, TX and is buried Snow Hill Cemetery. John Cason's first wife was Thursa Jane Scott by whom he had possibly ten children. They likely married in Georgia; she died 18 Feb 1873 in Titus Co, TX. Only one son was born to Lydia and he was born only a few weeks before his father died.

Lydia probably died of complications of childbirth after the birth of twins - the grave of the babies Ruth and Ophelia Thomas found in Willow Wild Cemetery. They were born in January of 1884 - Lydia died the 7th of February, Ruth, the 20th, and Ophelia on the 21st. They are all buried in the same plot.

Christopher Yancy THOMAS and Lydia Elizabeth JOHNSON had the following children:

716	i.	Ella Graves THOMAS was born in February 1880 in Fannin County, Texas. 1900 Census. Fannin Co. TX, Precinct 1, Bonham City Lindsay Thomas, b. Aug 1845, age 54, married 26 years, b. NC as were his parents, County Tax Assessor Antonia, wife, b. Nov 1851, age 48, had 11 children, 7 are living; b. TN, father b. Ireland, mother b. Mississippi Fannie L., daughter, b. Jul 1874, age 25, b. AR, father b. NC, mother b. TN, teacher Lindsay, son, b. Oct 1879, age 20, b. TX Nathaniel, son, b. Apr 1884, age 16, b. TX Jessie, son, b. Aug 1889, age 10, b. TX Josephine, dau, b. May 1892, age 8, b. TX Ella, niece, b. May 1880, age 20, b. TX, father b. AR, mother b. unknown Lev, niece, b. Aug 1881, age 18 [I have childhood pictures of Ella & Lev - they were daughters of Christopher Y. Thomas who had died in 1899 - their mother [or stepmother] was still living in Fannin Co, but they were not listed in her household.]
717	ii.	Lev THOMAS was born in August 1881 in Fannin County, Texas. FamilySearch lists this child as Etta Leonora Thomas, born 20 August 1881.
718	iii.	Ophelia THOMAS was born in January 1884 in Bonham, Fannin County, Texas. She died on 21 February 1884 at the age of 0 in Bonham, Fannin County, Texas. She was buried at Willow Wild Cemetery in Bonham, Fannin County, Texas.
719	iv.	Ruth THOMAS was born in January 1884 in Bonham, Fannin County, Texas. She died on 20 February 1884 at the age of 0 in Bonham, Fannin County, Texas. She was buried at Willow Wild Cemetery in Bonham, Fannin County, Texas.

Christopher Yancy THOMAS and Katie JOHNSON were married circa 1885 in Texas. Katie JOHNSON was born on 19 January 1859.²¹² She died on 6 March 1922 at the age of 63 in Dallas, Dallas County, Texas.²¹²

There appear to be two listings in the Willow Wild Cemetery records online.
Mrs. C. Y. Thomas, b. 1859, d. 7 Mar 1922 and Katie J. Thomas, b. 19 Jan 1859, d. 22 Mar 1922

I found the following Texas Death Certificate #7249
Mrs. Katy Johnson Thomas, of 4411 Deere St., Dallas TX, a widow. Born 19 Jan 1859, died at age 63 years, 1 month, and 17 days, 6 Mar 1922. She had chronic nephritis. Her father given as _____ Johnson; her mother as Elizabeth Bass. R. M. Thomas was the informant [likely her son Rhea Mills Thomas]. She was buried Bonham, TX.

Christopher Yancy THOMAS and Katie JOHNSON had the following children:

720	i.	Anna Bessie THOMAS was born on 29 October 1885 in Bonham, Fannin County, Texas. She died on 12 February 1887 at the age of 1 in Bonham, Fannin County, Texas.
721	ii.	Ida May THOMAS was born in September 1886 in Texas. She died in October 1973 at the age of 87. Married Percy George Crowe, 7 Sep 1910, Bonham, Fannin, TX. 1920 Census. Justice Prec 1, Dallas Co, TX, Hh 400 P. G. Crow, 37, b. England, Printer Ida, wife, 31, b. TX Elizabeth, dau, 7 Katherine, dau, 6 George, son, 4 Eleanor, dau, 2 Robert, son, 1 month old Texas Death Certificat #75783 Ida Mae Crowe was DOA at the Irving Community Hospital, Irving, Dallas Co, TX, on 5 Oct 1973. She died of renal failure. She had in Dallas about 21 months, at 2247 Vagas, Dallas. Ida was born 30 Sep 1887 in Texas. Her father was Christopher Yancey Thomas; her mother Kathryn Johnson. Mrs. Edgar Sandkuhl, daughter, was the informant. Buried on 8 Oct at Crown Hill Cemetery.
722	iii.	Christopher Yancey "C. Y." THOMAS was born on 30 May 1890 in Fannin County, Texas.²¹² He died on 27 April 1958 at the age of 67 in Dallas, Dallas County, Texas.²¹² 2 Jun 1917 - World War I Draft Registration C. Y. Thomas was 27, living in Quanah, Hardeman Co, TX. He was born 30 May 1890 in Bonham and was a Pharmacist. He was employed by E. G. Caskey. He was married. Medium height, slender build, gray eyes, dark brown hair Texas Death Certificate #20528 Christopher Yancy Thomas died 27 Apr 1958, St. Paul Hospital, Dallas, TX. He had lived in Dallas for the past 20 years - his residence was 2903 Shelby. He died of acute myocardial infarction - heart attack. He was a retired Pharmists, born 30 May 1890 in Bonham, Fannin, TX. His father was C. Y. Thomas; his mother Katie Johnson. Mrs. B. B. Norris was the informant. He was buried Willow Wild Cemetery in Bonham, 30 April 1958.
723	iv.	Rhea Mills THOMAS was born on 9 October 1893 in Texas.²¹² He died on 21 March 1979 at the age of 85 in Los Angeles, California.²¹² In 1930 and 1940, Rhea lived with his sister Ida and her family. 5 Jun 1917 - World War I Draft Registration Rhea Mills Thomas was age 24, born October 9, 1893 in Bonham, Texas. He lived at 1418 Sugar St., Dallas, TS. He was a clerk for Wells Fargo Express Co. He was single and claimed exemption because of a physical disability (no details). Medium height and build, brown eyes, red hair. Buried Willow Wild Cemetery in Bonham. The California Death Index has 21 March 1979 - his grave marker 1 April 1979.