Celia Ann Brewer
Celia Ann Brewer, the eldest child of John R. Brewer and Cintha Hall, was born in Alabama about 1839-40. Celia was probably named after her mother’s sister, Celia (Hall) Couch. As an infant, I believe that Celia was living with her parents and her maternal grandmother, Sarah Mily (Williams) Hall, on Larkin’s Fork, in Jackson County, Alabama, in 1840. While she was still very young, Celia’s parents migrated, with other members of her mother’s family, to Ripley County, Missouri. After living in Ripley County for a few years, the family migrated to Dade County, Missouri, where ten-year-old Celia was listed in the home of her parents in the 1850 census.
Based solely on the age of their first known child, we can estimate that Celia was married to John Thomas Lee about 1857. Lee family researchers report that John Lee was born in Jackson County, Alabama, on December 18, 1836. While we don’t know exactly when, or where, John Lee and Celia Brewer were married, it seems most likely that they were married in Dade County, where Celia’s family was living at that time. John was probably about 20 years old, and Celia was probably about 17, when the couple married.
John and Celia apparently moved to Arkansas soon after they were married. Their oldest child, Amanda J. Lee, was born in Arkansas in December of 1858.
By August of 1860, John and Celia had moved back to Missouri, and were living in Van Buren Township, near Capps Creek, in Newton County, Missouri. John and Celia did not own any land. John listed his occupation as a laborer, and valued his personal estate at $75. In the census records, John and Celia were listed "next door" to John's mother, and his two half-sisters, and were separated by only one household from that of his older brother, William Lee.
A son, William R. Lee, was born to John and Celia in Missouri about 1864. It appears that John and Celia moved their family from Missouri to Texas shortly before, or soon after, the end of the Civil War. Their next child, Nancy E. Lee, was born in Texas about 1866. The family didn’t stay in Texas very long. Instead, they moved back to Missouri, and settled in Oregon County, where Celia lived as a child. In Oregon County, Celia was reunited with her parents, who had moved from Dade County back to Oregon County in the fall of 1865. Another son, John Thomas Lee II, was born to John and Celia in Oregon County in December of 1867. Rebecca Ann Lee was born in Missouri, in September of 1869.
In August of 1870, John and Celia and their children were listed in the census of Jobe Township, in southeastern Oregon County. Celia’s parents were residents of the same township. John had apparently purchased a small farm in Oregon County, as he valued his real estate at $300, and his personal estate at $150. Celia apparently had more education than John as a child, as she was able to read and write, while John was not. It is interesting to note that John and Celia, in the 1870 census, were listed “next door” to the family of Elijah and Mary (Parrack) Jobe. Elijah and Mary Jobe raised Elijah’s nephew, Caleb Jobe, who married Celia (Brewer) Lee’s younger sister, Martha Emily Brewer, less than two years earlier, in December of 1868.
The 1870 census is the last record I am aware of which mentions Celia (Brewer) Lee. Sometime between 1870 and 1877, John Lee moved his family from Missouri to Texas. Some Lee family researchers indicate that John Lee married Nancy Cranford-Caudel in Cooke County, Texas, in March of 1877. If true, and I have no reason to doubt it, this suggests that Celia died between 1870 and 1877. If so, did she die in Missouri, before the family moved to Texas, or did Celia move to Texas with her family, and die after they settled in Texas? In those days, a widower with young children seldom remained unmarried long after the death of his wife. I suspect that Celia moved to Texas with her husband and children, and died in Texas approximately 1876-1877. However, it should be noted that the 1880 census of the John T. Lee family does not list any children born between 1870 and 1877. If Celia did not die until the mid-1870’s, we would expect to see other children born to John and Celia in the first half of the decade. Perhaps there were younger children, and they also died before the 1880 census.
The John T. Lee family is listed in the 1880 census of Grayson County, Texas. Living with John were four of his children from his marriage to Celia, as well as a two-year-old daughter from his marriage to Nancy Cranford-Caudel. But John’s second wife, Nancy, was missing from the household, and John indicated that he was a widower.
Lee family researchers report that John was married a third time in August of 1884, when he married Mary Jane Wallace in Delta County, Texas. John and his third wife reportedly had two sons. In 1900, census records indicate that John and his third wife, along with one of their sons, were farming in the Choctaw Nation, in Indian Territory. Mary Jane reported, in 1900, that she was the mother of six children, and that two of her children were still living.
John Thomas Lee died in Washita County, Oklahoma, on June 5, 1925. He is buried in the Sharon Cemetery, at Lake Valley, in Washita County.
NOTE TO READERS: This biographical sketch was last updated in December of 2011. If you are interested in updates to this information, have questions about the content, or can add anything to the material provided by this sketch, please contact me at [email protected].
Based solely on the age of their first known child, we can estimate that Celia was married to John Thomas Lee about 1857. Lee family researchers report that John Lee was born in Jackson County, Alabama, on December 18, 1836. While we don’t know exactly when, or where, John Lee and Celia Brewer were married, it seems most likely that they were married in Dade County, where Celia’s family was living at that time. John was probably about 20 years old, and Celia was probably about 17, when the couple married.
John and Celia apparently moved to Arkansas soon after they were married. Their oldest child, Amanda J. Lee, was born in Arkansas in December of 1858.
By August of 1860, John and Celia had moved back to Missouri, and were living in Van Buren Township, near Capps Creek, in Newton County, Missouri. John and Celia did not own any land. John listed his occupation as a laborer, and valued his personal estate at $75. In the census records, John and Celia were listed "next door" to John's mother, and his two half-sisters, and were separated by only one household from that of his older brother, William Lee.
A son, William R. Lee, was born to John and Celia in Missouri about 1864. It appears that John and Celia moved their family from Missouri to Texas shortly before, or soon after, the end of the Civil War. Their next child, Nancy E. Lee, was born in Texas about 1866. The family didn’t stay in Texas very long. Instead, they moved back to Missouri, and settled in Oregon County, where Celia lived as a child. In Oregon County, Celia was reunited with her parents, who had moved from Dade County back to Oregon County in the fall of 1865. Another son, John Thomas Lee II, was born to John and Celia in Oregon County in December of 1867. Rebecca Ann Lee was born in Missouri, in September of 1869.
In August of 1870, John and Celia and their children were listed in the census of Jobe Township, in southeastern Oregon County. Celia’s parents were residents of the same township. John had apparently purchased a small farm in Oregon County, as he valued his real estate at $300, and his personal estate at $150. Celia apparently had more education than John as a child, as she was able to read and write, while John was not. It is interesting to note that John and Celia, in the 1870 census, were listed “next door” to the family of Elijah and Mary (Parrack) Jobe. Elijah and Mary Jobe raised Elijah’s nephew, Caleb Jobe, who married Celia (Brewer) Lee’s younger sister, Martha Emily Brewer, less than two years earlier, in December of 1868.
The 1870 census is the last record I am aware of which mentions Celia (Brewer) Lee. Sometime between 1870 and 1877, John Lee moved his family from Missouri to Texas. Some Lee family researchers indicate that John Lee married Nancy Cranford-Caudel in Cooke County, Texas, in March of 1877. If true, and I have no reason to doubt it, this suggests that Celia died between 1870 and 1877. If so, did she die in Missouri, before the family moved to Texas, or did Celia move to Texas with her family, and die after they settled in Texas? In those days, a widower with young children seldom remained unmarried long after the death of his wife. I suspect that Celia moved to Texas with her husband and children, and died in Texas approximately 1876-1877. However, it should be noted that the 1880 census of the John T. Lee family does not list any children born between 1870 and 1877. If Celia did not die until the mid-1870’s, we would expect to see other children born to John and Celia in the first half of the decade. Perhaps there were younger children, and they also died before the 1880 census.
The John T. Lee family is listed in the 1880 census of Grayson County, Texas. Living with John were four of his children from his marriage to Celia, as well as a two-year-old daughter from his marriage to Nancy Cranford-Caudel. But John’s second wife, Nancy, was missing from the household, and John indicated that he was a widower.
Lee family researchers report that John was married a third time in August of 1884, when he married Mary Jane Wallace in Delta County, Texas. John and his third wife reportedly had two sons. In 1900, census records indicate that John and his third wife, along with one of their sons, were farming in the Choctaw Nation, in Indian Territory. Mary Jane reported, in 1900, that she was the mother of six children, and that two of her children were still living.
John Thomas Lee died in Washita County, Oklahoma, on June 5, 1925. He is buried in the Sharon Cemetery, at Lake Valley, in Washita County.
NOTE TO READERS: This biographical sketch was last updated in December of 2011. If you are interested in updates to this information, have questions about the content, or can add anything to the material provided by this sketch, please contact me at [email protected].