THOMAS McKISSICK GARRETT
Thomas McKissick Garrett, b June 2, 1812 in Pulaski, Giles County, Tennessee, d July 2, 1862 at Stranger, Falls County, Texas of measles complicated by pneumonia and buried in the Garrett Cemetery at Stranger - a son of Nathan Odell Garrett, b 1771 in Frederick County, Maryland (in the part which later became Montgomery County), d in early 1815 in Giles County, Tennessee, and his estate probate was settled in court in the "Spring" Session of 1815, and his wife, Ann Mary (called "Polly" McKissick) Garrett, b 1774 in North Carolina, d ca 1840 in Washington County, Arkansas where she had moved with her son after his first marriage. On December 17, 1833, Thomas McKissick Garrett married first to Margaret Minerva Reed, b 1815 in Tennessee, d 1844 in the part of Houston County, Texas which became Anderson County in 1846 - a daughter of Robert and Elizabeth (Stovall) Reed who resided in Giles County, Tennessee. The family moved to Washington County, Arkansas, where three of their four children were born, and the youngest was born in Texas: Mary Elizabeth Garrett, b March 19, 1835 in Arkansas, d 1862 on Blue Ridge (present-day Stranger Community) and buried in Garrett Cemetery there- married first in 1855 to John McDowell, a nephew of Larkin and Mary (Aycock) Rogers and son of her sister, who died soon after the marriage. Mary Elizabeth married second on July 13, 1856 in Falls County, Texas to William Richards Erskine, b April 23, 1823 in Pendleton County, South Carolina, d January 31, 1892 and buried in Tehuacana Cemetery in Limestone County, Texas. They had two sons. Cynthia Ann Garrett, b 1837 in Arkansas, d at age three prior to June 1840 in Arkansas. Thomas McKissick Garrett, Jr., b and d 1839 in Arkansas, and buried there. Robert Jasper Garrett, b April 14, 1841 in the part of Houston County, Texas which became Anderson County in 1846, - married first on June 2, 1863 at Stranger, Texas to Mary (called "Mollie") Smith; married second on June 25, 1896 in Brookhaven, Mississippi to Lola Angela (McInnis) Varnado. In 1840, Thomas McKissick and Margaret Minerva Garrett moved from Arkansas to Texas - spent the winter at Bucksnort, and in the early Spring of 1841 moved on to Houston County, Texas where he received land in David Burnet's Colony near Palestine. After Margaret Minerva's death, Thomas McKissick Garrett married second on December 25, 1845 to Mrs. Linea Frances (Brandon) Cornelison, b January 7, 1816 in Tennessee, d February 18, 1880 at Stranger and buried in Garrett Cemetery there. Linea married third on October 19, 1864 to Reverend Jabez Hickman, who died November 17, 1865. During his life, Thomas McKissick purchased a total of 2,046 acres of land in Falls County - having sold the two grants of land received in David Burnet's Colony soon after he moved to Blue Ridge (later called Stranger) in Falls County. Leaving Linea and their combined surviving children by their first marriages and their own marriage, Thomas came to Blue Ridge in 1849, built a home of cedar which had one thick oak front door, and in 1850, moved his family to their new home, where five other children were born to Thomas and Linea. When Falls County was created in 1850, Thomas McKissick Garrett was appointed to assist in surveying and building the roads in East Falls County - using his slave labor to assist. They were of the Cumberland Presbyterian denomination, and reared their children in that faith, and who were educated in the Blue Ridge Union School which was held in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church established by Reverend Reuben Sanders in August 1848 while the area was still a part of Limestone County. This church was called "Union Church" because all denominations were permitted to have services there. Thomas McKissick Garrett gave land to the community for burial purposes in 1851, which was used by various families who did not bury family members on their own land. The other cemetery in the area was established in 1869, and the Garrett Cemetery ceased to be used by the community for burial purposes. At the time of their marriage, Thomas had two surviving children by his first wife, and Linea Frances - widow of Martin Cornelison - had five children: Elizabeth Jane (called "Eliza") Cornelison, Jesse Cornelison, James H. Cornelison who died prior to 1850, Miles Cornelison, and Benjamin Franklin Cornelison. Thomas McKissick and Linea Frances (Brandon - Cornelison) Garrett had seven children in their marriage: Catherine Elizabeth Garrett, b November 7, 1846 in Anderson County, Texas, d at Stamford, Texas - married 1866 or 1867 to Benjamin Franklin Hickman, b August 24, 1843 in Mississippi, d in Stamford, Texas - a son of Reverend Jabez and Margaret Hickman, and had issue. James Odell Garrett, b November 17, 1848 in Anderson County, Texas - married first in Falls County on August 7, 1870 to Martha Ann Griffith (called "Mattie"). James Odell Garrett married second on January 6, 1880 in Bremond, Robertson County, Texas to Elizabeth Ann Jackson. Rhoda Ann Garrett, b January 27, 1851 on Blue Ridge (present-day Stranger), Falls County, Texas, d June 18, 1937 and buried in Garrett Cemetery at Stranger - married in Falls County on July 29, 1869 to Reverend Jacob Rite Hodges, b April 14, 1850 in Mississippi, d May 27, 1916 and buried in Garrett Cemetery at Stranger, and had six children. Sarah Ellen Garrett, b February 13, 1843 on Blue Ridge (present-day Stranger), Falls County, Texas, d January 24, 1941 in San Angelo, Texas and buried in Fairmont Cemetery there - married in Falls County, Texas on August 12, 1869 to Dabney Ridgeway Hodges, b February 10, 1852 in Mississippi, d in San Angelo, Texas May 22, 1922, and had twelve children. Thomas Henry Garrett, b February 6, 1855 on Blue Ridge (Stranger), Falls County, Texas, d October 9, 1940 in Kosse, Limestone County, Texas - married first in Falls County on October 19, 1876 to Mary Ella Roberts, b August 27, 1860, d April 2, 1933 - a daughter of Joel W. and Elizabeth (Maulding) Roberts, and had ten children. Linea Frances Garrett (called "Fannie"), b February 27,1858 on Blue Ridge (Stranger) in Falls County, Texas, d before May 1879 and buried in Garrett Cemetery at Stranger - married in 1873 to Edmund I. Stone, b December 1848 in Alabama, a son of Edmund and Parmelia (Aycock) Stone, and a nephew of Larkin and Mary (Aycock) Rogers, and they were the parents of two sons. Nathan Willis Garrett, b July 16, 1861 on Blue Ridge (Stranger) in Falls County, Texas, - married December 13, 1882 at Bremond, Robertson County, Texas to Martha Ellen Jackson. When Thomas McKissick Garrett's estate was settled, the two surviving children of his first marriage received one-half of all property - real and personal - and shared equally with a one-ninth share of the remainder, with the seven minor children of his second marriage. Some of the original land of Thomas McKissick Garrett is still owned by his descendants in the Erskine and Garrett families, and many descendants continue to reside in Falls County. Linea Frances (Brandon) Cornelison Garrett survived her second husband by eighteen years. She was a daughter of James and Rhoda (Cartwright) Brandon, and her descendants who continue to reside in Falls County, Texas include both Garrett and Cornelison connections.