Rev. John Howard Byrd was blessed to have three wives in his long life:
#1 Nancy Lwellelyn m. 1843
#2 Nancy Gann m. 1860
#3 Arametha Rebecca "Beckie" Cole Wooten (1841 - 1924) m. 1904

Rev. John Howard Byrd, is originally of Jackson County, Alabama.
He is buried between his second and third wives, Nancy Gann Byrd and Arametha Rebecca "Beckie" Wooten Byrd. He was married to Beckie at the time of his death. His second wife was Nancy Gann who is buried at Union Cemetery in Hightown. As recorded in the church records, Rev. Byrd pastored Union Baptist Church in Alcorn County, Mississippi.

(Bettie Wooten Rogers is Beckie's GG Granddaughter. Information provided by Bettie Sue Wooten and Nancy Opal Yankie who found in each other a delightful "cousin" one fine day.)

I am very proud to call him Grandfather, my GG Grandfather. He and Beckie raised my Grandmother, Evalena Byrd from at age 11 at the time of her Mother's very young and untimely death after childbirth, until she married at age 21. It's clear to our family that they indeed did an amazing job of rearing a fine, lovely Christian Southern Lady. (Nancy Yankie).

Father of:
1. William Henderson Byrd b. 1843
2. Monroe Washington Byrd b. 1845
3. I. M. Armenia Byrd b. 1847
4. Eli Clinton Byrd b. 1849
5. Matthew Madison Byrd b. 1852
6. Mary Ann Byrd b. 1852
7. Amanda Elizabeth Ann Byrd b. 1855
8. John Franklin Byrd b. 1856
9. James Louis Byrd b. 1857
10 Marnervia Ann Byrd b. 1857
11 Carolina D. Byrd b. 1861
12 America Victoria Byrd b. 1862
13 Malissa F. Byrd b. 1864
14 Andrew Jackson Byrd b. 1867
15 George Washington Byrd b. 1869
16 Giles Hamilton Byrd b. 1872

Grandpa Byrd was from Jackson County, Alabama, The Byrd Homestead, where he was a Planter and a Baptist preacher. (Listed in the 1860 Tishomingo County, Mississippi Census as 37 years old, a farmer and born in Alabama.) Through family legend we know Grandpa Byrd brought his wife, Nancy Cobb Lewellen Byrd, and children from The Byrd Homestead in Jackson County, Alabama to Alcorn County in Mississippi out of desperation just to survive; we can only assume this was due to The War Between the States because he gave up land and a comfortable way of life. There were accusations and he was deposed due to a suspicion of Native Americans hiding in the many caves that existed on their place. It will never be known what the truth is on this subject.

First born son, William Henderson Byrd was killed in the war; Will had a wife and two young children whom I've not found as yet.

Grandpa Byrd brought his family to an area in Alcorn County, Mississippi, by Union Baptist Church to a place owned by a family named Lancaster where they lived by camping out under a large tree from which they would hang their clean pots and pans. It's not known how long he and his family had to live this way before acquiring a proper home and farmland. People still remember stories of the wind blowing the pots and pans and hearing the clanging of them for miles around. I wonder how his family and if there were neighbors, slept!

Rev John Howard Byrd pastored Union Baptist Church in Alcorn County, Mississippi, for some time while he also farmed. This fact is documented in the church records. This was a very close family who were also very close to their extended family. Grandpa Byrd came from a long line of Byrds who were Native American Indians (Cherokee), and their survival was largely based on remaining together in a close family group, keeping this a secret and remaining well hidden and not living as Indians by the time they removed to Mississippi or even before that. But if indeed Native American Indians were hiding on his place, surely they must have been relatives or known to him in some way. This tribe consisted of primarily six families who were intertwined by marriage, multiple instances of intermarrying.

Grandpa Byrd would read the Bible every night to his family and might even preach a sermon if the Spirit moved him. My Mother, Opal Florence Anderson, has told us her Mother Evalena Byrd lived in the household 11 years with Grandpa Byrd, and Grandmother Beckie (Rebecca) Byrd, following the death of her own mother when she was only about 10 years old. She actually lived with them up until her marriage to my Grandfather Covus (Cope) Randolph Anderson.

My Mother recalls her Mother Evalena Byrd Anderson telling stories about living there after the untimely loss of her Mother Marnervia Ann Byrd. I also heard of this from cousin Bettie Sue Wooten Rogers of Corinth, great great granddaughter of Arametha Rebecca (Beckie) Wooten Byrd who was married to Grandpa Byrd at the time of his death. His first two wives died prior to his marriage to Beckie. (Nancy Opal Yankie of Texas, GG Granddaughter of Rev John Howard Byrd.)

NOTE: The black and white original photo shown on this memorial and which I have in my possession (the second one was "colorized") shows the names in the handwriting of my Mother's youngest sister, Grace Evalena Byrd and are identified as follows:

Third Row - John Howard Byrd, William Henderson Byrd, Monroe Washington Byrd, Arminia Byrd (standing next to Her Mother), Eli Clinton Byrd in front, Matthew Madison, in white dress, with Mary Ann Byrd seated in her Mother's lap.

*The first son of John Howard Byrd and Nancy Lewellen Byrd, William Henderson Byrd, was killed in The War Between the States that was brought to the South. William left a wife and two precious children. (Nancy Yankie Sidarous, GG Granddaughter)