Martha Viannah (Austin) Rhea was born Oct. 28, 1801, in Kentucky, to William and Rebecka Austin. Martha Viannah (Austin) Rhea was the granddaughter of Stephen Austin and Dorcas Pinson Austin. She married Moses Rhea about 1820 in Wayne Co., Tennessee. They lived in Tennessee while having 12 children and raising their family. They later moved to Arkansas, where she died November 19, 1858, in Yellville, Marion Co., Arkansas. Many of her children were pioneer families who moved to Texas.

According to family records and the Mountain Echo newspaper in Yellville, she was buried in the Old Jefferson/Weast Pasture Cemetery west of Yellville. ("Locations of Cemeteries/Marion County, Arkansas" is information from Marion County Cemeteries by Marian Burnes and her article in Earl Berry's History of Marion County.)

Info in article:
Old Jefferson/Weast Pasture Cemetery: is very old and just at the west edge of Yellville in a field behind the Marion Co Hwy Shops. In 1988 all the stones are down and destroyed except one tall spire containing the names of Brice Milum's wife and son. His wife was Elizabeth Parnum Milum and his son was Thomas D. Thomas D was in the Civil War. He was badly wounded and in Little Rock Hospital. His father Brice, took a buggy and went to Little Rock to bring him home. When he died, he was buried by his mother here. Col Jefferson came here very early from NC and bought a large acreage on Crooked Creek. Dr Weast told me he began this cemetery for his family and slaves. Buried there in a marked grave are his son, Rufus Jefferson, who as born in 1825 and died in 1856. He married a Stinnett in Marion Co. A step daughter Rachael Martin and Col Jefferson's first wife, Charlotte C. are buried here. According to an early issue of the paper Mountain Echo, Vienna Austin Rea, wife of Moses Rea, is also buried here. Many graves were marked only with field stone markers. It is believed that Col Jefferson and his wife, Charlotte, are buried in this cemetery.

1850 US Federal Census:
Name: Anna Ray
[Martha Viannah Rhea]
Age: 48
Birth Year: abt 1802
Birthplace: Kentucky
Home in 1850: Marion, Arkansas, USA
Race: White
Gender: Female
Family Number: 55
Household Members:
Name Age
Moses Ray 50
Anna Ray 48
William Ray 20
Ezekiel Ray 18
Seaborn F Ray 16
Mary Ray 14
Usley Ray 12
Margaret Ray 10
John O Ray 8