KERR FAMILY
Three Kerr brothers came to Texas from Tennessee. Maj.
Green William; James Orr; and John Whitfieid. Major Green W. Kerr came alone
in 1858, bought 590 acres of land in the Vineland Community, northwest of
McKinney, then returned to Tennessee. Late in 1859 he returned to Texas with
his family and entire possessions including slaves.
I. Major G. W. Kerr and wife, Mariah Henderson Kerr, were
the parents of nine children: Jerome B., Elizabeth, Lawson, Malinda Jane,
Ruth, John Steel A. W., A. D. and Will M.
1. Jerome B. died in the battle at Shiloh.
2. Elizabeth married T. H. Hockaday, in Tennessee and
came to Texas with her parents. Their daughter, Ella Hockaday,
established the Hockaday School at Dallas, Texas in 1913, donated the
school to the City of Dallas in 1942 and became president emeritus until
her death March 26, 1956. She had one sister, Emma Hockaday Johnson and
four brothers: Fred, Jim, Brown and Albert. Nothing is known of these
boys.
3. Lawson Kerr was engaged in farming and religious
work. Malinda Jane Kerr Sneed was a teacher--while Ruth Kerr Dowell did
social work and taught music.
4. John Steel Kerr served in the Civil War and after
the War was engaged in horticulture and nursery business with his
brother A.D. Kerr in Sherman. John S. married Amelia Rutherford Murray
and they were the parents of five children. He passed away October 4,
1925 in Sherman.
II. James Orr Kerr born in Tennessee November 10, 1813-
was married June 1, 1837 to Elizabeth Naomi Blackwell. They came to Texas in
1860 and were the parents of ten children:
1. Mary F. (Molly) married Billy White and lived
around Bellvue, Texas.
2. Lavenia A. never married
3. John Blackwell married Rebecca Ferguson, daughter
of Samuel Ferguson of Boling Green, Kentucky and were the parents of S.
Granville; Thos. Leslie; John Edwin; Sallie; Lillian Cloyd; and Ethel.
4. James G. never married
5. Samuel J. drowned in Little Elm Creek on his way
back from Denton where he had gotten his marriage license.
6. Thos. Jefferson (Tump) married Willie Jones and
had, one son, Sydney. The family lived Amarillo but later moved to
Oregon.
7. Wm. Whitfield married Isola Looney and. had one son
Wm. Cloyd, who run a Drug Store at Prosper at one time. After Isola's
death - Whit married Betty Bell Sneathen.
8. Elizabeth married Will A. Gossett and was the
mother of James; Hattie, who married Mr. Short; Ray Gossett of Celina;
and Dr. John Gossett, a widely known Veterinarian in McKinney for many
years.
9. Jerome Botford married Emma Orr and their children
were: Sydney, Marie, Whitfield and Fred. They lived around Snyder but
later in life Jerome B. moved back to the McKinney area.
10. Eugenia Alice married Robert Kerr and their
children were: Bernard, Finis, Sadie, Roger and Florence.
All of the sons of James O. and Elizabeth were farmers
except Jerome B. who was a Presbyterian Minister.
John Blackwell Kerr, third child of James Orr and
Elizabeth Kerr, was a farmer and lived in the Foote Community–one mile west
of old Foote Store and one-half mile North. He lived on this farm all of his
life except that spent fighting in the Civil War where he had the misfortune
of loosing a thumb. John Blackwell Kerr married Rebecca Ferguson, daughter
of Samuel Ferguson who moved to Collin County in 1858 from Bolling Green,
Kentucky. J. B. and Rebecca Kerr were the parents of six children:
1. Thos. Leslie who lived in Missouri and was the
father of three children.
2. Granville who lived in Oklahoma and was the father
of three children.
3. Ethel who married Andrew Martin Griffin and their
children were: William Marion, Rosalie, Luther Martin, Sara Ethel,
Raymond, and Mary Rebecca.
4 Lillian Cloyd who married. Thos. H. Cunningham and
their children were: Josephine, William Vincent, Emmet Paul, Thomas
Cloyd.
5. Sallie Naomi who married Bill Lively and had no
children. Mrs. Lively lived at Amarillo, Tx.
6. John Edwin who married Gertrude Leigh Cline and
their children were: John Edwin Jr.; and Virginia Dean Kerr. J. Edwin
was a Presbyterian minister who pastored churches in both Oklahoma and
Texas.
Ethel Kerr, third child of J. B. and Rebecca Kerr spent a
portion of her married life in Collin County but the last few years she and
her husband lived in Hale County. William Marion, oldest son of Ethel and.
A.M. Griffin was a Presbyterian minister and held pastorates in Texas,
Missouri and Arkansas. Rev. Marion Griffin married Marie Wilson and they
were the parents of two sons; Martin, a computer technician who lives in Van
Buren, Ark, with his family, and Warren who lives in Austin, Texas, Mrs.
Marion Griffin now lives in Kerrville, Texas since her husband's death. The
second child of Ethel and A. M. Griffin, Rosalie married Jas. Floyd Baxter.
The Baxters lived most of their married life in Collin County where many of
their children still live. Their children are named in the record of the
BAXTERS found elsewhere in this book. Mrs. Baxter continues to live in the
home in McKinney that Mr. Baxter built when they moved from the farm, Mr.
Baxter has been deceased several years. Luther Martin, third child of Ethel
and. A.M. Griffin was a businessman and veterinarian in Amarillo prior to
his death. Luther was married to Lona Johnson and they had one daughter La
Wayna who is presently Mrs. A. J. Smith and they own a business in Amarillo.
Sara Ethel, fourth child of Ethel and A. K. Griffin married Hiram Attaway
and their only child was Lavon who became a construction engineer holding
positions in many cities of Texas but is now deceased. Hiram Attaway has
been deceased many years and Sara is now married to Earl Carroll and lives
is Colorado. The fifth child, Raymond, died in infancy. The sixth child of
Ethel and A.M. Griffin was Rebecca who married Dawson Allman and their
daughters were Janice Allman Sackett (Mrs. Floyd) who lives in Pampa, and
Sharon Allman Bell (Mrs. Don) who lives in New Jersey. Mr. & Mrs. Allman now
live in Hale Center, Tx.
Lillian Cloyd Kerr, fourth child of John B. and Rebecca
Kerr, married Thos. H. Cunningham a farmer, livestock man and land owner in
the Walnut Grove Community. After Mr. Cunningham's death Mrs. Cunningham
moved to McKinney where she lived until her death. The Cunningham's lost
their only daughter, Josephine in infancy. Their sons were Vincent, a
prominent businessman in Abernathy, Tx., where his widow, Patsy Caudle
Cunningham still lives. Vincent and Patsy were the parents of one son, Don,
who is a pilot now living in Denton Tx. The Cunningham's second son Paul
married Lottie Marie (Hun) Anderhub and they were the parents of one
daughter, Peggy. Paul worked for Texas Power and Light until retiring some
few years ago and now lives in Richardson, Tx. T. C. Cunningham, third son
of T. H. and Lillian, was a Civil Engineer prior to his death. T. C. and his
wife Johnny had no children. The elder Cunninghams are buried in the Walnut
Grove Cemetery.
J. Edwin Kerr, youngest child of J. B. and Rebecca Kerr is
now retired from the ministry but still lives in Meeker, Oklahoma.
III. John Whitfield Kerr, brother of Green W. Kerr and
James Orr Kerr was born in Tennessee September 2, 1834. He was married to
Sallie Scott in 1858 -- she died prior to the Civil War. His second wife was
Mary E. Scott cousin to his first wife --and they were the parents of four
sons: Julian B., Dave W. Frank S., Albert H., and a daughter who died very
young. After the death of his second wife, John W. married a sister of Geo.
McWhorter, a pioneer in West Collin County. They had no children. Nothing is
known of his descendents.
John Whitfield. Kerr was a Second Lieutenant in the Civil
War, was wounded twice and captured. He came to Texas in 1871 and settled
around Celina. He passed away in Celina February 28, 1925.
Surname Index
Recommended Citation:
"Kerr Family,
EARLY SETTLERS OF COLLIN COUNTY." Collin County, Texas History
and Genealogy Webpage by Genealogy Friends of Plano Libraries, Inc., <http://www.geocities/genfriendsghl>
[Accessed Fri February 13, 2004 ].
