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Raised by his uncle, Priestly Parker. Residence: James M. Watson was living with his aunt, Larcenia Parker Carnal in 1880. James M. married Sallie BUTLER. Born in 1857 in Tennessee. They had the following children:
116. Bedford Forrest WATSON. Born on 9 Feb 1866 in Carroll County, Tennessee. Occupation: Teacher. Attended one of the prestigious "Normal Schools" in the country, The National Normal Academy at Lebanon, Ohio. He became a teacher and eventually started an academy for young men at Rutherford, Tennessee. His school did not prosper, however, and after its closing, he moved his family to Oklahoma. He taught high school at "Paw Paw Bottoms", Salisaw, and finally at Fort Gibson, Oklahoma. He was the principal of the Fort Gibson High School in 1911, and that building still stands. On 16 Apr 1889 when Bedford Forrest was 23, he married Frances Morena WHITE, daughter of William WHITE, in Rutherford, Gibson County, Tennessee. Born on 18 May 1864 in Springfield, Missouri. Alias/AKA: "Fannie". They had the following children:
Physical Desc: Bedford Forrest Watson was about 5'10", Brown hair & eyes, had a rather large nose and "balanced it" with a full mustache. I remember a quiet, soft spoken man who was very kind. He chewed tobacco and liked to amuse his grandchildren by trying to hit the spittoon across the room. This trick always elicited a scolding from his wife. He was named for Gen Nathan Bedford Forrest and was orphaned at the age of 12. A foster family used him as labor and didn't send him to school. After some months, he ran away and went to live with his uncle, Edward F. Watson until he was able to make a living on his own. He completed grammar school and earned a teacher's certificate from the prestigious National Normal University in Lebanon, Ohio in 1889. He was a teacher and HS Principal for the rest of his working life. He bought 29 acres of land in the 8th civil district, Gibson City, TN in 1901 and a lot in Trenton, TN in 1905. He married FRANCES (Fannie) MORENA WHITE (dau of Wm White & Polly White, no relation as far as we can tell) 4/16/1889 in Rutherford, Gibson, TN. They had 5 children, Mary Elizabeth, Parker (my father), Wilma, Lois, Rebecca Ruth. The following narrative was written by Rebecca. Fannie was born in Springfield, MO, 5/18/1864. Her twin brother died at birth. At sixteen, a girl was considered old enough for marriage. Fanny was small with beautiful naturally curly dark brown hair, sparkling brown eyes and a lovely singing voice. Her teeth had been ruined by the quinine and calamine she had taken to ward off Malaria and she suffered "female complaints" and migraine headaches. She became addicted to the laudanum she took for pain. Nevertheless, she had her share of admirers and was popular at the local parties, hoe downs, box suppers, spelling bees, literary societies and other events common to the time and community. By her 18th birthday she was engaged to Jesse Watson, a neighbor whom she described as tall, black haired and handsome. Her mother, Polly, insisted on a year's engagement in order to give her time to make her trousseau, fill her hope chest and perfect her cooking and household skills. Before the end of the year Jesse died of pneumonia. Fanny grieved over his death and by the age of twenty when she was still unmarried she was considered an old maid and resigned herself to living a lonely life at home with her widowed mother. When Fannie was 24, she attended a box social which was a Christmas party to raise money for the small community church. Fanny had prepared a box lunch for two as custom was and also baked a special cake and wrapped it as a Christmas gift for anyone who might not other wise have a gift in the gift exchange. BF WATSON, a neighbor who had been attending a college in Ohio was the only unexpected visitor, so Fannie's gift was presented to him. He bid for her box lunch at the auction that followed the gift exchange and they ate together. After the party, her brother, who had taken Fannie to the party, discretely left and she and BF were left to ride their horses to her home together. BF courted her through out his Christmas vacation and during the summer when he returned from school. He was a first cousin of her fiancé, Jesse and she had known his family all her life. They were married on April 16, 1889 and traveled by Mississippi steam boat to Cincinnati where he completed his work for a teacher's certificate in the summer of 1889. . 117. Josephine WATSON. Born on 19 Jun 1868. At the age of 65, Josephine died in Carroll County, Tennessee on 8 Mar 1934. Buried in Blair Cemetery, Clarksburg, Carroll County, Tennessee. Resided in Living with Uncle Ben Pritchard in 8th District, Henderson County, in 1880. in 1880. Alias/AKA: "Josie". On 6 Nov 1884 when Josephine was 16, she married James Gideon PRITCHARD, son of Issac PRITCHARD (1821-1902) & Samantha BURNETT (1829-1898), in Carroll County, Tennessee. Born on 7 Jun 1862 in Carroll County, Tennessee. At the age of 79, James Gideon died in Carroll County, Tennessee on 4 Jun 1942. Buried in Blair Cemetery, Clarksburg, Carroll County, Tennessee. They had the following children:
118. Joseph P. WATSON. Born on 18 Feb 1869 in Tennessee. At the age of 36, Joseph P. died in Henderson County, Tennessee on 12 Jan 1906. Buried in Jan 1906 in Beech River Cemetery, Lexington, Henderson County, Tennessee. Alias/AKA: "Joe". Joseph P. married Henrietta E. HARDIN, daughter of Thomas G. HARDIN. Born in 1870. At the age of 88, Henrietta E. died in 1958. Buried in 1958 in Beech River Cemetery, Lexington, Henderson County, Tennessee.
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