A Short

Henson Family History

Submitted by John William Henson III
henson3@chattanooga.net

1. Wiley _____ Henson

Born Haywood County, North Carolina

Married Pearl Ina Harkins

Spouse born Ca 1813

Letter Mrs. Iona Pfeifer

820 Hickory Street

Sevierville, TN 37862

(615) 453-6389

Dated 1982. ...Pearl Ina Harkins Henson and Nancy

Johnson Harkins are shown in census as being born in

South Carolina. Daddy's notes (W.B.) state Nancy Johnson

came from Ireland at age 12. The Harkins family are

shown in 1860 census for Union County Georgia; Nancy, a

widow, is shown living in the home of Asbury Harkins.

Nancy Johnson married William (Bill) Harkins. (Most

Harkins came to Union County, Georgia after the 1850

census and were listed in Old Union Co. for 1860. Many

still live there now. IHP)

Siblings of Wiley Henson

A - James A. Henson

B - Cathrine Henson - Devers

C - Thomas Henson

D - Gilbert Henson

E - Loyd Henson

F - Wiley Henson

We are not sure that this is a complete or accurate

list.

It is family legend that Wiley lived in Gilmer County,

Georgia, and worked at the mines in Copperhill,

Tennessee. He would walk to the mines and board in the

town of Copperhill. He would stay a couple of months

before returning home. One time he walked from his home

to the mines to collect some money that was owed to him

for wages. When he didn't return as he should have, a

couple of the boys went searching for him. They were

told that he died of Pneumonia and had been buried for a

couple of months. I had Historian Roy Lillard search all

the cemetery records there and found no trace of Wiley.

This could have been true or he could have deserted his

family; other records may clear that up. JWH III

A. James A. Henson

Born Ca 1819 in North Carolina

Married Catherine _____

Spouse born Ca 1826 in North Carolina

Chilren of James A. Henson

(1870 Census Towns County, Georgia)

1. William H. Henson age 21

2. Margarette Henson age 19

3. Fredrick Henson age 16

4. Bartly Henson age 6

5. John A. Henson age 13

6. Josephine Henson age 10

7. James D. Henson age 9

8. Julia Henson age 4

B. Catherine Henson

Married Rufus LaFayette (Fayet) Devers

W.B. Henson's notes state "Came to dad's house

several times."

C. Thomas Henson - Preacher

D. Gilbert Henson

W. B. Henson's notes state "Came to dad's house

several times.

E. Loyd Henson

The 1870 Census, Gilmer County, Georgia shows

Loyd Henson, age 43, born in North Carolina,

Married to Millie Harkins age 37, born in North

Carolina. They are buried in the Oakhill

United Methodist Church Cemetery, in Gilmer

County, Georgia. See article in this Appendix

about their courtship and marriage, and

a picture of Millie. Loyd was a farmer and a

U.S. Marshall.

Children of Loyd Henson (all born in Georgia)

1. Mary M. Henson age 18

2. John Wyley Henson age 16

3. George W. Henson age 11

4. Sarah M. Henson age 7

5. William S. Henson age 4

6. James A. Henson age 1

Census shows Nancy Harkins, age 75, living there in

1870. She is believed to be Millie's mother.

1860 Census for this family showed a

7. Nancy J. Henson

1880 Census shows two more children

8. Alice Henson age 6

9. Andrew J. Henson age 4

I contacted an Arch Henson at R6 Box 456, Canton,

Georgia 30114, who is married to Tina Henson. He

is very old and a son of Andrew J. Henson (JWH lll -

8/15/88)

F. Wiley & Pearl Ina Henson (See Anscester 1)

Children of Wiley & Pearl Ina Harkins-Henson

2. Armanda Henson-Powell

Married John Powell

Children of Armanda and John Powell

a. John Asbury Powell

Born Ca 1866

b. Nancy Jane Powell-Miller-Cowart

These children were shown in the 1870

census for Gilmer County, Georgia living

with Pearl Ina Harkins-Henson

3. William Henson

(note of W.B. Henson "...In Northern Army,

unmarried, died and buried in Nashville,

Tennessee."

4. Dotson Henson

Born Ca 1842

Married Mary L. Williams

Spouse born Ca 1852

Doston was in the Civil War

Children of Dotson and Mary Henson

1880 Census

a. Lula Henson age 10

b. John Henson age 8

c. Mary C. Henson age 3

d. Minnie Henson age 8 Mo.

5. Mary Jane Henson-Stanley

Born Ca 1843 (Rowena Henson-Young said that

Mary Jane died and was buried in Little Murray,

Whitfield County, Georgia about 1920. IHP) Aunt

Rowena said that they died without children.

6. George W. Henson

Born Ca 1846

Married Betsy Jane ______

Children of George Henson

From the 1880 Gilmer County, Georgia

Census

a. John L. Henson age 10

b. Louisa Henson age 7

c. Georgia Henson age 2

7. Asbury Denton Henson

Born Sep. 13, 1850

Died Aug. 29, 1944

Married Hulda Wood

Wed. date; Aug. 25, 1878

Spouse born May 16, 1858

Died Aug. 29, 1949

Buried Summerhour Methodist Church Cemetery at

Crandel, Georgia

(JWH III Note The Summerhour Methodist Church

in Crandel is now a Baptist Church and I had a

difficult time finding it - 1987)

(W.B. Henson's notes They were married by Rev.

Jake S. Burton at the house of Hulda's parents,

Joseph H. & Barbary Woodring - Woods, Towns

County, Georgia. Witnesses, John T. Henson and

James A. Henson.

Hulda E. Wood-Henson was a Democrat & Baptist.

Asbury D. Henson was a Republican and Methodist.

Hulda was the oldest member of the Big Springs

Baptist Church in Cleveland, Tennesee, and

Asbury was the oldest at the Big Springs

Methodist Church. On Sundays Frank Henson

(brother of W.B. and Father of Mrs. Jim Ruble)

would drive them to their individual church

which was within one block of each other.

About the year 1887 or 1888 Asbury & Hulda,

along with other families went to Washington

County, Arkansas and settled on or near the

White River. Joseph Hershel Henson, son died

there on Dec. 20, 1888. Son Frank F. Henson

born there on Mar. 2, 1890. Son John B. Henson

died there on Mar. 16, 1890, of malaria fever.

Barbary C. Wood, mother of Hulda, went to

Arkansas and brought them back to Georgia.

Believe Margaret Wood-Cook and Vailor Cook and

family returned with them.

1900 Census for Habersham County, Georgia shows

Asbury D. owning, Clear and Free, 188 acres of

land. Vailor and Margaret Cook owning 190 acres

of land free and clear.)

Children of Asbury and Hulda Henson

a. Joseph Hershel Henson

Born May 28, 1879 Towns County, Ga.

Died Dec. 20, 1888 in Washington

County, Arkansas

b. James Wiley Henson

Married Lou Jane Day

Children of James & Lou Henson

1. Charlie Fay Henson

Born Nov. 8, 1902

Died Feb. 17, 1968

2. J. D. Henson

Born Feb. 6, 1905

Died May 30, 1937

3. Rector CARL Henson

Born Dec. 20, 1907

4. Albert LEONARD Henson

Born Sep. 9, 1910

5. JAMES Grady Henson

Born Sep. 13, 1919

Died Feb. 3, 1920

6. Jimmie Lou Henson

Born Jul. 28, 1921

Died Nov. 21, 1921

c. William Bartow Henson

Born Jan. 19, 1883

Died Feb. 24, 1967

Married Zora Elizabeth Wilson

Wed. date 1904

Spouse born Dec. 23, 1879

Died Oct. 16, 1957

Buried Hilcrest Memorial Gardens,

Cleveland, Tennessee

W.B. Henson was born in Habersham

County, Georgia and died in Cleveland,

Tennessee. (Mother and I visited him

several times - JWH III) He was

elected Justice of the Peace,

Batesville District, Habersham County

in 1916. Appointed for an additional

4 years in 1920. Moved to Whitfield

County, Georgia in 1922 and to

Cleveland, Tennessee in Nov. 1923.

Elected Circuit and Criminal Court

Clerk in Sept. 1938 and additional

terms, 1942, 1946 and 1950. Retired

age 71. He was ordained a Baptist

Preacher on March 4, 1953 at the

Waterville Baptist Church with Rev. H.

L. Lewis Pastor (I knew Rev. H. L.

Lewis rather well, he was a gracious

man - JWH III)

Children of W.B. & Zora Henson

1. EULA Leona Henson

Born Mar. 20, 1904, Habersham

County, Georgia

Married Lester Elrod

2. Maggie DELLA Henson

Born Oct. 1, 1908, Habersham

County, Georgia

Married Frank May

3. William BONNIE Henson

Born Aug. 26, 1906, Murray County,

Georgia

Died Jan. 1, 1927

4. NAOMI Henson

Born Oct. 25, 1914, Habersham

County, Georgia

Married Clell C. Mayes

5. LUCILLE Henson

Born Mar. 29, 1911, Habersham

County, Georgia

6. IONA Henson

Born Jul. 29, 1918, Habersham

County, Georgia

Married Joseph C. Pfeifer, Jr.

7. WILLENE Henson

Born Mar. 10, 1920, Habersham

County, Georgia

(original birth certificate reads

Father, W.B. Henson; delivered by

W.B. Henson; birth registered by

W.B. Henson.)

(Willene and Iona live together -

1988, JWH lll)

8. Lorene Henson

Born Dec. 5, 1922, Whitfield

County, Georgia

Married LeRoy Wonn

d. Barbary Addeline Henson

Born 1885

Died 1967

Married 1st. E. Van Harris

Spouse born 1870

Died 1906

Children of Addie & Van Harris

1. Lester Harris

Married 2nd. Gay Plemons

Children of Addie & Gay Plemons

1. Pearlie Plemons

2. Charlie Buck Plemons

3. Delmar Plemons

e. John B. Henson

Born 1887

Died 1890

f. Frank F. Henson

Born 1890

Married Icie (Icy) Kennedy

Children of Frank & Icy Henson

1. Fredereck Allen Henson

2. Barbara Kathryn Henson

Married Jim Ruble

(Jim Ruble is an automotive body

repairman & owns a shop in Cleveland,

Tennessee. In 1965 Audrey had a

mishap with her car and a Mr. Plemon's

car. I did not know the Rubles, but

rang their doorbell about some repair

work. Kathryn Ruble answered the

door. I told her that I was John

Henson. She said she was a Henson

also. I have visited with them many

times and we talk on the telephone

often. In 1982 Jim Ruble ran for the

Recorder of Deeds for Bradley County,

Tennessee and lost the electon - 1982

by JWH III)

g. Barnett J. Henson

Born 1895

Died 1921

He was a mess Sargent in the U. S.

Army

h. Monty (Maggie) Henson

Born 1892

Died 1930, Cleveland, Tennessee

Married William P. Frisbee

Children of Maggie & William Frisbee

1. J. C. Frisbee

2. Inez Frisbee

3. William (Pascal) Frisbee

4. Roy Frisbee

5. Eloise Frisbee-Snody

6. Dorothy Addeline Frisbee

7. (Dee) Henson Frisbee

i. Minnie (Pearl) Henson

Born 1897

Died 1967, Louisville, Kentucky

Married James Grey

Children of Pearl & Jim Grey

1. Hulda Margaret Grey

Married _____ Harris

j. Asbury (Dee) Henson

Born1899

Died Jun. 30, 1922 - Died in a Road

Bank Cave-

in at Clarksville, Georgia.

SPECIAL RECOGNITION All of the above

information on the Wiley et al came,

with permission, fron the work of Iona

Henson Pfeifer, many thanks, Iona.

8. John Tilman Monroe Henson

Mary Caroline Southers

Parents John Jefferson Souther and

Matilda Dicket.

"My Great Grand Father J. W. Souther was

in the Civil war, joining the Southern

Army on Sept. 19, 1861. Lost Third finger

on right hand. His brother Jesse joined

the same day. Jesse deserted Aug. 1863.

J. W. Souther surrendered at Appomattox,

Virginia. - JWH lll"

Siblings (not in chronological order) -

from Gilmer County, Georgia

a. Jesse W. Souther

Born 1860, buried at Deep Springs

Baptist Church Cemetery

b. Bergan Souther

Buried Murray County, Georgia

c. John J. Souther

Buried Murray County, Georgia

d. Benjamin Souther

Born Dec. 1, 1872

Died Jan. 4, 1937

Buried Gates Chapel, Ellijay,

Georgia

e. Harriett A. Souther-McClured

Born 1854

f. Mary Caroline Souther-Henson

Wife of John Tilman Monroe Henson

g. James Hix Souther - (Per Mrs. Tom

Littlejohn, Nee Margie Nicholson)

Single, Schoolteacher, buried Deep

Springs Baptist Church Cemetery

I remember the pleasant times when I

visited Grandmother Henson in the early

1930's. My mother said that she had the

best memory of anyone she ever know. I

would sit in her lap and feel secure

because of her sweet gentle manner.

John T.M. Henson died in a hospital in

Atlanta, Georgia in 1929.

John T.M.'s tombstone shows born 1855 (no

month or day). THE 1860 census for Towns

County, Georgia, shows him 8 years old.

That means he would have been born in

1852. JWH III

9. Sarah Armanda Henson-Putnam

Born In Little Murray County, Georgia

Aunt Sarah was a small woman aquainted

with hardship and the demands of a large

family. She was a very sweet, loving

person. She became a Seventh-day

Adventist by association with my mother.

Nina, Louise and Hattie joined her in her

new found faith. JWH III

10. Wiley Hixson (Hix) Henson

Uncles Hixson and George visted us in my

mother's home at Collegedale, Tennessee.

That visit meant much to me because it was

a friendship visit. Uncle Hix was a tall

man and on a cane at that time. Later at

a family reunion he was in a wheel chair

because of arthritis. JWH III

1900 census shows Hixson as 13 years old

in McDonald District, Murray County,

Georgia.

11. Harrison Benjamin Henson

Uncle Harrison was somewhat of a "loner."

I remember once when visiting Grandmother

Caroline (8) on a cold winter's day that

Uncle Harrison went into another room and

built a fire in the fireplace to be by

himself. It was the house near Cohutta-

Varnell, Georgia. It is located in

Whitfield County. Turn off the Stewart

Road onto the Bill Stewart Road, traveling

east. At the county line the road name

changes to Scott Road. This house belongs

today to the family of the late Willard

Scott. The house looks very much as it did

when our family lived there. Back in 1935

it had 2 fireplaces (only one today).

HARRISON HENSON & HERMON O'DONALD DEATHS

(This story was written on the shore of beautiful Lake

Chapala, Mexico's largest lake, Jalisco, Mexico, in

January, 1989)

I have always heard of the tragic deaths of Uncle B.

Harrison Henson and Hermon Wallace O'Donald. There were

never but sketchy details at best, so I decided to see

what additional information was still lurking in the

minds of some of those living in the area at the time the

murders occured. These killings happened in 1934 in

Whitfield County, Georgia. Hermon O'Donald was a youth of

18 years. It was rumored in the community that he would

drink alcoholic beverages upon occasion (a). It was also

stated that he would drive his car from church to church

on Sunday selling whiskey. He was never arrested for

bootlegging (b).

Hermon's mother, Irene Nance O'Donald, (December 6, 1898

to June 15, 1919), died when he was three years old and

he went to live with his maternal grandmother, Virginia

E. Scott Nance, (September 7, 1858 to April 27, 1938),

wife of W.O. Nance. Their farm was what is now the Harley

and W.H. Fortenberry farm on Stewart Road just south of

the Bill Stewart Road. (See the Map and newspaper article

in the Appendix of the CONTEGIUM. Remember when you read

the newspaper account that it is just another person

telling, under great stress, what they had been told.

Also keep in mind the distortion that the media can give

to such things.)

The details that I have gathered are often contradictory

so I have keyed them to their source with a lower case

letter in parenthesis. Hermon's tombstone indicates that

he was killed on Wednesday, November 7, 1934. Early in

the afternoon of that day (b) G.M. Miles (F.M. Miles

(f)), Sammy Armstrong and Hermon O'Donald came to the

Henson home and asked Harrison to go duck hunting with

them at the Huckleberry Pond. (Aunt Rowena says that they

were