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Francis M. and Elizabeth L.
(Lewis) Cary joined with other family and
friends from Alabama that became early
settlers in Texas, coming into Coleman
County around 1880, shortly after the San
Augustine University League Grant was
offered for sale, two miles northwest of
Goldsboro and extended into Runnels
County. Most of the Cary children
settled in this northwestern corner of the
county and are listed with their birth
year and the women's married names:
(1) Sarah E.
(Cary) Knighton (1843), son, David W.
Knighton (1864);
(2) Martha E.
(Cary) Shook (1845);
(3) Robert L.
(1848);
(4) Francis B.
(1850);
(5) John T.
(1852);
(6) Nancy R.
(Cary) Stevenson (1854);
(7) Mary Ann
(Cary) Bedell (1857);
(8) James S. Cary
(1860);
(9) Roxie Ann
(Cary) Whittington (1862);
(10) Ella L.
(Cary) Sargent (1864);
(11) William B.
(1867);
(12) Edwin M.
(1870).
Those that settled in
this area are: David W. Knighton; Robert
L. Cary; John T.; Mary Ann; James S.;
Roxie Ann; Ella L.; William B.; and Edwin
M.
The 1880 Census
records the first Cary household: John and
Isophene (Johnson) Cary and children:
Arthur, John E. and Caswell; also, in the
home was the Cary nephew, David Knighton,
and grandmother, Rachel Peeler. John had
purchased a 162 acre tract. John's
parents, Francis and Elizabeth, purchased
160 acres north of John; also an
additional 95 acres. Nearby
neighbors were the Gabriel and Anariah
(Thomas) Ketner family and their children:
Cephus, Joseph, Haty, and Narsisus.
Joseph and Charity Greer and their
children moved into the area (see Ross E.
Greer). There were three weddings
that united the Cary, Greer, and Ketner
families: William Cary married Rosie
Alice Greer; Edwin Cary married Haty
Ketner, and David Knighton married
Narcisus Ketner.
In 1900, Francis
Cary, age 92, was living on the home
place, but since Elizabeth's death in
January, William and Rosie Cary and baby
daughter, Mabel, were living with him.
John and Isophene Cary had their four
younger daughters, Bessie, Jimmie, Glen,
and Gussie at home, and their newly
married son and wife, Caswell and Fanny
(Goats) Cary were with them.
David and Narcisus Knighton were living to
the south, with son, Holly. Chance and
Ella (Cary) Sargent and their four sons:
Grover, Luther, Clinton, and Cary; and one
daughter, Hattie. The county line
passed through the Bedell place, but their
home was on the Coleman side. Abner
W. and Mary Ann (Cary) Bedell lived with
their children Martha Elizabeth and
William. To the west of the Bedells,
James and Roxie (Cary) Whittington were
living with their children: Mabel, Ethel,
Mattie, Cary and Edna. Edwin and Salina
(Ketner) Cary were living on the next
place with their children: Gertrude, Nora,
Anna, and Marvin. James and Nancy (Cary)
Stevenson settled land to the north in the
Lawn community, and Robert and Sarah Cary
settled around Buffalo Gap. The
Stevenson's daughter, Hattie, married
Albert Bush, and they lived on the Francis
and Elizabeth Cary's home place for a
number of years. This large,
interlocking Cary family included many
Lewis, Armstrong and Christopher families
related on Elizabeth's side of the family.
Francis Cary's older sisters, Ann N. Cary
and Mrs. Martha E. (Cary) Best, also lived
in this community, buried at Midway.
The Cary's youngest son, Edwin, died in
June of 1900, buried at Midway; his widow,
Haty, later married Charles H. Ogle, and
they had one son, Hershell. Francis
Cary died in 1903.
The Carys that
continue today to make their homes in this
area are the sons of William and Rosie
(Greer) Cary. Joseph Lawrence Cary
and Charles Foster Cary farmed land in
this area all their lives. Lawrence
and his wife, Nannie Sophia, are living in
Tuscola, and Charles and his wife, Beulah,
lived on the Talpa farm until his death in
1980. Beulah moved to Talpa to be
closer to their son Tommy and his wife,
Anita, and Tommy still farms their land.
Gabriel F.
Kettner was born in Germany, February 23,
1832, and census data show his U.S.
citizenship as 1844. He was living
in Alabama when he married Anariah Thomas
in June 1860, and their first son, Capus,
was born there. Then Joseph was born
in Williamson County, Haty and Narsisus
were born in Lampasas County. They
were in Coleman County by 1880 and it was
about this time that the spelling of their
name changed to Ketner. The 1900
Census lists Gabriel, age 68, and Ann A.
Ketner with son, Cephus, living on the
home place; Joseph and Charity Greer lived
nearby with their children, James,
William, Mary (see William Edward Duncan
and Green F. Givens), Adie (see J. S.
Hudson), Flora and Lillian. Gabriel
and Ann Ketner moved to Waco to be near
their daughter, Haty Cary-Ogle in a few
years; Gabriel died in December, 1912, and
Anariah in February, 1916.
The Bedell family
migrated from Georgia and Abner was in
Coryell County in the 1870's working at
the apothecary in Gatesville when he met
the petite Mary Ann Cary. He and
Mary Ann "Mollie" were married in January
1875. In 1884, they journeyed here
by covered wagon, with their two children,
Martha Elizabeth and William Thomas.
Abner had a great love for good and
beautiful horses. He was also to
build a lovely two story home for his
family overlooking the valley, and
whenever the Carys would come for visits,
there was always a stop at Aunt Mollie's.
Edward J. "Ned"
and Lizzie Canady lived three miles south
of Midway and were active in the community
and Methodist Church. The Canadys
were another Alabama family that had made
the decision to move into Texas.
Their son, Eric, directed the church
choir, and their cousin, Era Porch, played
the organ. After church, it was
often the custom for the young people to
have a singing at the Bedell's home, as
they had an organ: soon Eric Canady and
Martha Elizabeth Bedell were married and
became active citizens of their community
(see Canady). Eric served as Deputy
Sheriff from 1914 to 1918 After
Abner Bedell died in 1918, Eric and
Elizabeth moved into the two story home
with her mother, Mary (Cary) Bedell and
brother, William. The Canady
children were: Harry, Ella Ruth, Mollie
Hethie, Edward Whitfield and Ruby Ardella.
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