Serina Williams [see undated photo] is the daughter of John Riley Williams (1800-1870) and Sabra Cooper (1806-1884). Serina was the 10th of 11 known children of John and Sabra Cooper Williams.
John Riley Williams is the son of Isaac Williams (1786-1846) and Sabra Bruton (1784-1852). Sabra Cooper is a daughter of John Cooper (1759-1837) and Martha "Patsy" McDaniel (1772-1857).
John Cooper was a Revolutionary War veteran who served five enlistments as a private in the Virginia militia from 1776-1781. His first two enlistments were from Washington County, Virginia where he was born. His last three enlistments were from Montgomery County, Virginia where he moved with his father in 1778. He married to Martha "Patsy" McDaniel on 20 April 1789 in Greenbrier County, Virgina. Greenbrier County was formed from part of Montgomery County in 1778. Greenbrier County later became part of the state of West Virginia when it was formed from part of Virginia in 1863.
Serina was born in Arkansas, likely near the town of St. Paul in rural Hilburn township in Madison County where her family resided during the 1840 and 1850 census. Her parents moved to Cherokee, San Saba County, Texas during the early 1850s.
Serina's parents came to Arkansas from Morgan County, Kentucky during the 1830s. Her parents were married at West Liberty, Morgan County, Kentucky on 8 March 1828. The Williams family came to Kentucky from Spartanburg, South Carolina during the 1790s. They resided in the relict village of Lickburg within the portion of Floyd County, Kentucky that was later split off to form Morgan County, Kentucky in 1822. The Cooper family came to Morgan County, Kentucky from Montgomery County, Virginia in 1822.
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Serina married twice. Her first marriage was to Alfred Wallace Montgomery (1842-1864), son of Joseph Johnson Montgomery (1799-1866) and Matilda Howard (1802-1877). See memorials: 11494662 and 9767731.
The Montgomery family like the Williams family came to San Saba County, Texas from Hilburn Township, Madison County, Arkansas; and earlier from Floyd County, Kentucky. The Williams and Montgomery families intermarried on at least four occasions in that four daughters in the Williams family (including Serina) married to four sons in the Montgomery family. Namely,
Margaret Elizabeth Williams (1827- aft 1850) married to Alexander Valentine Montgomery (1819-1851);
Emily Williams (1834-1857) married to John Calvin Montgomery (1828-1910);
Sabra Jane Williams (1835-1921) married to Martin Luther Montgomery (1932-1890); and
Serina Williams (1847-1880) married to Alfred Wallace Montgomery (1842-1864).
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1st Marriage to Alfred Wallace Montgomery
Serina had one son Francis Marion Montgomery (1861 - after 1940) by her first husband [See undated photo of son Francis Marion Montgomery].
Alfred Wallace Montgomery was a confederate soldier during the Civil War who died in Arkansas from disease in 1864. During the 1870 census, their son Francis is found residing in the household of Serina's uncle David M Williams (1828-1909) in San Saba County, Texas along with Francis's paternal grandmother Matilda Howard Montgomery (1802-1877).
Serina's son Francis Marion Montgomery married to Eliza Tucker about 1879 and they had one son Alfred Wallace Montgomery (1879-1940). The family resided in San Saba County, Texas during the 1880 census before moving to Mangum, Greer County, Oklahoma where the family is found during the 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940 census.
Alfred Wallace Montgomery (1879-1940) married to Adelaide "Addie" Eliza Jones (1881-1941) in Greer County, Oklahoma on 25 December 1901. They had two sons Edward Montgomery (1906-1981) and Fred Montgomery (1908-1910).
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2nd Marriage to John Henry Kennedy
Serina married 2nd to John Henry Kennedy (1847-1907), a son of immigrants from Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in November 1851 and settled for a time in Ohio before moving on to settle in Brazil, Clay County, Indiana in 1860. John Kennedy's father Thomas Kennedy (1824-1864) was a coal miner back in Kilmarnock and later in the U.S. Thomas Kennedy served in the Indiana 35th Infantry during the Civil War from 1861 until his death in 1864. He went missing in action and was taken as a prisoner of war during the Battle of Chickamauga on 20 September 1863. He was held for a time at the Confederate prison at Andersonville before being transferred by rail to a temporary field prison in Savannah, Georgia where he died of starvation on 9 October 1864 while awaiting a prisoner exchange which never materialized.
John Kennedy enlisted at the age of 17 and served in the Indiana 1st Heavy Artillery from October 1864 to October 1865. He later re-enlisted in the 4th U.S. Cavalry Regiment (regular army) based in Texas where he served for 12 years from July 1866 to September 1878 during the post Civil War reconstruction era. During this time period local ranchers in the San Saba County area were being plagued by theft of horses and cattle by Comanche Indians as well as outlaw gangs of Confederate and Union deserters who were operating out of a vast lawless area of hills and canyons generally west of San Saba County.
Portions of the 4th U.S. Cavalry, including lead Company A in which John Kennedy served were sent out on weeks long patrols into the problem areas in and around San Saba County. They operated for a time out of Fort McKavett in Menard County (92 miles west of Cherokee) and from a temporary field post (40 miles east of Cherokee) known as Post Lampasas (1867-1870).
From detailed entries within the post returns it is known that the soldiers of Post Lampasas were tasked to protect the local populace from attacks from both Comanches and outlaw gangs. They were sent on multiple scouts to make their presence known on the frontier and to also search and destroy any hostile parties encountered. For example, see paper "Post Of Lampasas: Forgotten Reconstruction Era U.S. Army Post (1867-1870)", by Richard S. Jones.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (V.A.) pension file for John Kennedy confirms from his service record that he was stationed for a time at Post Lampasas where he was discharged by expiration of service on 18 July 1869 and re-enlisted in the same Company A on that same date. He was later discharged again at Fort McKavett on 18 July 1874 by expiration of service and re-enlisted in the same Company A on that same date.
It was presumably during one of these scouting patrols that John Kennedy took his assigned task to heart and made his presence known to the widowed Mrs. Serina Williams Montgomery.
The service record for John Kennedy indicates he was sick at Fort Sill near Lawton, Oklahoma during May/June 1877 and that he was finally discharged "by favor upon his own application" at Fort Clark near Brackettville, Texas on 30 September 1878. It is unknown whether Serina may have accompanied her husband on his travels to these locations. However, based on the birth locations of her children by John Kennedy it appears she may have accompanied him on some of his military postings.
The oral history is that eldest daughter Mary "Minnie" Kennedy was born in Sulphur Springs, Texas on 24 June 1869. A 1941 social security claim application filed by Margaret Kennedy indicates she (and presumably her twin sister Martha Irene) were born in Texas at Fort Clark (Fort Clark was near Brackettville, Kinney, Texas) on 15 November 1873. The death certificate for Maude Kennedy indicates she was born in San Antonio, Texas on 21 April 1876.
Serina died of consumption (tuberculosis) on 29 March 1880 near Cherokee, Texas. The 1880 census mortality schedule indicates that Serina Kennedy died of consumption during March 1880 in San Saba County, Texas and that the disease was contracted in San Antonio, Texas. The oral history passed down thru eldest daughter Mary "Minnie" Kennedy is that her mother Serina died in a wagon while enroute seeking medical aid. In 1909, daughter Mary "Minnie" (Kennedy) Lewis prepared an affidavit in support of a V.A. widow's pension application filed by her step-mother Malinda (Wampler) Kennedy who was the 2nd wife of John Kennedy. The affidavit states:
"I am a daughter of John H Kennedy and Irene Kennedy. I will state that I have a personal knowledge of the death of my mother who was the first wife of my father. I was present at the death of my mother and also attended her funeral. My mother Irene Kennedy died on the 29th day of March 1880 in the state of Texas. My father did not again remarry after the death of my mother until he married his present wife Malinda Kennedy."
After Serina died her four daughters went to live with Serina's sister Sarah Ann "Sally" (Williams) Hext (1832-1881) as can be seen in the 1880 census for San Saba County, Texas enumerated on 2 June 1880 which lists Mary Kennedy (10), Mattie Kennedy (6), Margaret Kennedy (6), and Maude Kennedy (3) as nieces residing in the household of Sally A Hext (48) in her status as the widowed head of household.
Sarah Ann "Sally" (Williams) Hext died about one year later on 17 March 1881. The oral history is that the Kennedy daughters were then placed on an orphan train where they were separated for a time in foster care until their father John Kennedy remarried to his 2nd wife Malinda Wampler (1864-1941) in Palo Pinto County, Texas on 13 April 1881. The oral history is that the three older daughters Mary "Minnie", Margaret, and Mattie returned to live with their father and his 2nd wife. However, the youngest daughter Maude became emotionally attached to her foster parents William Henry Ashabranner (1827-1908) and his sister Mary Elizabeth "Polly" Ashabranner who became known to Maude as "Uncle Will" and "Aunt Polly". Will and sister Polly Ashabranner resided together in Georgetown, Williamson County, Texas. They also share a common headstone at Fore cemetery near Georgetown, Williamson County, Texas. See memorials for William Henry Ashabranner [15530779] and sister Mary Elizabeth "Polly" Ashabranner [15530822].
It was decided that Maude would stay to live with the Ashabranner siblings as their foster/adopted daughter. However, Maude and her father kept up a correspondence after he returned to Indiana with his older daughters about 1884/1885. John Kennedy engaged in the coal mining business in Indiana, where he served for 17 years as the Secretary-Treasurer of the United Mine Workers, District 11 (Indiana) from 1890 until shortly before his death in 1907. Daughter Maude Kennedy remained in Texas where she married to Joseph Bethel Baker in Williamson County, Texas on 4 December 1898.
Some years later 1st cousins Pansy (Lewis) Urquhart, daughter of Mary "Minnie" Kennedy and Minnie (Baker) Pipkin, daughter Maude Kennedy kept up a regular correspondence throughout their later adult years. However, they never actually met in person as Pansy lived in Chicago, Illinois and Minnie lived in Florence, Texas.
John Riley Williams is the son of Isaac Williams (1786-1846) and Sabra Bruton (1784-1852). Sabra Cooper is a daughter of John Cooper (1759-1837) and Martha "Patsy" McDaniel (1772-1857).
John Cooper was a Revolutionary War veteran who served five enlistments as a private in the Virginia militia from 1776-1781. His first two enlistments were from Washington County, Virginia where he was born. His last three enlistments were from Montgomery County, Virginia where he moved with his father in 1778. He married to Martha "Patsy" McDaniel on 20 April 1789 in Greenbrier County, Virgina. Greenbrier County was formed from part of Montgomery County in 1778. Greenbrier County later became part of the state of West Virginia when it was formed from part of Virginia in 1863.
Serina was born in Arkansas, likely near the town of St. Paul in rural Hilburn township in Madison County where her family resided during the 1840 and 1850 census. Her parents moved to Cherokee, San Saba County, Texas during the early 1850s.
Serina's parents came to Arkansas from Morgan County, Kentucky during the 1830s. Her parents were married at West Liberty, Morgan County, Kentucky on 8 March 1828. The Williams family came to Kentucky from Spartanburg, South Carolina during the 1790s. They resided in the relict village of Lickburg within the portion of Floyd County, Kentucky that was later split off to form Morgan County, Kentucky in 1822. The Cooper family came to Morgan County, Kentucky from Montgomery County, Virginia in 1822.
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Serina married twice. Her first marriage was to Alfred Wallace Montgomery (1842-1864), son of Joseph Johnson Montgomery (1799-1866) and Matilda Howard (1802-1877). See memorials: 11494662 and 9767731.
The Montgomery family like the Williams family came to San Saba County, Texas from Hilburn Township, Madison County, Arkansas; and earlier from Floyd County, Kentucky. The Williams and Montgomery families intermarried on at least four occasions in that four daughters in the Williams family (including Serina) married to four sons in the Montgomery family. Namely,
Margaret Elizabeth Williams (1827- aft 1850) married to Alexander Valentine Montgomery (1819-1851);
Emily Williams (1834-1857) married to John Calvin Montgomery (1828-1910);
Sabra Jane Williams (1835-1921) married to Martin Luther Montgomery (1932-1890); and
Serina Williams (1847-1880) married to Alfred Wallace Montgomery (1842-1864).
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1st Marriage to Alfred Wallace Montgomery
Serina had one son Francis Marion Montgomery (1861 - after 1940) by her first husband [See undated photo of son Francis Marion Montgomery].
Alfred Wallace Montgomery was a confederate soldier during the Civil War who died in Arkansas from disease in 1864. During the 1870 census, their son Francis is found residing in the household of Serina's uncle David M Williams (1828-1909) in San Saba County, Texas along with Francis's paternal grandmother Matilda Howard Montgomery (1802-1877).
Serina's son Francis Marion Montgomery married to Eliza Tucker about 1879 and they had one son Alfred Wallace Montgomery (1879-1940). The family resided in San Saba County, Texas during the 1880 census before moving to Mangum, Greer County, Oklahoma where the family is found during the 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940 census.
Alfred Wallace Montgomery (1879-1940) married to Adelaide "Addie" Eliza Jones (1881-1941) in Greer County, Oklahoma on 25 December 1901. They had two sons Edward Montgomery (1906-1981) and Fred Montgomery (1908-1910).
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2nd Marriage to John Henry Kennedy
Serina married 2nd to John Henry Kennedy (1847-1907), a son of immigrants from Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in November 1851 and settled for a time in Ohio before moving on to settle in Brazil, Clay County, Indiana in 1860. John Kennedy's father Thomas Kennedy (1824-1864) was a coal miner back in Kilmarnock and later in the U.S. Thomas Kennedy served in the Indiana 35th Infantry during the Civil War from 1861 until his death in 1864. He went missing in action and was taken as a prisoner of war during the Battle of Chickamauga on 20 September 1863. He was held for a time at the Confederate prison at Andersonville before being transferred by rail to a temporary field prison in Savannah, Georgia where he died of starvation on 9 October 1864 while awaiting a prisoner exchange which never materialized.
John Kennedy enlisted at the age of 17 and served in the Indiana 1st Heavy Artillery from October 1864 to October 1865. He later re-enlisted in the 4th U.S. Cavalry Regiment (regular army) based in Texas where he served for 12 years from July 1866 to September 1878 during the post Civil War reconstruction era. During this time period local ranchers in the San Saba County area were being plagued by theft of horses and cattle by Comanche Indians as well as outlaw gangs of Confederate and Union deserters who were operating out of a vast lawless area of hills and canyons generally west of San Saba County.
Portions of the 4th U.S. Cavalry, including lead Company A in which John Kennedy served were sent out on weeks long patrols into the problem areas in and around San Saba County. They operated for a time out of Fort McKavett in Menard County (92 miles west of Cherokee) and from a temporary field post (40 miles east of Cherokee) known as Post Lampasas (1867-1870).
From detailed entries within the post returns it is known that the soldiers of Post Lampasas were tasked to protect the local populace from attacks from both Comanches and outlaw gangs. They were sent on multiple scouts to make their presence known on the frontier and to also search and destroy any hostile parties encountered. For example, see paper "Post Of Lampasas: Forgotten Reconstruction Era U.S. Army Post (1867-1870)", by Richard S. Jones.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (V.A.) pension file for John Kennedy confirms from his service record that he was stationed for a time at Post Lampasas where he was discharged by expiration of service on 18 July 1869 and re-enlisted in the same Company A on that same date. He was later discharged again at Fort McKavett on 18 July 1874 by expiration of service and re-enlisted in the same Company A on that same date.
It was presumably during one of these scouting patrols that John Kennedy took his assigned task to heart and made his presence known to the widowed Mrs. Serina Williams Montgomery.
The service record for John Kennedy indicates he was sick at Fort Sill near Lawton, Oklahoma during May/June 1877 and that he was finally discharged "by favor upon his own application" at Fort Clark near Brackettville, Texas on 30 September 1878. It is unknown whether Serina may have accompanied her husband on his travels to these locations. However, based on the birth locations of her children by John Kennedy it appears she may have accompanied him on some of his military postings.
The oral history is that eldest daughter Mary "Minnie" Kennedy was born in Sulphur Springs, Texas on 24 June 1869. A 1941 social security claim application filed by Margaret Kennedy indicates she (and presumably her twin sister Martha Irene) were born in Texas at Fort Clark (Fort Clark was near Brackettville, Kinney, Texas) on 15 November 1873. The death certificate for Maude Kennedy indicates she was born in San Antonio, Texas on 21 April 1876.
Serina died of consumption (tuberculosis) on 29 March 1880 near Cherokee, Texas. The 1880 census mortality schedule indicates that Serina Kennedy died of consumption during March 1880 in San Saba County, Texas and that the disease was contracted in San Antonio, Texas. The oral history passed down thru eldest daughter Mary "Minnie" Kennedy is that her mother Serina died in a wagon while enroute seeking medical aid. In 1909, daughter Mary "Minnie" (Kennedy) Lewis prepared an affidavit in support of a V.A. widow's pension application filed by her step-mother Malinda (Wampler) Kennedy who was the 2nd wife of John Kennedy. The affidavit states:
"I am a daughter of John H Kennedy and Irene Kennedy. I will state that I have a personal knowledge of the death of my mother who was the first wife of my father. I was present at the death of my mother and also attended her funeral. My mother Irene Kennedy died on the 29th day of March 1880 in the state of Texas. My father did not again remarry after the death of my mother until he married his present wife Malinda Kennedy."
After Serina died her four daughters went to live with Serina's sister Sarah Ann "Sally" (Williams) Hext (1832-1881) as can be seen in the 1880 census for San Saba County, Texas enumerated on 2 June 1880 which lists Mary Kennedy (10), Mattie Kennedy (6), Margaret Kennedy (6), and Maude Kennedy (3) as nieces residing in the household of Sally A Hext (48) in her status as the widowed head of household.
Sarah Ann "Sally" (Williams) Hext died about one year later on 17 March 1881. The oral history is that the Kennedy daughters were then placed on an orphan train where they were separated for a time in foster care until their father John Kennedy remarried to his 2nd wife Malinda Wampler (1864-1941) in Palo Pinto County, Texas on 13 April 1881. The oral history is that the three older daughters Mary "Minnie", Margaret, and Mattie returned to live with their father and his 2nd wife. However, the youngest daughter Maude became emotionally attached to her foster parents William Henry Ashabranner (1827-1908) and his sister Mary Elizabeth "Polly" Ashabranner who became known to Maude as "Uncle Will" and "Aunt Polly". Will and sister Polly Ashabranner resided together in Georgetown, Williamson County, Texas. They also share a common headstone at Fore cemetery near Georgetown, Williamson County, Texas. See memorials for William Henry Ashabranner [15530779] and sister Mary Elizabeth "Polly" Ashabranner [15530822].
It was decided that Maude would stay to live with the Ashabranner siblings as their foster/adopted daughter. However, Maude and her father kept up a correspondence after he returned to Indiana with his older daughters about 1884/1885. John Kennedy engaged in the coal mining business in Indiana, where he served for 17 years as the Secretary-Treasurer of the United Mine Workers, District 11 (Indiana) from 1890 until shortly before his death in 1907. Daughter Maude Kennedy remained in Texas where she married to Joseph Bethel Baker in Williamson County, Texas on 4 December 1898.
Some years later 1st cousins Pansy (Lewis) Urquhart, daughter of Mary "Minnie" Kennedy and Minnie (Baker) Pipkin, daughter Maude Kennedy kept up a regular correspondence throughout their later adult years. However, they never actually met in person as Pansy lived in Chicago, Illinois and Minnie lived in Florence, Texas.
Serina Williams [see undated photo] is the daughter of John Riley Williams (1800-1870) and Sabra Cooper (1806-1884). Serina was the 10th of 11 known children of John and Sabra Cooper Williams.
John Riley Williams is the son of Isaac Williams (1786-1846) and Sabra Bruton (1784-1852). Sabra Cooper is a daughter of John Cooper (1759-1837) and Martha "Patsy" McDaniel (1772-1857).
John Cooper was a Revolutionary War veteran who served five enlistments as a private in the Virginia militia from 1776-1781. His first two enlistments were from Washington County, Virginia where he was born. His last three enlistments were from Montgomery County, Virginia where he moved with his father in 1778. He married to Martha "Patsy" McDaniel on 20 April 1789 in Greenbrier County, Virgina. Greenbrier County was formed from part of Montgomery County in 1778. Greenbrier County later became part of the state of West Virginia when it was formed from part of Virginia in 1863.
Serina was born in Arkansas, likely near the town of St. Paul in rural Hilburn township in Madison County where her family resided during the 1840 and 1850 census. Her parents moved to Cherokee, San Saba County, Texas during the early 1850s.
Serina's parents came to Arkansas from Morgan County, Kentucky during the 1830s. Her parents were married at West Liberty, Morgan County, Kentucky on 8 March 1828. The Williams family came to Kentucky from Spartanburg, South Carolina during the 1790s. They resided in the relict village of Lickburg within the portion of Floyd County, Kentucky that was later split off to form Morgan County, Kentucky in 1822. The Cooper family came to Morgan County, Kentucky from Montgomery County, Virginia in 1822.
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Serina married twice. Her first marriage was to Alfred Wallace Montgomery (1842-1864), son of Joseph Johnson Montgomery (1799-1866) and Matilda Howard (1802-1877). See memorials: 11494662 and 9767731.
The Montgomery family like the Williams family came to San Saba County, Texas from Hilburn Township, Madison County, Arkansas; and earlier from Floyd County, Kentucky. The Williams and Montgomery families intermarried on at least four occasions in that four daughters in the Williams family (including Serina) married to four sons in the Montgomery family. Namely,
Margaret Elizabeth Williams (1827- aft 1850) married to Alexander Valentine Montgomery (1819-1851);
Emily Williams (1834-1857) married to John Calvin Montgomery (1828-1910);
Sabra Jane Williams (1835-1921) married to Martin Luther Montgomery (1932-1890); and
Serina Williams (1847-1880) married to Alfred Wallace Montgomery (1842-1864).
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1st Marriage to Alfred Wallace Montgomery
Serina had one son Francis Marion Montgomery (1861 - after 1940) by her first husband [See undated photo of son Francis Marion Montgomery].
Alfred Wallace Montgomery was a confederate soldier during the Civil War who died in Arkansas from disease in 1864. During the 1870 census, their son Francis is found residing in the household of Serina's uncle David M Williams (1828-1909) in San Saba County, Texas along with Francis's paternal grandmother Matilda Howard Montgomery (1802-1877).
Serina's son Francis Marion Montgomery married to Eliza Tucker about 1879 and they had one son Alfred Wallace Montgomery (1879-1940). The family resided in San Saba County, Texas during the 1880 census before moving to Mangum, Greer County, Oklahoma where the family is found during the 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940 census.
Alfred Wallace Montgomery (1879-1940) married to Adelaide "Addie" Eliza Jones (1881-1941) in Greer County, Oklahoma on 25 December 1901. They had two sons Edward Montgomery (1906-1981) and Fred Montgomery (1908-1910).
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2nd Marriage to John Henry Kennedy
Serina married 2nd to John Henry Kennedy (1847-1907), a son of immigrants from Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in November 1851 and settled for a time in Ohio before moving on to settle in Brazil, Clay County, Indiana in 1860. John Kennedy's father Thomas Kennedy (1824-1864) was a coal miner back in Kilmarnock and later in the U.S. Thomas Kennedy served in the Indiana 35th Infantry during the Civil War from 1861 until his death in 1864. He went missing in action and was taken as a prisoner of war during the Battle of Chickamauga on 20 September 1863. He was held for a time at the Confederate prison at Andersonville before being transferred by rail to a temporary field prison in Savannah, Georgia where he died of starvation on 9 October 1864 while awaiting a prisoner exchange which never materialized.
John Kennedy enlisted at the age of 17 and served in the Indiana 1st Heavy Artillery from October 1864 to October 1865. He later re-enlisted in the 4th U.S. Cavalry Regiment (regular army) based in Texas where he served for 12 years from July 1866 to September 1878 during the post Civil War reconstruction era. During this time period local ranchers in the San Saba County area were being plagued by theft of horses and cattle by Comanche Indians as well as outlaw gangs of Confederate and Union deserters who were operating out of a vast lawless area of hills and canyons generally west of San Saba County.
Portions of the 4th U.S. Cavalry, including lead Company A in which John Kennedy served were sent out on weeks long patrols into the problem areas in and around San Saba County. They operated for a time out of Fort McKavett in Menard County (92 miles west of Cherokee) and from a temporary field post (40 miles east of Cherokee) known as Post Lampasas (1867-1870).
From detailed entries within the post returns it is known that the soldiers of Post Lampasas were tasked to protect the local populace from attacks from both Comanches and outlaw gangs. They were sent on multiple scouts to make their presence known on the frontier and to also search and destroy any hostile parties encountered. For example, see paper "Post Of Lampasas: Forgotten Reconstruction Era U.S. Army Post (1867-1870)", by Richard S. Jones.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (V.A.) pension file for John Kennedy confirms from his service record that he was stationed for a time at Post Lampasas where he was discharged by expiration of service on 18 July 1869 and re-enlisted in the same Company A on that same date. He was later discharged again at Fort McKavett on 18 July 1874 by expiration of service and re-enlisted in the same Company A on that same date.
It was presumably during one of these scouting patrols that John Kennedy took his assigned task to heart and made his presence known to the widowed Mrs. Serina Williams Montgomery.
The service record for John Kennedy indicates he was sick at Fort Sill near Lawton, Oklahoma during May/June 1877 and that he was finally discharged "by favor upon his own application" at Fort Clark near Brackettville, Texas on 30 September 1878. It is unknown whether Serina may have accompanied her husband on his travels to these locations. However, based on the birth locations of her children by John Kennedy it appears she may have accompanied him on some of his military postings.
The oral history is that eldest daughter Mary "Minnie" Kennedy was born in Sulphur Springs, Texas on 24 June 1869. A 1941 social security claim application filed by Margaret Kennedy indicates she (and presumably her twin sister Martha Irene) were born in Texas at Fort Clark (Fort Clark was near Brackettville, Kinney, Texas) on 15 November 1873. The death certificate for Maude Kennedy indicates she was born in San Antonio, Texas on 21 April 1876.
Serina died of consumption (tuberculosis) on 29 March 1880 near Cherokee, Texas. The 1880 census mortality schedule indicates that Serina Kennedy died of consumption during March 1880 in San Saba County, Texas and that the disease was contracted in San Antonio, Texas. The oral history passed down thru eldest daughter Mary "Minnie" Kennedy is that her mother Serina died in a wagon while enroute seeking medical aid. In 1909, daughter Mary "Minnie" (Kennedy) Lewis prepared an affidavit in support of a V.A. widow's pension application filed by her step-mother Malinda (Wampler) Kennedy who was the 2nd wife of John Kennedy. The affidavit states:
"I am a daughter of John H Kennedy and Irene Kennedy. I will state that I have a personal knowledge of the death of my mother who was the first wife of my father. I was present at the death of my mother and also attended her funeral. My mother Irene Kennedy died on the 29th day of March 1880 in the state of Texas. My father did not again remarry after the death of my mother until he married his present wife Malinda Kennedy."
After Serina died her four daughters went to live with Serina's sister Sarah Ann "Sally" (Williams) Hext (1832-1881) as can be seen in the 1880 census for San Saba County, Texas enumerated on 2 June 1880 which lists Mary Kennedy (10), Mattie Kennedy (6), Margaret Kennedy (6), and Maude Kennedy (3) as nieces residing in the household of Sally A Hext (48) in her status as the widowed head of household.
Sarah Ann "Sally" (Williams) Hext died about one year later on 17 March 1881. The oral history is that the Kennedy daughters were then placed on an orphan train where they were separated for a time in foster care until their father John Kennedy remarried to his 2nd wife Malinda Wampler (1864-1941) in Palo Pinto County, Texas on 13 April 1881. The oral history is that the three older daughters Mary "Minnie", Margaret, and Mattie returned to live with their father and his 2nd wife. However, the youngest daughter Maude became emotionally attached to her foster parents William Henry Ashabranner (1827-1908) and his sister Mary Elizabeth "Polly" Ashabranner who became known to Maude as "Uncle Will" and "Aunt Polly". Will and sister Polly Ashabranner resided together in Georgetown, Williamson County, Texas. They also share a common headstone at Fore cemetery near Georgetown, Williamson County, Texas. See memorials for William Henry Ashabranner [15530779] and sister Mary Elizabeth "Polly" Ashabranner [15530822].
It was decided that Maude would stay to live with the Ashabranner siblings as their foster/adopted daughter. However, Maude and her father kept up a correspondence after he returned to Indiana with his older daughters about 1884/1885. John Kennedy engaged in the coal mining business in Indiana, where he served for 17 years as the Secretary-Treasurer of the United Mine Workers, District 11 (Indiana) from 1890 until shortly before his death in 1907. Daughter Maude Kennedy remained in Texas where she married to Joseph Bethel Baker in Williamson County, Texas on 4 December 1898.
Some years later 1st cousins Pansy (Lewis) Urquhart, daughter of Mary "Minnie" Kennedy and Minnie (Baker) Pipkin, daughter Maude Kennedy kept up a regular correspondence throughout their later adult years. However, they never actually met in person as Pansy lived in Chicago, Illinois and Minnie lived in Florence, Texas.
John Riley Williams is the son of Isaac Williams (1786-1846) and Sabra Bruton (1784-1852). Sabra Cooper is a daughter of John Cooper (1759-1837) and Martha "Patsy" McDaniel (1772-1857).
John Cooper was a Revolutionary War veteran who served five enlistments as a private in the Virginia militia from 1776-1781. His first two enlistments were from Washington County, Virginia where he was born. His last three enlistments were from Montgomery County, Virginia where he moved with his father in 1778. He married to Martha "Patsy" McDaniel on 20 April 1789 in Greenbrier County, Virgina. Greenbrier County was formed from part of Montgomery County in 1778. Greenbrier County later became part of the state of West Virginia when it was formed from part of Virginia in 1863.
Serina was born in Arkansas, likely near the town of St. Paul in rural Hilburn township in Madison County where her family resided during the 1840 and 1850 census. Her parents moved to Cherokee, San Saba County, Texas during the early 1850s.
Serina's parents came to Arkansas from Morgan County, Kentucky during the 1830s. Her parents were married at West Liberty, Morgan County, Kentucky on 8 March 1828. The Williams family came to Kentucky from Spartanburg, South Carolina during the 1790s. They resided in the relict village of Lickburg within the portion of Floyd County, Kentucky that was later split off to form Morgan County, Kentucky in 1822. The Cooper family came to Morgan County, Kentucky from Montgomery County, Virginia in 1822.
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Serina married twice. Her first marriage was to Alfred Wallace Montgomery (1842-1864), son of Joseph Johnson Montgomery (1799-1866) and Matilda Howard (1802-1877). See memorials: 11494662 and 9767731.
The Montgomery family like the Williams family came to San Saba County, Texas from Hilburn Township, Madison County, Arkansas; and earlier from Floyd County, Kentucky. The Williams and Montgomery families intermarried on at least four occasions in that four daughters in the Williams family (including Serina) married to four sons in the Montgomery family. Namely,
Margaret Elizabeth Williams (1827- aft 1850) married to Alexander Valentine Montgomery (1819-1851);
Emily Williams (1834-1857) married to John Calvin Montgomery (1828-1910);
Sabra Jane Williams (1835-1921) married to Martin Luther Montgomery (1932-1890); and
Serina Williams (1847-1880) married to Alfred Wallace Montgomery (1842-1864).
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1st Marriage to Alfred Wallace Montgomery
Serina had one son Francis Marion Montgomery (1861 - after 1940) by her first husband [See undated photo of son Francis Marion Montgomery].
Alfred Wallace Montgomery was a confederate soldier during the Civil War who died in Arkansas from disease in 1864. During the 1870 census, their son Francis is found residing in the household of Serina's uncle David M Williams (1828-1909) in San Saba County, Texas along with Francis's paternal grandmother Matilda Howard Montgomery (1802-1877).
Serina's son Francis Marion Montgomery married to Eliza Tucker about 1879 and they had one son Alfred Wallace Montgomery (1879-1940). The family resided in San Saba County, Texas during the 1880 census before moving to Mangum, Greer County, Oklahoma where the family is found during the 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940 census.
Alfred Wallace Montgomery (1879-1940) married to Adelaide "Addie" Eliza Jones (1881-1941) in Greer County, Oklahoma on 25 December 1901. They had two sons Edward Montgomery (1906-1981) and Fred Montgomery (1908-1910).
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2nd Marriage to John Henry Kennedy
Serina married 2nd to John Henry Kennedy (1847-1907), a son of immigrants from Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in November 1851 and settled for a time in Ohio before moving on to settle in Brazil, Clay County, Indiana in 1860. John Kennedy's father Thomas Kennedy (1824-1864) was a coal miner back in Kilmarnock and later in the U.S. Thomas Kennedy served in the Indiana 35th Infantry during the Civil War from 1861 until his death in 1864. He went missing in action and was taken as a prisoner of war during the Battle of Chickamauga on 20 September 1863. He was held for a time at the Confederate prison at Andersonville before being transferred by rail to a temporary field prison in Savannah, Georgia where he died of starvation on 9 October 1864 while awaiting a prisoner exchange which never materialized.
John Kennedy enlisted at the age of 17 and served in the Indiana 1st Heavy Artillery from October 1864 to October 1865. He later re-enlisted in the 4th U.S. Cavalry Regiment (regular army) based in Texas where he served for 12 years from July 1866 to September 1878 during the post Civil War reconstruction era. During this time period local ranchers in the San Saba County area were being plagued by theft of horses and cattle by Comanche Indians as well as outlaw gangs of Confederate and Union deserters who were operating out of a vast lawless area of hills and canyons generally west of San Saba County.
Portions of the 4th U.S. Cavalry, including lead Company A in which John Kennedy served were sent out on weeks long patrols into the problem areas in and around San Saba County. They operated for a time out of Fort McKavett in Menard County (92 miles west of Cherokee) and from a temporary field post (40 miles east of Cherokee) known as Post Lampasas (1867-1870).
From detailed entries within the post returns it is known that the soldiers of Post Lampasas were tasked to protect the local populace from attacks from both Comanches and outlaw gangs. They were sent on multiple scouts to make their presence known on the frontier and to also search and destroy any hostile parties encountered. For example, see paper "Post Of Lampasas: Forgotten Reconstruction Era U.S. Army Post (1867-1870)", by Richard S. Jones.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (V.A.) pension file for John Kennedy confirms from his service record that he was stationed for a time at Post Lampasas where he was discharged by expiration of service on 18 July 1869 and re-enlisted in the same Company A on that same date. He was later discharged again at Fort McKavett on 18 July 1874 by expiration of service and re-enlisted in the same Company A on that same date.
It was presumably during one of these scouting patrols that John Kennedy took his assigned task to heart and made his presence known to the widowed Mrs. Serina Williams Montgomery.
The service record for John Kennedy indicates he was sick at Fort Sill near Lawton, Oklahoma during May/June 1877 and that he was finally discharged "by favor upon his own application" at Fort Clark near Brackettville, Texas on 30 September 1878. It is unknown whether Serina may have accompanied her husband on his travels to these locations. However, based on the birth locations of her children by John Kennedy it appears she may have accompanied him on some of his military postings.
The oral history is that eldest daughter Mary "Minnie" Kennedy was born in Sulphur Springs, Texas on 24 June 1869. A 1941 social security claim application filed by Margaret Kennedy indicates she (and presumably her twin sister Martha Irene) were born in Texas at Fort Clark (Fort Clark was near Brackettville, Kinney, Texas) on 15 November 1873. The death certificate for Maude Kennedy indicates she was born in San Antonio, Texas on 21 April 1876.
Serina died of consumption (tuberculosis) on 29 March 1880 near Cherokee, Texas. The 1880 census mortality schedule indicates that Serina Kennedy died of consumption during March 1880 in San Saba County, Texas and that the disease was contracted in San Antonio, Texas. The oral history passed down thru eldest daughter Mary "Minnie" Kennedy is that her mother Serina died in a wagon while enroute seeking medical aid. In 1909, daughter Mary "Minnie" (Kennedy) Lewis prepared an affidavit in support of a V.A. widow's pension application filed by her step-mother Malinda (Wampler) Kennedy who was the 2nd wife of John Kennedy. The affidavit states:
"I am a daughter of John H Kennedy and Irene Kennedy. I will state that I have a personal knowledge of the death of my mother who was the first wife of my father. I was present at the death of my mother and also attended her funeral. My mother Irene Kennedy died on the 29th day of March 1880 in the state of Texas. My father did not again remarry after the death of my mother until he married his present wife Malinda Kennedy."
After Serina died her four daughters went to live with Serina's sister Sarah Ann "Sally" (Williams) Hext (1832-1881) as can be seen in the 1880 census for San Saba County, Texas enumerated on 2 June 1880 which lists Mary Kennedy (10), Mattie Kennedy (6), Margaret Kennedy (6), and Maude Kennedy (3) as nieces residing in the household of Sally A Hext (48) in her status as the widowed head of household.
Sarah Ann "Sally" (Williams) Hext died about one year later on 17 March 1881. The oral history is that the Kennedy daughters were then placed on an orphan train where they were separated for a time in foster care until their father John Kennedy remarried to his 2nd wife Malinda Wampler (1864-1941) in Palo Pinto County, Texas on 13 April 1881. The oral history is that the three older daughters Mary "Minnie", Margaret, and Mattie returned to live with their father and his 2nd wife. However, the youngest daughter Maude became emotionally attached to her foster parents William Henry Ashabranner (1827-1908) and his sister Mary Elizabeth "Polly" Ashabranner who became known to Maude as "Uncle Will" and "Aunt Polly". Will and sister Polly Ashabranner resided together in Georgetown, Williamson County, Texas. They also share a common headstone at Fore cemetery near Georgetown, Williamson County, Texas. See memorials for William Henry Ashabranner [15530779] and sister Mary Elizabeth "Polly" Ashabranner [15530822].
It was decided that Maude would stay to live with the Ashabranner siblings as their foster/adopted daughter. However, Maude and her father kept up a correspondence after he returned to Indiana with his older daughters about 1884/1885. John Kennedy engaged in the coal mining business in Indiana, where he served for 17 years as the Secretary-Treasurer of the United Mine Workers, District 11 (Indiana) from 1890 until shortly before his death in 1907. Daughter Maude Kennedy remained in Texas where she married to Joseph Bethel Baker in Williamson County, Texas on 4 December 1898.
Some years later 1st cousins Pansy (Lewis) Urquhart, daughter of Mary "Minnie" Kennedy and Minnie (Baker) Pipkin, daughter Maude Kennedy kept up a regular correspondence throughout their later adult years. However, they never actually met in person as Pansy lived in Chicago, Illinois and Minnie lived in Florence, Texas.
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