William
Allen Couch (known as “Mel” by his family members), was my 3rd
great grandfather. He was born in the backwoods of Gilmer County,
Georgia to John W Couch and Alcy “Elsie” Matilda George. At about
age 5, he, his parents, siblings, and a grandmother moved to Wilson
County, Tennessee. Though, they didn't reside their long, for by 1880
the family is living in Kitchen township, Hopkins County, Kentucky.
 |
| William with his parents and grandmother on the 1870 US Census in Wilson County, Tennessee SOURCE: Ancestry.com; Year: 1870; Census Place: District 22, Wilson,Tennessee; Roll: M593_1572; Page: 637B; Image: 607; Family History Library Film: 553071. |
On
September 25, 1883 he was married to Miss Mariah Elizabeth Southard,
a daughter of Fielding Gradison Southard and Margaret Wheatley. The
Southard's were prominent citizens in that county.
We
know of only two children born to William and Mariah; Vernia and
Gertrude. Vernia is my great great grandmother was was born sometime
around December of 1884. Gertrude was born in November 1899. Quite a
gap between children.
By
1900, William and Mariah are no longer together. They divorced
(whether formally or informally), and Mariah is living with William's
aunt, Sarah Couch Buchanan. Mariah is listed as having bore 8
children, only 2 of which are living, which could be an explanation
to why there is such a large year gap between the births of Vernia
and Gertrude.
In
1902, Mariah was re-married and had two children. What happened to
William? On April 1, 1901, he was married to Susie Buchanan. They had
six children. Around 1910, William and the family moved to Stoddard
County, Missouri, and lived in that area for the rest of their lives.
William
Allen was married a third time in 1927 to Fannie Buchanan (he liked
the Buchanan family, didn't he?) And by 1940 was married a fourth
time to a woman by the name of Viana. William was married at least
four times, and could have had at least 14 children,
6 of them not making it to adult hood.
Now,
there is another mystery to how many children William was the father
to. In the 1898 Hopkins County School Census,
William is listed as being the parent or guardian
of Bige Harris, who was born on 8 Sep 1880, and was listed as a
father to Vernia H. Couch (my g-great-grandmother). Was
Bige Harris another child of William?
I
can't say for certain. In the 1900 census, Bige Harris is working on
the farm of R. F. Smith in Hopkins County, so I don't get any context
to who his family his. He was born after the 1880 census was taken,
so I probably won't find him in any census' with his family.
My
3rd
great grandfather died on July 2, 1942 in Parma, New Madrid County,
Missouri, aged 77. He's buried at the Parma Cemetery in Parma
township.
INTERESTING LINKS:
***
Published:
9 January 2015
My
E-Mail: tylerjamesmccane@gmail.com
Next
Week: Mariah Elizabeth Southard, 3rd
Great Grandmother
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