Mary Houston

. Mary Houston

Mary Houston was the daughter of Nathaniel "Thaney" Houston. She was their oldest child and was born in 1867. She never married, but had five children some with Samuel Bentley and the last two by Reuben Potter.

When Mary had her first child, her sister, Lavina "Viney" Houston and Viney's husband, Rhodes Meade said he would take care of her with his family so long as she had no more children. Mary got pregnant again and Rhodes stopped helping her. He simply couldn't afford to feed any other mouths.

Mary's children were Annie, John, James, Maggie Jane and Leonard that I know of. The 1900 census said she had 5 children and 5 were living. In 1910 it said she had six children and six were living.

When Maggie Jane was a teenager she started going to my grandmother Cora's home to help cook and clean for the church and for the boarders that Cora kept. Eliza Jane would be around and this was during a time when Eliza was running around. Mary's sister, Hannah, told Mary that on one night when Maggie stayed all night that Maggie was actually out running with Eliza and Morg Reynolds and another man who was involved in the KKK in Letcher county. When Maggie came home Mary said she had had children without being married but she would not let that happen to Maggie. She nearly beat her to death that day. Alma said that Maggie had not been out running around and never understood why Hannah had told that story. Maggie had just been cooking and cleaning.

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Some in the family asked Mary why she never married and why she had children by Reuben Potter. She said it was just the way things were and she had not wanted it that way. Reuben was married to Arminda Hall. For a while he would bring two sacks of meal to Mary on Friday nights and spend time with her. Mary said had it not been for Reuben she could not have fed her family.

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Sam Bentley was the son of John Manuel Bentley and Elizabeth. Sam came thru the Daniel Bentley line. Sam was born in 1867. He died on July 14 of 1897. If that is true, then I don't know who the father of John and James were.

Reuben Potter was the son of Isaac and Elizabeth Emeline Bentley Potter. Reuben married Arminda Hall.

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I have an Annie as a daugther of Mary and Sam. I don't know her birth date or what happened to her.

John Huston was born in May of 1889. He married a lady named Alice June. He died in 1962.

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James Houston was born in 1891. I don't know who he married, but he had a son named Charlie Houston. Charlie has a son named Carolos. Carols has a daughter named Pamela.

Leonard born in July 1899. He married Goldie and they had a daughter named Helen Janet. Helen married Harley Murphy.

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Maggie Jane was born December 27, 1894. She married James Monroe Hall. James was the son of Samuel Q. Hall and Louisa Angeline Baker. This was his second marriage. He was first married to Nancy Ooten. They had ten children. James was born in 1867 so he was quite a bit older than Maggie.

. Maggie holding Dewey, James M. Hall & little James in front






. This is another picture of Maggie's family. It is tiny and that's the way it came to me.

Maggie and James had five children: Dewey William, Leonard, George "Rattlesnake", James and Marie.

. Dewey, Leonard & George Hall

Dewey married Effie Blanche Lucas. They had Freda June, Dewey, Verita, and Eyvonne. June married a Whitehead.

. Dewey William Hall

. Dewey William Hall (1916-1991)





. Dewey & his wife, Effie Lucas and their daughters.

Leonard married a Hall. He died at Thornton in 1988.

George "Rattlesnake" married a Baker. He died in 1989.

James died in 1991.

That in a nutshell is what I know about Mary and her family. There are cousins who descend through Mary, but I haven't gotten any information about their families or lives to add to this though the pictures I have of Dewey and family came from cousin June.

I was so glad to find a picture of Mary. I think she looks very stylish in it.