Lucy Ann (McCraw) Heflin (abt. 1825 - abt. 1861)

Born about 1825 in North Carolina

Ancestors

Wife of Rufus Turner Heflin — married 13 Jun 1846 in Granville, North Carolina

Descendants

Died about 1861 at about age 36 in Alexandria, Rapides, Louisiana

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Mary Helen McCarthy [send private message]

McCraw Ahentafel - 11611

Biography

Lucy Ann McCraw was born about 1825. She was named after her grandmother, Lucy Coghill.^[1] On 25 Apr 1842, she married Edward Steed. They had no children. On June 13, 1846, she married Rufus Heflin. They had two daughters and two sons. Lucy died from measles during the family's move to Texas between 1860-1861 near Alexandria, LA. She was buried on the property of a Mrs. Epps.

On 28 July 1994, Blythe Sesko wrote to Mr. & Mrs. Tommy McCraw, with information provided by Lucy's great great granddaughter, Blythe M. Heflin, about her great, great grandparents:

"This information was compiled almost a century ago by Lucy Ann's granddaughter and great grandson (90 years) who has now passed it on to me as I research my given surname of Heflin. Rufus Turner was a lawyer by profession and first married Martha Whitfield, had two issue. She apparently died in childbirth. Rufus then married Lucy Ann McCraw, had four issue. He now decided he would rather be a minister and did so. Lucy Ann was always rather frail and sickly. Rufus was to attend a Methodist Conference in Texas and decided to move his family there as the Texas climate was reported to be very healthy. The only child not to go was Rufus' eldest child, Emma, daughter of first wife and Rufus. It is believed she left for Alabama to marry - not researched yet. Along the family's migration route, Lucy Ann died of black measles (ca. 1860-61). I am searching for her exact date of death and burial place in Louisiana. Her son, Rufus Leight Heflin, became a millionaire dealing in cotton and oil, import and export. On a trip to Germany, he had two identical sets of wrought iron fences and the name HEFLIN on the gate, made and shipped to America for his parents' grave sites. I have been to Huntsville and have pictures of the fence and gates where Rufus, Sally and Theodore are buried. After Lucy Ann's death, Rufus married her sister Sally O. who was traveling to Texas with them. I now see from your guardian records why she happened to be along. I am searching for the marriage date and place of this marriage. The family continued on to Fairfield, Texas and then on to Huntsville, Texas where Rufus became pastor of a Methodist Church. Sally's two children were born in Huntsville. In the summer of 1867, an epidemic plagued Huntsville and virtually wiped out most of the town - including Rufus Turner, Sally O. and Rufus' son from first marriage, Theodore. Rufus Leigh was about 17 years old at the time and now left the oldest of the children - Lewis McCraw Heflin being only months old. So Rufus Leigh took all the children and migrated back to MS to his father's brother, William David Heflin. Emma came from Alabama to take the youngest Lewis McCraw Heflin to raise. Rufus Leigh after marrying (he returned to Texas) took Thomas Starley to raise. Thomas became a lawyer and judge and lived in Silver City, New Mexico. He was later murdered by an irrate man in a bar. I have the notice of his death. The family didn't know much about Lewis McCraw Heflin. As for Lucy's children - Rufus Leigh died a millionaire in Texas. It was said his children squanderd the entire fortune. Martha Edward and Lucy Ella were raised by their uncle and grew up in Sardis, MS. They married brothers from Tennessee (relatives of William David Heflin's wife.) Francis Asbury (my great-grandfather) was sent to Durant, MS to live with another uncle. I am sorry to say, after being uprooted from his native North Carolina, trekked across country during the Civil War, his mother dying and then losing his father, stepmother (whom all the children loved) and his eldest brother, being trekked back to MS and shifted between two uncles - how in the name of heaven could he not help becoming the drifter he became. Unfortunately, he was the 'weaker' of all the children and only child who never adjusted to life. My grandfather, Rufus Leigh Heflin II, picked up the pieces and cemented every thing back to together for his future generations."^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Carol Joyce McCune McCraw, It Is McCraw, Not McGraw, Woodland, CA: C.J.M. McCraw; 3rd Edition (1998), pp. 202-203.

Acknowledgements

• WikiTree profile McCraw-8 created through the import of jehceltic.ged on Jun 14, 2011 by Joani Heflin. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Joani and others.

• WikiTree profile Steed-485 created through the import of jehceltic.ged on Jun 14, 2011 by Joani Heflin. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Joani and others.