Contents |
This life sketch with sources appeared on Family Search:[1]
Judson Cook Barr was the grandfather of J. C. Barr and the father of James Martin Barr.
Judson Cook Barr, known by his grandchildren as “Cookie” was born in 1852 Carroll County, Georgia, the 5th of seven children (4 girls, 3 boys) born to Josiah Kanady Barr (J.K., also called Jake) and his wife Louise Jane Owen Griffith Barr (known as Jane Barr) who had been married in 1834. Jane Barr’s father, David Griffith had come to the Georgia wilderness in the 1790’s and had fought in the Creek Wars which were part of the War of 1812, since the British provided guns and other resources to the various Native American groups. She had grown up on property her father had gotten in a lottery for lands which had been taken from tribes in Georgia. His father’s unusual middle name was given him for his grandmother Mary Louise Hinson Kennedy Barr. No one seems to know how the name spelling was changed.
Judson was their first living son and always laughingly told his grandchildren he was “the best one”. In addition to all his siblings, his grandmother Elizabeth (Eliza) Houston Barr and his grandfather David Griffith lived in the household. He often told his children that his father was the best man he ever knew, because he had his own mother and his father-in-law telling him what to do, while he was supporting them. His mother called him “Cook” and as an adult he used both “Cook” and “J. C.” instead of Judson. His grandchildren called him “Cookie”. He lived all his life in Carroll County, Georgia, most of it in Roopville. In the 1850’s, there were few slaves in Carroll County and it was called the “Free State of Carroll” when he was growing up. He was educated in schools until the 5th or 6th grade, then spent much of his life continuing his own education. There is not a record of the Civil War severely affecting the J.K. Barr household.
When Judson was 21 years old, he married Sarah Emily Lewis (Sallie) who lived in an adjoining county. The couple lived in Carroll County and he became a farmer. They quickly began having nine children (4 girls, 5 boys) in 16 years. The family grew and Jim Barr remembered that his sister Alice tried to be the boss of all the kids in the family. Judson taught his boys about farming and encouraged them to build on their strengths. Jim Barr recalled that going to work with his dad was much more fun than going to school for him.
In 1889, Judson’s father died at age 72. Shortly thereafter, Judson’s mother and unmarried sister Eliza began living with the family. The same year, in August, the last of the Barr children was born, Millie (Millie Barr Perdue). Sadly, little one-year-old daughter Mittie died on the fifth of September. The events of the year 1889 were among the first memories James Martin Barr (Jim) had of his family. Jane and Eliza quickly began helping the family take care of the younger children. Jim Barr said his grandmother became a like a mother to him.
Between 1890 and 1900, there were turbulent times in the Barr household. The older children began to marry and the Barr marriage was in trouble. Records have not been found for a divorce at this time, but in the 1900 Census when Judson was 48 years old, Sarah was living in Tyus, Georgia a few miles away with son Joe and daughter Millie. Judson was living in Roopville with his sister Eliza, mother Jane Barr, son Jim Barr and daughter Alice.
In 1901, his mother Louise Jane Owen Griffith Barr passed away at age 85. Jim Barr recalled his grandmother wanted to live to be as old as her father David Griffith, which was 103. He remembered the entire family was devastated, because she was much loved.
The marriage record for Judson and Zilla Elizabeth Smith Barr has not be found yet. There may be a family member who has a Bible record. We know they were married between 1900 and 1910. Jim Barr said his dad had remarried before he came to Texas, which was in 1904. Jim had spent several months after his father’s marriage with his brother John H. Barr’s family, as he was angry about the marriage. Judson was probably about 52 when he remarried. There is no record that Sarah (Sallie) ever married again.
Judson continued to farm as long as he could. He enjoyed his family living nearby and made trips with his son John H. to Texas to see Jim Barr and meet his grandchildren. J.C. Barr remembered him as being a very kind, amiable man. The 1930’s were filled with sorrow as first oldest son George died, then Sarah died in 1933. Although they had not lived together for over 30 years, he mourned her death in letters to Jim Barr in Texas. Then wife Zilla, son Joe and daughter Alice died in 1935, with daughter Lilla passing away in 1938. Son Jim and his wife had gotten divorced in Texas.
In the early 1940’s when he’d heard that granddaughter Ella Juanita Barr Johnson (Jua) was going to have a child, Judson wrote her that the 1940’s were going to be great years for the Barr family, and family members said he always celebrated when a new great grandchild was born.
Judson died in 1948 at the age of 96. He had a full life, surrounded by family that he loved dearly, which was displayed in the effort he made writing letters, traveling to Texas and eventually making phone calls when he could hardly hear. He was survived by 4 children, 3 sons and 1 daughter. He had 52 grandchildren and 4 step-grandchildren.
BARR. Mr. J. Cook -- The friends and relatives of Mr. and Mrs. J. Cook Barr, Mr. and Mrs. Homer Taylor, of Roopville, Ga, Mr. and Mrs. John H. Barr, Sr, of Bowdon, Mr. and Mrs. Seaborn Barr, Mr. and Mrs. E. A. Perdue, Tyus, Mr. and Mrs. Jim Barr of Bowie, Texas, are invited to attend , the funeral of Mr. J. Cook Barr, to be held from the Roopville Baptist Church, Saturday, Feb. 7, at 2 p.m. with Rev. Gordon Willingham and Rev. P. B. Moore officiating. The remains will lie in state from 1 p. m. until the funeral hour, interment Roopville Cemetery. Martin Funeral Home, Carrollton.[2]
Have you taken a DNA test? If so, login to add it. If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA.
Judson is 21 degrees from Emeril Lagasse, 21 degrees from Nigella Lawson, 24 degrees from Maggie Beer, 45 degrees from Mary Hunnings, 27 degrees from Joop Braakhekke, 32 degrees from Michael Chow, 19 degrees from Ree Drummond, 25 degrees from Paul Hollywood, 24 degrees from Matty Matheson, 22 degrees from Martha Stewart, 30 degrees from Danny Trejo and 29 degrees from Molly Yeh on our single family tree. Login to find your connection.