William Wallace Fry (1830 - 1901)

Born 6 Jun 1830 in Palmyra, Marion, Missouri, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Louisa Violetta Higginbotham — married 4 Oct 1888 in Fannin County, Texas

Descendants

Died 17 Dec 1901 at age 71 in Ladonia, Fannin, Texas, United States

Confederate veteran. 2nd Regiment Texas Cavalry State Troops As of July, 2011, this service for William Fry has not been confirmed. Another source says he was in Merrick's Milita which was part of the 22nd Regt, TX Cavalry. Any additional information welcomed.

William was born in Marion Co, Missouri. He and his brother Robert Bruce Fry joined the Gold Rush - William found no gold, and got home by working on a ship back to New Orleans, then up the Missippippi - it took him about six months. After he returned to Missouri he then moved with his parents, Abraham Kellar and Sallie McFall Fry, and assorted siblings to Fannin County in 1853. The house his father built is still standing, although it has been added on to and altered, and was lived in by five generations of Frys. William had his own land and home, however.

He married Sophronia Abernathy, daughter of Alphonso and Emily, 2 Jun 1859. They had at least five children: ...Emily Cora, b. May 1860, married Alonzo Maloney, 15 Jan 1879, Fannin Co ...Pleman Bruce, b. 13 Aug 1863, married Mary Pearl Eagleton, died 16 Mar 1932, still living in Fannin Co. ...Samuel Doak, b. 31 Aug 1866, a local doctor, married three times but had no children, died 27 Feb 1948 in Ladonia, Fannin Co. ...Lillie, b. 23 Nov 1872, d. 14 Jan 1875 ...Layfayette, buried Ladonia Cemetery without dates but probably the baby boy listed as born in February, in the 1880 census.

Sophronia died 6 Apr 1885. William is buried next to her and they share the grave marker pictured. Buried in Ladonia Cemetery, Ladonia, Fannin County, Texas^[1]

On 4 Oct 1888, William married Louisa Violetta "Vi" Higginbotham, daughter of Thomas and Lousa McGowan Higginbotham. She was 25; he was 58. They had three children - they were 10, 7, and 5, when he died. ...Alfonzo "Fonnie", b. 4 Oct 1891, d. 14 Oct 1948, buried Breckenridge Cemetery, Stephens Co, TX. Vi's grave has never been found, but it is believed she lived the last few years of her life with her son. Family records show that Vi died 30 Jun 1928 - there is no record that she was buried Ladonia Cemetery. ...Viola "Ola", b. 11 Mar 1894, married W. L. "Gainey" Dillard. Ola died in Mesquite, TX, 23 Jan 1986. ...Carrie Dove, b. 14 Jul 1896, married James Frank Pippin in 1914, died 25 Aug 1968, Terrell, TX

Birth

Birth:

Date: 6 JUN 1830

Place: Palmyra, Marion County, Missouri^[2][3]

Death

Death:

Date: 17 DEC 1901

Place: Ladonia, Fannin County, Texas^[4][5]

User ID

User ID: 6598405CC6058940A963E9477ED215784663

Data Changed

Data Changed:

Date: 13 JUL 2011

Prior to import, this record was last changed 13 JUL 2011.

Note

Note:

According to an account by Anna B. Casey, in 1851 he went to California with his brother for the Gold Rush, never saw any "gold" so he came home...the brother stayed. "Will" had some trouble finding a way home from California. Finally applied for work on a ship to the Panama Canal [the Canal was not there yet but perhaps he did go across Panama] and worked his way back to New Orleans and up the Mississippi to Palmyra; took about six months.

In 1853, the families packed up and loaded several wagons and spent six months getting to Texas, driving a herd of cattle with them.

William did not appear on the tax rolls of Fannin Co until 1860. The previous year, 1859, 200 acres had vanished from his father's land bought from N. P. Lawson, Abstract #396, and this was the tract that William paid tax on in 1860. He continued to pay tax on this tract through 1872 [as far as I read the tax film]

1860 US Census; Fannin Co TX Beat #4, p.106, Household 695. Wm. Fry age 30, farmer b. in MO. "S." age 21 also born in MO and Emily C. age 1 born in Texas.

There are no family stories of his having served in the Confederacy although some of his brothers did. On the USGenWeb Fannin Co TX website is the following notation:

Wm. W. Fry - Merricks Militia

If he served with Merrick that would seem to be this unit.

http://www.researchonline.net/txcw/unit112.htm

22nd Cavalry Regiment [also called 1st Indian-Texas Regiment] was formed by Colonel R. H. Taylor during the spring of 1862 with 873 men. The regiment was assigned to W.R. Bradfute's, Flournoy's, W.H. King's, and J.E. Harrison's Brigade in the Trans-Mississippi Department. In May, 1862, its force was down to 20 officers and 315 men, and it lost 1 killed, 9 wounded, and 1 missing at Newtonia. Later it was dismounted, saw action in Arkansas and Louisiana, and in March, 1865, contained 14 officers and 167 men. It was included in the surrender on June 2. The field officers were Colonels James G. Stevens and Robert H. Taylor; and Lieutenant Colonels John A. Buck, William H. Johnson, Thomas Lewelling, George W. Merrick, and Robert D. Stone.

Someone has placed on FindAGrave that he served in the 2nd Regt, Texas Cavalry. A William Fry is listed as a Private in the unit, but was it this man?

1870 US Census; Fannin Co TX. Precinct 3, Ladonia P. O. p.21, Household 140. William Fry, age 40, Saphronia age 39, Emley age11, Bruce age 7, and Samuel age 4. Columbus McCowen age 21, farm laborer born in AR lives with them.

1880 Census. Precinct #4, Fannin Co TX, Hh 150

W. W. Fry, age 50, farmer, b. MO, parents b. KY

S. Fry [female] age 42, Wife, b. MO, father b. NC, mother b. TN

Bruce, 16, son, b. TX

Sam, 14 [daughter has been marked through]

Baby, [male] age 4 months, born May [probably the infant Lafayette, buried Ladonia cemetery]

1890 Texas Directory for Fannin Co lists W. W. Fry, 230 acres under cultivation, in the Planter & Farmer's Section.

1900 Census. William, Violetta & the 3 children are listed. When he gave the number of years he had been married he first said 44, but this had been crossed out and replaced by 11 years.

William and Louisa Higginbotham were Married by W. C. Crawford, Minister of Gospel, M.E.C.S.

Buried with first wife in the Abernathy area of the Ladonia City Cemetery.

Pippin Records have death date as 6 Apr 1885 - this can't be right because Carrie was about 5-6 when her father died; she was born 1896 and William Wallace had married Louisa Higginbotham in 1888. In fact the date of 6 Apr 1885 was the death of Sophronia, not William Wallace. The date on the joint grave marker is 17 Dec 1901. Under the dates for William is "Farewell dear father, sweet thy rest." The same is under the dates for Sophronia, except is says "Farewell, dear mother, .....

Anna Bird Casey lists two additional children, Oscar, and Ophelia who married a Mr. Maloney, but had no other information. "Ophelia" would be Emily as she's the one who married Maloney. I doubt there was an "Oscar" - however, I did find an Oscar A. Fry, buried Ladonia Cemetery, born 1869, died 1904 - he would certainly fit in the family, except he never appears with them in a census. He possibly could have been too young to be counted in 1870, but should have been present as about age 11 in 1880 and he isn't there. William's brother Henry had a son named Oscar, listed as A. O. with Henry's family in 1880 - he was age 11. No doubt, Ms. Casey misplaced Oscar and he was Henry's son.

Marriage

Husband: William Wallace Fry

Wife: Louisa Violetta Higginbotham

Child: Alfonzo "Fonnie" Fry

Child: Viola "Ola" Fry

Child: Carrie Dove Fry

Marriage:

Date: 4 OCT 1888

Place: Fannin County, Texas^[6][7]

Husband: Abraham Kellar Fry

Wife: Sarah A. B. "sally" McFALL

Child: John Marion Fry

Child: Arminta Fry

Child: William Wallace Fry

Child: Robert Bruce Fry

Child: Benjamin Oscar Fry

Child: George Washington Fry

Child: Amanda Fry

Child: Ann Elizabeth Fry

Child: Henry Harrison Fry

Child: Fitz Edward Fry

Marriage:

Date: 26 NOV 1826

Place: Ralls County, Missouri^[8]

Sources

• WikiTree profile Fry-661 created through the import of Lois for WikiTree.ged on Oct 10, 2011 by Kay Haden. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Kay and others.

• Source: S111 Abbreviation: Texas County Tax Levies Title: Microfilm in the Dallas Central Library. Fannin Co 1838-1878. Lamar Co 1842-1878. Repository: #R15
• Repository: R15 Name: J. Erik Jonsson Central Library Address: 1515 Young at Ervan Streets CONT Dallas, TX 75201 Address 1: 1515 Young at Ervan Streets City: Dallas State: TX Postal Code: 75201 Note: Lloyd Bockstruck is head of the Genealigy Department. Phone Number: 214-760-1400
• Source: S13 Abbreviation: Haden, Lois Pippin Title: Lois Pippin Haden. Handwritten family records. Note: Found at the home of Lois & Bill Haden when Kay closed up their home. Repository: #R1
• Repository: R1 Name: My Files Address:
• Source: S22 Abbreviation: Marriage Index: AR, CA, IA, LA, MN, MO, OR, TX 17 Title: Marriage Index: AR, CA, IA, LA, MN, MO, OR, TX 1728-1850 (Family Tree Maker CD-ROM #227) Note: Temporary Free Search Repository: #R4
• Repository: R4 Name: Online Address: Web Address: http://www.gentryjournal.org/index.htm
• Source: S27 Abbreviation: Marriage Record Title: Marriage Certificate or Copy of Record from County. Repository: #R1 Call Number: LG 289
• Source: S5 Abbreviation: Grave Marker Title: Grave Marker
• Source: S66 Abbreviation: US Census 1900 TX, Fannin Co Title: US Census 1900 TX, Fannin Co (LDS Microfilm #1241633 & #1241632) Repository: #R2 Page: ED 71; Justice Precinct 4, p.245a, Household 139.
• Repository: R2 Name: LDS - Family History Center Address: CONT Montgomery, Alabama City: Montgomery State: Alabama Note: Microfilm and fiche ordered from Salt Lake City
• Source: S75 Abbreviation: US Census 1850 MO, Marion Co Title: US Census 1850 MO, Marion Co Repository: #R9
• Repository: R9 Name: Samford University Library Address: CONT Birmingham, Alabama City: Birmingham State: Alabama
• Source: S96 Abbreviation: US Census 1880 - FamilySearch Title: US Census 1880 - FamilySearch CD-ROM Transcription of entire 1880 Census by the LDS; 2000. Repository: #R3 Page: Texas, Fannin Co, Precinct 4; p.420A
• Repository: R3 Name: Personal Library Address:

1. ↑ Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 11 January 2020), memorial page for William Wallace Fry (6 Jun 1830–17 Dec 1901), Find A Grave: Memorial #16309369, citing Ladonia Cemetery, Ladonia, Fannin County, Texas, USA ; Maintained by K Haden (contributor 47021118) .
2. ↑ Source: #S13
3. ↑ Source: #S75 Page: Liberty Twp; p.287A, Dwelling 416
4. ↑ Source: #S13
5. ↑ Source: #S5 Page: Ladonia City Cemetery, Ladonia, TX, Visited 1993
6. ↑ Source: #S13 Quality or Certainty of Data: 3
7. ↑ Source: #S27 Quality or Certainty of Data: 3 Data: Text: County Clerk, Fannin County, TX. Rec'd copy Feb 1998.
8. ↑ Source: #S22