James F Wassom (1855 - 1905)

Born 1855 in Tennessee

Ancestors

Husband of Queen Nancy (McDade) Wassom — married 1876 in Laclede Co., Missouri

Died 1905 at about age 50 in Aurora, Lawrence Co., Missouri

Problems/Questions Profile manager: LaMyra Morton [send private message]

Biography

James F Wassom was born in 1855 in Tennessee to John Wassom and Margaret Hughes. ^[1][2]

He married Queen McDade (previously married to a Rogers, then Belden). They had two girls, Lou and Birdie.

He was a blacksmith by trade.

He died in 1905 and is buried at Maple Park Cemetery in Aurora, Lawrence Co., Missouri.

Notes

From: Shirley Wassom .
Sent: Saturday, August 28, 2004 12:09 AM.
To: lamyra
Subject: James Wassom.

Hi Lamyra, I have been "hunting" Wassoms since 1963 and James is one that I have nothing on. Not sure the James F. Wassom you have as father of Birdie Mae is the one I am looking for, but it fits pretty good.

The info I have on James family is from two census: 1850 Jackson Co., TN and 1860 Rhea Co., TN. Wish I could find John and Margaret Hughes in the 1870 and 1880 census. It looks as if "your" James was born in TN and evidently moved to Missouri. Makes me wonder if his parents could have also moved to MO.

John and Margaret married in McMinn Co., TN Oct 10, 1839 and had the following children per the 1860 census:

Caroline Wassom born about 1842.

Angeline Wassom born about 1844.

Eliza Wassom born about 1846.

James born about 1857-- years were all taken from the ages as given in the census, so a year or two difference would still be in the "ballpark".

I can take this family back into Germany into the 1600's, some of the research was done by a Gerald Wassum who lives in Markdorf, Germany.

My husband is from the brother (Elijah) of John who married Margaret Hughes.

Where do you "fit" in?.

Shirley Wassom of Dublin, CA (Shirley died Feb. 21, 2007).

Later contact with another Shirley (whose husband descended from Sarah Wassom) showed that other members of this family did indeed move to Missouri and were living quite close to James and Queen at times. Though they haven't been found in the 1870 census, a missing piece that would help the confidence level, it does appear that this is the correct family. Three more children were born after 1860-a boy named Hesbarth and twin girls, Nancy and Sarah. In 1880, Eliza (now a widow) has two of her younger siblings living with her in Vernon County, Missouri. Shirley had said that John Wassom was called 'Indian John' and it is believed he was living in Indian Territory in 1870. The Wassom's are German and so far no evidence of Indian intermarriage has been documented. Perhaps they were in some way part of the Moravian missionary efforts with the Cherokee.

Sources

1. ↑ 1880 Laclede Co., MO census, Newberg Twp. Wassum, James 23, TN Hetty Q. 35, MO Lucy 3 MO Alfred Rogers 11 MO
2. ↑ 1900 Lawrence Co., Missouri Aurora, #420 He is a blacksmith. Queen has had 6 children with 3 still living

• "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8TJ-FCD : 18 February 2021), Eliza Wassom in entry for John Wassom, 1860. Rhea, Tennessee.

John Wassom Male 42 Tennessee

Margaret Wassom Female 44 Tennessee

Caroline Wassom Female 16 Tennessee

Anjaline Wassom Female 12 Tennessee

Eliza Wassom Female 10 Tennessee

James Wassom Male 3 Tennessee