Fannin County TXGenWeb
John Runnion Jurrant (1858-1943)
&
Martha Forrest McDow Parrish (1862-1944)
From left to right: (daughters) Eva Lela "Lela", Effie Lee, Mary Emma, Hattye Belle Then Martha Forrest McDow Parrish, Miles Alvin (son born in 1898 sitting on father’s lap), John Runnion Jurrant Parrish, Ann McDowell Terry Parrish (mother of John R.J.), James Oliver "Jim", John Frank , William Robert "Willie". This photo must have been taken at the family home in Lone Star, Texas in Fannin County. Lone Star was a community near Allen’s Chapel. There was a church and a school here in the early 1900’s. The school and perhaps the church was destroyed by a tornado in about 1908 according to an audio tape of Miles Alvin Parrish in 1985. The Parrish home was not damaged in the storm. The tornado came while John R. J. and his youngest son were returning to Fannin County, Texas from a trip to visit relatives in Mississippi, Alabama, and South Carolina. According to the tape, they visited a couple of old aunts in South Carolina who later in about 1917 died and left an inheritance for John R. J. and his sister Sarah Parrish McDow. This family with other extended family and friends moved to Fannin County, Texas from Marshall County Alabama in 1884. Info by Linda Tredway Wright January 7, 2000. |
- John Runnion Jurrant Parrish was
the only son of William A. Thadius Parrish and Ann McDowell Terry Parrish.
He was born June 29, 1858 in Greenville County, South Carolina.
When he
was 2 years old, his family moved to Marshall County, Alabama. When he was 4 years old, his father died at the 2nd Battle of Manassas in Virginia fighting with the 48th Regiment, Company
C of the Alabama Confederate forces. His mother was left a widow with four young children when she was 35 years old. John was raised on Sand Mountain near Guntersville, Alabama. Family
stories indicate that John Runnion lived with another family during the Civil War or just after the war because his mother could not
care for all the children. The family that he lived with had a store
in the area and the storeowner gentleman had grown fond of John Runnion. Family stories indicate that the woman of the house had a drawer on her side of the table where she kept special items for only her use; items such as butter. Others were not allowed to eat any of these things from her drawer. John Parrish, John Runnion’s grandfather, is listed in the Carmel Baptist Church minutes dated 1867 at the first meeting after the church was built. This church is still on Georgia Mountain in Marshall County, Alabama.
John R. J. Parrish married Martha Forrest McDow on August 11, 1882 in Marshall County at the home of Martha’s mother. Martha’s brother, Miles Johnson McDow, signed the Marriage Bond with John R. J. Parrish.
Martha’s father was also killed during the Civil War. She was raised by a widowed mother. Her father was Robert Johnson McDow and her mother was Sarah Ann (Segars) McDow. Her siblings were: Sarah Ann Tina McDow, John Carrol McDow,
William Thomas McDow, Lucinda Emmaline McDow, Miles
Johnson McDow, James McDow, and Mary Elizabeth McDow. Martha Forrest McDow was the youngest child and was born May 22, 1862. Martha’s brother , Miles Johnson McDow, married John R. J. Parrish’s sister, Sarah Ann Parrish and both couples remained close throughout their lives.
The oldest child of John and Martha was Eva Lela and she was born in Marshall County, Alabama on July 2, 1883. However in October 1884, this family along with many other family members and family friends moved to Texas. Many of this group settled in Fannin County in the northeastern part of Texas. Family names such as Neely, Fortenberry, Kirkpatrick, McDow, Parrish can be found in
the records of Fannin County, Texas as well as Marshall County, Alabama. John R. J. and Martha’s remaining 8 children were born at Lonestar in Fannin County. Effie Lee Parrish was born May 20, 1885. William Robert Parrish was born February 1, 1887; he was nicknamed Willie. Mary Emma Parrish was born December 10, 1888. Hattye Belle Parrish was born February 22, 1891; James Oliver Parrish was born November 4, 1892. John Frank Parrish, one of a set of twins, was born August 11, 1895; his twin died the day he was born. Miles Alvin Parrish, the baby of the family was born September 26, 1898.
John Parrish and his brother-in-law, Miles McDow were partners in many ventures of farming in Fannin County — raising cotton, corn and oats and purchasing land whereby both would sign the note. Both men were known for their honesty throughout the community. The youngest child of John and Martha, Miles Alvin Parrish, is named after Miles McDow. These men were ever ready to lend a helping hand to a neighbor in need. The communities around Windom and Lonestar in Fannin County, Texas knew John Runnion Jurrant Parrish as "Uncle John". He was a cornerstone in the community according to his youngest son, Miles Alvin Parrish.
John Runnion took his youngest son, Miles Alvin to Marshall County, Alabama around 1908 when Miles Alvin was about 10 years old. They went by train and visited with relatives there as well as Baldwyn, Mississippi and Greenville, South Carolina. Miles Alvin remembered this train trip vividly when he was 87 years old. He recalled arriving at the edge of Alabama and departing the train at a depot to find revenuers that had captured a whiskey still from the nearby hills. Miles Alvin did not know what the contraption was and asked his Dad. John Runnion explained to his youngest son that whiskey was made in that contraption. Miles recalled that it was an odd looking thing and he wondered how anyone could make anything fit to drink out of it. Upon their return to Texas by train from this trip, they heard news that Lonestar had been struck by a fierce tornado and the school and church destroyed. John Runnion was very nervous because the family home was just a short distance from the school and church. They were relieved to find their house intact and no one in the family injured upon their return.
About 1917, John Runnion and his daughter Emma returned along the same route on the way to Greenville County, South Carolina to receive an inheritance from 2 aunts that remained in South Carolina when the family moved to Alabama and then on to Texas.
John Runnion Jurrant Parrish’s obituary states that he was converted and joined the Baptist Church in early manhood, remaining a faithful member until death. He was ordained a deacon at the age of 28, serving in that capacity for 58 years. He and Martha are buried in the Oakwood Cemetery in Honey Grove, Texas in Fannin County in the same plot with Miles Johnson and Sarah (Parrish) McDow. John Runnion Jurrant Parrish died September 10, 1943; Martha Forrest (McDow) Parrish died November 28, 1944.
Eva Lela married Robert Neely; Effie Lee married Ed Fortenberry; William Robert married Rena Iona Victoria Spears; Mary Emma never married; Hattye Belle married Emmett Blassingame; James Oliver married Manilla Laughlin; John Frank married Lucille Winchester; Miles Alvin married Willie Norma Roberts.
Essay written by Linda Tredway Wright,
great granddaughter of John R. J. & Martha F. Parrish, January 9, 2000.
L3Wright (
remove this spam block) @juno.com
Email Any Additions or suggestions
