Rockie Brown

On Sundays, I plan to write about a specific ancestor. Today I want to introduce you to my Great-Great Grandmother Rockie Lenora Brown. I love the name Rockie, I wish I knew how her parents came up with it! I have know her name and her most of her vitals for a few years now but it wasn't until I recently got an email from one of my Uncle Tommy that I took the time to look into her life. In the email he mentioned that they did not know much about her and my first thought was, "challenge accepted"!

Charles Bryant and Rockie

And a challenge it was! I could not find any records of her from before she married Charles Bryant Watson January 5, 1896. And then, a break through. In the 1880 census I found a record for a Rockey Brown born about 1873 in Texas! *Why she was in Texas, I had no idea. When I took a closer look at the census record I saw that her parents were listed as "Jons C Brown" and "J.A. Brown". I was pretty sure that Rockie's mother was Julianne/Julie Ann/Julyan Oswalt so J.A. Brown could be her. Then I noticed that "Rockey's" parents were born in Mississippi! That was enough for me to follow their trail. 

1880 Census Record

Julia Ann Oswalt Brown

   It turns out that Rockies parents, John Calvin and Julia Ann, moved around a lot. They were married in Choctaw County, MS in 1866. Their first son, Charles M Brown, was born there as well. Their daughter, Francis, was born in 1871 in Brownsville, TX. March 3, 1874, Rockie was born in Milam County, TX. Rockie's brother, Walter was born in Axle, TX about 1876 and in 1879 Sarah was born in Parker, TX. Since we don't have the 1890 Census, I don't know when but they eventually all came back to Mississippi. It seems as though Charles died sometime in 1880 in Texas. 

Map of the Brown Family Travels

On January 5, 1896, Rockie Lenora Brown married Charles Bryant Watson, who (scandal alert!) just so happened to be her second cousin. Rockie's sister, Sarah, also married another Oswalt cousin, Virgil.

Rockie and Charles Bryant went on to have eight children in Webster County, Mississippi:

1. Rupert Calvin Watson - Born 14 Mar 1897, Married Aletha Elvy Morris, Died 22 Jun 1974  

2. Ollie Winifred Watson - Born 10 Dec 1898, Married James Irvin Love, Died 5 June 1946 

3. Thomas Hugh Watson - Born 29 Jan 1901, Married Susan Irene Looney, Died 14 Sep 1978

4. Thelma Frances Watson - Born 19 May 1903, Married James Robert Yarbourgh, Died 7 Jan 1940

5. Lloyd Bryant Watson - Born 18 Mar 1904, Married Susan Tabitha Yarbrough, Died 17 Apr 1984

6. Lewis Charles Watson - Born 18 Jun 1907, Married Vera Fern McDonald, Died 19 Dec 1997

7. Violet Marie Watson - Born 7 Oct 1909, Married Lonnie Lee Fortner, Died 25 Oct 2003

8. Rivvie Lenora Watson - Born 10 Feb 1914, Died 12 May 1916

Rockie, Marie and Charles Bryant

Rockie spend the rest of her life in Webster County, Mississippi until her death on 11 Sep 1962. She is buried at the Sapa Cemetery in Webster County, Mississippi. 

Tombstone in Sapa Cemetery

*Edit: I learned that  the reason the Oswalts, Browns and maybe Watson's moved to Texas was to get free land. However, upon arrival they found out that a stipulation for the land was that they convert to Catholicism! Not these Baptists! 

SOURCES

Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 22 April 2018), memorial page for Rockie Lenora Brown Watson (1874–1962), Find A Grave Memorial no. 14524971, citing Sapa Cemetery, Sapa, Webster County, Mississippi, USA ; Maintained by NatalieMaynor (contributor 46770385) .

Webster County Marriages

http://webster.msghn.org/marriages_u.html

United States Federal Census Records:

Year: 1880; Census Place: Precinct 2, Parker, Texas; Roll: 1322; Page: 402C; Enumeration District: 136

Year: 1900; Census Place: Beat 3, Webster, Mississippi; Page: 2; Enumeration District: 0101

Year: 1910; Census Place: Beat 3, Webster, Mississippi; Roll: T624_756; Page: 2A; Enumeration District: 0110; FHL microfilm: 1374769

Year: 1920; Census Place: Starnes, Webster, Mississippi; Roll: T625_899; Page: 4B; Enumeration District: 116

Year: 1930; Census Place: Beat 4, Webster, Mississippi; Roll: 1172; Page: 9B; Enumeration District: 0015; FHL microfilm: 2340907

Year: 1940; Census Place: Webster, Mississippi; Roll: m-t0627-02077; Page: 11B; Enumeration District: 78-15