Family of Robert Housely and Sarah Cooper

By Dallas Bogan

Reprinted with Permission from Dallas Bogan. 

     John Housley born ABT 1839, Campbell County, Tennessee, married 15-Sep-1856, in Campbell County, Tennessee, Margaret E. Taylor , born 22-Aug-1837, Bradley County, Tennessee, (daughter of George M. Taylor and Annis Gray) died 17-Dec-1877, Union County, Tennessee, buried: Taylors Cemetery, Union County, Tennessee. John died 19-Jun-1868, Campbell County, Tennessee.

     John Housley was the oldest child of Robert Housley and Sarah Cooper. John was raised in Sugar Hollow in Campbell County, Tennessee.

     John Housley fought for the Union in the Civil War. He was enrolled on July 12, 1863 at Camp Nelson, Kentucky in Company B, 11th Regiment Tennessee Cavalry. He was mustered in on August 15, 1863 at Camp Nelson as Sergeant. In March of 1865, he was assigned to Company H, 9th Regiment Tennessee Cavalry following consolidation of the regiment.

     John was mustered out on September 11, 1865. John died of chronic diarrhea which he (contracted while in the service of the United States and line of his duty) according to war pension papers.

     John was buried on his farm at his request, but was later re-interred in the Bakers Forge Memorial Cemetery, when the TVA built Norris Dam. After John's death, Margaret and her children moved to Lead Mine Bend in Union County, Tennessee, near her brother, James Taylor, who was later to assume the guardianship of the five sons of John and Margaret Housley. James Taylor was a State Representative and his son, J. Will Taylor was a very popular United States Congressman.

     It is believed John and Margaret were members of the Powell River Baptist Church in Campbell County, Tennessee. Margaret is recorded as a charter member of the Sugar Hollow Baptist Church in February 1871, after leaving the Powell River Baptist Church. After John's death, Margaret married Burrell A. Rucker.

CHILDREN OF JOHN HOUSLEY AND MARGARET TAYLOR:

     I. Annis Housley born 11-Dec-1857, Campbell County, Tennessee, married 25-Nov-1871, in Campbell County, Tennessee--John Henry Woods,(Housley), born 1851, Campbell County, Tennessee, (son of John Housley and Caroline Woods) died 1913, Union County, Tennessee, buried: Taylors Cemetery, Union County, Tennessee. Annis died 22-Mar-1885, Union County, Tennessee, buried: Taylors Cemetery, Union County, Tennessee. Annis' husband, John Henry Woods (Housley) was the son of John Housley and Caroline Woods.

     II. Sarah Ousley (Housely) born 13-Jan-1859, Campbell County, Tennessee, married 15-Oct-1873, in Union County, Tennessee, William Kyle Sharp, born 10-Jul-1855, Tennessee, (son of John Nicholas Sharp and Malinda Ausmus) died 6-May-1919, Union County, Tennessee, buried: Taylors Cemetery, Union County, Tennessee. Sarah died 10-Nov-1939, Union County, Tennessee, buried: Taylors Cemetery, Union County, Tennessee.

     III. George Washington Owsley (Housley) born 30-Aug-1860, Campbell County, Tennessee, married (1) ABT 1881, in Union County, Tennessee, Mary Ann Shoffner, born 5-Dec-1865, Union County, Tennessee, (daughter of Berry Shoffner and Sarah Ann Shelby) died 23-Jun-1904, Union County, Tennessee, buried: Taylors Cemetery, Union County, Tennessee, married (2) 8-Nov-1896, in Campbell County, Tennessee, Martha (Mattie) Heatherly, born 12-Jul-1876, Campbell County, Tennessee, (daughter of John Jackson Heatherly and Louisa Gray) died 17-Mar-1949, Colorado Springs, El Paso County, Colorado, buried: Woodlawn Cemetery, Campbell County, Tennessee. George died 2-Apr-1924, Colorado Springs, El Paso County, Colorado, buried: Woodlawn Cemetery, Campbell County, Tennessee.

     IV. James C. Housley born 9-May-1862, Campbell County, Tennessee, married 25-Dec-1883, in Gage County, Nebraska, Sally Aveline Beeler, born 19-Aug-1866, Union County, Tennessee, (daughter of James Asbury Beeler and Elizabeth Aveline Honeycutt) died 2-Oct-1955, Frontier County, Nebraska, buried: Arbor Cemetery, Stockville, Frontier County, Nebraska. James died 7-May-1958, Frontier County, Nebraska, buried: Arbor Cemetery, Stockville, Frontier County, Nebraska. In the late 1870's, James moved west with neighbors. He was listed as a farm laborer (age 18) living with the John Drinnen family in the 1880 census of (Center Township) Marshall County, Kansas. According to census records, the James Housley family lived in Pawnee County, Nebraska in 1900 and Frontier County, Nebraska in 1920. On December 25, 1933, James and his wife, Sally, celebrated their Golden Anniversary.

     V. Joseph Housley born 5-Aug-1864, Campbell County, Tennessee, married (1) 25-Mar-1886, in Union County, Tennessee, Sarelda Sharp, born 1-Mar-1860, Union County, Tennessee, (daughter of John Nicholas Sharp and Malinda Ausmus) died 15-Oct-1915, Union County, Tennessee, buried: Taylors Cemetery, Union County, Tennessee, married (2) Lula (Lou) Brown, born 16-Sep-1876, Fincastle, Campbell County, Tennessee, (daughter of John A. Brown and Mary Ann Heatherly) died 12-Aug-1938, Campbell County, Tennessee, buried: Glade Springs Cemetery, Campbell County, Tennessee. Joseph died 12-Apr-1944, Union County, Tennessee, buried: Taylors Cemetery, Union County, Tennessee. Joseph Housley was a prominent citizen and a member of the County Court in Union County. He was also a policeman in Campbell County, Tennessee. Lou was buried at the Glade Springs Cemetery in Campbell County, Tennessee. Descendants of Joseph Housley relate that Joseph fathered two children by Josephine Stiner, wife of Thomas A. Harvey.

     VI. William Housley born 13-Sep-1866, Campbell County, Tennessee, died 17-Aug-1887, Union County, Tennessee, buried: Taylors Cemetery, Union County, Tennessee.

     VII. John Housley born 17-Sep-1868, Campbell County, Tennessee, married 16-Dec-1892, in Union County, Tennessee, Catherine Stiner, born -Apr-1873, (daughter of John Harve Stiner and Rutha Proffitt). John died 11-Apr-1910, Union County, Tennessee, buried: Taylors Cemetery, Union County, Tennessee. John Housley was the yougest child of John Housley and Margaret Taylor. He was born after his father's death in 1868. John Housley was a school teacher. He taught at the Taylor's School at Lead Mine Bend in Union County, Tennessee. John Housley was known to have fathered a child by Rhoda Stiner, younger sister of his wife, Catherine. The child was named Flora Stiner. Flora was born on December 14, 1902, in Union County, Tennessee.

     It appears, after the death of Catherine (Stiner) Housley's parents, Rhoda Stiner and James Stiner lived with John and Catherine (Stiner) Housley. Both Rhoda Stiner and James Stiner were Catherine's younger siblings. Acccording to the 1900 census, Rhoda Stiner already had a one year old daughter named Rutha Stiner, born in 1899. I believe Rutha was also a child of John Housley and Rhoda Stiner. By 1910, Rhoda Stiner had married James H. Ausmus. Flora was the only child living in the same household with James and Rhoda (Stiner) Ausmus.

     The 1910 Union County, Tennessee Census revealed Rhoda was the mother of three children, two of whom were still living. It is believed the other living child of Rhoda Stiner still living in 1910 was Rutha Stiner, who was born in 1899. From the evaluation of census records, it appears Rutha was being raised by a distant cousin, Curtis Licurgus Stiner.

Addition to Robert Housely Family
added October 9, 2004
This format of the Housley family was submitted by Ronny Bodine

     II. Peter Housley born -Mar-1840, Campbell County, Tennessee, married 29-May-1858, in Campbell County, Tennessee, Catherine Woods, born 3-Apr-1841, Tennessee, died 30-Mar-1912, Campbell County, Tennessee, buried: Bakers Forge Memorial Cemetery, Campbell County, Tennessee. Peter died 18-Jun-1921, Campbell County, Tennessee, buried: Bakers Forge Memorial Cemetery, Campbell County, Tennessee. Peter and Catherine were buried at the Bakers Forge Cemetery but were later moved to the Bakers Forge Memorial Cemetery. It has been related from family members that Catherine's maiden name was Mallicoat but her name is recorded as Woods in the marriage records of Campbell County. Family members say Catherine had a brother named Milton Mallicoat who fought in the Civil War and always lived near Peter and Catherine. Peter and Catherine also named their first son, Milton Housley.

     Peter was a member and helped build the Archibald Myers Grand Army of the Republic Post in Sugar Hollow. Peter and Catherine were charter members of the Sugar Hollow Baptist Church in February 1871, after leaving the Powell River Baptist Church.

     III. Joseph Housley born ABT 1842, Campbell County, Tennessee, died 26-Jun-1864, Allatoona Station, Georgia, buried: National Cemetery, Marietta, Cobb County, Georgia. Joseph Housley fought for the Union in the Civil War. He served as Corporal in Company F, 6th Regiment, East Tennessee Infantry. Joseph joined the Union Army on March 10, 1862 in Boston, Kentucky to serve for a period of three years. Joseph died of chronic diarrhea in a field hospital in Georgia. Joseph's original place of interment is listed as Allatoona, Georgia. He was later reinterred in the Marietta National Cemetery (Section C, Grave #1815).

     IV. James Campbell Housley born 16-Mar-1846, Campbell County, Tennessee, married (1) 4-May-1865, in Campbell County, Tennessee, Nancy Catherine Heatherly, born 19-Oct-1847, Campbell County, Tennessee, (daughter of Alexander Heatherly and Sarah Ford) died 30-May-1884, Campbell County, Tennessee, buried: Bakers Forge Memorial Cemetery, Campbell County, Tennessee, married (2)17-Aug-1885, in Campbell County, Tennessee, Ollie Love Ivey, born 15-Apr-1864, Campbell County, Tennessee, (daughter of Robert Ivey and Margaret Bratcher) died 27-Mar-1921, Campbell County, Tennessee, buried: Housley Cemetery, Campbell County, Tennessee. James died 17-Apr-1930, Campbell County, Tennessee, buried: Housley Cemetery, Campbell County, Tennessee. James Housley fought for the Union in the Civil War. He was Sergeant in Company F, 6th Tennessee Infantry, ( USA) from March 10, 1862 to March 24, 1865. As a veteran of the war, James was a member and help build the Archibald Myers Grand Army of the Republic Post in Sugar Hollow.

     James and Catherine were charter members of the Sugar Hollow Baptist Church after leaving the Powell River Baptist Church in February of 1871.

     V. Martha Jane Housley born 29-Feb-1848, Campbell County, Tennessee, married 9-Nov-1865, in Campbell County, Tennessee, Andrew Jackson Bratcher, born 1-Nov-1840, (son of Robertson "Robinson" Bratcher and Rhoda Meredith) died 19-Jul-1919, Kentucky, buried: Middleburg Cemetery, Middleburg, Casey County, Kentucky. Martha died 26-Mar-1907, Kentucky, buried: Middleburg Cemetery, Middleburg, Casey County, Kentucky. Andrew Bratcher fought for the Union in the Civil War serving in Company C, 1st Tennessee Infantry Regiment from October 15, 1861 to November of 1864. At one time during the war, Andrew was captured and spent time in a prison in Richmond, Virginia. Some sources relate that after the war, Andrew Bratcher was involved in the murder of John Kincaid , a confederate sympathizer in Campbell County, Tennessee. Bratcher was never charged with the murder. Andrew and Martha soon left Campbell County for Casey County, Kentucky.

     VI. Clara Housley born ABT 1852, Campbell County, Tennessee, married 30-Apr-1868, in Campbell County, Tennessee, Stephen Decatur Ford, born 1847, Campbell County, Tennessee, (son of John Ford and Anna Petree) died 1932, Campbell County, Tennessee, buried: Bakers Forge Memorial Cemetery, Campbell County, Tennessee. Clara died 19-Jun-1889, Campbell County, Tennessee, buried: Bakers Forge Memorial Cemetery, Campbell County, Tennessee. Stephen Ford fought for the Union in the Civil War. He was a Private, Company C, 1st Tennessee Infantry from July 18, 1863 to August 10, 1865. As a veteran of the war, Stephen was a member and helped build the Archibald Myers Grand Army of the Republic Post in Sugar Hollow.

     Stephen and Clara were charter members of the Sugar Hollow Baptist Church after leaving the Powell River Baptist Church in February 1871.

     VII. Pleasant Housley born 8-Jul-1857, Campbell County, Tennessee, married (1) 8-Jul-1876, in Campbell County, Tennessee, Rebecca E. Stout, born 15-May-1855, Johnson County, Tennessee, (daughter of John Parker Stout and Barbara Shoun) died 20-Sep-1878, Campbell County, Tennessee, buried: Bakers Forge Memorial Cemetery, Campbell County, Tennessee, married (2) 8-May-1881, in Campbell County, Tennessee, Salome Elizabeth Stout, born 16-Dec-1859, Johnson County, Tennessee, (daughter of John Parker Stout and Barbara Shoun) died 4-Apr-1939, Campbell County, Tennessee, buried: Bakers Forge Memorial Cemetery, Campbell County, Tennessee. Pleasant died 18-Oct-1921, Campbell County, Tennessee, buried: Bakers Forge Memorial Cemetery, Campbell County, Tennessee. Rebecca and Elizabeth Stout were sisters.

     VIII. Phoebe Housley born ABT 1862, Campbell County, Tennessee, married 6-Nov-1879, in Campbell County, Tennessee, William A. Smith. Phoebe died 1892, Campbell County, Tennessee, buried: Bakers Forge Memorial Cemetery, Campbell County, Tennessee. Phoebe died in childbirth.