THE DONOHO FAMILY

Below are some facts about the Donoho family of Macon, Smith, Jackson, and other Middle Tennessee Counties. That it is not complete is freely admitted. That it doesn’t convey some information to those interested in the history of the family is our conviction.

The earliest member of the family that we have been able to find in Middle Tennessee was William Donoho, a native of North Carolina, who came to Defeated Creek, about 20 miles S. E. of Lafayette, in the very beginning of the settlement of that part of the country. That he did not arrive until after 1786 is evident from the fact that the incident that gave Defeated Creek its name took place in February of that year. At that time it was unexplored wilderness. Defeted Creek took its name form a skirmish between John and Ephraim Peyton, Squire Grant and two other men who were fired on by the Indians, numbering about 60 under their leader, Hanging Maw, at the site of the big spring below Difficult. The whites out-numbered 12 to 1, fled and all escaped, although they lost their horses, game and surveying instruments. A short time thereafter, William Donoho arrived on that stream, settling at what is now known as the Jeanettie Donoho place, just above the present Cartwright school house. When he reached his new home, he was a man of family, having with him, his wife, Jennie Jenkins Donoho, and a number of children.

William Donoho, sometimes referred to as Daddy Donoho, was an Indian fighter, a great bear hunter and a bee keeper of note for his day time. He died most probably prior to the Civil War at the extreme old age of 106 years. His wife, Jennie Jenkins, was the daughter of Rodrick and _____Pack Jenkins. Jennie was said to have been half Indian, which would have meant that her mother the Pack woman, would have been a full-blooded Indian. There is even till today in the Jenkins family the tradition that this woman was high tempered, contrary and hard to get along with. However, we have no way of proving definitely that Mrs. Jennie Donoho’s mother was a full-blooded Indian.

The children of William and Jennie Jenkins Donoho were: Samuel Donoho, married a Temples and later a McCoin; John Donoho, married Martha Brooks; Rod Donoho, named for his grandfather, Roderick Jenkins, married Judy Brooks, a sister of Martha Brooks; William Donoho, married Millie Davis; Nancy Donoho, married John Slate; Talitha Donoho, married Joe Krantz; Polly Donoho, married a Carter; and Jennie Donoho, married a Carter.

Samuel Donoho, who married Temples and McCoin woman, went to Bowling Green and there, it seems, reared his family. However, one of his sons, John Donoho, was killed by Buck Smith on the big flat rock just above the present home of Wade Smith at Pleasant Shade, during the Civil War. Samuel’s other children were: Amelia Donoho, married a Thomas; Laura Donoho, married a Claypool; Martha, married a Howell; antoher married a McAllister, Rid Donoho, married a Howell; and Sallie Donoho, who married Meredith Creasey.

John Donoho, who married Martha Brooks, went to Texas long ago. Their children were: Harve Donoho, who married a Bullard and went to Kentucky to live; Henry Donoho, married a Pate; Champ Donoho, married a McClellan; Shepherd Donoho, married a Wallace; Amanda Donoho, married a McClellan; Harriet Donoho, married a Phillips; and one other whose name is not known.

Rod Donoho and his wife, Judy Brooks, were the parents of the following Children: Anthony Donoho, married a Borden; Lee Donoho, married a Dycus; Jack Donoho, married a Hudson; Harve Donoho, married Rosann Hudson; Wade Donoho, married McClellan, Barton and Maxey; William Donoho, Jeanettie Sadler; Patsy Donoho, married a Hudson; and Emmaline, married Clayton Austin.

We are sorry that we do not have the names of the offspring of the other children of old Daddy Donoho and his wife, Jennie.

September 5, 1946

Anthony Donoho, son of Rod and Judy Donoho, had the following Children: Squire Donoho, married a Witcher; John Donoho, Mary Donoho, married a Whitley; Rosa Ann and others whose names are not available at this time.

Lee Donoho, another son of Rod and Judy, had the following offspring; Alice Donoho, married a Grissom; William Donoho, married a Hall; Hailey Donoho, married a Sadler; Amanda Donoho, married a King; Josie Donoho, married the late Taut Robinson; Alvis Donoho, Harve Donoho, married a Russell; and Evie Donoho. Hailey Donoho, mentioned aboe, was the father of Radford Bascal Donoho, who now reside on Jennings; Creek.

Jack Donoho, another son of Rod and Judy, was the father of: James Donoho, married a Rogers, and removed to Portland, Tenn.; Haskell Donoho, married a Kerr; John Donoho, married a Davis; CharliesDonoho, married a Hudson; Vallie Donoho, Vira Donoho, married a McClellan; Lura Donoho, married a Meador; and Charles Donoho, married a Hudson.

Harve Donoho, son of Rod and Judy, and his wife, Rose Ann Hudson, were the parents of: Canzada Donoho, married Alfred House; Flora Donoho, married a Hall; Genie Donoho, married a Davis; Squire Donoho, married a Ramsey; Burford Donoho, married a Russell; Lute Donoho, went to Texas; and Altie Donoho. Wade Donoho, son of Rod and Judy, thrice married, was the father of: Willie Donoho, married a Clark, Charles Donoho, married a Carver; Hailey Donoho, married a Hackett; Lena Donoho, married a Hackett; Cancel Donoho, Callie Pearl Donoho, married a Wakefield; and Minnie Donoho, married a Hall.

William Donoho and his wife, Jeannettie Sadler, were the parents of Eskie Donoho, married a Huffines; Otis Donoho, married a Howard; Hailey Donoho, married a Hughes; Johnnie Donoho, married a Canter; Alvis Donoho, married a Goad; Bessie Donoho, married a Powell; and Bertha Donoho, married a Richardson.

Rodney Donoho, son of William and Millie Davis Donoho, had no children so far as we have learned. This may be incorrect and a correction will be appreciated.

Besty Donoho, daughter of William and Millie, married William Kennedy and became the mother : Dick Kennedy, married a Kemp; Taut or Tant Kennedy, married a Canter; and Millie Kennedy, married a Sutton.

Maria Donoho, daughter of William and Millie, married a Dycus and became the mother of: Polly Dycus, married a Clark; Susan Dycus, married Willie Kemp; Liza Dycus, married a Dycus; and Tanzy Ann Dycus.

Polly Donoho, daughter of William and Millie, married a Dycus, a brother to Maria’s husband. Polly was the mother of: Maria Dycus, married a Jones; and Adeville, married a Hudson.

Letha Donoho, daughter of William and Millie, married a Jones and becamet the mother of: Willie Jones, married a Smith; Harve Jones, married a Smith; Fannie Jones, died young; Millie Jones, married Lute Smith; and Dick Jones, married a Smith.

Nancy Donoho, daughter of William and Millie, married Larkin Dycus. Therir children were: Alex Dycus, married a Huff; John Dycus, Mary Dycus, married a Hutcherson; Viallie Dycus and Rev. WilliamM Dycus, a prominent Cumberland Presbyterian minister now residing at Haydenburg, Tenn. He married a Huff.

Tabitha Donoho, daughter of William and Millie, married first a Davis and then a Jones, a brother of Letha’s husband. Tabitha was the mother of: James Davis, Albert and Dixon Jones.

September 5, 1946

Wade Donoho, son of William and Millie, married a Jones. Their children: Maria Donoho, married Lee Kemp; Alice Donoho, married a Parmer; Ruthie Donoho, married a Lambertson; Althie Donoho, married a Jenkins; and Mahala Donoho.

Margaret Donoho, daughter of William and Millie, married a Russell and became the mother of: Melvin Russell, Cassie Russell married a Marmon; Carrie, Clyde and Channie Russell.

Howard Donoho, son of William and Millie, married a McClellan and became the father of: Peyton Donoho, married a Martin; Frankie Donoho, married Joe Shoulders; May Donoho, married a Smith; and Pearl Donoho, married a McClellan.

Tom Donoho, son of William and Millie, married Polly Ann Russell, a sister of Aunt Bide Russell, the blind lady. Tom and Polly Ann had only one child, a son, Alvis Donoho, who married Jennie Grandstaff.

Bevley Donoho, son of William and Millie, married a Holland, their children being Caswell and Minerva. They went to Missouri.

John Donoho, son of William and Millie, married a Dycus, a sister of Larkin Dycus. Their children were: John Donoho married a Russell; Julia Donoho, married a Carver; and Mary Donoho, married a Cassetty.

Harvey Donoho, son of John and Judy Brooks Donoho, married a Bullard. Their children were: Charles and Hayden Donoho.

Henry Donoho, Son of John and Judy, married a Pate and became the father of Squire Donoho, who removed to Texas; Lawson Donoho, married a Harwood and also went to Texas; Belle Donoho, married a Kemp and a Duke, Charlie Donoho, married a Kemp, and also went to Texas; and Alice Donoho, married Dr. Fisher and also went to Texas.

Champ Donoho, son of John and Judy, married a McClellan and became the father of Cora Donoho, married Dr. Jess Smith; and another child who married later a West.

Shepherd Donoho, son of John and Judy, married a Wallace and their children were: Marhta Donoho, married a Lamons; John Donoho, married a Clay; Mary Donoho, married a Huddlestion; Bud Donoho, married a Carter; Joe Donoho, marrier a Jenkins; Audrew Donoho, married a Herod; Ollie Donoho, married Ernest Johnson; and Evie Donoho, married John Crowder.

Harriet Donoho, daughter of John and Marhta, married a Phillips and became the mother of: William Phillips, Asia Phillips, married a Holland; and Lon Phillips, married a West and later a Williams.

We may have left out some of the offspring of one couple or another, but we have given this information in line with the records we have at this time. Any correction will be gladly made.

If any reader of the Times is interested in any particular family and will write us, we may have something of interest as family history is a sort of hobby with us.