This is a brief outline of a Hester Family that lived in Sumner County, Tennessee. The author admits that the facts are sketchy and would welcome any and all queries. The patriarch of this family was Hiram G. Hester who was born ca. 1828. He married Mildred C. Graves on April 15, 1846 in Wilson County, Tennessee. Mildred was born ca. 1829. By 1860, Hiram was still living in Wilson County, Tennessee but by this time he was married to a Surenia (?). By 1880, Hiram was living with his son, Elijah D. Hester, in Sumner County, Tennessee and on September 27, 1883 Hiram married Caroline S. Daylight in Sumner County. The details of Hiram's death and burial are not now known but family legend according to Mamie Ruth Gregory stated that he was buried in an unmarked grave in the Tom Link Cemetery of Sumner County near to the marked grave of his son Fountain Hester.

The following is a list of the known children of Hiram G. Hester and Mildred C. Graves:

1. Fountain E. Hester was born on January 21, 1847. His first marriage was to Margaret Elizabeth Crudup. The couple had three children and were separated by 1880. Fountain's second marriage was to Sallie L. Graves. Fountain and Sallie had three children. Fountain died on March 1, 1901 and is buried beside his second wife Sallie in the Tom Link Cemetery in the Clearview Community of Sumner County, Tennessee.
2. Lavinous Hester born ca. 1849.
3. Sarah R. Hester born ca. 1851.
4. Mary E. Hester born ca. 1852.
5. Eliza J. Hester born ca. 1855.
6. Melcijah Hester born ca. 1857.

Here are the known children of Hiram G. Hester and his second wife Surenia (?):

1. A female infant born on April 12, 1860.
2. Elijah D. Hester was born on July 30, 1865 and died on October 23, 1944. He was married to Inez Herrell who was born on September 14, 1882 and died on May 10, 1971. They are buried at Old Brush Cemetery in Portland, Tennessee. According to their grandson, Billy Woodall, (email - bww@nctc.com) Inez said they were married on the side of the road. The couple had at least two children: 1. Lila Mai Hester who married Samuel Middleton Woodall on November 17, 1928. She died on October 26, 2004 and he has passed away as well. They are buried at the Pleasant Hill Cemetery on the A.B. Wade Road. 2. Roy Hester married Earline ?.

This completes the section on Hiram Hester and the article will now pick up with his eldest child, Fountain E. Hester. Fountain E. Hester was born on January 21, 1847. His first wife was to Margaret Elizabeth Crudup. She was the daughter of Robert Crudup of Virginia and Louise Wright of North Carolina. Margaret Elizabeth was born on June 16, 1849 in Tennessee.

Fountain and Margaret Elizabeth had three children:

1. Robert Lavarius Hester was born in 1868. In 1895, he married Lucinda Pulley in Nashville, Tennessee. In 1900, Robert's mother, Margaret Elizabeth, was living with the couple. Robert and Lucinda had three boys and one girl. The couple died before their children were grown. Robert died on June 15, 1917 and is buried in the Springhill Cemetery in Nashville, Tennessee. Lucinda died on April 28, 1915 and is buried in the Pulley Cemetery in Nashville, Tennessee. The couple's oldest child, Levarius "Lee" Richard Hester moved to New Castle, Pennsylvania. The two younger sons, Edward East Hester and Harrison Banks Hester, were raised in the Tennessee Industrial Home in Nashville, Tennessee. When Harrison was released he joined his brother in Pennsylvania. The daughter Vittie Elizabeth (Hester) Capps lived with her grandmother, Margaret Elizabeth, who by then had married Charles Hower. Vittie lived her whole life in Nashville, Tennessee.
2. ? Hester
3. ? Hester

Fountain and Margaret Elizabeth Hester were separated sometime before 1880. Again, she married Charles Hower in 1900. Margaret Elizabeth died on February 15, 1933 and is buried in an unmarked grave beside her son Robert Levarius Hester, in the Springhill Cemetery in Nashville, Tennessee. Information about the family of Fountain Hester and his first wife Margaret Elizabeth Crudup used with permission by Mary Lou Wirdzek (wirdml@aol.com).

By 1880, the now single Fountain E. Hester had followed his father, Hiram, to Sumner County, Tennessee. On October 22, 1884 he married Sallie L. Graves in Sumner County, Tennessee. She was born on October 11, 1855. It is not now known who were her parents.

They had three children:

1. Ida Bell Evelen Hester was born on October 15, 1885 in Sumner County, Tennessee. She was married to Arthur Biggs who was born on October 24, 1876. She died on June 28, 1912 and he on April 8, 1943. She is buried in the Old Halltown Cemetery in Sumner County, Tennessee.
2. James Ollie Hester was born on April 8, 1890 in Sumner County, Tennessee. He married Icy Legge on November 9, 1911. Icy Legge was born on January 1, 1885. He died on September 29, 1983 and she on April 2, 1966. They are buried in the Jake Link Cemetery in Sumner County, Tennessee. They had one child, Louis Hester.
3. Minnie Mae Hester was born on July 14, 1887 in Sumner County, Tennessee. She married John Walter Roberts who was born on January 19, 1877. They had ten children (see Roberts, William Bruce). John Walter Roberts died on November 25, 1924. Minnie Mae then married Marshall Wilson and they had two sons: Raymond and A. J. After the death of her second husband, Marshall Wilson, Minnie Mae married Elmer Scruggs. She was to outlive all three of her husbands. Minnie Mae died on January 19, 1974 and is buried beside her first husband, John Walter Roberts, in the Halltown Cemetery in Sumner County, Tennessee.