The Blackwells of Cass County

JOHN H. AND ASENATH HAMPTON BLACKWELL Anthony and Mary Hampton were born in South Carolina between 1770 and 1775. They were living in Tennessee when their daughter Asenath was born July 8, 1806. March 6, 1825 Asenath Hampton married John H. Black-well, (born in Tennessee) in Lawrence Co., Alabama. Josiah F. Blackwell was born in Alabama to John and Asenath in 1828.

In 1830 the Anthony Hamptons and John Blackwells lived next door in St. Francis County, Arkansas near Forrest City. Between 1830 and 1840 four more children were born to John and Asenath Blackwell. They were Isabella Caroline, born in 1830; Thomas A., born in 1832; Joel W., born in 1834; and David Rivers, born January 1, 1836. Between 1836 and 1839 John and Asenath were living in Tennessee where their last son, James F. was born in 1839. I do not have any further record of John H. Blackwell. A family legend is that John H. and one of his brothers, or a son, were killed by the Indians. Isabella Caroline Blackwell married William Blue Lambert in 1846 and they had two children born in Arkansas, Aura (Audie) born in 1847 and William, Jr., born in 1849, Win. B. Lambert was a lawyer and farmer waiting to see if Texas became a slave state. Asenath Blackwell was a head of a household with five of her children listed and four more Blackwell children whose father was probably John’s brother who was killed by the Indians. Two of the children, Freeman, and Brice, came to Texas with Asenath’s family. Texas became a slave state and in 1851 the William Lambert, Asenath Blackwell and William B. Henderson families moved in covered wagons from St. Francis County, Ark. to Cass County, Texas and settled on adjoining plantations in the Red Hill, Cusseta. Union Hill and Douglassville areas.

Mrs. Asenath Blackwell and her son David Rivers settled on several hundred acres of land near Red Hill and built a two-story home South of Frasier’s Creek. On the 1860 census Asenath was head of household for her sons David and James and a Cousin Brice. Brice moved to West Texas and his brother Freeman died and is buried in the Lambert Cemetery.

I do not know when Mary Hampton came to Texas but in I860 she lived with D. C. Hampton in Gonzales, Texas. In 1870 she was 95 years old and lived in Cusseta., TX. with her daughter Asenath Blackwell. In 1880 Asenath lived in the household of her son David Blackwell and family. Asenath Blackwell, age 89, died at Red Hill April 10, 1895. She is buried in Bethlehem Cemetery that David donated to the Bethlehem Church in 1878.

DAVID RIVERS AND MARTHA ANNIE BLACKWELL David Rivers Blackwell, Sr. was born in St. Francis County, near Forest City, Ark. 7 January, 1836. His parents were John and Asenath (Hampton) Blackwell. Family legend says that the early Blackwells were almost full blood Indian, that John Blackwell was killed by Indians and that David Blackwell, Sr. was captured by Indians and swam the Mississippi River to escape and reach his family and “Rivers” was added to his name because of this.

In 1846 David’s sister, Caroline, married William Blue Lambert and in 1851 David, his brother James and their widowed mother Asenath, the William Lamberts, and the Wm. B. Hendersons came to Texas in covered wagons and settled on adjoining plantations near Red Hill in Cass County. The Black-wells built their two-story plantation home South of Frazier Creek, In this home nine children were born to David and Martha Annie Blackwell and three to David and Georgia Blackwell.

David Rivers Blackwell, Sr., and Martha Annie (Taylor) Blackwell, born in Georgia in 1845, were married December 6, 1860 in Cass County, Texas. David Rivers Blackwell Sr. served in the Confederate Army from 1861 through 1864. In 1878 he donated land for the Bethlehem Church and Cemetery. David, his wife Martha Annie, and their daughter Belle Spruce were Charter Members of the Church. David Rivers Blackwell, Sr., his mother Asenath, his two wives Martha Annie and Georgia, and several children and other family members are buried in the Cemetery.

The children of David and Annie Blackwell were: Carrie Bell Blackwell Heldt Spruce who was the mother of Lillie and Minnie Spruce.

Mattie Blackwell Surratt, mother of Vivian Surratt Harris and Hershel Surratt.

Mamye Blackwell Baker, mother of Joe Baker, Morris Ed

Baker, May Baker Allday, and Irene Baker Stone.

Rua Blackwell Albright, mother of Earl, Ernest, Ebb, Mable, and Ora.

David R. Blackwell, Jr. (Buddy) married Mollie Zuma Griffin. Their children were Eunice, Mamye, Roy, Guy, and Ineta.

Ashsah Blackwell married Sam Fant and had several children.

Thomas (Tom) Blackwell married Nellie Allday, Their children were Mattie Lee, Lucille, and Pearl.

Joseph (Little Joe) died as an infant and

was the first person buried in Bethlehem Cemetery.

Martha Annie Blackwell (my mother) married William Homer Kellum. She was the last child of David and Martha Annie Blackwell.

Grandma died December 27, 1885 one month after my mother was born.

In 1886 David Blackwell, Sr. married Georgia Kight. They had three sons, Daniel Hampton, Harlan Henderson, and Noah Ransom.

David Rivers Blackwell, Sr. died November 12, 1908. WILLIAM HOMER AND MARTHA ANNIE KELLUM William Homer was born near Columbus in Harris County, Georgia April 19, 1885 and died in Linden, Texas December 6, 1966. He was the son of William Arthur and Elizabeth (Johnson) Kellum. They had seven other children: Lucia Kellum Curtright, Ella Kellum Jackson, Lem Kellum, Ola Kellum (Jones, Ramey, and Waters), Charlie Kellum, Jesse Kellum and George Kellum. William A. and Elizabeth migrated from Georgia in the late 1800’s to Bryans Mill, Texas where he operated a blacksmith business, They raised their family in Cass County and then moved to Amarillo, Texas where they are both buried.

Homer Kellum and Martha Annie (Blackwell) Kellum were married July 25, 1903. Martha Annie was born at Red Hill in Cass County November 27, 1885 and died December 27, 1929. Martha Annie Blackwell was the daughter of David Rivers Blackwell and Martha Annie (Taylor) Blackwell.

William Homer and Martha Annie Kellum had eleven children. Homer Joseph and Carrie died at birth.

Annie Pearl Kellum married Morris Shepard McDuffie. Their children were: Barbara Inell McDuffie Dorflinger, Gary Boyce McDuffie, Billie Ann McDuffie Hardman, David Alan McDuffie, and Rebecca Jane McDuffie Castleberry.

Elizabeth Opal Kellum married Sloan Vernon Washington. Their children were Vernon Washington, Jr., and Lana Beth Washington Foster.

Mary Inez Kellum married Earl C. Henderson. Their children were: Mary Lynn Henderson Wilson, Gloria Joann Henderson O’Rand, Samuel Frank Henderson, William Earl Henderson, Royce Paul Henderson, and Joyce Patricia Henderson (twins).

Samuel David (Buck) Kellum married Opal Maxwell, Miriam Stone, and others. Buck and Miriam had two children: Larry Roy Kellum and Sherri Jean Kellum. Buck was a World War Two veteran.

William Thomas (Tince) Kellum married Sally Lou Miller. Their children were Thomas Wayne and Carmen Kellum. Tince was a World War Two Veteran.

Nellie lone Kellum married Bob Lisenbee and Al Psikal. Mittie Iwana Kellum married Linden Riddle and others. Linden and Iwana had five children: Robert, Gail Riddle Hall, Kenneth, Eddie, and Glena Carrol Riddle.

Ella Eunice Kellum married Valerie Chais-son. Their children were Ronald Jon, Michael, Daniel and Randal Chaisson. Martha Jean Kellum married Clifford Miller. Their children were Delores Jean Miller Evans and Connie Sue Miller Daniel.