McDowell history, as we know it starting with John and Martha McDowell. .
According to the marriage certificate for August 18, 1867, Martha Louisa Collins married a ? McDonald in Bradley County, Tennessee. We know that on that date she married John Russell McDowell. The spelling of the surname is either misspelled or uncertain. I have seen and have a copy of the actual record and it definitely states McDonald. We know Martha Louisa Collins was born December 23, 1845 in North Carolina to Joseph Henry Collins and Sarah Sherrill. I do not have the exact date they went to Tennessee.
John R. McDowell was born in 1850 in Tennessee and was too young to fight in the Civil War with his father and brothers. So he stayed home to take care of his mother and sisters. I do not have the names or any information on his siblings.
John Russell was called to the ministry and became a Baptist Minister after he married and had several children. Since he had never learned to read or write, he enrolled as an adult with the first graders. His classmates found it amusing to have an adult attending classes with them and often teased and laughed at him. John was a good natured and laughed with them. He learned very quickly and progressed through several grades during the first year studying out of the “blue black speller”.
He turned out to be a good bible student and knew much of the bible by heart. He said the way to study the bible was to take one chapter and read it 3 times before moving on to the next one. He was minister of the church at Turkey Hollow, Tennessee. (I have never found the exact location of this place) He was rather old fashioned in his beliefs and did not believe in photographs and was never to have had a photograph make. (There are no known photos of him in existence) He did not like comic books because he felt that it was making fun of God’s creations, and did not want any kind of work done on Sundays, such as chopping wood. He also did not like women to cut their hair because he thought it was unscriptural. He had a long red beard, which he was very proud of and kept it very well groomed.
Martha Louisa Collins was a very quiet, reserve person who never had much to say. She was kind and gentle and was never known to have been or seen angry or ill tempered. It is said that she was a very good cook and made delicious butter biscuits. By the time John and Martha moved to Fate, just east of Rockwell, Texas in 1893 they had 8 children. (The family came to Texas by train. Samuel would tell about how he would slid down in his seat to make it look like he was younger than he was. This way they didn’t have to pay full fare for him.)
Children of John and Martha McDowell:
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James B. McDowell born 1869 Meigs County, Tennessee, and died 1900 Fate, Texas. He married Ellen ?, and had 2 children, Icinda and Benny. After his death Ellen took her children, Icinda and Benny, and returned to Lookout Mountain, Tennessee. ( I do not have a photo of James, only his daughter Icinda.)
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John Luther McDowell born 1875 Meigs County, Tennessee, and Ida Collins in 1900 and had 8 children. He died 1967 Aspermont, Stonewall County, Texas.
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George Sherrill McDowell born 1877Meigs County, Tennessee and married Ola Garen in 1902 at Cleveland, Tennessee and had 10 children. He died in 1950 at Campbell, Texas.
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Thomas Lafayette McDowell born 1881 in Tennessee and married Janie Prince and had 5 children. After Janie died he married Mary?. Date of death unknown.
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Daniel Lee McDowell born 1879 Georgetown, Tennessee and married Connie Lee Knight in 1903 at Rockwell, Texas. They had 4 children. He died in 1956 at Plano, Texas.
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Samuel Ray McDowell born 1885 in Georgetown, Tennessee and married Minnie Burg Knight in 1903 at Rockwell, Texas. (She was the sister of Daniel’s wife Connie.) They had 6 children. He died in 1970 at Tulia, Swisher County, Texas.
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Joseph Henry McDowell born 1888 in Tennessee and married Sally Brummett in 1905 at Rockwell, Texas. Thy had 4 children. He died 1972 in Plano, Texas.
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Mamie Bell McDowell born (exact date unknown) and married Marvin Guy Garen. They had 2 children. Date of death is unknown.
After John and Martha became old, they abandoned housekeeping and moved in with their daughter, Mamie Garen. Although they lived with Mamie they would visit each of their children and enjoy their grandchildren. It was during one of these visits to visit John Luther that John R. McDowell died. He is buried at Aspermont, Texas. Martha stayed awhile with John Luther then headed back to Mamie’s home. Then in 1930 while visiting her son, Tom, she passed away. She is buried in Sodom Cemetery near Campbell, Texas. All but 3 of their sons were ministers.
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