Reason Weathers

Reason Weathers likely died in Erath County, TX (although it could have been Eastland County.)

I have walked many rural cemeteries looking for his grave, which apparently was not marked with a gravestone.

Reason was a son of Elijah Weathers and his second wife, Catherine Wyatt Stubblefield.

Following the death of his mother, (according to accounts related to his children) Reason got on a horse and headed west. Never did he attempt to contact his family in North Carolina.

The following is a letter he wrote in 1843. From a manuscript found in the Southwest Arkansas Regional Archives, Old Washington, AR.

"The paper upon which it was written is yellow with age. The spelling is quaint and the writer didn't put much stock in periods and commas. It was written by Reason Wethers to T. L. Treadway, Esq. Lamar, Miss., and the postage was 25 cents.

"He writes: 'I came on the stage to Rock Roe, and there I took the stage and came on to Washington. I landed at Mr. Russey's on the twentieth of November, and found them all well and doing well. I am very pleased with the country myself. I am living with Russey as this yeare he has made a verry fine crope He left for New Orleans las Saturday. He made about 65 bales of cotton. Theare is plenty of good land in this country and I think it is as pretty as any country I ever saw.

"Times is tolerable hard in this country but the people is all got plenty to eat. We have had a verry hard winter. They has ben a great loss on Read Rover on account of high water and a great many people drounded. David was at Fulton on the River and he say he saw a great deel of cotton floating down the River- thear was a Steemboat loaded with people that she had taken of trees and rifts and could hears them in the woods hollowing for help but the current was swift that they could not get to them."

1850 Census, Blue Bayou, Sevier, Arkansas Household Gender Age Birthplace James M Russey M 31 Tennessee Mary A Russey F 23 Virginia Benjamin Russey M 5 Arkansas David Russey M 3 Arkansas Sarah Russey F 1 Arkansas Resin Wethers M 31 North Carolina

On December 30, 1850, in DeQueen, Sevier County, AR, Reason Weathers married Malissa Caroline Hunter.

Reason and Caroline were the parents of eight children:

1. David Russie Weathers

2. Thomas Hardy Hunter "Tom" Weathers, Sr.

3. Elijah Enoch "Lige" Weathers

4. Alazama Elizabeth "Ala" Weathers

5. William Burton "Bill" Weathers

6. Mary Varnell Weathers

7. Martha Catherine Weathers

8. Cora Bell "Babe" Weathers

1860 Census, Beat 1,Linden P. O., Cass County, TX October 9, 1860 Page 19

DWELLING 117/FAMILY 120

WEATHERS, W., 40, m, w, farmer, S.C. WEATHERS, M. C., 29, f, w, Ark. WEATHERS, D., 8, m, w, ? WEATHERS, Thos., 6, m, w, ? WEATHERS, E., 4, m, w, Tex. WEATHERS, Ella, 8, f, w, Tex. WEATHERS, Wm., 1 year 6 mo, m, w, Tex.

1870 Census,Precinct 3, Davis County, TX Household Gender Age Birthplace Reasaw Weathers M 54y North Carolina Malissa C Weathers F 40y Arkansas David Weathers M 18y Arkansas Thomas Weathers M 16y Texas Elijah Weathers M 14y Texas Allie Weathers F 12y Texas William Weathers M 10y Texas Mary Weathers F 8y Texas Martha Weathers F 6y Texas Babsie Weathers F 2y Texas

1880 Census, Precinct 5, Fannin County, TX

Household Gender Age Reason Weathers M 60 Spouse M. C. Weathers F 50 Child T. H. Weathers M 25 Child E. Weathers M 22 Child W. B. Weathers M 20 Child A. Weathers F 21 Child Mary Weathers F 17 Child Mattie Weathers F 14 Child Cora Weathers F 11

Reason died in Erath County near Stephenville. He was buried in an unmarked grave.

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=60835141