These pages contain information on the Thomas Cass Meredith family
which resided in the Mountain Peak community. If you have questions
or comments about a particular item, please contact the submitter,
Don Meredith, <jdmeredith@nwcc.cc.ms.us>.
Thomas C. Meredith was a farmer, school teacher, and writer.
He wrote articles for the Wayne County newspaper until his departure
for Texas. He left Wayne County, with its very hilly and rocky
terrain, for the promise of farm land andriches in Texas. Thomas
moved from Wayne County, Tennessee to Texas around
1905-1906. He came with his nephew Russ Meredith and his immediate
family: Lovick R., Brison M., Owen A., Joseph K., James T., and
Verdi Ann. In 1918-19, after the death of Owen's first wife,
Miriam, Owen moved with his children back to Wayne County, Tennessee.
James, Lovick, Brison, and Russ also returned to Wayne County.
The rest of the family, Thomas, his wife Margaret, King, and
Verdi, who had married Silas RODEN stayed and lived the balance
of their lives in Texas. Thomas and Margaret, along with Miriam,
are all buried in Mountain Peak Cemetery. King and his family
moved to Abilene, Texas about 1919. Verdi and her family moved
to Corpus Christi about the same time.
Generation 1
1. THOMAS CASS MEREDITH was born September 16, 1849, in Wayne County, Tennessee, and died March 16, 1914, in Venus, Texas. He is buried at Mountain Peak Cemetery, Ellis County, Texas. Thomas was the son of Thomas and Mary Ann RASBURY Meredith of Wayne County, Tennessee. He married MARGARET ANN KING in 1872, in Wayne County, Tennessee. She was the daughter of Hugh Brison Venable and Mary CHOATE KING. Maragaret was born February 16, 1855, in Fairfield, Texas, and died August 21, 1911, in Venus, Texas. She is buried at Mountain Peak Cemetery, Ellis County, Texas.
Children of Thomas C. MEREDITH and Margaret A. KING MEREDITH:
+2 i. Lovick Rasbury MEREDITH
+3 ii. Brison Mayhew MEREDITH }
+4 iii. Owen Andrew MEREDITH } Twins
+5 iv. Joseph King MEREDITH
+6 v. John Gentry MEREDITH
+7 vi. James Thomas MEREDITH
+8 vii. Verdi Ann MEREDITH
Generation 2
2. LOVICK RASBURY MEREDITH was born September 4, 1873, in Wayne County, Tennessee, and died February 11, 1944, in Wayne County, Tennessee. He is buried at Salem Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery in Wayne County, Tennessee. Lovick married OPHELIA DOWDY on February 7, 1899, in Linden, Tennessee. She was the daughter of Allen Jordan and Martha Numija BERRY DOWDY. Ophelia was born December 1, 1877, in Perry County, Tennessee, and died June 30, 1952, in Romes, Michigan. She is buried at Salem Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery in Wayne County, Tennessee. Lovick R. Meredith was a photographer and he is thought to have learned his trade in Texas. He took many early pictures of the area around Venus, Texas and Wayne County, Tennessee.
Children of Lovick R. MEREDITH and Ophelia DOWDY MEREDITH:
+9 i. ALLEN GENTRY MEREDITH. Allen was born March 30,
1900, in Wayne
County, Tennessee, and died May 16, 1970, in Knoxville,
Tennessee.
He married (1st) MAMMIE HALL and (2nd) LENA MAE GREEN
WALLACE. Allen
had no children.
+10 ii. DECIMA JOE MEREDITH. Decima was born March 23, 1906,
and died
April 3, 1949, in Detroit, Michigan. She married GRADY
BLACKWELL on
January 13, 1933. Decima is buried at Salem Primitive
Baptist Church
Cemetery in Wayne County, Tennessee.
+11 iii. GROVER DAVIS MEREDITH. Grover was born August 29, 1912,
in Wayne
County, Tennessee, and died March 2, 1964, in Detroit,
Michigan. He
married MATTIE LOU RISNER on October 12, 1935. Grover
is buried at
Salem Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery in Wayne County,
Tennessee.
3. BRISON MAYHEW MEREDITH was born Decmeber 23, 1876, in Wayne County, Tennessee, and died in 1923. He is buried at Salem Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery in Wayne County, Tennessee. Brison never married.
4. OWEN ANDREW MEREDITH was born December 23, 1876, in Wayne County, Tennessee, and died August 11, 1941, in Wayne County, Tennessee. He is buried at Salem Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery in Wayne County, Tennessee. Owen married (1st) MIRIAM MAE SHAW MALONY in 1912, in Venus, Texas and (2nd) SOPHIA JANE HIGGINS on April 24, 1919. Miriam was the daughter of Peter Alonzo and Emily Tennessee NEWMAN SHAW and the widow of John Harvey MALONY. She was born November 3, 1887, and died September 27, 1918, in Texas. Miriam is buried at Mountain Peak Cemetery in Ellis County, Texas. Sophia was the daughter of Chamberlin and Betty HENSLEY Higgins. She was born August 31, 1878, in Perry County, Tennessee, and died August 6, 1959, in Nashville, Tennessee. Sophia is buried at Salem Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery in Wayne County, Tennessee.Owen and Sophia had no children.
Children of Owen A. MEREDITH and Miriam M. MEREDITH:
+12 i. EULIE THOMAS MEREDITH. Eulie was born September 1,
1914, in Venus,
Texas, and died June 1, 1973, in Kingston, Tennessee.
He married MARY
GLADYS BRITT on January 31, 1936, in Kingston, Tennessee.
Eulie is
buried at Calvary Baptist Church Cemetery in Kingston,
Tennessee.
+13 ii. EDNA RUTH MEREDITH. Edna was born June 18, 1917, in Venus,
Texas. She
married WOODROW WILSON WISDOM on November 18, 1936, in
Wayne County,
Tennessee.
5. JOSEPH KING MEREDITH was born October 8, 1879, in Wayne
County, Tennessee, and diedFebruary 16, 1960, in Abilene, Texas.
He is buried at Elwood Memorial
Park Cemetery in Abilene, Texas. King married NELLIE ELZORA TIDWELL
on August 22, 1913, in Ellis County, Texas. She was the daughter
of James M. and Mary Louiza Jane BISHOP TIDWELL. Nellie was born
January 18, 1894, in Oneonta, Alabama, and died March 8, 1963,
in Abilene, Texas. She is buried at Elwood Memorial Park Cemetery
in Abilene, Texas.
Children of Joseph K. MEREDITH and Nellie E. MEREDITH:
+14 i. RUBY LOU MEREDITH. Ruby was born August 26, 1918,
in Venus, Texas.
She married RICHARD HENRY MAXWELL in Abilene, Texas.
+15 ii. JOHN GENTRY MEREDITH. John was born June 12, 1921,
in Buffalo Gap,
Texas. He married BILLIE BERNICE KEITH in Abilene,
Texas.
+16 iii. EUNICE PEARL MEREDITH. Eunice was born August 12, 1923,
in Abilene,
Texas.
+17 iv. JAMES THOMAS MEREDITH. James was born August 7, 1925,
in Abilene,
Texas. He married LARETHA FAY HALL in Abilene, Texas.
6. JOHN GENTRY MEREDITH was born June 10, 1883, in Wayne County, Tennessee, and died February 13 1891, in Wayne County, Tennessee. He is buried at Salem Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery, WayneCounty, Tennessee. He never married.He died from exposure after following his brothers on a winter hunting trip without their knowledge and against the wishes of his mother.
7. JAMES THOMAS MEREDITH was born January 19, 1889, in Wayne County, Tennessee, and died June 5, 1964, in Wayne County, Tennessee. He is buried at Salem Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery in Wayne County, Tennessee. James married JUANITA SCHMITTO on December 11, 1943, in Florence, Alabama. She was the daughter of Henry Marvin and Luara Mae EDWARDS SCHIMITTO. Juanita was born March 17, 1911, in Wayne County, Tennessee, and died January 30, 1998, in Waynesboro, Tennessee. She is buried at Salem Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery in Wayne County, Tennessee. James and Juanita had no children.
8. VERDI ANN MEREDITH was born October 18, 1892, in Wayne County, Tennessee, and died June 21, 1965, in Corpus Christi, Texas. She is buried at Seaside Memorial Park Cemetery in Corpus Christi, Texas. Verdi married SILAS REED RODEN on December 10, 1911, near Venus, Texas. He was the son of Jessie Washington and Mary Elizabeth ASHABRANNER RODEN. Silas was born September 17, 1913, and died May 26, 1950, in Corpus Christi, Texas. He is buried at Seaside Memorial Park Cemetery in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Children of Silas R. RODEN and Verdi A. RODEN:
+18 i. MABEL IRENE RODEN. Irene was born September 19, 1913,
in Waxahachie,
Texas.
+19 ii. MINNIE PAULINE RODEN. Pauline was born March 15, 1917,
in Waxahachie,
Texas.
+20 iii. VIRGINIA RODEN. Virginia was born August 12, 1920, in
Corpus Christi,
Texas. She married JOHN HUGH O'NEAL in Corpus Christi,
Texas.
+21 iv. LANELLE RODEN. Lanelle was born December 14, 1922, in
Corpus Christi,
Texas. She married Dr. HOWARD F. BONAR in Gulfport,
Mississippi.