Excepting her grey eyes, my wife is as near like her father,

aunt minerva collection
The Foster Family by W.T. Foster

mentally and physically, as a woman can be like a man. Her father served in the Union army thruout the Civil war, was a highly respected citizen of Harrison county,Mo., was a noted singer and teacher of vocal music, a very active member of the Christian-Cambellite-church in which he was an elder; owned 600 acres of splendid farm land and a large amount of livestock. My wife had two brothers in the Union army and both died of the measles. Her brother, Samuel A. Bryant, now lives in northwestern Nebraska, is a large land owner and stock raiser and when I knew him was much of a gentlemen. He worked for me in my newspaper office when he was a boy and he was certainly of the right kind of metal. He has an excellent wife, Sally Reynolds Bryant and three noble daughters who have married well.
S.A. Bryant was born in Indiana, June 13 1854 and married Sarah Reynolds who was born June 13 at Jacksonville, Ill. 1875. Their daughter Elsie I., married William L. Belieu, Feb. 14 1897. Their daughter Zoe E. Belieu was born Feb. 25 1899. Belieu died June 28 1900. Elsie married the second time, John Baily May-1908. Second daughter of Sam and Sally, Bessie B., married Fred A. Bartlet, December 6 1893. Their daughter,Iona, born December 28 1895 married Paul Blakely, December 8 1914. They live in Oregon, George Bartlet, born Feb. 16 1989 (obviously a typo...deb) died Dec. 28 1902. Third daughter of Sam and Sally, Lilia M. married Cady R. Hook MArch 25 1907. Their son William Bryant Hook was born March 23 1925. They are all farmers and well fixed and all except the Blakely family live in northwest Nebraska where the atmosphere always tastes good, the summer flowers are always beautiful, the foot-hills, away to the westward lift their peaks into magnificient skies, where the hoot owl still hoots and only a little way northward the red Indians, on their reservations sleep in their wig-wams and dream of happy hunting days while their bows, arrows,quivers, tommy-hawks, and scalping knives are laid away as mementos of a decaying race.
My wife's sister Mary was born in Harrison county Mo. april 29 1859 and married Phillip Higdon Feb. 4 1875. (deb's note: these are my great-great-grand-parents.) He was born April 9 1846 and died Jan. 18 1907. He was a descendant of the Belgian Dutch, the same race of which my mother was a descendant. What I have written about my mothers ancestral race will aplly to his. To them were born James Hugh, Dec. 2 1875 married Nellie Holmes, March 4 1900. Their children; Phillip Arthur, Elsie Lucille, Carrie Ruth, and Mary Alloe. Second child of Phillip and MAry is Nannie Agnes, born July 26 1877, married Seth D. Stanley, Dec. 13 1893. Their children are Cora, Elken, Zula, Alice, Eva Rebecca, and Grace Dovora. (deb's note: should be Cora Ellan, Zula Alice, Eva Rebecca, Grace Dovora.) Cora married Harley Maple and they have a son Stanley Maple. Third child of Phillip and MAry if Joe Daniel Barnes, born Sept. 20 1879 married Lillie Belle Lemons, Feb. 12 1914. Fourth child of Phillip and MAry is Emilie Phylis, born Nov. 4 1881 married Wesley Orton, FEb. 14 1903 and they have a son Franklin Rush. Fifth child of Phillip & Mary is Gilly May (deb's great-grand-mother) born Oct. 4 1883 married Thomas W. Maxwell April 15 1900. Their children are Eva Mildred, James Phillip, Leland Albert, and John Leonard. Sixth child of Phillip and MAry was Dottie, born Nov. 14 and died Nov 23 1885. Seventh child of Phillip and Mary is Nora Grace, born OCt 17 1887 married Lee Cooper OCt. 28 1906. Eighth child of Phillip and MAry is Minnie Alzura born May 23 1891 married Lawrence D. Blood Nov 18 1911. Ninth child of Phillip and Mary is Hobart Franklin Robert, born Oct. 19 1894. Mary Bryant Higdon was grandmother at thirty-six and great-grand-mother at 55.
Fourth brother of my wife was James Thomas, born in Harrison co., Missouri Nov. 8 1866.






deb's notes:
In my family history he is PHILIP Higdon.

Dottie Higdon's gravestone lists her birth and death date as the same day, with the inscription "9 1/2 hours"