Person:Henry Sears (3)

Hood County Genealogical Society REV. HENRY JEFFERSON SEARS

Pioneer Hood County Baptist Minister

2 Kings 6:5 -- AND THE AXE DID SWIM!

by James Timothy (Tim) Sears 830 E. Briar Ridge Drive Brookfield, WI 53045 1-414-789-7631 E-mail: JTSears@aol.com OR jtsears@execpc.com

Henry Jefferson Sears was born in Wilkinson County, GA onJanuary 26, 1817 and was the fourth son of Timothy and JaneWhite Sears. He grew to adulthood in Wilkinson County. OnFebruary 6, 1843, he was married in Walton County, GA to RebeccaJane Freeman who had been born in Georgia on September 22, 1824.

Records reveal that he was very active in the Baptist faith andeventually became a clergyman. Henry J. Sears was instrumentalin the organization of Mt. Carmel Baptist Church in WilkinsonCounty, GA during 1849.

The Henry J. Sears family was residing in Wilkinson County whenthe 1850 U. S. Census was enumerated. The family included Henry,Rebecca, and their two year old daughter Sarah. Henry J. Searswas listed as a clergyman.

Henry J. Sears moved his family to Randolph County, AL prior to1853 and resided there until 1865. The 1860 U. S. Censusenumerated the family as residents of the Northern Division ofRandolph County. The occupation of Sears was listed as farmerand minister.

About 1865, the family migrated to Texas and stopped for a timein Navarro County with the Ingram family (former residents ofWilkinson County, GA) before settling in Hood County at ThorpSprings. The H. J. Sears was joined in this covered wagonjourney (which took three months) by his nephew John BryantSears and family.

Sears preached at various places throughout Hood County. Heoften preached at the old log meeting house near the graveyardat Thorp Springs. Among his favorite scriptures was 2 Kings 6:5-- the sermon topic adapted from these scriptures was AND THEAXE DID SWIM!

The 1870 U. S. Census recorded the Henry J. Sears family asresidents of the Thorp Springs area. The family surname wasincorrectly spelled SIERS on this census.

Henry J. Sears also engaged in the milling business; his millwas located on the north bank of Stroud's Creek above the lowerford. Pleasant Thorp had originally erected the mill and latersold it to Sears. The mill, only in operation a year or two, wasdamaged when its boiler exploded in 1872. One man was killed inthe explosion.

Henry and Rebecca Sears had one son, David Crockett Sears, bornat Thorp Springs in 1870. He was their only child born in Texas.About 1872, the family moved to Navarro County and settled.

Rebecca J. Sears died at age 65 on April 17, 1890. Henry J.Sears died at 80 on August 20, 1897. They are buried in thePevehouse Cemetery near Frost, Navarro County, TX. They arementioned in both the History of Navarro County and the Historyof Hood County. Henry and Rebecca Sears were the parents of ninechildren.

Descendants of Rev. Henry Jefferson Sears

1 Henry Jefferson Sears b: January 26, 1817 in Wilkinson County,Georgia d: August 20, 1897 in Navarro County, Texas Buried:Pevehouse cem. near Frost, Navarro Co, TX

.. +Rebecca Jane Freeman b: September 22, 1824 in Georgia m:February 6, 1843 in Walton County, Georgia d: April 17, 1890 inNavarro County, Texas Buried: Pevehouse cem. near Frost, NavarroCo, TX

............ 2 Sarah Sears b: 1848 in Georgia

+? Northcutt m: Bef. 1867 in AL

............ 2 Mary Sears b: 1850 in Georgia ............ 2Timothy L. Sears b: 1853 in Alabama d: 1888 in Navarro County,Texas Buried: Pevehouse cem. near Frost, Navarro Co, TX

................ +Adelaide M. Pevehouse b: December 7, 1854 m:March 4, 1874 in Navarro County, Texas d: February 25, 1930Buried: Pevehouse cem. near Frost, Navarro Co, TX

............ 2 Martha A. Sears b: 1855 in Alabama................ +Edd R. G. Hollingsworth m: November 7, 1872 inNavarro County, Texas

............ 2 Susan Sears b: 1859 in Alabama ............ 2John Jefferson Sears b: May 29, 1861 in Alabama d: February 6,1907 in Texas

................ +Emma Cordelia Logan b: December 12, 1861 m:September 19, 1886 in Navarro Co., Texas d: June 13, 1950

............ 2 Emma Sears b: 1864 in Alabama ............ 2Jimmie H. Sears b: February 1866 in Alabama ............. +SusieC.

............ 2 David Crockett Sears b: February 24, 1870 in HoodCounty, Texas d: September 13, 1962

................ +Nannie Lula Stewart b: December 18, 1871 inNavarro Co., TX m: September 10, 1891 in Navarro Co., Texas d:December 18, 1926

Family in Navarro Co. TX 1880 census