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John O. Heath was son of Ephraim Heath & Sarah "Sallie" Titmarsh/Tidmarsh, born 30 Jan 1818 in Warren Co (now Simpson Co) KY. He died 29 Dec 1895 Rockwall, TX and is buried Rockwall City Cemetery. He was reared in Simpson and Calloway Counties in KY, and arrived in Texas in the spring of 1846.
After arriving in Texas his first stop was to visit with his father's life-long friend and Kentucky neighbor, Daniel Rowlett, who formed the party which surveyed what was then known as Mercer's Colony. The west line of the Colony was near Rowlett Creek (in Dallas county) which was named for him, as was the town of Rowlett.
On his first visit to Texas he rode over the area finding wild turkey, buffalo, and told of seeing "more than 150 deer grazing along Bushy Creek", verifying the stories he had heard about Texas. He returned to Kentucky in the fall of 1846, and immediately started back to Texas with his wife, Martha Jones and their first child, Isabella, along with the young brother of his wife, C. L. Jones.
John and Martha settled at Willow Springs near what became the town of Heath, which takes its name from him. He donated land for one of Rockwall's first schools, known as the Willow Springs School. At that time his home was in Nacogdoches County. Soon afterward it became Henderson County, then Kaufman county, and finally Rockwall County. He was quoted as saying that he had "lived in four counties of Texas without once having to move off his front porch."
John Heath was appointed Postmaster at Black Hill, the first post office in Rockwall County (then Henderson County) in 1847. From 1849 to 1855 he served as Deputy Sheriff of Kaufman County. In 1856 he was elected Justice of the Peace and served several terms in that capacity. In 1862 he enlisted in the Confederate States Army - Co K 2nd Partisan Rangers, Stone's Second Regiment - and served in the Trans-Mississippi Battalion. After the war between the states he returned home to farm and to operate the Heath Mercantile with his brother-in-law, and in 1885 was appointed postmaster at Rockwall.
John Oswell Heath was married 4 times:
#1 Catherine W. CURD
born 1822 - died circa 1842 KY
Married 3 May 1838 Callaway Co KY
d/o Joseph Lambert Curd & Mary Ann Catherine Foster
* No children were born to J O Heath & Catherine Curd
#2 Martha Ann JONES
born 1826 - 30 Jul 1854 Kaufman Co - buried Heath Cemetery
Married 23 Dec 1844 Callaway Co KY
According to "Cemetery Inscriptions of Rockwall County, Texas" the inscription on her tombstone in Heath Cemetery reads: "Martha Ann Heath " died July 30, 1854 - Aged 28 yrs." Martha died from complications of childbirth with Mariah, born three months earlier. She was the daughter of Stephen Jones and Anna Lee.
CHILDREN with J. O. Heath:
- Isabella F. b. 4 Sep 1845 - died
Married William Milton McCreary (1840 -1903)
23 Aug 1860 Kaufman Co
- Sarah "Sally" Ann b. 22 Jun 1847
- Adeliade b. 1 Feb 1849 - 27 Mar 1922
Married J M Norman 1836 - 1914
- Ephraim Charles b. 4 Nov 1850 - 13 Feb 1924
Married Ida Alice COLLINS Rockwall Co TX - 3 Apr 1881
- Martha Ann b. 31 Mar 1852 - 1 Dec 1936
Married George W Morris 27 Mar 1873 - Kaufman Co
- Mariah Jane b. 26 Mar 1854
Married William Drennan 19 Sep 1872 - Kaufman Co
#3 Mariah KERN Connor
born 1822 - died 22 May 1860 Rockwall, Kaufman Co TX
Married 3 Oct 1854 - Kaufman Co TX
daughter of Henry C Kern & Susanna Travis
(She was the widow of John R Connor - md 5 Apr 1842 in Stewart Co TN. They were living in Kaufman Co in 1850)
CHILDREN with J. O. Heath:
- Howell Cobb b. 18 Nov 1857 - 2 Dec 1900
Married Lizzie Trigg - 4 Feb 1886 - Rockwall Co
- William H. b. 29 Jul 1859 - 24 Jul 1919
- John B. b. 18 May 1860 - died as infant
#4 Lucy J TUCKER Goode (widow of John Goode)
circa 1813 - died Unknown
Married 24 Jan 1861 Collin Co TX
She was a Widow with children when she married J. O. Heath. They did not have children together.
OBITUARY OF JOHN O HEATH
Dallas News
1 Jan 1897
Thursday the remains of John Heath were laid to rest by East Trinity Masonic Lodge, of which he was it's charter member and first senior warden. Born in Virginia in 1818, he moved to Kentucky while in his youth; thence to Texas in 1846. He lived in four counties, yet never having moved - first in Nacogdoches County, secondly in Henderson County which was cut off from the big territory, thence in Kaufman County and finally Rockwall.
He assisted the organization of Kaufman County and was one of the commissioners, appointed by legislature in 1873 to organize the county of Rockwall. Appointed Postmaster in April 1849, at Black hill, which was his residence. Appointed Captain in the separate battalion, second brigade, for the county of Henderson in June 1847, being the first Army Officer ever appointed in this portion of the state, and for service in the Mexican War.
He was appointed Justice of the Peace by Gov. Sam Houston in 1860. He enlisted in the Confederate Army in 1862 and was 1st Lieutenant in Capt. C L Jones' company of Stone's brigade. Member of the Methodist Episcopal Church for over fifty years, a Mason for forty-three years. He leaves a large family of children, among who in the Hon. E C Heath, once candidate for governor.
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CENSUS RECORDS
In the 1830 Census of Callaway County, Kentucky, J O Heath appears to be the son listed as age 10-15.
No longer with his parents in the 1840 Census of Callaway County, Kentucky.
1850 Kaufman Co TX census HH# 323/324
John O. HEATH 32 M KY Farmer
Martha 24 F KY
Isbelia 4 F KY
Adelaide 1 F TX
Julia A. JONES 14 F KY (sister of Martha)
1860 Kaufman Co TX - Rockwall PO HH# 302/304
J O Heath 42 KY Framer 4840./6920.
Mariah 33 NC
Isabell 14 KY
Adaline C 13 TX
Ephriam C 9 TX
Martha A 7 TX
Mariah J 6 TX
Wm H 4 TX
Howell C 2 TX
HH# 304/306
E Heath 70 VA Farmer 3400./1612.
Sally 33 KY
Nancy 9 KY
1870 Kaufman Co TX Census HH# 288/299
John O Heath 52 KY Farmer 6206./1000.
Lucy J 57 KY
Adaliade 21 KY
Ephraim C 19 TX
Martha A 17 TX
Mariah J 15 TX
Wm H 13 TX
Howell C 11 TX
Goode, James 23 KY
Goode, Dallas 21 KY
Goode, John 17 KY
Goode, Rebecca 13 KY
HH# 385/398
HEATH, Sarah E (Sally) 63 KY Farmer 100./300.
Nancy 21 KY 1000/100
George GOODE 25 KY
Joseph JONES 30 KY
1880 ROCKWALL Co TX Census
John O HEATH 63 KY VA VA
Lucy HEATH 67 KY --- ---
Ephraim HEATH 30 TX KY KY
Rebecca GOODE 21 TX KY KY
George GOODE 33 KY KY KY
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