DuBois/Stark and Warford/Farris Ancestors

JAMES KNOX STARK James Knox Stark was born 23 May 1839 in Grantsville, MD to Peter Stark and (probably) Elizabeth Wright or (possibly) Elizabeth Dean. His father was born in Ireland, emigrating about 1832 as a part of the (ethnically) German protestant Stark families who came to America and Australia between 1810 and 1870. It is possible that one family first established themselves, earning money for subsequent siblings to leave Ireland for what they no doubt believed would be a better life. I am documenting the Stark family from their immigration from Germany about 1709 to Ireland. Because of the destruction of records in Ireland at a time of unrest, most civil records were destroyed. Piecing together what information I can is a herculean task. What I do know is that James’ father Peter was born in Ireland, coming from a settlement of Germans who intermarried for over 100 years, rarely marrying outside of their protestant faith to a non-German-surnamed individual. According to the 184

William Z. Farris Nancy L. William Zachariah Farris was born on 16 Dec 1853 in Schuyler County, MO to John Farris (1815-1879) and Rebecca Dixon Farris (1814-1891). He married Nancy Louisa Bunnell (1861-1891) on 19 Oct 1880 in Randolph County, MO. There, they settled on a farm. Farris Farm, c. 1910 The couple had five daughters, the youngest of whom was Mary Louis Farris (her middle name Louis was after her grandfather Louis Bunnell). After “Nannie Louise’s” death, William remained in contact with her relatives, hosting Bunnell-Farris reunions. Bunnell Family Reunion The family lore surrounding Nannie Louise’s death is that she was determined to sew new dresses for her girls for Easter. She hurried to the store to buy material without sufficiently drying her hair and caught cold. This turned to pneumonia. She may have actually died of consumption (tuberculosis). Her death was six weeks after Easter. Mt. Carmel Cemetery William remarried to Joan Chapman one year after his first wife’s de

The paternal grandmother of Rev. Henry Harris Slaton DuBois lived most of her life in Alabama. That is all I knew about her four years ago. I began further research. Little did I know I would end up writing a saga revolving around her! Here is the nutshell version of the facts: Louisa was the sixth of nine (recognized) children of Josiah Williams and Judith (Elmore) Williams, born in Virginia January 6, 1799. The family moved to Laurens, SC where they remained until Louisa was about 19. While in Laurens, Louisa’s parents engaged in public and scandalous disputes, resulting in a Suit for Separation. The couple may have reconciled because they both migrated, likely with extended families, to the Territory of Alabama in about 1818. The family settled in Autauga County (currently, Elmore County), just across the river from the Creek Nation. Louisa’s uncle, General John Archelaus Elmore, was so prominent in the area that a county formed later after the civil war was named after him. On her

Each week (or thereabouts), I will post about an ancestor of mine and maybe one of yours. This will be a peek into their past and not their whole story. If you wish to learn more about that person, let me know! The photo is part of a wall of framed photos I have of many of our ancestors. Most of these came from years of connecting with cousins, so few are original. I have 25 of our direct ancestors! That includes some great-great-grandparents, and even one or two great-great-great-grandparents. Here's to the journey!