Seventh Generation

437. John Marion FRY^92,123,155 was born on 8 October 1827 in Palmyra, Marion County, Missouri.^123,124,125 He died on 7 April 1884 at the age of 56 in Corsicana, Navarro County, Texas.¹¹

Anna Bird Casey has name as John Marion; Hank Adams' material listed him as John Madison. I would think Anna more likely to be correct.
Moved to Navarro, TX in the fall of 1852.

1860 Census, Navarro Co, TX, p.225
J. M. Fry, age 35, b. Missouri; H. W. age 33, b. MO
J. M., male, age 7, b. TX as were all the children; M. E. , female, age 5; B. O., male, age 3; A. K., male, age 1.
Cate Rankin, female, age 74, b. PA, Rebecca Rankin, age 38, b. Indiana [Probably Harriet's mother and sister]

Texas Voter Registration Lists
28 Aug 1867
Navarro Co. Precinct 1
John M. Fry, Cosicana. Years in state, 15. Years in county, 15. Years in Precinct, 15.

For two decades the enumerator in Navarro Co TX favored initials.
1870 Census, Navarro Co, TX, p.8b
J. M. Fry, age 47, brickmason, b. MO, H. W. Fry, age 43, b. Indiana
M. L. Fry, female, age 75, b. TX [that's doubtful! and I can't image who this is]
B. Fry, male, age 13, A.K., male, age 11; S.K. female, age 9 - all born in Texas
N.J. Fry, female age 19, b. Texas; A. L. Fry, male, age 22, b. Texas (relatives?)

1880, Corsicano, Navarro Co TX, p.501
John M. Fry, age 52, b. Mo, parents b. KY, farmer
Harriet W., age 51, b. IN, parents b. PA
Abram K., age 21, b. TX, stock raiser
Sada R., age 18, b. TX, has rheumatism
next door is Benjamin O. Fry, age 23, b. TX, stock raiser and Mary E. age 18, b. TX, her parents b. in Alabama

Navarro Co, TX. Probate Record, Vol. 8, p. 463-4
I, J. M. Fry, Knowing the uncertainty of life and being of Sound mind, Memory and discretion and being desirous of making a disposition of my worldly effects while I have Strength So to do. Do make publish and declare this to be my last Will and Testament hereby Revoking all other Wills by me heretofore made.
1st. It is my will and desire that My Body be buried in a decent and Christian like manner suitable to My Circumstances and Conditions of life.
2nd. It is my will and desire that all of my Just debts be paid.
3rd. I give and bequeath Mollie Bridges, One Dollar. having heretofore given her property to the amount of Ninety five Dollars.
4th. I give and bequeath to my son Ben. Fry. One Dollar having heretofore given him Three Hundred Dollars in property and money.
5th. I Give and bequeath to my Son Abe Fry, One Dollar having heretofore given him Sixty Dollars in property.
6th. I Give and bequeath to my Daughter Sadie Fry One Dollar having heretofore given her in property, Fifty Dollars.
7th. I Give and bequeath to my beloved wife H. W. Fry, all the residue of my Estate both Personal Real and mixed of whatever character for and during her Natural life and She is fully authorized and empowered to Bargain Sell and Convey and real Estate or personal property and pass a warranty Title to the Same as fully as if I could do myself.
8th. It is my Will and desire that all property remaining on hand, at the death of my wife, which has not been disposed of by here shall be equally divided between my four children Mollie Bridges, Ben Fry, Abe Fry, and Said Fry. Each accounting to the Estate for the amounts heretofore given them by me and mentioned in this Will.
9th I hereby appoint my beloved wife, H. W. Fry, Executrix and A. J. Bridges, Executor of this my last Will and Testament.
10th. It is my will and desire that the Probate Courts of Texas have nothing whatever to do with this my last will and Testament except to Inventory and appraise my Estate. And it is further my will and desire that my Executrix and Executor Shall not be required to give Bond and Security for the Carrying out and Executing this Will.
In Testimony whereof I have hereto on this 16th day of March 1884 Set My hand and Seal
J. M. Fry
Signed, Sealed, Deliverd published and declard in Presence of witnesses:
R. W. Walton, W. T. Pollard, J. M. Doolen

Estate of J. M. Fry
In the proceedings had in the above entitled and numbered Estate had before J. L. Autry, County Judge of Navarro County at the regular Mary Term 1884 of the County Court of Navarro County on the 26 day May 1884, the following proceedings were had. J. M. Doolen being Sworn deposes and Says. I Knew J. M. Fry in his life time well. Knew him for many years and was his intimate friend. He died about the 6th of April 1884. He was about fifty five or sixty years old at the date of his death. I have examined the Will filed with the application in this cause and State that Several Weeks before the Death of J. M. Fry, I was Called upon by him to witness the Same as his last Will and Testament. I Saw him Sign it & he declared to me that it was his last Will & Testament h signed the Will voluntarily he was in his right mind understood fully what he was doing and seemed fully to understand everything in connection he was doing he Signed the Will at his home in Corsicana, Navarro County, Texas. I signed the Will as a witness Together with R. W. Walton and W. T. Pollard. I am Forty Two years of age and I know that both R. W. Walton and W. T. Pollard are over 14 years of age, and we all signed the Will as witnesses at the request of the said J. M. Fry.
J. M. Doolen
Sworn to and Subscribed before me in open court this 26th day of May, AD 1884
S. H. Kerr, Clk Co Court by F. L. Kerr, Deputy

R. W. Walton being Sworn deposes and Says, I Knew J. M. Fry in his life time well. He died about April 6th 1884. I wrote the will filed for Probate in this Cause at the request and under the Instructions of J. M. Fry, and I also signed it as a witness at his request together with J. M. Doolen and W. T. Pollard. J. M. Fry at the time he signed said Will fully Knew and understood the purport & Meaning of the will & was in his right mind. I am fifty years old. J. M. Fry's Estate is all in Navarro County. R. W. Walton
Sworn to and Subscribed before me in open Court, this 26th day of May AD 1884.
S. H. Kerr, Clk Co Court by F. L. Kerr, Deputy

John Marion FRY and Harriet W. RANKIN were married on 27 October 1852 in Lewis County, Missouri.¹²³ Harriet W. RANKIN was born in 1829 in Indiana.¹⁵⁵ She died on 4 February 1885 at the age of 56.¹²³

Probably Harriet's family in 1850.
Dist 48, Lewis Co, MO, Hh 216
Catherine Rankin, 60, b. PA
Mary H. 31, b. IN. Rebecca F. 26, b. IN. Hariett W. 21, b. IN. Benj A. 18, b. MO.
V. M. Dawson, 27, carpenter, b KY. Eliza T., 24, b. IN. Catharine E. 3, b. MO. Eliza E., age 1, b. MO.

John Marion FRY and Harriet W. RANKIN had the following children:

531	i.	J. M. FRY was born in 1853 in Texas.
532	ii.	M. E. FRY was born in 1855 in Texas.
+533	iii.	Benjamin Oscar FRY.
534	iv.	Abram K. FRY was born in 1859 in Texas.¹⁵⁵
535	v.	Sarah Katherine FRY was born in 1862 in Texas.¹⁵⁵ She died about 1895 at the age of 33. Married Daniel Perry Grooms about 1885. She died prior to 1900 but here is her family: 1900 Census. Justice Prec 2, Delta Co, TX, Hh 305 D. Perry Grooms, b. Feb 1859, 41, married 3 years, b. TX, Farmer Angeline S., wife, b. Feb 1863, 37, 2 children - 1 is living, b. MO Josiah J., son, b. Dec 1886, 13, b. TX George M., son, b. July 1889, 10, b. TX Thomas J., son, b. Jun 1892, 8, b. TX James O., son, b. Nov 1894, 5, b. TX this would be Angeline's child: Stephen L., son, b. Jul 1897, age 2, b. TX Texas Death Certificate #10708 George Mitchel Grooms, died 27 Feb 1956, at his home, 801 N. Arizona St., Shamrock, Wheeler Co, TX, of carcinoma of the Pancreas - he had been ill for 10 months. Born 23 Jul 1887 in Commerce (Hunt County) Texas, he was married. He was a commercial trucker. His father was Daniel Perry Grooms, b. Cooper, TX - his mother Sarah Katherine Fry, b. the same place. Mrs. George M. Grooms was the informant. He was buried Feb 29th, Shamrock Cemetery. Texas Death Certificate #08248 James O. Grooms, died 19 Feb 1963 at the VA Hospital in Dallas, Dallas Co, TX. His residence was Rt. 3, Gilmer, Upshur Co, TX. He died of far advanced pulmonary tuberculosis. Married, he was a farmer. Born 23 Nov 1894 in Navarro County, TX. His father was Daniel P. Grooms, his mother Katherine Fry. J. J. Joseph, the Registrar at the VA hospital was the informant. Buried Union Grove Cemetery, Gladewater, TX, on Feb 20th. Texas Death Certificate #01443 Thomas Jefferson Grooms died 10 Jan 1966 at Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Dallas Co, TX. His residence was 3917 Woodbury (Mesquite), Balch Springs, Dallas Co, TX. He died of GI tract bleeding. He was widowed, a farmer. He was born 3 Jan 1892 in Texas. His father was Daniel P. Grooms, his mother Susie Fry. Mr. J. D. Grooms (son) was the informant. Buried Jan 11 at Grove Hill Cemetery, Dallas Co, TX.