Eighth Generation

458. James Harvey "Harve" COMSTOCK^{180,183,185,210,214,259,260,261,262,263} was born on 14 January 1850 in Perry County, Tennessee.⁹⁸ He died on 22 January 1940 at the age of 90 in Westville, Adair County, Oklahoma.

The Hugh Comstock family is said to have left Perry Co TN on 25 Nov 1854 in an ox wagon. This is also approximately the date that Hugh's sister Caroline & her husband William Randel & their family made this move. Probably all traveled together.

Harve and his brother William were raised by various relatives after their mother died. Gratis Comstock says, first with their uncle Sam, but there is no Sam in this Comstock family. "Uncle Sam" is said to have taken them in 1856 to their Aunt Caroline. In 1860 They were living in McDonald Co MO with aunt Caroline Comstock Randell. William & Harve lived with Caroline until about 1861 when Tom Comstock came and took them to his home. Harve ended up with Miranda Comstock and her mother during the Civil War years. Harve related taking a trip on horseback with Mrs. Brown [Miranda Comstock's mother] to central Arkansas to see other relatives - this would likely have been Mrs. Brown's sister-in-law Jane Davis who lived in Johnson Co AR. Harve also stated that the home in which they lived during the Civil War was burned - this would of course have been Mrs. Brown's [Rebecca P. Jones Brown, wife of Murphy Brown.]

In Harve's narrative he also tells the story of Robert Christian, calling him Bob Christie, the man who murdered Murphy Brown & his son Ezekiel during the War. Harve tells of Christian's killing at Fredonia. Although the story is somewhat garbled it is basically correct.

In November of 1866, William & Harve left Tom's home in Missouri and moved to Crawford Co AR on Lee Creek, near Natural Dam along with another uncle, Harvey Alexander Comstock. In 1868, William left the area and Harve never saw him again. Harve went to live with Mrs. Hannah Bourne and her son Whitley.

On 27 Jan 1870 Harvey was arrested and apparently jailed in Fort Smith for having given liquor to an Indian, Andrew Young, a Cherokee, at Dripping Springs on or about 15 April 1868. $250 bond was posted on the 28th by himself, Silvaner Cox and Marion Warden. This was a violation of the Law governing trade and intercourse with the Indian Tribes. Disposition of the case is not in the file.

In the 1870 Census in Lees Creek Twp there is a "J. Gamstock", age 20, living with Hanner Bourn. 13 year old Elias [Bourn] also lived in the house, as does Augusta Daw/Dan who was 15. The spelling and handwriting of the enumerator was poor. Based on location and the information found later in 1880, I feel that this is James Harvey Comstock.

In 1871, Harve went to Johnson Co TX where he worked for wages and learned the carpenter's trade. He came back to Crawford Co, living again with Mrs. Bourn. Then in Dec of 1874 he went with Sterling & Ellen Marlock to Wise Co Tx. He lived part of that year with his uncle Harve [Harvey Alexander who must have also come to Texas - Uncle Harve was in Cooke Co TX in 1880]

Obituaries, Death Notices & News Items Extracted from the Van Buren Press 1875
Fran Alverson Warren
p.44 J. H. Comstock's signature on a petition
“A Move in the Right Direction of Temperance." 1 Jul 1875
Pledge to not sell any spiritous liquors at Lees Creek PO or Oliver's Store or in Lees' Crk Township

Harve applied for 160 acres of school land in Vansant Co in 1876 and build a small house on the land in 1877. In 1878, he took some of his produce and made a trip to the "buffalo range" between the Brazos and Pea Rivers where he traded with the Buffalo Soldiers and took part in a buffalo kill. In the Spring of 1879, Harve moved back to Lee Creek believing that the Texas summers were bad for his health. He never went back and lost the Texas farm.

In the 1880 Census, Harvey was living two households from the family of Nathan Rose and living with the widow Hannah Brown and her son Whitfield.

Married to a daughter of Nathan Rose by Samuel Cox, MG, in 1882 - the marriage record from Crawford Co, is dated 28 Dec 1882. J. H. Comstock was 28 [he was actually 32], Martha Rose, 18.

Obits Death Notices & News Items Extracted from the Van Buren Press 1884; Fran Alverson Warren
26 Jul 1884
JUDGES OF ELECTION
Barker: S.A. Cox, I. N. Burchfield, Harry Comstock

The 1890 Crawford Co Reconstructed Census has J. H. Comstock in the Rosedale School District at S9,T12,R32.

The Van Buren Press, 5 Jan 1895: Eads has a new postmaster, Harvey Comstock has resigned and his place has been taken by S. A. Cox.

The VAN BUREN PRESS of 27 May 1899, listed J. H. Comstock as a member of the petit jury for the next term of circuit court, to convene June 20th.

1900 Census. Union Twp, Crawford Co, AR, Hh 105
James H. Comstock, b. Jan 1850, married 18 years, b. TN, parents b. TN, farmer
Martha W., wife, b. May 1868, age 32, b. AL, parents b. AL
children all born in Crawford Co:
Gratis M., son, b. apr 1886, age 14
Hettie M., dau, b. May 1888, age 12
Charles C., son, b. Nov 1889, age 10
Rosa L., dau, b. Mar 1892, age 8
Cora A., dau, b. Mar 1894, age 6
Elsa V., dau, b. Oct 1895, age 4

1910 Census. Union Twp, Crawfrod, AR, HH 11
James H., 60 married once for 27 years, b. TN
Martha W., wife, 45, 10 children, b. AL
Hettie M., dau, 22, divorced - 2 children [See Monday children below - they are hers)
Rosalie, dau, 19
Cora A., dau, 16
Elsie V., dau, 14
Zora Z., dau, 10
Hugh T., son, 8
Hardy, son , 6
Maranda, dau, 2
Raymond Monday, grandson, 5
Milton M. Monday, grandson, 3
Jesse Burns, Boarder, 32, Farm Laborer

1920 Census of Farm Land Owners
Wanda M. Gray, 1998
COMSTOCK, J.H. Truck and general farmer on 75 acres a mile north of Uniontwon

1930 Census. James H. Comstock, age 79, born in Tennessee, renting a house in Uniontown. Wife Winnie was age 66, b. AL, her father b. in NC, her mother b. AL.

From Tonya Mercer [some of this obviously came from the narrative by Harve & his son Gratis]:
After Harve and his brother were deserted by thier step-mother, they stayed with their Uncle Sam Comstock but then, he turned them over to another relative. This relative beat the boys, gave them little to eat or wear, and made them do all the work. After five years, they found the courage to make matters known to their Uncle Tom Comstock who, at the point of a gun, took the boys away from that uncle and took them to his own home where they stayed until 1866. Their Uncle Tom was away at the war most of the time so their training was left to his wife and her mother and Harve always said those good women taught him admirably. In 1866, the boys went to what was known as the Black Farm on Lee Creek where they made a crop with their Uncle Harry Alexander Comstock. In 1871, Harve went to Texas and learned something of the carpenter's trade. He traveled, hunted buffalo, farmed, and finally returned to Crawford County. In 1898, he clerked in the store of his cousins, Monroe and Randolph Comstock, and bought 75 acres 1 1/2 miles northwest of Uniontown. He was years ahead of his time in farming methods and grafting, and his farm was a show place. He clerked in the store for fifteen years and farmed until his last child married. Even in his later years, he was not satisfield unless he had a little patch to cultivate. At the age of 72 he decided that the farm was too great a burden for him to care for alone, so the old home place was sold and they lived for awhile with a daughter, Mrs. Jim Campbell. They then lived with different children for a while but they soon moved to themselves in Westville, Oklahoma. On January 22, 1940 Harvey Comstock slipped quietly away to his reward He never grew old but remained a spry and cheerful man until his Maker offered him his reward which he was ready to accept. According to his wishes, he was buried in a little cemetary (New Hope) a few miles from Westville by the side of his mother-in-law, Mary Rose. On Sunday, February 28, 1960 his wife Winnie went home to join him in the land behold. On Tuesday, March 1 she was laid to rest by her beloved husband and mother.

James Harvey "Harve" COMSTOCK and Martha Winnie ROSE were married on 28 December 1882 in Crawford County, Arkansas.^{98,264,265,266} Martha Winnie ROSE, daughter of Nathaniel ROSE and Mary Elizabeth GREER, was born on 2 May 1865 in Lawrence County, Alabama.^98,267,268 She died on 29 February 1960 at the age of 94 in Westville,Adair, Adair County, Oklahoma.⁹⁸

Democrat Journal, Stilwell, OK, 3 Mar 1960, p.7
Mrs. Comstock Dies Saturday
Mrs. Winnie Comstock, 95, among Westville's older citizens (if not the oldest) died at the home of a daughter, Mrs. Herman Nunn, Saturday night, February 27, after a few weeks illness.
Funeral services were conducted from the Roberts Funeral Chapel Tuesday afternoon at 2:00 o'clock, with the Rev. Luther Nelson, pastor of the First Baptist church, officiating.
Mrs. Comstock was born in Orange County, Alabama, May 2 1864, during the War Between the States. With her parents, Mr. & Mrs. Nathaniel Rose, in 1870 she moved to what was then the "Far West" - Sebastian County, Arkansas, near Fort Smith, for a short time and then to Lees Creek in adjoining Washington County, and lived there and on Cove Creek for many years.
After her marriage to Harvey Comstock in 1879, they moved to Westville in 1915 where she has maintained her home.
Mrs. Comstock was a member of the Free Will Baptist Church. Burial was in the New Hope Cemetery, northwest of Westville, with the Roberts Funeral Home Directing.
Suvivors include four sons, Harvey and Charley Comstock of Westville, Gratis Comstock, Oilton, Texas, Tony Comstock, Marysville, California; six daughters, Mrs. Clifford Edminston, Mrs. Herman Nunn, Mrs. Rosa Edmiston, Westville, Mrs. Jim Campbell, Union Town, Arkansas, Mrs. Ren Morton, Proctor, Mrs. Cora Burgess, Uba City, California; 34 grandchildren, 54 great grandchildren and 11 great, great grandchildren.

Westville Reporter 1960
March 4, 1960
COMSTOCK
Funeral service for Mrs. Winnie COMSTOCK, Westville's oldest citizen, was held Tuesday afternoon at 2 p.m. in Roberts Funeral Chapel, with the Rev. Luther NELSON, pastor of the First Baptist church officiating. Interment was in the New Hope Cemetery
Mrs. Paul CARRINGTON and Mrs. Carl ISHMAEL, accompanied by Mrs. Grover HOWARD, sang, "Beyond the Sunset," "Land Where We Never Grow Old" and "Lord, I'm Coming Home."
Mrs. COMSTOCK died Sunday at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Herman NUNN and Mr. NUNN, with whom she lived.
She was born May 2, 1864, in Orange County, Alabama, during the War between the States. With her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Nathaniel ROSE, in 1870 she moved to what was then the "Far West" to Sebastian County, Ark., near Fort Smith where they lived for a short time, then to Lee's Creek in adjoining Washington County, Ark., and lived there and on Cove Creek at Union Town for many years.
On December 28, 1879, she married Harvey COMSTOCK, who was a neighbor as well as her childhood sweetheart. It was in the same community they established their home and their ten children were born, all of whom are living.
In 1915 Mr. and Mrs. COMSTOCK moved to Westville, where they maintained their home until his death in 1940. She soon went to the home of Mr. and Mrs. NUNN and through the years since has lived there and with another son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Clifford EDMISTON.
Many early days experiences in Arkansas were related by Mrs. COMSTOCK, and always heard with interest by her family and friends. She was a member of the Free Will Baptist Church.
The survivors include the ten children, Mrs. Clifford EDMISTON, Mrs. Herman NUNN, Mrs. Rosa EDMISTON, Hardy COMSTOCK and Charley COMSTOCK, all of Westville; Gratis COMSTOCK of Oilton, Texas, Mrs. Jim CAMPBELL of Union Town, Ark.; Mrs. Rena MORTON of Porter, Okla.; Tony COMSTOCK of Marysville, Calif., Mrs. Cora BURGESS of Yuba City, Calif.; 34 grandchildren; 54 great grandchildren and 11 great great grandchildren.
Pallbearers were Onnie LEWALLEN, Mark EOFF, Calvin MOORE, Autry NUNN, Gratis EDMISTON and Dean PARKER. Flower bearers were Jerelene COMSTOCK, Marjie PARKER, Leta LEWALLEN, Hazel EOFF, Violet Gene MOORE and Junaita EDMISTON.

James Harvey "Harve" COMSTOCK and Martha Winnie ROSE had the following children: