History of Forest Hill, excerpt on Hardy Family
History of Forest Hill
by John Steele McCormick
pages 60-63 & 78-79
[page 60]
area where they farmed their large farm. Later, Russell Avery sold
out and moved to Cuba. He and his brother, Champ engaged in
construction work. "Because of their honesty and capabilities these
brothers had far more work than they could ever do". The Averys
were members of the Leasburg Baptist Church and Russell was
deacon here for many years. Russell and Flossie were parents of
eight children: (a) Franklin Fobinson of St. Louis, (b) Leslie
Maurice of Washington, Mo., (c) William Haskell who died young,
(d) Woodrow Russell of Leasburg, (e) Bernice Virginia who died
young, (f) Margaret Louise (Mrs. Edward Bryan of BAllwin. Mo., (g)
Marie Lucille (Mrs. Lloyd Sprinkle of Afton, Mo., (h) Irene Ruth,
(Mrs Harold McCrary) of Granite City, Ill. Margaret and Marie are
twins.
B. Clarence Walker ("Champ") b. Aug. 16, 1894; married Nellie
Summers, daughter of George and Anna (Hulsey) Summers. They
are parents of James and Richard Avery.
C. Curtesy Jennings Bryan, b. Oct. 7, 1896; married Beaula Clonts,
daughter of E. Preston and Lillian (Brown) Clonts. They are parents
of Bryan and Pearl Eldon Avery.
D. William Trezzievan, b. April 10, 1900; d. April 21, 1969; married
(1) Jan. 29, 1922 Clarice Adella CLonts, sister of Beaula. They were
parents of Kenneth Trezzievan Avery. Clarice Adella was b. July 23,
1905; d. April 17, 1925; buried at Liberty Cemetery. On June 11,
1928 Trezzie married (2) Reabel Lettie Brown, daughter of John
Richard and Angeline Susan (Halbert) Brown. Reabel was born
April 15, 1908. They are the parents of Grace Josephine, Nellie
Overa, John William, Bessie Angeline, and Adella Fanny Avery.
E. Grace Overa, b. Feb. 28, 1906; married Frank M. Blair, son of
Charles Melvin and Mahala Jane (Mallow) Blair. (See Blair Family.)
They are parents of Joyce Blair.
7. Henrietta, b. Sept. 16, 1863; d. Feb. 23, 1950; married Simon Peter Land,
son of Ervin Milton and Mary (Martin) Land. (See Land Family.)
8. Martha M., b. Nov. 28, 1865; d. Nov. 5, 1935; married, Oct. 2, 1898,
George W. Moore (b. April 8, 1854; d. Feb. 14, 1936). Two children: John
and Elsie , now Mrs. ____ Landing.
Lews [in pen, crossed out, written Elisha] Avery, cousin to Lewis (above) was
born in Carson [in pen, crossed out, written Craven], N.C. and here married
Elizabeth ___. (dates unknown). The other daughters were born in N.C. but
James and Mary were born in Tennessee. There were probably other children and
remained in Tenn. The family lived at Connorsville, Tenn. before coming to Forest
Hill, though they did not live there very long.
The family would have come earlier but the older daughter, Nancy, was in love
with Wesley Christopher and she would neither leave her family nor would she come
West without him. So, naturally, what happened was that the family remained to see
her happily married and then they came on to Missouri. Later the Christophers
decided to come too and they settled near the "old folks" in Forest Hill.
Upon arriving here, thc Lewis Avery family settled at Saranaca Springs, but later
moved to the Jimmy King (later John King) place. Leqlvis and Elizabeth Avery became
the ancestors of four well-known Forest Hill families: Knight, Christopher, Hardy and
Nixon.
[page 61]
Seven known children of Lewis and Elizabeth Awry. (Note by HCL. The names
of the parents of James Madison Avery are given as James Elisha and Elizabeth (White)
Avery by grandson Dewey Lemaster.)
1. Nancy, b. Jan. 31, 1827; married, March 28,1851, Wesley Christopher.
(see p.69-70)
2. Harriet, born in 1829; married Henry Barnhardt Hardy, son of Elijah Hardy
of Forest Hill.
Elijah Hardy is the ancestor of the various Hardy families of
northern Crawford County, but it has been impossible to locate reliable
data on this important family. Elijah arrived from Nashville Tenn. in this
district before 1850 and at first lived on the Bunsemier place (below
present Kurt Koehn's) but he built his permanent home on the George
Knight place. The logs from his old house may still be seen as they were
used by George Knight for his pig pen.
Elijah Hardy married a Hudson, a sister of Con Hudson and Mrs.
Jeremiah King. They had seven children: (1) Mat Hardy, who first settled the
Silas Smith farm north of Coffeyton. The area was called "Mat's Valley" for
years. He was a Methodist minister and early removed to California, Missouri.
(2) William Hardy, who went to Texas about the time of the Civil War. (3)
Henderson Hardy, born Dec. 20, 1830, who was a Confederate soldier. He
settled the Hardy farm across the river. He married (1) Jan 15, 1854, Martha
Greenlee, (2) Dec. 15, 1866, Nancy Jane (Greenlee) Paul, both daughters of
David and Martha (Moutry) Greenlee. Nancy, his second wife, had first married
Milton Paul of Blue Springs. Henderson Hardy had three sons and one daughter
by Martha but none by Nancy. (4) Mary Hardy, who was the second wife of
George Cresswell. (5) Elizabeth Hardy, who married William Waters and
removed to Springfield, Mo. (6) Minerva Hardy, who married Bill Sparks. (7)
Henry Barnhart Hardy who married Harriet Avery.
Henry and Harriet (Avery) Hardy settled and cleared the Fred
Wiesenborn place. Their house stood on the hill near the old dairy barn. Near
this house was laid out the family burying ground, the exact location of
which is now lost. Henry and two of his daughters are buried here.
Henry sold to B.F. Smith upon this family's arrival from South Carolina
and it was Smith who built on the present site. His old house is inclosed by
the fine, larger present home. Henry Hardy was an excellent stone mason.
The lovely fireplace and chimney of the Abe Knight home (Adams') is his
work.
Henry Hardy, after selling his homestead, moved to the Rockwell farm.
After his death, Harriet moved to Littl Rock where she died at the home of
her brother, James.
Children of Henry and Harriet (Avery) Hardy:
A. William
B. Ed
C. Henry, who died young.
D. Leona, who married William Tucker. They were parents of four sons.
[in pen: Mary E Hardy d. 1880]
3. Martha Ann, was born Aug 13, 1830 [in pen: Craven City, NC]; d. Feb. 26, 1888; married Abraham
Knight. [in pen: 28 Jan 1855] (See Knight family)
4. James Madison, b. June 11, 1838 in Tennessee; d. Mar. 26, 1916. Married
[end of page]
[page 62]
Kathryn Elizabeth Benton, b. in Missouri about 1842; d. Sept., 1910.
Kathryn was the daughter of Henry and Nancy (King) Benton. Jim and
Kathryn are buried side by side in the Combs Cemetery on a mountain across
White River and one mile from the village of Combs, Arkansas.
Jim and Kathryn lived in Steelville during the Civil War but are believed
to have also spent some time in the vicinity of Leasburg during their stay in
Crawford County, Missouri.
Jim Madison Avery joined the U.S. Army at Newburg, Mo. on
September 10, 1864. (Note by HCL. I had been under the impression that
most men from Crawford County did not go any further than Rolla to enlist.)
Jim was attached to Company K. 62nd Infantry. He received his discharge
December 2, 1864 at Sullivan, Missouri.
A few years after the Civil War the Jim Avery family moved to
Arkansas. They lived for a time in an area of 100 miles of four adjoining
Arkansas Counties, namely: Crawford, Madison, Franklin and Sebastian.
James Madison and Kathryn Elizabeth (Benton) Avery were the parents
of 14 children, 7 sons and 7 daughters. The 1870 census of Crawford County
Missouri lists the six older children as having been born in Missouri.
A. Nancy Elizabeth, born May 14, 1859. Nancy married a Conley.
She is buried in Vaught Cemetery near Mountainsburg, Crawford
County, Arkansas.
B. James Elisha (Bud) was born December 21, 1860. Died when he
was around 21 years old. He is buried at Baslham Cemetery near
Mountainsburg, Arkansas.
C. Rhoda Lee Mildred born Februa:y 20, 1862. She married a
Frazer. She is buried in Love Cemetery near Alma, Crawford
County, Arkansas.
D. John Steven born September 22, 1863. Died October 25, 1872.
Buried at Newbury Chapel Cemetery near Alma, Arkansas.
E. Mary Alice born September 25, 1864. Married a Sparkman. She is
buried in Newton Road Cemetery, Fort Smith, Arkansas.
F. Henry Thomas born October 26, 1865, died November 22, 1866.
G. Mandy Ellen born August 9, 1867. Died August 2, 1953. She
married a LeMaster. Mandy is buried in Oak Cemetery, Fort
Smith, Arkansas.
H. Julia Ann born in 1870. She married a Sinico. She is buried at
Denver, Colorado.
I. Spain Annison born in 1875, died December, 1944. Buried in
Kane Hill Cemetery near Kane Hill, Arkansas.
J. Scott L. born in 1877. Buried at Dawson, Oklahoma.
K. Ruth L. born March 9, 1872. Died March 22, 1935. Married a
McAfee. Ruth is buried in Oak Cemetery, Fort Smith, Arkansas.
L. Adolphus (Dock) born in 1880, died December, 1944. Buried in
Inglewood Cemetery, Los Angeles, California.
M. Grover Cleveland, b. 1884; d. 1938. Buried in Baptist Ford
Cemetery, Greenland, Arkansas.
N. Maude Marie, b. April 1886; d. June 1957. Married a Logue. She
is buried near Minneola, Texas.
5. Mary Ellen married Zed Nixon, Son of Frederick and Jemima Nixon. (See
[page 63]
Nixon family)
6. Elizabeth Vandyke b. June 20, 1848; d. July 20, 1922. Married Henry
Tiemann, b. Feb. 20, 1842 in Hamburg, Germany, d. Oct. 2, 1922. Both
Elizabeth and Henry are buried in the Kinder Cemetery at Cuba, Missouri.
Henry Tiemann was one of the earliest Germans to arrive in this part of the
country. He was one of three sons of Herman and Mary (Merking) Tiemann
who came to Franklin County, Missouri from Hanover, Germany in 1856. Of
this family Herman and Hemy settled in Cuba. Herman was a successful
business man and had stores at both Cuba and Jakes' Prairie. All the early
Averys and so far as known, all their sons-in-law were members of the
Christian Church. Elizabeth and Henry Tiemann had two sons: Grover
Cleveland and Howard. The family left Cuba and settled at Champion City,
Mo.
7. William died in infancy.
JAMES H. BRYSON AND CARTWRIGHT FAMILIES
The Brysons were an old English family, though, various branches of them
lived in Scotland and Wales. The fiut of the American family was William Thomas
Bryson who came to Dohloneaga, Georgia, from Edinburg, Scotland when he was
sixteen years old. His wife was Nancy Weaver. Their sons, James and John, were
both Revolutionary soldiers.
James H. Bryson, son of John Bryson was born August 4,1804; died August
5, 1886. He married in 1843 or 4 Eliza M. Carnes, born January 31, 1822; died
January 18, 1878. He was superinterident in a Georgia gold mine before coming to
Missouri. One of the stories he used to tell his children was of the terror among the
miners when the great shower of stars fell in 1833. He tried to pacify them by
telling them to look at the fixed stars and planets and to note that they were not
falling.
In 1844, "the year of the great high water", he immigrated to Missouri. He
came by way of St. Genevieve and he camped his first four days in this country at
the present site of Sullivan, then called Buffalo. He settled first on Green Branch,
near Crow's Creek, east of the Meramec, but after three years, he moved to the
Rock neighborhood and settled on what is now known as the Crow Farm. Their
children who died young are buried in the old Rock Burying Ground.
He, Henry Haskel, and Valentine Carter organized the Rock School and he
taught the first term there under a huge oak in front of the present school house in
about 1855. Although Forest Hill was organized at the same time, there seems
every reason to believe that this session was taught a year before the Forest Hill
tcrm, thus making Rock the oldest public school in Crawford County.
After their residence in Rock, the Brysons moved to Forest Hill and settled
on the old Monthei place. James Bryson was one of the first teachers on the old
Forest Hill School. At that time 1% school was generally known as the Knight
School, due to the superior influence of Abraham Knight in organizing and
[page 78]
The Elijah Hardy Family
Elijah Hardy is the anccstor of the various Hardy families of northern
Crawford County. Eiijah arrived from Nashville, Tennessee in this district before
1850 and at first lived on the Bunsemier place (below present Kurt Koehn's) but he
built his permanent home on the George Knight place. The logs from his old house
may still be seen (1935) as they were used by George Knight for his pig pen.
He married a Hudson, a sister of Con Hudson and of Mrs.Jeremiah King.
They had seven children:
I. Mat Hardy, first settled the Silas Smith place north of Coffeyton. This
area was called "Mat's Valley" for years. He was a Methodist minister
and early removed to California, Missouri.
II. William Hardy, said to have gone to Texas about the time of the Civil
War.
III. James Henderson Hardy, (see below)
IV. Mary Hardy, who was the second wife of George Cresswell.
V. Elizabeth Hardy, who married William Waters. They moved to
Springfield, Mo.
VI. Minerva Hardy, who married Bill Sparks.
VII. Henry Hardy, married Harriet Avery, daughter of Lewis (crossed out, in pen, Elisah) and Elizabeth
Avery of Forest Hill. (See Avery Family)
Janies Henderson Hardy, was born Dec. 28, 1831; died Jan 18,
1913. He served as a Confederate soldier. He settled the Hardy farm
across the river in the Vilander district. He married (1) Jan. 15, 1854
Martha Greenlee; (2) Dec. 15, 1866, Nancy (Greenlee) Paul, both
daughters of David and Martha (Moutry) Greenlee. Nancy had first
married Milton Paul of Blue Springs. Her children by this marriage were
reared by Henderson Hardy and they took the name of Hardy. She had
no children by Henderson Hardy.
[page 79]
Children of Henderson and Martha (Greenlee) Hardy:
I. James Henry Hardy, (always called "Henry"), b. Dec. 14,
1858; d. Dec. 10, 1944; married Clemmy Elizabeth
("Bettie") Bishop, daughter of William and Sarah Catherine
(Keeney) Bishop. She was born June 22,1864.
Children of James and Bettie (Bishop) Hardy:
A. Belle, m. (1) Ben Muldrow; (2) Carric Ruggles; (3) Ed
DeClue (whose first wife was Eura Ruggles, sister to
Carric). Children; (surname: MULDROW) Irene (Mrs.
Dan Cheek), Frank, Mary (Mrs. Elmer Smith) and
Ruth.
B. Emil, married Jennie Payne, daughter of Wash Payne;
live in Sullivan, Mo.
C. Raymond, m. Hellen Poole, daughter of Will Poole.
Their son James married Bettie Bernice Simmerly.
D. Charlie, m. Pearl Adams, daughter of Will Adams
of Bourbon.
E. Anna, who died young.
2. Will Hardy, married Anner Blunt. She married (2) Will Paul,
son of Rev.Jimmy and Angeline (Greenlee) Paul. Will and
Anna (Blunt) Hardy had two children: (A) Luther b. Oct.
8, 1881 who married Maude Kimberlin, daughter of Charles
and Eliza (Summers) Kimberlin; (see Summers Family) and
(B) Minnie, b. Aug. 23, 1878, who married Kenyon
Johnson, son of Thadius and Nancy Jane (Carter) Johnson.
3. John Hardy, unmarried
4. Mary Hardy, married Elijah Coffman, son of Solomon and
Betsy (Sites) Coffman. They were parents of the following
nine:
A. Wesley, who married Lola Hicks Harman
B. William, who married Carrie Kayhoeffer
C. George, who married Mae Clonts, daughter of Franzo
and Micky Clonts.
D. James Edgar, who married Mabel Vance, daughter of
Hiram and Mary (Gregory) Vance. (See Harman
Family)
E. Lester. b. Aug. 3. 1897; d. Jan. 22, 1963; married
Edna Sites, daughter of Frank and Clara (LaRue)
Sites.
F. Martha, who married John Harman, son of Page and
Nancy (Pratt) Harman. They live in Dove Ray, Minn.
G. Alice, who married Elba Wymer, son of Simeon and
Priscella (Dollar) Wymer. He died June 1, 1964.
H. Minnie, who married Robert Taylor of Shelbina, Mo.;
live in Iowa.
I. Anna, who married Duke Smith, son of George L.
and Martha (Westover) Smith. (see Smith Family.)
