John R. Reynolds

09/14/1830 - 11/30/1909

John R. Reynolds was born on September 14, 1830 in Bedford County, Tennessee. He was the second son and third child of Henry Reynolds and Mary Brown. The first recorded existence that I have of John is the 1850 Jackson county, Alabama Federal Census. From the Federal Census I have been able to determine that John followed his father's and Grand Father's trade as a Blacksmith and a Farmer and it appears that he lived near many of his relatives judging by the number of Reynolds' that was in the area.

He married one Pheba Catherine Story, the daughter of Thomas Story and Emily Millican, who was born on March 7, 1830. They were married on December 2, 1849 in Marshall county, Alabama. The Federal Census have disclosed that they had at least eleven children, although there may have been more.

It appears that all of their children were born in Alabama. The first of the above mentioned Mary Ann, born on October 22, 1850, married Silas Taylor "Saw" Black on December 23, 1868, and died, I believe, sometime between 1878 and 1892; Robert Henry "Tink" Reynolds, born December 9, 1852, married Martha Griffith in 1878 and later he married Miss. Allie Bobo, he died on November 29, 1932.

Their next chile, James R. Reynolds, who was born on December 1, 1854, James went on to marry Martha Jane Dukes, his first cousin, on March 20, 1873, and died on April 10, 1936; Next came Sarah Elizabeth "Bunk" Reynolds, born on October 14, 1856, married Samuel Pruitt on January 4, 1872 and then Elijah Hamilton on August 8, 1875, and died on September 16, 1923.

Lucinda Jane "Cindy" Reynolds, born 7 October 1858, Married Arthur Campbell Dukes, her first cousin and Martha Jane's brother on January 7, 1874 and died on May 5, 1946; Nancy Caroline Reynolds born on October 2, 1860 and the third wife of Albert Gallatin Brown, she died on December 15, 1944.

There was also a son, Thomas Reynolds, born on October 1, 1862 (I believe that Thomas died at a very young age. I have not been able to find any records of him and he was not on the 1870 Federal Census); Arthur C. Reynolds, born September 14th, 1864 and husband to Noami Jane Pendergrass who he wed on September 30, 1882 and Sallie Meece Reynolds.

The widow of Walter Reynolds who he married on May 22, 1931, he died on July 4, 1950; Florence Amanda Reynolds or Amanda Sherman Reynolds (Not sure exactly what her name was) born on August 10, 1867, married John E. Weldon, and died on August 21, 1957; Frances Reynolds who was born on December 18, 1869, married J. T. Harrison, and died at an early age after giving birth to a son.

Their last child, Green Berrie Reynolds who was born on November 17, 1871 and went on to wed Mary Jane Harrison on March 24, 1895 in Jackson county, Alabama, and died on April 10, 1965.

I have been told that John and Kate also raised a grandson, Jack Reynolds, as their own son. If this is true, I have not been able to find out any additional information on him. I was told that he was the son of Sara Elizabeth, that was born out of wed lock.

Most of the above information came from the 1870, 1880 and the 1900 Federal Census and it is possible that there may have been more children who was born and died between the census dates. It is also possible that the years of birth may be off because the census only listed the children's ages, and not their birth dates.

I have tried my best to verify most of the birth dates and many of the dates that I have came from different relatives located in Alabama, and the dates were verified with John's Ledger where he wrote the birth dates of all of his children.

As far as I know only three of the children moved to Texas. James who was my Great-Grandfather, his sister Nancy Caroline and his younger brother Arthur C. Reynolds. The rest of the children settled in Jackson county and other parts of Alabama.

I do not believe that John served during the Civil War, I have a copy of his Ledger or Journal which indicates that he was in Jackson County, Alabama during these years. I was also told the he ran a grist mill that was located at Kirby Mills which is on Reynolds Creek to the left of Hancock Cross Roads.

There is an old dam that is located just off of the road on the creek that was once called "Runnels" Reynolds creek that appears as if it could have been the dam used at a mill.

Pheba Catherine or Kate was suppose to be 3/4 or full blooded Cherokee Indian, Towncreek. She was a baptist and went to church at Haigwood, in Jackson county, Alabama.

I believe that Kate died after June of 1909 (I have a copy of a post card that was mailed to Kate from her son Arthur in June of 1909, therefore I believe that she was still alive at that time) and John died in Jackson County, Alabama on November 30, 1909.

They are both buried in the Old Sardis Cemetery, which is but a short distance from where the mill was located. There is a large headstone, which has been broken off and two small foot stones. The foot stones are marked JR and KR. Legend has it that the Headstone was made by Jim Duke, their nephew. When he was not paid for making the stones he broke the large one.