Biography of Thomas Silas Barnett by Ray Gold

Biography of Thomas Silas Barnett Written and submitted by Ray Gold

Thomas Silas Barnett, was born May 5, 1812 in Tennessee and died January 8, 1888 in Stone County, Mo.. As a young man he met and married a Indian lady in Arkansas, they had a daughter Marinda Caldonia Barnett, she was born June 13, 1863. She married Peter Davis (no relation), they were the parents of two sons; George Thomas Davis , and Alonzo Alexander Davis, Alonzo was born March 22, 1892. He married Audrey Reavis who was the mother of Glen Reavis, who was a telephone company employee and worked in the Crane and Hurley area for several years. George Thomas Davis was born July 8, 1889 and died in November of 1918. On November 7, 1910 he married Susie Chambliss and they had three daughters; Ruth, Iva, and Mary. During the flu epidemic of 1918, George and Susie both died, and left the three little girls. Ruth Davis was raised by a Ray family of near Crane, and she still resides at Aurora, in Lawrence County, Missouri. (1997). Iva Davis was raised by Martin and Birdie Mitchell of near Hurley, in Stone County, Mo.. Iva married Deverne Curbow, son of Dave and Reathel (Wright) Curbow. They live near Selmore in Christian County, Mo. Mary Davis was adopted by a Ellis family, near Crane, Mo.. She married Melburn Carney Mendenhall, he was the son of HARRY and Nellie (Gold) Mendenhall, she resides in California at this date.

George Davis and Susie (Chambliss) Davis are buried in the Molly Wright Cemetery near Hurley, their gravestone reads as follows; Davis—George 1889—1918, Susie 1891—1918.

On December 11, 1867 Thomas Silas Barnett married Margaret (Steele) (Davis), she was born October 26, 1838 and died November 21, 1911. They are both buried in the Mt. Carmel Cemetery about one mile south of Clever, Mo.. The first husband of Margaret Ann (Steele) was W.J. Joshua "Jeff" Davis. Who was killed during the Civil war by Bushwhackers. Another story handed down, is he was shot by his brother; George Washington "Wash" Davis who was for the North and Jeff was about to go sign up to fight for the South.

Joshua "Jeff" and Margaret (Steele) Davis had a son; Walter Jefferson Davis, who was born January 16, 1861 in Christian County, Mo., and died November 15, 1946 in Stone County, Mo.. He married Tennessee "Tennie" Gold in 1891 in Stone County, Mo.. She was born December 26, 1876, near Hurley in Stone County, Mo., She was the daughter of Win. Riley Gold and Sarah Pauline (White) Gold. The children of Walter J. and "Tennie" (Gold)
Davis were; Murtie N., Effie, Artie, Wm. Glen, Walter Curtis, Geneva, and Winnifred Waldo Davis. ( See Tennessee "Tennie" (Gold) Davis for information about the Davis Children).

        The children of T.S. and Margaret (Steele) (Davis) Barnett were; (1) Marshall Asbury Barnett, born May 3, 1868 and died November 3, 1954. He was a half-brother to Walter 3. Davis, and they married sisters. Marshall Asbury Barnett married Margaret Ann "Maggie" Gold, who was also a daughter of Wm. Riley and Sarah Pauline (White) Gold. "Maggie" was born September 30, 1877 and died February 9, 1954. They are both buried in the White Cemetery southeast of Union City, in Stone County, Mo.. Their children were; Charlie, Austin, Archie, Alfred, Leonard, Lillie, Daisy, and Logan Barnett. (For further information about the Barnett children, see Margaret Ann Gold)

        (2) Margaret Ann Barnett, born September 24, 1871, and died January 26, 1956. She married Donald Wilson, They were the parents of at least one child, who was Emmett Wilson.

        (3) Infant (twin) born September 24, 1871, died September 27, 1871.

        (4) Thomas Benton Barnett, born November 9, 1873 and died February 12, 1925 at Hurley, Missouri. On January 22, 1896 he married Jenny Sullivan, they had at least one child, whose name was Elsie Barnett. Elsie married Albert Dean, their children were born and raised around Hurley. They were; Edwin, Freddie, Donald, Paul and Jerry (twins), Bob, Wanda, Mary Jeanette, and Betty Dean.

        After the death of Jenny (Sullivan) Barnett, Thomas Benton Barnett married Sarah Pruitt, on November 14, 1903. She was the daughter of John and Margaret Jane (Gold) (Kimberling) Pruitt. Margaret Jane was the daughter of Thomas and Mary Jane (Cavener) Gold. The children of Thomas Benton and Sarah Pruitt were; Emlos, Donald "Stormy", Osa, Lindell, Margaret, and Mildred, they all lived at Hurley when they were young. Thomas S. Barnett and his wife; Margaret (Steele) (Davis) Barnett are both buried in the Mt. Carmel Cemetery, one mile south of Clever. (For further information on these Barnett children, see Margaret Jane Gold, Daughter of Thomas and Mary Jane Gold).

(5) Thomas Silas Barnett and Margaret Ann (Steele) (Davis) Barnett next child was Mary Elizabeth "Molly" Barnett, born April 19, 1877 and died September 22, 1966. She married Fred L. Steele on January 29, 1916, her third cousin. They had no children.