Eighth Generation

376. Virginia Ann "Jennie" HOLDERNESS^182,188 was born on 13 April 1872.^166,168,208 She died on 19 June 1954 at the age of 82 in Houston, Harris County, Texas.^168,208

1900 Census stated they had been married 7 years. The 1930 census states that Jennie was 20 when she married.

Dallas Morning News, 20 Aug 1900
Society Over the State
COMMERCE
Miss Dee Russell, Miss Kate Holderness of Cumby and Mrs. R. W. Harris [Virginia - Kate's sister - Dee was their niece] are visiting the family of Dr. Holderness. [Dr. George W.-Kate & Virginia's brother.]


Jennie had no children, but helped raise her nephew William Harris Connor.

I found a card from a party, June 14, 1911, at the residence of R. W. Harris. Guests were Mrs. J. G. Russell of Madill, Okla., Mrs. J. B. Haden of Ladonia, Tex., Mrs. C. H. Wright, also of Madill, and Miss Lynna Holderness of "Just Anywhere". I suspect the occasion was the 21st birthday of Lynna.

Jennie and Bettie carried on an extensive correspondence as well as visiting back and forth between Cumby and Ladonia, often for several days at a time. One letter from Jennie to Bettie postmarked Apr 4, 1927 mentions that the day is Sis' birthday [this could only be the oldest, Rebecca]. Jennie also remarks that Rebecca has said she resents everything she says & does and the card will likely be unappreciated. This may also explain why there seems to be so little contact between Bettie & her older sister when Jennie & Bettie seemed so close.

Buried Cumby Cemetery.

Online Texas Death Certificates:
Name: Virgenia Ann Harris
Death date: 19 Jun 1954
Death place: Harris County, Texas
Gender: Female
Race or color (on document): w
Age at death: 82 years 2 months 6 days
Estimated birth year:
Birth date: 13 Apr 1872
Birth place: Texas
Marital status: Widowed
Spouse name:
Father name: Robert C. Holderness
Father birth place: N.C.
Mother name: Virgenia Thomas
Mother birth place: N.C.
Occupation: Housewife
Residence: Hopkins, Texas
Cemetery name: Cumby
Burial place: Cumby, Texas
Burial date: 20 Jun 1954
Additional relatives:
Film number: 2114214
Digital GS number: 4165561
Image number: 2663
Reference number: certificate # 28416
Collection: Texas Deaths, 1890-1976

Virginia Ann "Jennie" HOLDERNESS and Robert Washington HARRIS were married on 25 December 1892 in Hopkins County, Texas.²⁰⁹ Robert Washington HARRIS^{119,209,210,211,212} was born on 28 April 1861 in Neeley's Landing, Cape Girardeau County, Missouri.^168,209 He died on 19 July 1934 at the age of 73 in Cumby, Hopkins County, Texas.^168,173,213

The Hopkins Co TX 1870 Census has a John Harris, age 44, born in Alabama, wife appears to be Elizabeth, same age and birthplace. Among several children, all born in Texas, is a son Robert, age 9.
However, FamilySearch shows Robert's parents as Robert W. Harris & Lillian Henderson and seems to have a great deal of specific information. Robert and Lillian's children were Robert b. 1861, Charles b. 1865, Jessie, female, b. 1867, Albert, b. 1870. The censuses support this tree as likely the correct one since Robert was born in Missouri. FindAGrave has Robert W. Harris's wife as Lillian "Hope" and lists only the three younger children as found in 1880. Another person has "solved the problem" by having Robert married to two different Lillie's - given the age gap between Robert and the siblings, it is possible the senior Robert W. Harris was married twice.
There is a picture of Robert W. Harris's gravestone in Apple Creek Cemetery, Pocahonata, Cape Girardeau Co, MO; he was born 8 Sep 1827, died 9 Feb 1873. And there is also a picture of a stone for Lillian, wife of R. W. Harris, born 2? Oct 1830 - death date is unreadable but appears to be 1861 - did she die in childbirth? These dates are listed as 24 Oct 1830 and 25 Nov 1861. Her parents may have been Carnes Henderson and Jane Hope Find A Grave Memorial# 23034850

The following census records do show evidence that there were two wives named Lillie.

1850 Census, Cape Girardeau, MO, Hh 783
Thomas S. Harris, 44, b. NC - everyone else born in Missouri
Lilly J. Henderson, 19. James C. Henderson, 17. David C. Henderson, 13
Oliver S. Harris, 8. Martha E. Sloan, age 10.
and, Hh 782
David C. Hope, 39. Narcissa, 41, both b. NC
Oliver H. 15. Robert T. 9, Lilly Ann, 7 David E., 4., b. MO Edgar Lowery, age 2
Samuel Houston, 18, b. Illinois

Marriage record: 7 Feb 1856, Cape Girardeau, MO. Robert W. Harris married Lilly J. Henderson.

1860 Census.
Shawnee, Cape Girardeau, MO, Hh 2494
R. W. Harris, 32, Merchant. Lilly J., 30. No birth place given
J. E. Harris, 27, Merchant
Louise Grammar, 20, Servant
Pocahontas, Cape Girardeau, MO, Hh 2549
David C. Hope, 49, Farmer Narcissa, 51
Oliver H. 25. Austin, 20. Robert T. 18. Lilly A. 16, Edgar L., 11. Richard P. 8
Jas C. Henderson, 27, Teacher

Marriage Record found: Lillie Ann Hope to Robert W. Harris, 2 Feb 1865, Cape Girardeau, MO

1870 Census. Shawnee Twp, Cape Girardeau, MO, Hh 51.
Robert W. Harris, 42, Dry Goods Merchant, b. MO, as was the whole household
Lilly A., 25
Robert 9. Charles 5. Jessie 3. Infant, male, two months, born April
Edgar Hope, 22, Forwarding Clerk
Robert Summers, 19, farm hand
Betsy Flin, 45, Black, house servant
George Robb, 19, Black, farm hand

1880 Census. Shawnee Twp, Cape Girardeau, MO, Hh 139
Lillie Harris, 38, b. MO, parents, b. NC
Charles, 15, son, works in Woolen factory. Jessie, 12, dau. Albert, 10, son. All born MO.
Collins McGreggor, 31, Boarder, Engineer in Woolen factory, b. Scotland, parents b. Scotland
Hh 128 Robert W. Harris, age 20, was a student, boarding with the McNeely family.

In 1900, Robert's occupation was listed as Hardware Merchant.

1910, Hopkins Co, Cumby. R. W. Harris age 48, married 17 years. b. Missouri as were his parents. Retail Hardware Merchant. V. H., wife, age 37, married 17 years, b. TX, father b. NC, mother b. VA. Harris Connor, age 3, Nephew.

1920, Hopkins Co, Justice Precinct #4, Cumby Town. Robt. W. Harris, age 58. Born Missouri, father b. NC, a Hard ware Merchant. Jennie, wife, age 47, born in TX. Father b. NC, mother b. VA. Harris Connor, nephew, age 13, b. TX as were both parents.
On the same page, both families living on Depot St., is Connor's father William E. Connor, age 47, a Physician, and his 2nd wife Blanche. They had sons Morris M. age 3 and James E. age 1.

1930 Census. R. W. and Jennie lived on Mill Street in Cumby. He was age 67, b. in MO, his parents both born in NC. Jennie was age 57. She gave her age as 20 when they married; he said he was 31, so they must have married about 1892 or so. His occupation was Hardware, his own store.

R.W. HARRIS - HARDWARE, WAGONS, BUGGIES, SADDLES, HARNESS, MACHINERY SUPPLIES
R. W. Harris came to Cumby in 1889 with only a few hundred dollars capital. He worked in the hardware store of his cousin, John Harris, for a while and bought the business in 1890. He staked his future success upon upright, fair, and honest dealings, striving at all times to give his customers full value for their money. His business has grown until it is one of the largest and most successful general hardware establishment in Northeast Texas. He now has a modern brick store, 60x100 feet, and two large warehouses full of hardware, wagons, buggies, implements, saddles, harness, machinery, supplies, etc. His bookkeeper recently compared his old books with the new ones, he found that Mr. Harris has 147 customers who have been trading with him for 22 years. Mr. Harris also has a successful business in large land and other interest. He holds bank stock at Cumby, Sulphur Springs, Commerce, Greenville, and Lone Oak, and is an officer nearly in all of them. Mr. Loyd Harbison has been bookkeeper and head clerk for the past 14 years. A. J. Nixon, J. N. Winniford, B. E. Strickland, and Miss Blanche Via are also with this popular store.
Hopkins County, Texas | 1931 Industrial Edition No. 2 (From Hopkins County, Texas Genweb)

HOPKINS COUNTY ECHO, July 27, 1934
R. W. Harris pioneer citizen of Hopkins Co died at his home in Cumby on July 19, 1934 following a stroke of apoplexyTuesday morning. He had passed his 73rd milepost, having been born in Cape Girardeau at Neely's Landing in Missouri. He came to Texas as a young, lived a short time at Pilot Point and then at Austin before moving to Cumby nearly half a century ago. He established the Harris Hardware more than 44 years ago and continued business under the same name until the time of his death; it being the oldest business establishment in Hopkins County. Soon after coming to Cumby he married Miss Jennie Holderness, daughter of Dr. & Mrs. R. C. Holderness, in a double wedding ceremony with Mr. Verge Downing and Miss Claudie Currin, now of Durant, OK. He is survived by his wife and a foster son, Dr. Harris Conner, of Cleveland, Ohio. .... For the past 35 years he had been correspondent for the Dallas News and from week to week wrote for the News-Telegram and Hopkins County Echo under the name of Old Timer. He was regarded as the best historian in Hopkins County and one of the best and most forceful writers on any subject he chose. Feneral services were held in the 1st Methodist Church of Cumby, Sunday afternoon at 4 o'clock. Rev. Alexander Hubbard, Pilot Point TX, former pastor of 1st Methodist Church in Cumby conducted the services with the assistance of Rev. P. G. Hightower, present pastor of the church.
Printed in HOPKINS COUNTY HERITAGE, Vol 12, #2, Jun 1995

Texas Death Certificate #32946
Robert apparently died at his home, 341 Depot St, Cumby, Hopkins, TX, where he had lived for 44 years. He died on 19 Jul 1934 of Apoplexy. He was married and his wife Jennie Harris survived him. Born 28 Apr 1861, Neeley's Landing, Missouri. He had been a hardware merchant for 44 years. His father was Robert W. Harris, b. Mecklenburg Co, NC; his mother was Lillie Henderson. W. Harris Connor of Cumby was the informant.

Mr. Harris is buried Cumby Cemetery.