1st Generation
DAVID W. CURTIS AND DELILAH KATHERINE MOORE from KY to MO
David W. Curtis was born 1812-1815 in KY, probably Knox County. He married 18 Sept. 1836 in Knox County, KY to Delilah Katherine Moore. Bondsman was Affariah Moore. David is thought to be the son of James Curtis of Greene Co., TN, and grandson of Nathaniel Curtis who married Sarah Cumstock in Greene Co., TN. Delilah is thought to be the daughter of Moses and Nellie Moore of Greene Co., TN. These connections have not yet been completely proven, but initial investigation indicates they are correct.
David and Delilah are found in 1850 Laurel Co., KY and in 1860-70, Daviess Co., MO. They lived near Lock Springs, MO which is very near the border of Daviess County with Livingston Co., MO.
David W. Curtis was willed a horse and 2 suits in the bequest of Giles Parman, son of Freethias Parman who married Elizabeth Curtis, daughter of Nathaniel and Sarah (Cumstock) Curtis. Giles is believed to be his Aunt Elizabeth�s father-in-law.
Delilah�s full name is given on the death certificate of her son William Matterson as "Delina Katherine Moore", but she is listed as Delilah on all other records.
David�s name is given as Davison on this document. William Matterson�s obituary can be seen on his findagrave.com memorial.
Delilah died before 1870; David W. Curtis died after 1870, both probably in Daviess Co., MO.
David and Delilah had 5 children:
- William Matterson Curtis (1837-1924), who married Maryann Eads in 1859. They died in Livingston Co., MO and are buried in Edgewood Cem., Livingston Co. MO.
- Moses Curtis (below),
- Adaline Curtis (1842-1877), m. John Miller about 1860. They are buried in Liggett Cem., Livingston Co., MO.
- Eveline Curtis, b. about 1846, d. bef. 1860 and
- Brannock R. Curtis (cir. 1847-aft. 1880), who married Sarah E. Conklin in 1874 in Livingston Co., MO. They lived in Livingston Co. until at least 1880.
Another slightly older David Curtis arrived in Livingston County before 1850 with his brother Thomas Brannock. They were listed on the same page as a Samuel (age 73)and Cynthia Curtis�and he was likely their father. Because of the repetition of the name Brannock in the families of both Davids, it is almost certain there is a fairly close relationship, but the Curtis families have not been sorted out yet�more than one group of researchers is claiming this older David as their family�each showing different parents for him. I haven�t yet done any research on this.
2nd Generation
MOSES CURTIS AND MARY EMELINE LITTON (wife #1) and
MARY FRANCES BROADUS (wife #2) from MISSOURI to JACK COUNTY, TEXAS
Moses Curtis was born 15 Mar 1840, in KY, probably Laurel Co. He first married 13 Nov. 1862 in Livingston Co., MO to Emeline Litton. She was born 9 Sep 1848 in Livingston Co. to Thomas Litton and his 2nd wife, Susan Mariah Barnes. (Read about the Thomas Litton Family here.) This guardianship record names Thomas Litton as the great-grandfather of the Meador children in Jack County.
Emeline (Litton) Curtis died before Sept. 1878 when Moses married his 2nd wife. I believe Emeline may be buried in the Lock Springs Cemetery with other Litton family members, but have been unable to confirm this. An old cemetery listing shows an Emeline Litton who died in 1829 at age 28, but the same listing said the oldest grave in the cemetery is from 1858, so I�m confident the stone was read incorrectly! This grave doesn�t appear on more recent listings and I�m told that many old stones are lying on the ground, some tossed over the fence.
Moses married 2nd on 1 Sep 1878 in Livingston Co., MO to Mary Frances Broadus. Two years later, by the 1880 census, they are living in Jack County, Texas. I believe they may have traveled to Texas with a group of the Cox family. There is a relationship between the Litton family and the Cox family in prior generations (and in a later marriage�i.e., George Vine Meador who m. 2nd to Laura (Harrison) Cox).
This is the last census on which Moses and Mary Frances are found, for he died at age 50 on 20 Apr. 1890 in Gibtown, Jack County, Texas, and she died 15 Feb. 1895. Both are buried in the Gibtown Cemetery. This proof of heirs document lists the children of Moses Curtis.
With Emeline, Moses had 5 children:
- Susan Adaline (below),
- Thomas Lee (1 Mar 1866 � 29 Oct 1959) married Nancy Evelyn Meador, sister of Susan Adaline�s husband George Meador
- Flora Eliza (Jan 1868 � 1936) married Albert E. Cobb
- Alfred M. (Feb. 1870 � 1929) married Sarah A. unk
- Mariah A. (cir. 1872 � bef. 1904) married Joe Nelson
Thomas, Flora and Alfred all moved to Oklahoma after they married. Susan and Mariah stayed in Jack County.
With Mary Frances, Moses had 6 children:
- Massa E. (1879-1956) married John Shipley in 1898.
- Nathaniel D. (1882-1908) married Lydia Ann Webb in 1904.
- unnamed infant (1883-1883)
- Sarah A. (1885-1925) married M. Edward Brown. He was a school teacher and was shot by an irate parent because he kept their daughter after school.
- Joseph Lantham (1887-1974) married 1st to Mattie Ellen (Martin) Johnson in 1914 and to 2nd to Opal Woodward in 1936.
- Moses Francis (1890-1918) married Lydia Ann Webb in 1908.
This family interested me when I was first introduced to the family information�I wondered why Lydia Ann Webb married two of these Curtis boys and they both died shortly after. I was told by my mother that several in this family died of consumption (tuberculosis). That�s actually what got me started on the road of genealogy research.
3rd Generation
SUSAN ADALINE CURTIS AND GEORGE VINE MEADOR OF JACK COUNTY, TEXAS
Read more about this family in the Meador Family Story
Check out the graves of some of these people on my virtual "Meador Cemetery" with Meadors, Wamplers, Graggs, Stults, Curtis, Littons and others on www.findagrave.com
