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Great Grandparents Cotna Lisbeth (Cole) and Henry Francis Somers


Notes on Cotna (Cotney, Coatny, Cortny) Lisbeth (Elizabeth) Cole (Harris/Tidwell/Somers) and Henry Francis Somers


Cotna was born 1854 in Jackson County, Arkansas Her father and mother are listed in the 1900 Butler Co., Mo. Census as being born in Tennessee. Cotna married Henry F. Somers in 1893.

Henry’s father Abraham (Born 1820) is from Tennessee, his mother Darcus (Born 1824), is from North Carolina. Henry F. was born in Jackson County, Tennessee in 1860. According to the Jackson Co. Tennessee 1860 Census, the Summers family is listed as:

  • Abe – 39 yrs. Male/white

  • Aner – 16 yrs. Female/white

  • Archibald - 10 yrs. Male/white

  • Darcus – 36 yrs. Female/white

  • Henry – 2 mos. Male/white

  • John – 14 yrs. Male/white

  • Nancy – 12 yrs. Female/white

Another possible sibling is Matthew A. Summers who is listed in a Census as being born in 1866.

Also, I found a John Summers in the 1840 Jackson Co., Tenn. Census who could be Abe’s father.

Henry F. Somers and Cotna (or Cotney) are listed in the 1900 Butler Co. Missouri Census as being married for 7 years. Cotney is 5 years older than Henry and was first married to John W. Tidwell (Born October 16, 1848) in Giles County, Tennessee and died in 1890 in Poplar Bluff, Butler County, Missouri. Cotney is listed as having had 13 children, with 11 children still at home.

Children of Henry F. Somers listed:

William H. (son), Born Aug. 1894, 5 yrs. old, Born in Arkansas

Francis B. (daughter) Born Sept. 1896, 3 yrs. old, Born in Missouri

Daniel E. (son) Born Jan. 1899, 1 yr. old, Born in Missouri

Tidwell’s (Henry’s step children):

John, Born 1879, 20 yrs. Born in Ark.

James, Born Oct. 1884, 15 yrs. Born in Mo.

Georgia (or Georgie), Born Oct. 1886, 13 yrs., Born in Mo.

Minnie, Born Aug. 1889, 11 years old, Born in Mo.

Perry, Born July, 1890, 9 yrs. old, Born in Mo.

Amanda, Born April 1892, 8 yrs. old, Born in Mo.

In the 1910 Census for Butler Co., Missouri, Henry is listed as the head of household and is 49 yrs. old. Cotney (54 yrs. old) is listed as a Homemaker with the skilled craft of weaving. At this time William (my grandfather) is 15 yrs. old and still listed as living at home, Daniel is 11 yrs. old and David is 8 yrs. old. Also, included in the Somers household is a Claud Tidwell, 6 yrs. old who is the step grandson of Henry F. Somers.

(*Note: Henry F. Somers is not listed in the 1920 Census for Butler Co.)


Family Folklore


According to Great Aunt Amanda Tidwell, who came to visit our family in the early to mid 1970's, Henry Francis Somers was a popular traveling evangelist in the Missouri/ Arkansas area and would hold tent revival meetings. He was often gone for weeks at a time and when he would return to the family farm in Stringtown, Mo., Great Grandmother would celebrate his homecoming by roasting a pig, baking cakes, pies, etc. Great Aunt Amanda said it was like Christmas for the children and Great Grandfather was much loved by all.

Great Grandmother Cotna was an enterprising woman and served as a midwife to the local population. She is said to have rode her horse sidesaddle while smoking her corncob pipe to neighboring farms for a fee of $10.00 and after delivering the baby, she would stay and help the family for 10 days.



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  1. Cultivating Character Through Family Stories | Angela Wittman's BlogJune 10, 2015 at 6:14 AM

    […] in Gainsboro, Jackson County, Tennessee with his wife Dorcas, who I suspect was Cherokee. My Great Grandfather, Henry Francis was their 5th child and born in 1860 approximately one year before Tennessee seceded from the […]

    ReplyDelete
  2. Cultivating Character Through Family Stories | Somers Family HeritageJune 10, 2015 at 7:12 AM

    […] in Gainsboro, Jackson County, Tennessee with his wife Dorcas, who I suspect was Cherokee. My Great Grandfather, Henry Francis was their 5th child and born in 1860 approximately one year before Tennessee seceded from the […]

    ReplyDelete

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