Joab McManus, born June 24, 1817 in Maury Co., Tennessee is thought to be the son of Jonathan McManus and Nancy Duncan.   He married Rebecca C. Eads on Aug. 31, 1836 in Macoupin Co., Illinois.   Joab and his wife were early settlers in Athens with their arrival into Henderson Co. in 1848.  By 1855, he was running a hotel in Athens.  He served during the War Between the States for the Confederacy in the 9th. Battalion, Texas Reserve Corps.   At his death, he was drawing a Confederate Pension for Henderson Co. under Application #07844.   The only child of this union that I was able to locate information on was Mary Elizabeth.

In later years Joab became a Judge.   Rebecca died June 20, 1887 and was buried at Sand Flats Cemetery.  

In Athens on July 8, 1888, Joab married Azalean Stewart.  Born Aug. 5, 1838 in Winston Co., Mississippi, Azalean was the daughter of Aaron Stewart and Sarah Brock.  

Azalean married her first husband, James Montgomery, on June 23, 1857 in Winston Co.  The were the parents of two children, Sarah Ellen and James Fernander.  James, an immigrant from Belfast, Ireland, enlisted in the War Between the States in the Mississippi Rebels in 1861 but was given a medical discharge in 1862 from Camp of Instruction in Enterprise, Mississippi.  The family stories handed down through several generations was that he had a lung injury and was instructed by his doctor to go to Arizona to a dryer climate.  In 1863, they began their journey west but when James health worsen Azalean was forced to seek medical attention for her sick husband.  Upon spotting a single Indian teepee in the prairie, she stopped her wagon. The exact location was never known but was always referred as the Denton Bottom.   A lone Indian occupied the teepee and he graciously attended to the needs of the very sick man.  After his death the Indian buried James in the tall prairie grass in an unmarked grave.   

Azalean returned to her family in Mississippi and on Sept. 23, 1865 in Winston Co. married Samuel Donnell.  They were the parents of Mary Eula and Timothy Christopher Donnell.  The Donnell family were located on the 1880 Collin Co., Texas Federal census. Samuel Donnell dies sometime between 1880 and 1888.

Azalean and Joab McManus didn't have any children.  They were charter members of the First Christian Church in Athens, Texas.  Also listed as Charter members were daughter, Sarah Ellen, and her husband William Thomas Jenkins, son, James Fernander "Jim" Montgomery, and his wife Beulah Benton (Guill),  daughter, Mary Eula "Mamie" and husband Seymour Lowe Powell and granddaughter, Irene Jenkins Steel.  Joab died on November 5, 1905 in Athens and is buried at Sand Flats Cemetery next to first wife Rebecca.  Azalean received a Widow's Pension on Joab McManus Confederate service record under Application #21905.

Azalean died on April 5, 1925 and is buried in the Pioneer Section of the Athens Cemetery.  Children of Azalean that are buried in the Pioneer Section of the Athens Cemetery are William Thomas and Sarah Ellen Jenkins, James Fernander "Jim" and Beulah Benton Montgomery, Seymour Lowe and Mary Eula Powell.  Azalean has a large number of grandchildren, great grandchildren and great, great grandchildren also buried in the Athens Cemetery.

I am a third generation born in Athens, Texas
Self: 1. Marilyn Miller born Sept. 2, 1937
Father: 2. Robert Nelson Miller born Aug. 25, 1912 married Lillie Jean Pirkle July 30, 1932 in Athens, Texas
Grandmother: 3. Jessie Pearl Montgomery born March 8, 1887 married to Isaac Nelson Miller, Sr. Oct. 25, 1903 in Athens, Texas
Great Grandfather: James Fernander Montgomery married to Beulah Benton Guill Nov. 25, 1883 in Arlington, Tarrant Co., Texas
Great, Great, Grandmother: Azalean Stewart married to James Montgomery June 23, 1857 in Winston Co., Mississippi

Marilyn Miller
P. O. Box 460133
Garland, TX 75046-0133

Email      miller9237@aol.com

Henderson County TXGenWeb Project

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