Children of David Breidenthal

5 Jun 1841: John Solomon Bookout was born in Cherokee County, GA, son of William E. and Nancy Rollins Bookout.

15 Jun 1850: Ada Jane Bridenthal was born in Lawrence County, AL, the home of Lucella Breidenthal's Ashford family.

c. 1859: The Bookouts settled on land near Hillsboro, in Hill County, Texas, just in time for the Civil War. While serving in Company K of the 8th TX Infantry, John reportedly received training as a blacksmith, although why blacksmithing would be needed in an infantry unit is inexplicable. His unit spent time in Arkansas.

John and Ada were married "just after the war". Not long after that, the couple, along with the Fosters and the Bridenthals, moved to northwest Arkansas; the Bookouts and Fosters to Benton County, the Bridenthals to Washington.

24 Aug 1870 Census, Benton County, AR (Round Prairie Township): Farmer John Bookout 29, born GA, with real and personal property valued at $500 and $700; Ada 20, born AL; Edward 3, born TX; Nancy 1, born AR.[1]

Jun 1880 Census, Washington County, AR (Springdale Township): Farmer John Bookout 35, GA GA GA; Ada 32, AL OH AL; Edward 12, TX GA AL; Fredie 10, AR GA AL; Effie 6; Carried 2. They were listed next to [Ada's brother and sister-in-law] Thomas and Laura Bridenthal.[2]

Ada Bookout was never a strong woman, so John bought a farm adjoining David Bridenthal's property so his wife could have help with the children. He built a large house and blacksmith shop near the excellent spring which fed Clear Creek. (Most of this property is now under Lake Fayetteville.) He hired Amanda Francisco to care for Ada and their children (Amanda married at age 14 to James V. Gear, had been deserted by husband.) John, a good farmer and blacksmith, stayed too busy to finish ceiling their home. This had annoyed Ada for a long time. She suspected that John was attracted to Amanda. Jealousy prompted Ada to extract a promise of John that he would never finish the house. Shortly afterwords, Ada died in 1881. John and Amanda married in 22 August 1882, which displeased his children, so they stayed mostly with the Bridenthals. In later years, two sets of grandchildren hardly knew each other . . . John visited in Texas years later and the children seized the opportunity to finish the house for their mother. ["The children" were Amanda's.] John had always been "moody" and high tempered . . . John's homecoming was not a joyous occasion."[3]

As to what caused Ada's death on 20 Sep 1881, Cindy Dickinson believes that she probably had cancer. Ada Bridenthal Bookout is buried in Gehring Cemetery in Fayetteville.

26 Jun 1921: John Solomon Bookout died of a stroke in Washington County. He's buried in Bluff Cemetery.

Edward Foster Bookout (21 Oct 1866 - 30 Apr 1955; m. 1st Fannie Belle Bradley 25 Dec 1887, m. 2nd Helen Eason)

Fred Ashford Bookout (10 Mar 1872 - 25 Aug 1958; m. Ella Arizona Pearson 13 Jun 1897)

Fred was named for Lucella Ashford Bridenthal's brother Col. Fred Ashford, who was killed at the Battle of Franklin.

21 Jun 1900 Census, Springdale Township, Washington County, AR: Farmer Fred Bookout 28, born Mar 1872, AR TN GA, married for 3 years; Ella 23, born Dec 1876, AR AR AR, mother of 2 children, both living; Lemuel, born Jul 1898; Roy, born Jan 1900.[4]

Effie Dean Bookout (13 May 1874 - 22 Oct 1952; m. John Alexander Creager 20 Mar 1891)

There are photos of both Thomas and Laura in existence, but my copies are very poor. If you have any good photo[s] of this couple, I will be happy to post it [or them] on Nancy's Dead Relatives so that their numerous descendants can enjoy them.

30 Sep 1851: Thomas John Bridenthal, no doubt named after his two grandfathers, was born in Courtland, Lawrence County, AL.

Jan 1859: Laura Tennessee Rader was born in Indiana, the daughter of Elbert J. Rader and Mary Catherine Stansbury. See photo.

29 Oct 1879: Thomas and Laura were married in Washington County, AR. Thomas' age was given as 29, Laura's 19.[5]

22 Jun 1900 Census, Washington County, AR (Springdale Township): Farmer Thomas Breidenthal 48, born Sep 1851, AL PA AL, farm owner, married 20 years; Laura 41, born Jan 1859, IN AR IN; Lea 19, born Mar 1881; Alver 16, born Sep 1883; Beulah 14, born Feb 1886; Claude 10, born Oct 1889; Earl 2, born Nov 1897.[7]

28 Apr 1910 Census, Washington County, AR (Springdale Township): Farmer Thomas J. Bridenthal 58, AL OH AL, married 30 years; Laura 51, IN TN IL, mother of 5 children, all living; farmer Lee R. 29, AR AL IN; laborer ("odd jobs") Alven 26; Beulah 24; teacher (public school) Claude 20; Irl 12. They were listed close to [Thomas' brother-in-law and sister] Alexander Byrd Henson and wife Maud Henson.[8]

Granddaughter Florence Gregg Rostoff remembered that Thomas was short and stocky, with a red beard and a thick Southern accent, so thick he was hard for her to understand. He was a strict, precise farmer who always insisted that his grandchildren plant the corn in "very neat, straight rows". "He could have a temper", but was a great teacher to his children, reading to them frequently. She described Laura as "a kind, gentle woman . . . a warm, friendly person with a wonderful sense of humor." Laura had brown hair and a medium build.

15 Jan 1920 Census, Springdale, Washington County, AR: Farmer T. J. Bridenthal 68, AL OH AL; Laura 59, IN TN IL. They were enumerated close to Lee and Maud Bridenthal and A. B. and Maud Henson.[9]

Funeral services were held at 2 o'clock Tuesday afternoon for Thomas J. Bridenthal, 76 years old, who died at his home north of here Monday morning following a brief illness. Services were conducted at the Mt. Zion church by Rev. N. M. Ragland of Fayetteville and burial was in the cemetery there. Mr. Bridenthal is survived by his wife, Mrs. Laura Rader Bridenthal; five children, Lee Bridenthal, Alver Bridenthal, Mrs. Beulah Gregg of Springdale, Claude Bridenthal of Excelsior Springs, Mo., Irl G. Bridenthal of Gentry. Mr. Bridenthal spent the greater part of his life in this section, moving to Arkansas from Alabama in 1866.

2 Jul 1938: Laura Rader Bridenthal died from kidney failure following a broken hip.[10]

Claude Bridenthal (12 Oct 1889 - 4 Oct 1964; m. Hazel Erskine Mathis 3 Jun 1908)

1854: Alexander Byrd Henson was born on the family farm in Washington County, Arkansas, the son of Thomas Andrew and Louiza Kennan Henson.

Alexander Henson "became interested " in Maud after she challenged him to a horse race and won.

25 Dec 1882: Maud and Byrd were married. The license had been obtained on 22 Dec.

22 Jun 1900 Census, Springdale, Washington County, AR: Farmer Alexander Byrd Henson 46, born Mar 1854, AR TN AR, married 17 years, farm owner; Maud E. age 40, born Apr 1860, AL PA AL, mother of 6 children, all living; Malcolm Y. 13, born Sep 1883; Thomas D. 11, born Oct 1887; Lucy 9, born Jul 1890; Alex S. 8, born Apr 1892; Harold E. 5, born Dec 1894; Emma 3, born Nov 1896; D. Bridenthal 76, born Jul 1823, PA Germany PA.[11]

Apr 1910 Census, Washington County, AR (Springdale Township): General farmer Alexander B. Henson 57, AR TN MO, married for 27 years; Maud E. 50, AL PA AL, mother of 9 children, 5 living; Malcolm 23, AR AR AL, a farmer; Lucella 19; Alexander S. 17, a laborer on the home farm: Harold E. 14; Emery 13.[12] They were listed close to the family of [Maud's brother] Thomas J. Bridenthal.

"Byrd and Maud raised fruit and stock on their 240 acre farm south of Springdale. As years passed, Maud became heavy while Byrd remained trim. The story is told that while fluffing their feather-bed, he was instructed by Maud, 'Put most of the feathers on my side Byrd'."[13]

15 Jan 1920 Census, Washington County, AR (Springdale Township): Dairy farmer A. B. Henson age 76, AR TN MO; M. E. 59, AL PA AL; farmer Harold 25, AR AR AL; Louis E. age 22; daughter-in-law Dollie E. 25, AR TN MO. The family was residing on South Springdale Road, very close the the Lee Bridenthal family.[14]

10 Apr 1930 Census, Washington County, AR (Prairie Township: Dairy farmer Malcolm Y. Henson 49, AR AR AL, married at age 29; Effie R. 39, AR AR AR, married at age 23; Malcolm E. 13; David R. 9; Mary L. 5/3/12; father-in-law Alexander B. Henson 76, a widower. Yet Maud supposedly didn't die until that October.[15]

10 Apr 1930 Census, Washington County, AR (Prairie Township: Dairy farmer Malcolm Y. Henson 49, AR AR AL, married at age 29; Effie R. 39, AR AR AR, married at age 23; Malcolm E. 13; David R. 9; Mary L. 5/3/12; father-in-law Alexander B. Henson 76, a widower.

Harold Elgin Henson (24 Dec 1894 - 14 Dec 1985; m. 1st Dolly Edith Croxdale 7 Jul 1918, m. 2nd Sue Ward)

Harold, a dairyman, rural mail carrier, and local office holder, was also a much-decorated veteran of three wars, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel, First Division, 16th Infantry.[16]

"As the story goes, every Christmas morning, after spending time with his family, he would go to the post office on the pretext of "some trouble that needed to be taken care of". In reality, he would be delivering gifts that arrived too late for Christmas Day." What a wonderful man - I had to include that story.

If you have material about or photos of any individuals included in Nancy's Dead Relatives, can add well-documented family lines, have corrections and/or comments, or wish to establish a link to or from this site, please contact me at nancy@nancysdeadrelatives.com. However, the decision whether or not to include any submitted material is the webmaster's (mine) alone.

Nancy Denty Breidenthal

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Any information is only as reliable as its source. Evaluate the following sources accordingly.

[1] Benton County 1870 Census, p. 62

[2] Washington County 1880 Census, p. 23

[3] Frances Lee Drain Dockery, in Washington County History, p. 863

[4] Washington County 1900 Census, ED 116, Sheet 25B

[5] Washington County Marriage Book F, p. 87

[6] Deed Index, originals located in Book 78, p. 555; Book 88, p. 167

[7] Washington County 1900 Census, ED 116, Sheet 27

[8] Washington County 1910 Census, ED 148, Sheet 7B

[9] Washington County 1920 Census, ED 153, Sheet 6A

[10] Florence Gregg Rosoff

[11] Washington County 1900 Census, ED 116, Sheet 26A

[12] Washington County 1910 Census, ED 148, Sheet 7B

[13] Linda J. Lilly in Washington County History, p. 1090

[14] Washington County 1920 Census, ED 153, Sheet 5B

[15] Washington County 1930 Census, ED 72-25, Sheet 5B

[16] Bob Clark, in Washington County History, p. 1089