The Hineston Chronicles Volume 10 Number 4
HOW MY DYESS FAMILY CAME TO LOUISIANA
Carolyn DYESS Bales is the
d/o – Oscar Carl Dyess – Edna Taris Bonnette
gd/o – J. B. Dyess – Sarah Matilda Smith
g-gd/o – Edmond D. Dyess – Margaret Mathis
gg-gd/o – Thomas D, Dyess – Nancy Jenkins
ggg-gd/o – George W. Dyess – Elizabeth Everett
I will stop here on the DYESS family.
Above is the lineage to my great--great-great grandparents. On the next issue of the Chronicles, I will talk about the Jenkins family and one important even that happened in Georgia. It would be too long and detailed to add to this issue; therefore, I will just write about how my family came to Louisiana.
When I was a child, I would look at my grandparents and feel sorry for them because I thought they somehow just “landed” in Rapdies Parish, Louisiana and didn’t get to travel. It never occurred to me they had a “traveling past”.
George W. Dyess, the youngest of six Dyess brothers, was born in Barnwell, South Carolina, and married Elizabeth Everett. George left South Carolina and moved to Webster County – what is now Stewart County, Georgia. George and Elizabeth had eight children; however, I am the gg-granddaughter of his son, Thomas D. Dyess who married Nancy Jenkins. Of course, he is my “favorite”. George and Elizabeth are buried in Stewart County. I was fortunate to visit the cemetery where they are buried which is in a deteriorating state! There were a lot of goose bump moments while visiting the cemetery. One day I will write about that visit and share it with you all.
Thomas D. Dyess and Nancy Jenkins were married in Stewart County 10 November 1836 where their first six of their eleven children were born (Edmond Dyess, Mary Elizabeth Dyess, John George Dyess, Sara Ann Dyess, Violata Dyess, James Dyess).
Thomas, Nancy and the six children moved to Jones County, Mississippi – somewhere between 1848 – 1851. While there, they had three more children: William Dyess, Lydia Ann Dyess, Thomas Zephreniah Dyess.
Somewhere between 1855 – 1858 – they all moved close to Dialville, Cherokee, Texas where the last two children were born: M. C. Dyess and Alvery Dyess.
In 1868, there was a disease going around and within 24 hours, Thomas, Nancy, and the two youngest children (M. C. and Alvery) had passed away along with several others in the community. To this date, we do NOT have a grave marker, where they are buried.
NOTE: A few years ago, I had the privilege and attended a family reunion in Cherokee County, Texas. One of the cousins and his wife drove me around all the property where Thomas and Nancy Jenkins Dyess lived. They are coming from William Dyess – seventh child of Thomas D. and Nancy Jenkins Dyess. Having lived there all their lives the cousins have searched and searched the property for any sign of a headstone, marker, anything where the family might be buried. None has been found. Their theory is the four were buried on the property and no one had the money for any markers. I will accept that theory unless it is proven differently. By the way the land was just what I would have thought Thomas and Nancy Dyess would have chosen.
The following story was told by Margaret Mathis Dyess (wife of Edmond D. Dyess) to my grandmother (who was Margaret’s mother in law) – Sarah Matilda Smith Dyess. Margaret told Grandma that so many people were dying and after her in-laws and their two young children died, she told her husband, Edmond D. Dyess to get them out of there before they all died.
Like any good husband, Edmond loaded everyone that wanted to leave into a wagon and crossed the Sabine River. That is basically how my family got to Louisiana.
At this point I am going to identify a few of Thomas and Nancy’s children and give a little history that will prove both interesting and important – both locally and nationally.
EDMOND D DYESSS – 1st child – Looking at the chart at the beginning – Edmond is my Great-Grandfather. Edmond, born 12 June 1837 in Georgia; died 30 June 1912 in Louisiana. His wife, Margaret Mathis Dyess and himself are buried at Fellowship Church in Hineston, Louisiana. Edmond and Margaret Mathis Dyess had several children. Some were:
Emma E Dyess, 2nd child of Edmond D. and Margaret Mathis Dyess - - born 1864, in Jones County, Mississippi – ended around the Dry Creek, Louisiana area and married James Albert “Al” Wilson. NOTE: my grandmother, Sarah Matilda Smith Dyess was the daughter of Jeremiah Smith and Mary Caroline Wilson . James Albert “Al” Wilson the son of Francis “Frank Wilson and Sarah Matilda Byrd. Mary Caroline Wilson and Francis Wilson were siblings; therefore, making James Albert Wilson a nephew to my grandmother, Sarah Matilda Smith Dyess. This makes me double cousins to this union. Noted later on in this article Sabra Ellen Wilson Dyess was a sister to Mary Caroline Wilson Smith and James Albert Wilson was her nephew as well.
James Edmond (Edward) Dyess, 3rd child of Edmond D. Dyess – Margaret Mathis Dyess - born 11 Jan 1874 in Vernon Parish, Louisiana. He first married Margaret Davis and second Rachael Bounds. They lived and are buried in the Calcasieu, Louisiana, area; and, there are a lot of their descendants on the Historic Hineston Page and the Dyess (All Spellings) Page.
Lucy Dyess – 4th child of Edmond D. Dyess – Margaret Mathis Dyess - born 1876 in Rapides Parish, Louisiana. She was married to Willie Holt and had several children located in both Rapides and Vernon Parishes, Louisiana. They, too, are also on the Hineston and the Dyess pages.
J. B. Dyess “Josie” – 5th child of Edmond D. Dyess – Margaret Mathis Dyess - born 2 May 1977 and died 22 May 1965. He married Sarah Matilda Smith. They are both buried at Calvary Cemetery, Gardner, Louisiana. As the chart at the beginning of this article, this is my Grandfather. They had ten children – one of which was my father – Oscar Carl Dyess. (Child Number 6). There are a large number of this family on both the Hineston and the Dyess sites. NOTE: B. G. Dyess, 9th child of J. B. and Sarah Matilda Smith Dyess, also served in the Louisiana State Senate as well as serving as the Rapides Parish Register of Voters.
Mary Dyess – 6th child of Edmond D. Dyess – Margaret Mathis Dyess - born 29 June 1878 in Rapides Parish, Louisiana. She married John Singletary 17 December 1895. There are several of Mary’s descendants on both the Hineston and the Dyess sites.
John George Dyess – the 3rd child of Thomas D. and Nancy Jenkins Dyess – born 1841 in Georgia; died 19 June 1898. He married 1868 to Mary Ann McGilvary. They had 12 children; however, I will mention only one of the children –
Richard Thomas Dyess – born 20 January 1886 in Rapides Parish, Louisiana; died 18 February 1968. He married 8 June 1915 to Hallie A. Graham. They had two children – one who has been a member of the Dyess site until her recent death was Elizabeth Nell Dyess Dearman. The son –
William Edwin Dyess – born 9 August 1916; died 27 December 1943. He was married to Marajen Staveck – No children. Ed Dyess, as he is sometimes referred to, is the WWII hero (Battaan Death March) for whom Dyess Air Force Base, Texas was named!
Sara Ann Dyess – the 5th child of Thomas and Nancy Jenkins Dyess - born 4 February 1844 in Georgia; died 19 June 1898 in Elmer, Louisiana. She married 8 November 1866 in Covington County, MS to William Sanford Braddy. They had ten children.
Polly Braddy – the 9th child of Sarah Ann Dyess and William Sanford Braddy – was born 6 July 1883 in Rapides Parish, Louisiana; died 22 August 1952 in Beaumont, Texas. She married 3 January 1903 to David Editor Bonnette. Remember at the beginning where my lineage is located – I am the daughter of Oscar Carl Dyess and Edna Taris Bonnette. There are several people on the social media sites I am double kin to – Dyess and Bonnette. One of those people is Donna Gayle Bonnette Hall – who has a world of Bonnette information.
William Dyess – the 7th child of Thomas and Nancy Jenkins Dyess - He was 17 years old when some of his siblings left Cherokee County in 1868, crossed the Sabine River, and reached Louisiana. He did NOT come with them. No one knows exactly why – but – he stayed behind, married, and had a family. Several of them are on the social media sites. I have attended a reunion in Cherokee County, Texas and got some information. Sadly, it is not known exactly where he was buried.
Lydia Ann Dyess – the 8th child of Thomas and Nancy Jenkins Dyess – born 1853 in Mississippi. She married (1) Mayo West and married (2) 1875 in Jones County, Mississippi to James Crosby. There are some of her descendants on the social media sites.
Thomas Zephreniah Dyess – the 9th child of Thomas D and Nancy Jenkins Dyess. He was born 17 September 1855 in Jones County, Mississippi – died 31 January 1898 in Vernon Parish Louisiana. He married 1879 to Sabra Ellen Wilson. He crossed the Sabine River with his older brother and sister in law (Edmond D. Dyess and Margaret Mathis) and family members into Vernon Parish, Louisiana. A special note – My grandmother was Sarah Matilda Smith Dyess – the d/o – Jemimah Smith and Mary Caroline Wilson. Mary Caroline Wilson was a sister to Sabra Ellen Wilson. Therefore, there is a large family I am double kin to – Dyess / Wilson connection. Many of these cousins are on the social media sites. I have attended several reunions in and around Beaumont Texas and gained a lot of knowledge from our cousins. There are some great record keepers in this line.
This is basically how my DYESS family is in Louisiana. I would love to hear how YOUR family ended up in Louisiana. It would be great if you posted the information on the Historic Hineston Page. We re all so connected in our roots! We have a RICH history in Central Louisiana!
Happy 2021!!!!
Mount Moriah Cemetery, Hineston, LA.
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