Tabitha D. (Wood) Searcy
Tabitha D. Wood Searcy was born in or around Honey Grove, Texas in 1842. Her parents, James
Alexander Wood and Mary Parker Wood came to Fannin County Texas from Adams and Hamilton
Counties in Illinois along with Mary’s parents Stephen Parker and Martha Hogg Parker. Stephen
Parker was killed shortly after they moved to Texas. He was being pursued by a herd of wild hogs, fell
in a canebrake (a thicket of bamboo-like canes), sustained a penetrating injury from a broken cane
stalk, and eventually died from his wounds. Martha then sold her land to her son-in-law James A.
Wood. She remarried to Buckner Durham and moved to Missouri. Tabitha had a brother named
William and sisters, Susan, Rory, Mary and Martha. Her brother William, sister Rory and father James
died around 1853. All of James land was left to Tabitha’s mother, Mary who remarried to Joseph
DeArman. Mary Wood DeArman died in 1855 and left her young daughters to fend for themselves.
Tabitha married James Sashwell Searcy in 1857. They then began to try getting custody of the younger
siblings. Susan married James Sashwell Searcy’s brother, Samuel and the step-father of Martha and
Mary acquired custody of the girls. They all lived at Garnett’s Bluff in Northern Fannin County on the
1860 Census. By 1862, both James and Tabitha, along with Samuel and Susan Searcy sold their land at
Garnett’s Bluff. Then James S. and Samuel both served in the Civil War. James was in the Texas 11th
Calvary and then in the Texas 22nd Calvary (Indian Regiment). Tabitha and James had a son in 1865,
James Samuel. He was born in or near Bonham, Texas. Another son, William Sashwell was born
February 14, 1871. Tabitha was found living at the Grayson County Poor farm on the 1880 Census
with her son, William. She lived at this Poor farm for over 20 years. In 1893 James Sashwell Searcy
sued her for divorce. It is not known if they were granted a divorce. In 1900 James Sashwell is still in
Fannin County and Tabitha is still at the Grayson County Poor Farm. From 1898-1904, James Samuel
and William Sashwell are still trying to get Tabitha’s land back. It is not known what happened to
James Sashwell Searcy after 1900 but Tabitha is found in the State Hospital in Kaufman County,
Terrell, Texas from 1906-1915. She died on June 15, 1915 and is buried at the cemetery at the State
Hospital at Terrell, Texas. Her son James Samuel was married to Fannie Marshall and they had one
daughter Jimma Searcy. They are buried in Pampa, Texas. Her youngest son William Sashwell was my
grandfather. William was married to Mamie Parks. They are buried at Blue Ridge cemetery near
Calvin, Oklahoma. They had 3 children, Jimmie Sashwell, Dicey Jewel and Dorothy Belle Searcy.
Jimmie Sashwell was my father. He was married to Mildred Blaylock in October 1933. Jimmie and his
sister Dorothy Belle are both buried in the Calvin Cemetery at Calvin, Oklahoma. Dicey Jewell is buried
in California. Jimmie and Mildred had seven children, Imogene, Joyce Jimma, James, Ear, Wanda and
Jimmie Searcy. Dicey Jewel had three daughters. Mamie, Kathleen and Linda Sue Richardson.
Dorothy Bell had three children, James, Della and Joyce Whiteside.
James Sashwell and Tabitha Wood Searcy were my great grandparents.
Jimmie Howard Searcy