When I was working on our family tree and got to the name Absolom Bobo, I thought to myself: "Bobo - what a peculiar middle name". The word "bobo" or "bobas" in Polish means a little baby.
When I told my husband about Bobo, he said he would have thought, it would be a name of a funny rodeo clown, not a real person.
In the old days, it happened that somebody's middle name was actually a surname of one of the person's ancestors, most often their mother's. In our case, the only mother of the Bobo surname could have been the wife of our 6 x great-grandfather John Gant (born Feb. 15, 1710, Isle of Wight County, Virginia). According to some researchers, her name was Margaret
Bobo, and she was born in 1710, in North Carolina. Some other genealogists question it, as they say, there is no record of such a marriage or a Bobo lady. On the other hand, John Gant's son was called Lewis Bobo Gant (born circa 1758 in Bute, Orange County, NC) so isn't it enough to assume Lewis' mom was Miss Bobo? Besides, several other direct descendants of Lewis Bobo had the same middle name (e.g. his sons Jesse
Bobo and Absalom
Bobo).
Other Bobos were:
1. Jesse Bobo Gant (our third cousin four times removed) had a son Absolom
Bobo (our second cousin five times removed), born on 10 March 1839, in Hardin, Tennessee. By 1880, Absolom moved to Texas with his family. One of Absolom's son was Jessee
Bobo, born on Feb. 2, 1866, in Waynesboro, Wayne Co., Tennessee.
2. Lewis Bobo's son Absalom Bobo Gant, born on Feb. 25, 1800, in Abbeville County, NC had eleven children, seven daughters, and four sons. His third son and the fifth child was Absalom
Bobo Jr. who was born to Absalom Sr. and his wife Mary Boone on October 30, 1830, in Martin, Weakley County, TN.
Absalom Bobo Jr. received his education in Tennessee where he was also a student of a boy's school and later, Cumberland University at Lebanon. In 1893, Absalom was a justice of the peace in Wayne County. In 1890, having graduated from the university with flying colors, our man moved to Texas where he worked as a teacher in Tarrant County.
During Civil War Absalom Bobo was part of the Ninth Regiment of the Texas Cavalry (Company A). He joined the Company unit as a second lieutenant. Later, in 1892, he was promoted to captain. When he finished his military career, Absalom came back to Texas and became a businessman. He was involved in a pharmaceutical enterprise in Weatherford in Parker County. Afterward, he was in real estate and landowning business.
When I visited Weatherport for the very first time, I had no idea then that our relatives had lived and been buried there. In the picture you can see the Parker County Courthouse in Weatherport, TX which was designed by Wesley Clark Dodson and built (mostly of limestone) in 1884-1886.
Absalom married when he was 35. His bride was 20-year-old Miss Julia Minerva Raines (born on Sept. 15, 1847, Naclina, Nacogdoches County, Texas to Mr. Charles Baldwin Raines and Ms Mary Ann Pope). The marriage ceremony took place on December 18, 1867, in Rusk, Cherokee County, TX. The couple had eight children:
Charles Boone - born November 6, 1869, in Rusk, TX;
Mary Alice - b. May 6, 1872, in Rusk, d. Sept. 1, 1873, in Weatherford, TX;
Absalom Bobo - b. July 22, 1874, Weatherport, d. August 16, 1875, Weatherford;
Rutledge Raines - b. January 30, 1875, Weatherford, d. December 22, 1877, Weatherford;
Julia G - born March 9, 1880, Graham, Young, TX;
Irene - born October 9, 1882, Graham;
Ida - born and died June 26, 1885, Graham;
Ada - born July 21, 1888, Graham.
The places where the children were born, show that Absalom Bobo Jr andJulia Minerva moved from Rusk to Weatherport, and then to Graham in Texas.
The Census records made on June 29, 1880*, informed that the family lived in Graham. Absalom had already been a land agent then.
Absalom Bobo Jr. was quite a figure and a successful entrepreneur. He was a leading local developer and (as I learned reading Texas Online Handbook), he started a salt mine in 1871 and was the county representative to the Twelfth Texas Legislature. At the end of the 1880s, Absalom was also involved in organizing Young County Camp, United Confederate Veterans No. 127.
Absalom Bobo Gant Jr. passed on May 2, 1897, in Graham. He was buried at
Oak Grove Cemetery.
Census data of the year 1900** tells that Absalom's wife Julia Minerva (50) lived with their children Chas B (31), Julia (20), Lene (18), and Ada B (12) at Justice Precinct 1 Graham city, Young, Texas.
1903 was the year of two marriages in the family. First, on April 22, Irene married Mr. George H McLaren who was born in Lauderdale County, Alabama on August 10, 1870.
Texas County Marriage Records, 1837-1965
Name: Geo H McLaren
Titles And Terms: Mr
Event Type: Marriage
Event Date: 22 April 1903
Gender: Male
Event Place: Young, Texas, United States
Spouse's Name: Irene Gant
Spouse's Titles And Terms: Miss
Spouse's Gender: Female
Page: 353
Record Source:
"Texas, County Marriage Records, 1837-1965," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV1C-5PL5 : accessed 22 March 2018), Geo H Mclaren and Irene Gant, 22 Apr 1903, Marriage; citing Young, Texas, United States, various county clerk offices, Texas State Library and Archives Commission, Texas Dept. of State Health Services and Golightly-Payne-Coon Co.; FHL microfilm 1,783,875.
Irene's parents-in-law were Mr. James F McLaren and Ms. Nancy Hough of Alabama.
A few months later, on August 16, Irene's sister Julia married Mr. George M Baynes, born circa 1876.
Texas County Marriage Records, 1837-1965
Name: George M Baynes
Titles And Terms: Mr
Event Type: Marriage
Event Date: 16 August 1903
Gender: Male
Event Place: Young, Texas, United States
Spouse's Name: Julia Gant
Spouse's Titles And Terms: Miss
Spouse's Gender: Female
Page: 361
Record Source:
"Texas, County Marriage Records, 1837-1965," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV1C-5PGT : accessed 22 March 2018), George M Baynes and Julia Gant, 16 Aug 1903, Marriage; citing Young, Texas, United States, various county clerk offices, Texas State Library and Archives Commission, Texas Dept. of State Health Services and Golightly-Payne-Coon Co.; FHL microfilm 1,783,875.
Irene and George had three sons and a daughter: James Bobo (born 1904, died in infancy), Charles Gant McLaren (1904-1982), Irene (1908-1975), and George H Jr. (1912-1939). George H Sr. bereaved the family on Feb. 26, 1912. He passed in Graham. Quite a few years after that, Irene remarried. Her second husband was Mr. Walter Harold McPherson (born in Missouri on March 21, 1872- died in South Bend, Young Co., on Feb.20,1931).
Julia and George Baynes had four children - daughters: Bess (1904-1974), EM Zell (1906-1970), and sons: Absolom Bobo (1909-1964), and Dick E (1912-1992). Mr. Baynes passed when his youngest child was 1, on June 1, 1913.
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The youngest daughter of Absalom Bobo Jr. and Julia Minerva's, Ada married Carros Baror Logan on Sept. 23, 1908. Her spouse was born on August 8, 1885, in Stevensville, TX.
Texas County Marriage Records, 1837-1965
Name: C B Logan
Event Type: Marriage
Event Date: 23 September 1908
Event Place: Young, Texas, United States
Gender: Male
Spouse's Name: Ada Gant
Spouse's Gender: Female
Page: 145
Record Source:
"Texas, County Marriage Records, 1837-1965," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV1C-5R4G : accessed 22 March 2018), C B Logan and Ada Gant, 23 Sep 1908, Marriage; citing Young, Texas, United States, various county clerk offices, Texas State Library and Archives Commission, Texas Dept. of State Health Services and Golightly-Payne-Coon Co.; FHL microfilm 1,783,875.
Carros' parents were Malvern Hill Logan (born in GA) and Harriet Eliza Davis (born in TX).
Census 1910*** informs that Ada (21), Carros (24) and their daughter Thesa (0) lived then at Ada's mother Julia (67) in Graham, TX. Charles (40), Ada's brother, also lived with them.
Eight years later, Ada and Carros lived in Oklahoma City at 425 W. 6th Street (Carros'
WW1 draft registration).
Registration Card
Serial Number: 2892 Order Number: 1505
Name: Caros Baror Logan
Permanent Home Address: H-425 W 6th St Oklahoma City, Okla. County, Okla.
Age in Years: 33
Date of Birth: August 8 - 1885 -
Race
White: Yes
US Citizen
Native Born: Yes
Present Occupation: Business Insurance
Employer's name: J. A. Lower
Nearest Relative: Ada B. Logan, Adress: 425 W. 6th St Oklahoma City, Coutny: Okla. , State: Okla.
Registrar's Report: 35-3-27-C
Description of Registrant
Height: Medium, Build: Medium, Color of Eyes: Brown, Color of Hair: Dark
Date of Registration: Sept. 12, 1918
Record Source:
"United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZD6-2WR : 13 March 2018), Carros Baron Logan, 1917-1918; citing Oklahoma City no 1, Oklahoma, United States, NARA microfilm publication M1509 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,851,894.
Apparently, Carros seemed to have some serious legal problems then (I hesitated whether I should include a copy of the document here, but decided not to). Ada's marriage matters must have got complicated as in 1930 Carros (45) lived as a roomer (Census 1930) at Mr. and Mrs. Ellington's place in Graham, TX.
Record Source:
"United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:HGHP-X3Z : accessed 22 March 2018), Corras B Logan in household of Curtis J Ellington, Graham, Young, Texas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 16, sheet 18B, line 100, family 469, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 2413; FHL microfilm 2,342,147.
Probably Ada and Carros divorced or separated as in WW2 draft registration, the man gave his sister's name (Bert Cowan) who lived in Stevensville as the contact person.
Registration Card
Serial Number: U 805
Name: Carros Baror Logan
Place of Residence: P.O. Box 823 Stevensville, Erath County, Texas
Mailing Address: Same
Telephone: None
Age in Years: 56
Date of Birth: Aug 8 1885
Place of Birth: Stevensville
State: Texas
Name And Address of Person Who Will Always Know Your Address: Mrs. Bert Cowan, P.O. Box 823 Stevensville, Texas
Employer's Name And Address: American casualty & Life, Dallas, Texas
Place of Employment or Business: Same Dallas, Dallas, Texas
Signature: C.B. Logan
Record Source:
"United States World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XPPX-GZL : 6 November 2017), Carros Baror Logan, 1942; citing NARA microfilm publication M1936, M1937, M1939, M1951, M1962, M1964, M1986, M2090, and M2097 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
All in all, Ada and Carros' story seemed to have a happy end as I found another marriage certificate of the couple's. The two remarried on November 4, 1950, in Miller, Arkansas, Carros was 65 and Ada was 62.
Name: C B Logan
Event Type: Marriage
Event Date: 04 Nov 1950
Event Place, Miller, Arkansas, United States
Registration Place, Miller County, Arkansas
Residence Place: Graham, Young, Texas
Gender: Male
Age: 65
Birth Year: (Estimated) 1885
Spouse's Name: Ada Logan
Spouse's Residence Place: Graham, Young, Texas
Spouse's Residence City: Graham
Spouse's Residence County: Young
Spouse's Residence State: Texas
Spouse's Gender: Female
Spouse's Age: 62
Spouse's Birth Year: (Estimated) 1888
Page: 245
Record Source:
"Arkansas, County Marriages, 1837-1957," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N974-M9X : 25 September 2017), C B Logan and Ada Logan, 04 Nov 1950; citing , Miller, Arkansas, United States, county offices, Arkansas; FHL microfilm 1,977,393.
Ada's spouse passed on Jan. 7, 1970 in Graham. He was buried at Oak Grove Cemetery.
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Charles Boone, the oldest child of Absalom Bobo Jr.'s was a surgeon and served as a doctor during WW1.
He was drafted at the beginning of the war, on December 24, 1917 (he was 1st lieutenant at the Medical Corpus) and honorably discharged in 1919. Charles Boone Gant was awarded the Victory Medal for his service.
Surame: Gant
Christian Name: Charles B.
Born in: Rusk, TX Nov 6/69
Called into active service as: 1 Lt med Corp Dec 24/17 ORC
Organizations and Staff Assignments: 224 Aero Sq to discharge
Principal Station: Kelly Field S San Antonio, Tex; France
Engagements: -
Wounds Received in Action: None
Served Overseas: Mch 28/18 to Dec 23/18
Hon. disch. Mch 5/19 for convienience of the Government, services no longer required
Was reported 0 per cent disabled on the date of discharge in view of occupation
Remarks: -
Record Source:
"Texas, World War I Records, 1917-1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV18-ZKCV : 9 March 2018), Charles B Gant, 24 Dec 1917; citing Military Service, , , Texas, United States, Texas Military Forces Museum, Austin.
Name: Gant, Charles B
Rank and Organization: 1st Lt. Med. Corps.
Date: Dec 7 1920
Signature of Applicant: Charles B. Gant
Address: Graham, Texas
Signature of Approving Officer: Isaac Meyers
Rank and designation: 2nd Lt. 1st INF
Record Source:
"Texas, World War I Records, 1917-1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV18-ZKCK : 9 March 2018), Charles B Gant, 07 Dec 1920; citing Military Service, , , Texas, United States, Texas Military Forces Museum, Austin.
After the war,
Charles Boone (51) lived in Graham with his mother Julia M (75), his sister
Irene McLaren (37) and her children, son
Charles (15), and daughters
Irene (11), and
George H (7), (Census 1920****). This record showed me my earlier mistake - I had thought George H was a son of Irene's not a daughter.
Julia Minerva Gant passed away in Graham on January 18, 1926. Thirteen years later, on October 24, 1939, her son Charles joined her. He was 69. Most probably, he had never married.
Ada Logan left this world on April 11, 1958. Then, in Amarillo on October 8, 1963, it was 83-year-old Julia Gant Baynes. The last child of Absalom and Julia's, Irene McPherson, passed on November 24, 1968, in Tulsa, Tulsa County, Oklahoma.They all were buried at at Oak Grove Cemetery in Graham.
As you can see, there were quite a few Bobos in that family branch, actually 9 including the alleged very first Bobo, wife of John's. Since I found them, the name Bobo means to us more than it had used to. It simply means our Texas keens.
Source:
Records and copies of documents - familysearch.org
Texas State Historical Association
Findagrave.com
* "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MFJL-VYW : 15 July 2017), Chas B Gant in household of Absolim B Gant, Graham, Young, Texas, United States; citing enumeration district ED 167, sheet 377D, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 1334; FHL microfilm 1,255,334.
** United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M351-RDV : accessed 1 March 2018), Julia Gant in household of Julia M Gant, Justice Precinct 1 Graham city, Young, Texas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 162, sheet 6B, family 128, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,241,681.
*** United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M2Q8-63D : accessed 1 March 2018), Carras B Logan in household of J M Gant, Graham, Young, Texas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 267, sheet 1B, family 16, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1595; FHL microfilm 1,375,608.
**** United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MC9K-JCT : accessed 1 March 2018), Chas B Gant in household of Irene Mclaren, Graham, Young, Texas, United States; citing ED 170, sheet 1A, line 6, family 1, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 1854; FHL microfilm 1,821,854.
