Typed by: Jan Shelfer
FORTUNE, JOHN A., SR.
Surnames: FORTUNE, HIGGINS, MARCH, HANES, MOORE, WOOLEN, MCDOWELL,
KILLEBREW, WILLIAMS, DRENNAN, BUTLER, BOWEN, MCALPINE, DAFFIN, YATES, DOUGLAS,
MOORE, CORLEY, WIESE, BARTON, WARDLAW, BROWN
John A. Fortune, Sr., b. February 1798 in Virginia, d. August 1864 in Falls
County, Texas and buried in Calvary Cemetery in Marlin-was married ca 1823 in
Kentucky to America Higgins, b. 1803 in Kentucky, d. 1870 and buried in Calvary
Cemetery in Marlin. John and America moved from Kentucky to Alabama about 1827,
where they lived until moving to Falls County, Texas in December 1851. They
bought nearly a league of land from the heirs of George Morgan, who was scalped
by Indians on January 1, 1839 in his home, located in what is present-day Falls
County.
In 1860, the Fortunes-John A., Sr., and two sons, Charles and Hiram, registered
73 slaves on their large plantation, whom they lost in the Civil War.
John A. and America (Higgins) Fortune, Sr. were the parents of five children:
Charles Volney Fortune, b. October 31, 1824 in Kentucky, d. March 3, 1870 in
Falls County, Texas and buried in Calvary Cemetery-married ca 1852 to Mary
Margaret March, b. April 19, 1832, d. January 15, 1860 and buried in Calvary
Cemetery. They had two children: John Edward Fortune, b. 1853 in Texas-moved to
North Carolina; and Mary Lizora Fortune, b. 1855 in Texas, was sent to school in
North Carolina after her parents died. She met and married Pleasant H. Hanes (of
the Hanes Hosiery and Underwear family), and had issue. A grandson still owns
500 acres on Brazos River which was inherited from the Fortune family. He
visited in Marlin, Texas in the early 1980's, saying he would not sell his only
Fortune inheritance, but planned at that time to deed it to the State of Texas
for a Wildlife Park. He did not want the trees on the property cut.
Hiram H. Fortune, b. 1829 in Alabama, d. December 4, 1888 in Falls County,
Texas-married first on December 8, 1859 to Mary Moore, b. May 5, 1843 in
Georgia, d. June 24, 1866-a daughter of Joseph and Sarah Moore. Their only
surviving child was Fannie Fortune, b. ca 1862, who married G. W. Woolen. Hiram
H. Fortune married second to Mrs. Anna McDowell, b. February 22, 1843 in Yazoo
County, Mississippi, d. March 1, 1870; and he married third to Sarah A. (maiden
name unknown), and had Florence Fortune, b. ca 1874.
Jane J. Fortune, b. 1831 in Alabama, d. May 1, 1873 and buried in Calvary
Cemetery in Marlin, Texas-married February 2, 1853 to Dr. William Killebrew, b.
May 11, 1819 in Montgomery County, Tennessee, d. January 9, 1892 and buried in
Calvary Cemetery in Marlin-third of eight children of Edwin and Mary (Williams)
Killebrew, natives of North Carolina.
Reverend John A. Fortune, Jr., b. ca 1834 in Alabama, died-date and place
unknown-was a Baptist minister and a school teacher. He married first on October
31, 1865 in Falls County, Texas to Martha Drennan, b. ca 1847 in Arkansas, d. ca
1873, and they had Edith M. Fortune, b. ca 1867, who married Leonard Butler; and
Walter D. Fortune, b. ca 1871, who married Mrs. Daisy Bowen. John married second
to Mrs. Yolande (McAlpine) Daffin, b. 1838 in Alabama, d. September 15, 1911 in
Kaufman County, Texas and buried in Calvary Cemetery in Marlin, and had two
identified children: Stella Fortune, b. 1872, who married July 14, 1886 to W. T.
Yates and had Lizora Yates who married Boyd Douglas and William Yates; and
Roscoe Fortune, b. December 3, 1874, d. February 18, 1962 and buried in Calvary
Cemetery, who married February 24, 1897 to Mary Maud Moore and had Augusta
Laverne Fortune who married T. Corley and had Tommy Corley-who married Maurina
Wiese, of Calvert.
Alice Everett Fortune, b. April 12, 1840 in Alabama, d. February 8, 1869 and
buried in Calvary Cemetery in Marlin-married April 28, 1859 in Falls County,
Texas to Buckner Killebrew, b. April 17, 1826 in Tennessee, d. February 18,
1901, who was sheriff of Falls County in 1860. They had William Killebrew, b.
1860; Mary Killebrew, b. 1862; James J. Killebrew, b. 1864; Robert F. Killebrew,
b. 1866; and Alice E. Killebrew, b. 1869 when her mother died. Sheriff Killebrew
married second to Harriet (Barton) Wardlaw-daughter of Isaac M. and Mary (Brown)
Barton, and a widow of John Wardlaw.
Besides the plantation the Fortune family owned, they also had over a hundred
acres in northwest Marlin-including the land bought by Cyrus Whitaker, whose
daughter married W. D. Kyser, and is still owned by members of the Kyser family
on Anders Street. "Fortune Street" in Marlin was named for the Fortune family
since it was located on their property, which included the site of Calvary
Cemetery.
Copyright Permission granted to Theresa Carhart for printing these bio of these
Falls County Families to this Web page.
"Families of Falls County," compiled and edited by the Falls County Historical
Commission, page 160, column 2.
Member of Falls County Historical Commission