Typed by: Kay Cunningham


McCOY, JAMES LELAND


Surnames: McCOY, HUFSTETLER, ROBINSON, BROTHERS, YANKEE, GARRETT, ARNEY, McCARVER, SMITH, DUNCAN, MATHERS.


    James Leland McCoy, b September 25, 1849 in Tennessee, d July 14, 1932 at Stranger, Falls County, Texas and buried in Garrett Cemetery there -- was a son of Hugh McCoy, b October 8, 1812 in Tennessee d January 13, 1893 and buried at Fowlkes, Tennessee in Holly Springs Cemetery, and his wife, Martha, born in Tennessee, d February 10, 1901 at age 82 years, and buried by her husband.
    On July 22, 1874, in Dyersburg, Obion County, Tennessee, James Leland McCoy married Margaret Hufstetler, b February 20, 1854, in Tennessee, d November 2, 1930, and buried in Garrett Cemetery at Stranger, Falls County, Texas -- a daughter of Elvira (Robinson) Hufstetler and her husband (name unknown) of Georgia.  Margaret's siblings who came to Falls County were Laura Hufstetler who married Jesse Barzilla Brothers, and Emanuel Hufstetler.  Among the siblings of James Leland McCoy were Ann E., Mahala J., Nancy E., William W., Nathan, Thomas, Newton, Samuel, and Francis McCoy.
    Soon after 1880, James Leland McCoy brought his jamily from Obion County, Tennessee to Texas -- settled in Stranger, Falls County.  Of their eleven children, the first four were all born at Stranger:
    James Henry McCoy, b September 29, 1875, married March 29, 1903, in Falls County to Minnie Keller Yankee.  They loved in Stranger for many years, had children, and both died and were buried in Dallas, Texas.  Their at Stranger was the one built in 1849 by Thomas McKissick Garrett for his family, and was of solid cedar -- wall, floors, ceilings, etc., except for one large, thick cedar front door.  They burned the down in the 1960's because it was infested with snakes, as it was then vacant.
    Thomas Hugh McCoy, b November 12, 1877, died ca 1880 in Tennessee of diarrhea.
    R. Samuel McCoy, b October 30, 1878, died ca 1880 in Tennessee.
    William S. McCoy, b July 11, 1880, d ca 1906 and buried in Washington, D. C. He was never married.
    David Walter McCoy, b June 1, 1883, the first born in Stranger, Falls County, Texas after the family moved from Tennessee, d February 24, 1967, and buried in Calvary Cemetery in Marlin, Texas -- served in World war I as a Corporal, Company B, 165th Infantry, 42 Division.  David married and had two children -- a son, and a daughter.
     Francis Leland McCoy, b January 6, 1885, d and said to be buried in Calvary Cemetery in Marlin, Texas -- married and had children.
    Alice (called "Allie") McCoy, b August 25, 1887, was buried in Garrett Cemetery at Stranger.  
    Vera Vidella McCoy, b December 2, 1890, resides in a nursing in Marlin, Texas in 1986 -- married October 4, 1910, in Falls County, Texas to William Luther Arney, b September 2, 1891, d December 26, 1984, and buried in Hillcrest Cemetery in Marlin -- a son of James Marshall and Mary Belle (McCarver) Arney of Kosse, Limestone County, Texas.  They had six children.
    Benjamin C. McCoy, b February 28, 1892, was buried near Dallas, Texas -- married and had two children -- a son and a daughter.
    Roy McCoy, buried in Garrett Cemetery at Stranger, Falls County, Texas.
    Ina Elva McCoy, b February 11, 1900, married December 22, 1916, to Thomas Miller Smith -- a Methodist minister.
    James Leland and Margaret (Hufstetler) McCoy were members and active workers in the Fairview Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and reared their family in that denomination.  They opened their to the youth in Stranger, and often had a house full of young friends of their children.  Margaret was an excellent cook, and passed her cooking techniques to her daughters.
    The land purchased by James Leland McCoy when he came to Falls County was described as 111 5/10 acres on the G. Duncan Survey, 43 3/4 acres on the Joseph Mathers Survey, and 7 3/10 acres on the h. B. Williams Survey -- all in East Falls County at Stranger.  He was known as a fine farmer, and was interested in political issues of the day.

Copyright Permission granted to Theresa Carhart for printing the biographies of these Falls County Families to this Web page.
"Families of Falls County", Compiled and Edited by the Falls County Historical Commission, page 290 Column 1 and 2.  
Member of Falls County Historical Commission.