Born After Father’s Death

RootsMagic 7.0 is my program of choice for managing my rather large genealogical database. One of the major features of the program is its Problem List identified by an Exclamation Point inside a red triangle. 

While doing research this past week I noticed that a 4th Cousin once removed had a Red triangle by his name. Clicking on the triangle told me that my Cousin was born after his father’s death.

This in turn led to more research that turned up a really tragic event within this family leaving a Mother with 6 children and a baby on the way that would arrive within the next 3 months.

John Adam Huneycutt was born on 24 April 1875, a son of Thomas Franklin Huneycutt and Elizabeth Jane “Betsy” Dry. He was the last of seven children born to this union; 3 sons and 4 daughters.

Thomas Franklin Huneycutt and Elizabeth Jane “Betsy” Dry were married 3 February 1856 and their firstborn, a son, arrived 1 June 1857.

The night of 10 January 1875 was a very tragic night for this family. Betsy, 6 months pregnant with her seventh child, spent the night wondering where her husband was. Her husband, Thomas was at the home of Ezekiel Brooks until he left there, heading home, in an inebriated state. I know this from the news posting presented below.

Mr. Thos. Huneycutt
Monroe Enquirer: We learn that Mr. Thos. Huneycutt, of Stanly county, froze to death on the night of the 11th inst. The particulars, as we hear them, are as follows; Mr. Huneycutt was at the house of Mr. Ezekiel Brooks, in a very intoxicated condition, but started for his own home some two miles distant. Failing to reach home that night, search was made for him the next morning and he was found dead frozen to death on the road, Mr. H. leaves a wife and several children to mourn his very untimely death.  He was said to be a very hard working and well-to-do citizen-- with but the one failing of too ardent a love for liquor. Another great temperance lecture.

Sadly, this left the widow, Betsy, with 6 children and a baby about to be born. The children are now fatherless and again, sadly, in just a few years the children would lose their mother in November 1888.

The baby, John Adam Huneycutt, borne after his father’s death is just a mere 13-year-old teenager when he loses his Mother.

Thomas Franklin Huneycutt is buried in Brooks-Hill Cemetery, Stanfield, Stanly County, North Carolina.

Elizabeth Jane “Betsy” Dry is buried in Big Lick Baptist Church Cemetery, Stanly County, North Carolina.

Thomas Franklin Huneycutt is my 3rd Cousin twice removed.

Elizabeth Jane “Betsy” Dry is my 2nd Cousin 4 times removed.

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[1] "Mr. Thos. Huneycutt," Death Notice, The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, North Carolina, 21 January 1875, Page 2, Column 3; Digital On-Line Archives, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/ : viewed circa 12 September 2020).