MARGARET MILLER (LAFFERTY) KUTCH
Birth: 6 Jul 1830
Death: 14 May 1917
(age 86 years, 10 months, 8 days)
Margaret Miller Lafferty born to Jacob Binks Lafferty
and Sarah Miller on 6 July 1830 Independence Co., Arkansas. She died 14
May 1917 in Weatherford, Parker Co., Texas. She was christened by Rev. John Kelly of Arkansas.
She married Henry Criswell in Arkansas and went with the Criswell family and her two brothers and a sister, John Annis Lafferty, Lorenzo Carnahan Dow Lafferty (LC), and Mary Henderson Lafferty on their move to Parker County Texas. Her sister married John Godfrey in Parker Co., Texas. After they got there, and the sisters were set up, the two Lafferty brothers toured Texas. They had two uncles in Texas already; Henderson Lafferty and Lorenzo Dow Lafferty. Lorenzo Carnahan ended up in Uvalde, Texas and enlisted from there. He died from a fever in the Civil War. His burial place is unknown.
John Annis Lafferty returned to Parker County and joined the war from there. He was wounded in 1863 and again returned to Parker County.
Margaret was the only one who kept in touch with her brother Thomas Binks Lafferty as he felt himself an outsider because of having served with the Union Army while his brothers fought for the Confederacy. Thomas Binks Lafferty lived in Oklahoma. He left at a young age to Rolla Missouri to join the Union but because he was only 15 he served only as a teamster taking water and commissary things to the troops. Thomas is not down in any rolls of the Union troops.
Margaret was a very religious person and held her children and stepchildren to a high standard. She was of the Methodist order. She left Arkansas in 1858 with her husband and a group of Criswells, Millers, Lindsey's and others from counties surrounding Izard and Independence Couties and headed for more open space in Texas. With her went two brothers John Annis Lafferty and Lorenzo Carnahan Dow Lafferty and an unmarried sister Mary Henderson Lafferty. They settled in Parker County, Texas. Although John and Lorenzo went roaming the Texas country from the Oklahoma border to the Rio Grande.
Margaret married three times. The first time about 1851 in Izard Co., AR Henry Criswell b 1825 Izard County Arkansas died 1859 Parker Co., Texas. They had 3 children.
1. Francis M. Criswell 3 Dec 1852 Izard Co,. AR died 8 Nov 1873 Parker Co., AR. Francis died from an accidental pistol shot while chasing hogs. The cemetery is 7 miles north of Weatherford, Texas;
2. O.T. (Tom) Criswell born 1855 Arkansas died of pneumonia 22 Mar 1879 in Young County, TX.;
3. Tillman Knox Criswell April 1857 Parker Co., TX - 6 Mov 1985 Young County, Arkansas. (T. K.) Tillman Knox married 16 Jan 1879 to Savilla Matilda McClarady born about 1860 died 17 Mar 1946 in Young County Texas. After they married they moved to Young County, Texas where they were listed in the 1880 Census. They were enumerated as Knox Criswell and Savilla with a son, (John) Samuel, who was listed at six months old at the time of the census. His birthday was November 24, 1879. T,J, was on the 1880 Young County Tax list as paying taxes on 160 acres previously owned by R.M. Kutch. Crouch's history of Young County, Texas states that T.K. Criswell took up one of the first claims on the old Indian Reserve when it was opened for Preemption. Had two sons John Samuel 24 Nov 1879 and Henry Davis Criswell 7 Jan 1882.
Margaret was widowed and married second to Daniel Lee Kutch Jr (born 4 Dec 1807 in Mercer Co., KY died 15 Jun 1874 Weatherford, Parker Co., Texas: They had 5 children.
1. Jefferson Davis Kutch 21 Jan 1865 Parker Co., TX died 5 Feb 1907 in Reid OK; married Sarah Mariah Murphy.
2. Margaret Smantha Kutch 2 Jan 1867 Parker Co., TX died 1 Sept 1947 in Parker Co., TX: married John Rogers (J.R) McAnally.
3. Mary Elizabeth Kutch 16 April Jack County, TX- 23 Sept 1898 Jacksboro, TX.: married John Pierce Hackley.
4. Daniel A. Kutch 24 Jul 1871 to 23 Sept 1878; died as child.
5. Sarah Alice Kutch 18 Aug 1873 to 8 Jan 1874 died as infant.
Margaret was widowed again. She married for the third time on 26 July 1879 to Henry Ward (born 26 Dec 1828 Patterson NJ died Dec 1897 Weatherford, Parker County, Texas.) They had no children
(The following is from Hattie Ward)
Papa's stepmother happened to be Mamas aunt (Margaret Miller Lafferty). She was Grandpa (James Austin Lee) Lafferty's sister. After Grandpa Ward died Grandma Ward use to come and spend days with us. Usually her sister Mary came too. Aunt Mary was usually up trying to help Mama with the work. She was a tiny neat little thing. Never had any children. She married a man named John Godfrey. She always dressed her like a doll. Before he died he willed thier home and all their land to one of Aunt Mary's nieces so that they would take care of Aunt Mary. But they turned out not to be good managers and Aunt Mary just kept wearing her beautiful little black hats (or Bonnets) and dresses until they were worn. But she never complained. Grandma Ward (Margaret Miller Oura Lafferty) usually sat in her rocking chair while I sat at her feet on a stool listening to the wonderful stories she could tell of her past life. I remember one time she told me that both she and Aunt Mary use to have long auburn hair like I did. I believe Grandpa must have had red hair too except it must have been lighter than mine because I was ten years old the last time I ever remember seeing him. He had lots of gray in his hair but it looked like it had some light red too. Grandma’s hair was real black. My daddy's hair was black as a crow and his mustache was red. I always wished I could have had black hair. Maggie lived to age 88.
Story from Mary Lafferty Wilson
Photo Courtesy of Mary Lafferty Wilson
She married Henry Criswell in Arkansas and went with the Criswell family and her two brothers and a sister, John Annis Lafferty, Lorenzo Carnahan Dow Lafferty (LC), and Mary Henderson Lafferty on their move to Parker County Texas. Her sister married John Godfrey in Parker Co., Texas. After they got there, and the sisters were set up, the two Lafferty brothers toured Texas. They had two uncles in Texas already; Henderson Lafferty and Lorenzo Dow Lafferty. Lorenzo Carnahan ended up in Uvalde, Texas and enlisted from there. He died from a fever in the Civil War. His burial place is unknown.
John Annis Lafferty returned to Parker County and joined the war from there. He was wounded in 1863 and again returned to Parker County.
Margaret was the only one who kept in touch with her brother Thomas Binks Lafferty as he felt himself an outsider because of having served with the Union Army while his brothers fought for the Confederacy. Thomas Binks Lafferty lived in Oklahoma. He left at a young age to Rolla Missouri to join the Union but because he was only 15 he served only as a teamster taking water and commissary things to the troops. Thomas is not down in any rolls of the Union troops.
Margaret was a very religious person and held her children and stepchildren to a high standard. She was of the Methodist order. She left Arkansas in 1858 with her husband and a group of Criswells, Millers, Lindsey's and others from counties surrounding Izard and Independence Couties and headed for more open space in Texas. With her went two brothers John Annis Lafferty and Lorenzo Carnahan Dow Lafferty and an unmarried sister Mary Henderson Lafferty. They settled in Parker County, Texas. Although John and Lorenzo went roaming the Texas country from the Oklahoma border to the Rio Grande.
Margaret married three times. The first time about 1851 in Izard Co., AR Henry Criswell b 1825 Izard County Arkansas died 1859 Parker Co., Texas. They had 3 children.
1. Francis M. Criswell 3 Dec 1852 Izard Co,. AR died 8 Nov 1873 Parker Co., AR. Francis died from an accidental pistol shot while chasing hogs. The cemetery is 7 miles north of Weatherford, Texas;
2. O.T. (Tom) Criswell born 1855 Arkansas died of pneumonia 22 Mar 1879 in Young County, TX.;
3. Tillman Knox Criswell April 1857 Parker Co., TX - 6 Mov 1985 Young County, Arkansas. (T. K.) Tillman Knox married 16 Jan 1879 to Savilla Matilda McClarady born about 1860 died 17 Mar 1946 in Young County Texas. After they married they moved to Young County, Texas where they were listed in the 1880 Census. They were enumerated as Knox Criswell and Savilla with a son, (John) Samuel, who was listed at six months old at the time of the census. His birthday was November 24, 1879. T,J, was on the 1880 Young County Tax list as paying taxes on 160 acres previously owned by R.M. Kutch. Crouch's history of Young County, Texas states that T.K. Criswell took up one of the first claims on the old Indian Reserve when it was opened for Preemption. Had two sons John Samuel 24 Nov 1879 and Henry Davis Criswell 7 Jan 1882.
Margaret was widowed and married second to Daniel Lee Kutch Jr (born 4 Dec 1807 in Mercer Co., KY died 15 Jun 1874 Weatherford, Parker Co., Texas: They had 5 children.
1. Jefferson Davis Kutch 21 Jan 1865 Parker Co., TX died 5 Feb 1907 in Reid OK; married Sarah Mariah Murphy.
2. Margaret Smantha Kutch 2 Jan 1867 Parker Co., TX died 1 Sept 1947 in Parker Co., TX: married John Rogers (J.R) McAnally.
3. Mary Elizabeth Kutch 16 April Jack County, TX- 23 Sept 1898 Jacksboro, TX.: married John Pierce Hackley.
4. Daniel A. Kutch 24 Jul 1871 to 23 Sept 1878; died as child.
5. Sarah Alice Kutch 18 Aug 1873 to 8 Jan 1874 died as infant.
Margaret was widowed again. She married for the third time on 26 July 1879 to Henry Ward (born 26 Dec 1828 Patterson NJ died Dec 1897 Weatherford, Parker County, Texas.) They had no children
(The following is from Hattie Ward)
Papa's stepmother happened to be Mamas aunt (Margaret Miller Lafferty). She was Grandpa (James Austin Lee) Lafferty's sister. After Grandpa Ward died Grandma Ward use to come and spend days with us. Usually her sister Mary came too. Aunt Mary was usually up trying to help Mama with the work. She was a tiny neat little thing. Never had any children. She married a man named John Godfrey. She always dressed her like a doll. Before he died he willed thier home and all their land to one of Aunt Mary's nieces so that they would take care of Aunt Mary. But they turned out not to be good managers and Aunt Mary just kept wearing her beautiful little black hats (or Bonnets) and dresses until they were worn. But she never complained. Grandma Ward (Margaret Miller Oura Lafferty) usually sat in her rocking chair while I sat at her feet on a stool listening to the wonderful stories she could tell of her past life. I remember one time she told me that both she and Aunt Mary use to have long auburn hair like I did. I believe Grandpa must have had red hair too except it must have been lighter than mine because I was ten years old the last time I ever remember seeing him. He had lots of gray in his hair but it looked like it had some light red too. Grandma’s hair was real black. My daddy's hair was black as a crow and his mustache was red. I always wished I could have had black hair. Maggie lived to age 88.
Story from Mary Lafferty Wilson
Photo Courtesy of Mary Lafferty Wilson