The Family of Thomas Davis and Jane Donnell

Husband:

Thomas Davis

Born:	20 December 1809 in Tennessee
Died:	3 August 1867 in Bethel Cemetery,Frisco, Collin County, Texas
Father:
Mother:

Wife:

Jane Donnell

Born:	11 June 1810 in
Died:	4 November 1888 in Bethel Cemetery,Frisco, Collin County, Texas
Father:
Mother:

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Married:

in

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Child	Sex	Birth	Death
Cynthia Jane Davis	F	15 November 1833	3 April 1868
Samuel R. Davis	M	4 July 1844	22 December 1905
Sarah A. Davis	F	9 August 1837	20 February 1917
Elizabeth Davis	F	8 March 1831	5 June 1917
Eli P. Davis	M

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Thomas Davis married Jane Donnell and brought their families to the Denton County area. Perhaps it was on the word of his daughter, Sarah, who had married Mr. Andrews and already moved to the area. Thomas Davis' son, Samuel Davis, had not been popular in Missouri for being named a spy for the Confederacy. Most of all of this family is now buried in the Bethel Cemetery in Frisco, Collin County, Texas.

Sarah A. Davis Andrews gave birth to several children; however, the only ones that appear to be have grown to adulthood were Janie who married Nat Rector and Bessie who married Matt Hogue. W. L. Andrews died leaving Sarah to manage her small children. Interestingly, census records and his tombstone show him as W. L. Andrews though numerous references are made to a Bob Andrews. Sarah later married Achilles Quisenberry and had one son named Will Quisenberry. Achilles Quisenberry often went by the name of Killis Quisenberry. Sarah must have led a life somewhat different than many of her peers for she and her niece Edith Donnell are found listed on several deed transactions in Frisco.

Samuel Davis, the brother of Sarah was an accomplished stock farmer and Vice President of the First National Bank in Denton and he may have helped Sarah and Edith to acquire those purchases. Edith Donnell went on to marry Erasmus Dow Baccus as his second wife and his home still stands on Oak Street in Frisco. Edith was the daughter of Cynthia Jane Davis, older sister to Samuel and Sarah. Cynthia Jane Davis married William Wilson Donnell. In further study William Wilson Donnell also married an Edith Harris and Josephine. The family has numerous family ties as Jane Donnell is the mother of each of these Davis children. Another Davis daughter was Elizabeth. Elizabeth married William Woodrum and they are also buried at Bethel Cemetery in Frisco.

While it has always been a popular belief by Friscoites that the ROGERS family donated the land for Bethel Cemetery, it was Matt Davis' recollection that his family donated land for Bethel. From study of the resources available to Mr. Davis and the manner in which such dominant tombstones were placed at the graves of most of the Davis family it does seem to be an interesting question.

• Tombstone of Thomas Davis (to see this enlarged and other family members see Bethel Cemetery Collection):