Hi,
I am new to this board. I haven't written before because I think my
blank wall is hopeless. This story is so rediculous I don't know where
to start. My grandfather John Henry Brown (I think) was born in Gibson
Co., Indiana Dec 11, 1865 or possibly 1869.
His tombstone says Dec 11, 1865**now the problem** just before he
died he gathered family around and said I must tell you something, I am
not John Henry Brown, my name is Joe Hooker!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The family
knowing he did a lot of joking didn't believe it, laughed and went
on,but several things have happened and now everyone is pretty sure he
really was Joe Hooker. His mother died when he was 12, his father
remarried and he and the step mother didn't get along. The father died
soon after and he left home and evidentally assumed the name so that no
one could find him. ANOTHER STORY IS : that his mother died when he was
4 and his father died when he was 9 and he attended the funeral and went
home and got his favorite cap and left home. He suppposedly went to
Arkansas but it isn't clear if he went there at age 9 or later in his
life.
He ended up in Lamar Co., Tx where he married Delilah Ann Stanford
Hudson Dec 18, 1895. From there he went to Oklahoma and then later in
years moved to California to be with his family.
The funny (or Sad) part of this is there was a John Henry Brown on
the 1870 census born in 1869, also an obituary John Henry Brown, who
was born in 1869 and died at age 11 after being drug by a horse. His
mother died when he was 12, but this one's father didn't die until 1917.
Is there anyone there that has been researching either family, that
might be able to shed some light on the subject.
****Also on John's tombstone it shows the birth date 1865 instead of
1869 which I am sure was done when his wife died and they set the
stone. It seems to me if that date was wrong that he would have had it
corrected before he died.
More questions than I can answer
1. if he was born in Gibson Co., he probably was not John Henry Brown
2. if he was John Henry Brown in Gibson Co., his birthdate is probably
not 1869
3. if he left home at 12 1881 when was he during the 14years before his
marriage to Annie in 1895.
4 Why did he assume the name of Joe Hooker, All we know for sure
is John Henry Brown showed up in Lamar Co., Tx and married Annie in
1895.
Thanking you in advance for listening, any help would be more than
appreciated.
Sincerely, Lenda McGuire