SUSAN TAYLOR DEFRIESE WATT 1821 - 1890

On January 8th, my paternal 3rd great-grandmother, Susan Taylor DeFriese Watt(s) Owens, would have been 202 years old. She has been a little difficult to research as her maiden name is spelled several different ways like Dumfriese, Defrice and DeFrees. Also there is some discrepancy on whether her first husband’s last name was Watt or Watts.

I recently received information from Roberta Mahr Drews, who is my 1st cousin 1x removed. Her mother, Ruth Owens Mahr, my grandaunt, received some of this information and some of it came from Carl Owens, who was my granduncle. He had written to some relatives and got some information. I’ve included scanned documents that Roberta has shared with me at the end of the post.

8 JAN 1821 - Born in Rhea, TN, to Hiram “Abiff” Abeth Paul DeFriese, who was 30 and Margaret Ann Lowery, who was 23. She was the fourth of nine children. Her older siblings were Elizabeth “Jane,” Mary McGee, and Isabella Lowery.

15 DEC 1822 - Birth of sister, Sarah Adeline [Rhea, TN].

9 NOV 1824 - Birth of brother, Lafayette [Rhea, TN].

10 MAY 1826 - Birth of sister, Dorcas Burke [Rhea, TN].

4 NOV 1830 - Birth of brother, John Lowery [Rhea, TN].

1 DEC 1833 - Birth of sister, Lucy Ann [Rhea, TN].

16 FEB 1841 - Death of brother, John Lowery, in Talladega, Talladega, AL, at the age of 10.

28 DEC 1841 - Married John Seaborn Watt(s) [Cedar Bluff, Cherokee, AL].

8 OCT 1842 - Birth of son, William B. or D. [GA].

3 JUN 1843 - Death of husband, John, in Cedar Bluff, Cherokee, AL. They had been married for one year.

7 NOV 1847 - Married Andrew C. Owens, in Talladega, AL when she was 26 and he was 30. I’ve seen his middle name as Campbell and Camel. I haven’t been able to confirm which is correct.

31 JUL 1848 - Birth of daughter, Hinda [AL].

1850 - Residence - Can’t find them on it.

17 OCT 1850 - Birth of daughter, Lida (Also seen spelled as Lyda and Linda) [Cherokee County, AL].

26 APR 1853 - Birth of daughter, Florence [AL].

6 MAR 1855 - Birth of daughter, Alfareta (also known as Rett) [Randolph County, AL].

15 MAR 1857 - Birth of son, Andrew Thomas [Cedar Bluff, Cherokee, AL]. This is my 2nd great-grandfather.

1859 - Death of father, Hiram, in Delta, Randolph, AL at the age of 69.

22 FEB 1859 - Birth of daughter, Lena Leota [AL].

1860 - Residence - Northern Division, Rockdale, Randolph, AL.

6 JAN 1861 - Birth of daughter, Lura Dean [AL].

JAN 1864 - Death of sister, Lucy Ann, in Clay County, AL, at the age of 30.

1870 - Death of husband, Andrew Campbell Owens [Clay, AL], at the age of 53. They had been married 23 years.

1870 - Residence - Township 9 Range 9, Gaylesville, Cherokee, AL.

AFT. 1870 - Death of son, William D. [?].

18 MAR 1871 - Death of mother, Margaret, in San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, at the age of 73. 

Note from Find A Grave:

Margaret was originally interred at Masonic Cemetery in San Francisco on which now is the University of San Francisco. The tombstones were used as fill on the approaches to the Golden Gate Bridge. Margaret among many others from Masonic Cemetery were transferred to Woodlawn Cemetery now Woodlawn Memorial Park in Colma, California where Sections "L" and "K" are devoted to those from Masonic Cemetery. There are no headstones, only one large Monument.

16 DEC 1872 - Death of sister, Mary McGee, in Talladega, Talladega, AL, at the age of 53.

1880 - Residence - Cherokee County, AL.

Aft. 1886 - Death of daughter, Lena L. passed away [AL].

14 MAR 1887 - Death of sister, Isabella Lowery, in Clay County, AL, at the age of 67.

27 JUN 1890 - Passed away in Cedar Bluff, Cherokee, AL, at the age of 69.

Burial - Cedar Bluff Cemetery, Cedar Bluff, Cherokee, AL.

Here are some documents that came from the family about the details above.