John Andrew Thomas, born 13 Dec 1831,
Alabama. He was a founding father of the
Bosque Co. area. He and Frank M. Kell, Samuel S. Locker, William R. Sedberry, and A.C. Pearce came to the
Bosque Co. region in the fall and winter of 1852-53. They were considered "founding fathers of the new country.* (*History of
Bosque County,
Texas Pool San Marcus Record Press, San Marcus, 1954)
A picture of this group used to hang in the courthouse at Meridian,
Texas.
John Andrew Thomas served in the Civil War in the 8th Regiment
Texas Calvary (also known as Terry's, the 1st and 8th Regiment,
Texas Rangers. It was organized in October, 1861 with ten companies A to K. He enlisted on September 5, 1861 at San Antonio,
Texas, and served until December 31, 1863, in Company G, 8th Regiment,
Texas Calvary. The roll call shows that he was listed as "a good one", meaning a good soldier. He died on February 12, 1911 and is buried in the
McNemar Cemetary near Valley
Mills,
Texas, near his grandson, Odie Calvin Thomas, son of
Matt Thomas. (This cemetary is now known as Scrutchfield Cemetary).
John Andrew Thomas married Mary Elizabeth
Odle. She gave birth to
Matt Thomas, b. Feb 13, 1854. She died in childbirth. John Andrew Thomas remarried Nancy
Poole Randall. She was his neice by marriage and also had a daughter by a previous marriage. Nancy died. They had no children together. John Andrew remarried Sarah
Cutbirth Mabray. She was widow of
Jasper Mabray. Jasper
Mabray and John Thomas fought at the
Battle of
Dove Creek, where
Jasper Mabray was killed. She had children and I believe John Andrew and Sarah had children together.
John Andrew and Mary Elizabeth
Odle were my great-great grandparents. Their son,
Matt Thomas, was my great grandfather. The children that John Andrew had with Sarah
Cutbirth Mabray would be half brothers and sisters to my great grandfather.
The Thomas-Odle and Thomas-Mabray children would be descendants of Gary,Gordon,West,and
Jones from the Thomas side.