Greetings,
I married a Van Alstyne who is not the least bit interested in his family history. The sad thing is that his family hasen't had a family historian for several generations, and the living are not interested...but I am so below is what I have.
I have a John A. Van Alstyne 3/15/1822 born in NY. He somehow got to Texas between birth and his marriage in 1850. He married a Sarah R. White (born Alabama 10/22/1825). Their wedding was in Grimes Co. Texas in April of 1850. His occupation was Grocery & Dry Goods (Marriage Record & 1850 Census)
Then his obituary & grave tell me the following.
He died 02/02/1894 in Texas and is buried in a small town named Weimer, Texas in Colorado Co. (Odd Fellows Cemetery) next to a woman named Sarah R. Her grave is not marked with her maiden name.
His Obit states he left a ill wife (Sarah) & one son (WM Van Alstyne). It also states that he was a business owner in La Grange (Fayette, Co. Texas) prior to moving to Weimer, Colorado Co. Texas and becoming a merchant in Weimer.
I don't know who his parents, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts etc are, how & why he moved to Texas. How he got from Grimes Co. to Fayette Co. and then Weimer Co. Any thing about his wife, was she the only one?
William A. Van Alstyne (their son) was born on June 14, 1851 here in Texas. In December of 1877 he married a Mattie Maud Hunter b. 09/08/1855. This new family showed up in 1880 in Colorado Co. Census. With a 9mo son John Heywood Van Alstyne & a 12 year old black servant girl 12 years old. William was a Justice of the Peace, and Judge in Weimer. William & Mattie had a total of 4 children John Heywood Van Alstyne, Willie C. Van Alstyne, Emma Edna Van Alstyne, Ethel Van Alstyne.
Any help would be great! I don't have enough family assistance to go any farther. Please advise.
Jennifer Van Alstyne
San Antonio, Texas
jvanalstyne@satx.rr.comreefanatic@hotmail.com