Press release
On July 18, the Rootseekers met at the Tri-County Library to hear Carolyn Bostain talk about the First Families of Henderson County, Texas. She is grateful to Sarah Ward Knight Owen’s Bible records that she kept so well and books such as “The History of Henderson County” and the David Allen Owen family for publishing their history.
No one was as surprised as Carolyn when she discovered that some of her family were in Henderson County in the 1800s. Zachariah Marion Monk arrived in Henderson County by wagon train in the 1850/51 time frame. His wife Rachel Clarida Owen had nine children, the eldest born in Alabama and believed to have died there from Cholera, the rest were born in Texas. They came to Texas from Randolph County, Alabama through New Orleans, Louisiana and other family members convinced them to put down roots in Henderson, County. The Monk and Owen families settled in the Baxter Community about seven miles east of Athens. Others settled in Smith County near Tyler.
Zachariah joined the Confederate Army in 1862 to Company D, #1 Texas Heavy Artillery. His service was isolated to guarding the coastline of Texas. He died on March 11, 1864 in a Galveston Hospital from disease. Rachel was left with eight children to raise alone. Rachel died in 1881 in Henderson County and is buried in Meredith Campground Cemetery in Athens. Her father Samuel Tine Owen and her brother David Allen Owen both served Henderson County as Chief Justice for several years. Samuel from 1853 to 1856 and David from 1862 to 1867. Her mother was Sarah Ward Knight, her father Allen Knight died in Alabama. She had a brother Kindred K. Knight who also served in the Civil War and was one of the first to come to Texas and he settled in Smith County.
Carolyn was born in Commerce, Hunt County, Texas. She graduated from Justin F. Kimball High School in Dallas from Amber University in Garland with a BBA in accounting. She retired from Fina Oil and Chemical after 34 years of service. Moved to the lake area after retirement. She has been married to her husband Raymond for 42 years. He retired from Sherwin Williams after 34 years of service also. They have a daughter Tanya Evans who is a police officer in Richardson. Carolyn is a member of the Sarah Maples NSDAR and Rootseekers. Her favorite hobby is genealogy research, quilting and reading.