Francis Marion Abney

Born Dec. 1, 1839

Died Dec. 25, 1892

The tombstone is very small, about 18 inches tall and is located beside

a road inside the College Mound Cemetery in Kaufman county Texas.

Francis & Sallie Ann (Summers) Abney

Sallie married Francis Marion Abney on March 29, 1863 in Saline Co., Ill.. Their children were: William Anderson Abney; John Wesley Abney; Mary Ann Abney; Sarah Isabell Abney; Jessie M. Abney; Mildred Elvinia Abney; Jane Abney; Willie May Abney; Emily Abney; Thomas Abney; Eunice S. Abney; Marion Homer Abney; and Mattie Ethal Abney.

In the fall of 1873, a wagon train arrived in Kaufman Co., Tx., from Saline Co., Ill..This train consisted of 13 wagons and was made up of Francis Marion Abney and Sarah Ann "Sally" (Summers) Abney family, Melinda Jane Abney Gordon family (She is a first cousin to Francis. Their mothers were sisters.), Frank Summers(a brother of Sarah Ann Summers) family, and William M. and Elizabeth Jane (sister to Francis M. Abney) Glenn families. These families were all related by blood or marriage. The Glenn family wanted to move to Texas and their loved ones decided to move with them. My grandmother, Sarah Isabell Abney, was 3 years old when she traveled on this wagon to Texas.
The children were taught during the long trip. One of the children learned to count on the trip, as her mother had her count the wagons every day as they were circled at camp time. The wagons were put into a circle every night with the livestock inside an inner circle so the Indians couldn't take them. Although there was a constant watch for Indians, there was no trouble.

Francis Marion Abney and his sister, Elizabeth Jane , were descendants of the Abney's that came to the new world, America, in the early 1600's.
Francis is buried in College Mound Cem. in Kaufman Co., Texas. His wife, Sarah, and one of their sons, Thomas, are buried in New Hope Cem. in Van Zandt Co., Texas.

Francis Abney lived in Kaufman Co., Tx. in 1880. In his household, besides his wife and children was his father in-law, John Summers, age 65. (Information from 1880 Kaufman Co. census page 57-po1-Ed. 34) ...Notes by Betty Pickens Phillips

Pictures and information supplied by: Betty Pickens Phillips

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Page last updated July 22, 2009