MAYO, JOHN LOUIS (1841~ 1922) John Louis Mayo was originally born on March 2, 1841 in Douglasville, Escambia County, Alabama. Escambia County was probably known at one time as Conecuh County. Information from Carl Penton indicates that after the death of his father, John W. Mayo, sometime prior to 1860, John Louis Mayo lived with his oldest brother Charles Young Mayo, Sr. John Louis reportedly can be found in Charles' household in the 1860 census.
According to an abstract of records from the roster of the Confederate Home in Austin, Texas, John Lee Mayo served in Company A of the 42nd Alabama Infantry in Baker's Brigade, Cheatum's Division during the Civil War. He married Melissa Jane Lee on on December 22, 1868 in Pollard, Escambia, Alabama. Their first child, John Lee Mayo, was born in Pollard March 11, 1870 and died April 26, 1870. The child was buried in Pollard.
John Louis moved his family to Texas in 1870. He was elected Sheriff of Brazos County, Texas on November 3, 1880 and served in that office until December 31, 1882. Other records indicate that he served from November 15, 1880 to December 7, 1882. During that service, in 1881, he arrested two men for murder. He and Melissa had eight other children while living in Texas. Three of them died as infants or small children (Ruth Alma Mayo, Willi Walter Mayo, and Clarence E. Mayo) and were buried in the Wheat Cemetery in Millican, Brazos County, Texas. Melissa died while delivering a stillborn son on May 15, 1887. It is believed that Melissa and this child were also buried in the Wheat Cemetery in Millican. According to a letter written by John Louis Mayo, he once stated that the only property he owned was five graves in the cemetery in Millican where his wife and four of his children were buried.
Subsequent to Melissa's death, John Louis married a young woman named Laura D. Brownlee in Madisonville, Madison, Texas on January 22, 1890. They had one child, apparently a stillborn boy, on March 25, 1893 in Dickinson, Galveston County, Texas. Although Laura outlived John Louis (dying in March of 1929) for some reason, John Louis was living with his daughter, Annie Lee Mayo in Corsicana, Navarro County, Texas prior to his admission to the Confederate Home on January 11, 1921. His listed disability upon admission was deafness. His occupation was listed as driller. His religious persuasion was listed as Presbyterian. In case of his death, the Home was instructed to write to his daughter, Miss Annie Mayo, at 629 W. 4th Ave. in Corsicana, Texas. He died on January 26, 1922 and was interred in Section BS, Lot 43 of State Cemetery in Austin, Travis County, Texas. He has a Confederate grave marker (white marble) supplied by the State of Texas.
Biography provided by descendant, Sandra C. Fitzgerald. |
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