Life History

Notes

• 1850 Federal Census, Sevier County, Arkansas, 25 November, Blue Bayou Township, page 438, Hse/Fam #452
  Hobson Gentry 46 M Wheelwright $600 Real Estate b VA (b abt 1804)
  Jane Gentry 40 F b VA  (b abt 1810)
  Elizabeth Gentry 18 F b VA  (b abt 1832)
  Otery Gentry 7 F b VA  (b abt 1843)
  Andrew J Gentry 16 M Farmer b VA  (b abt 1834)
  Liston Gentry 12 M b AR  (b abt 1838)
  Margie Gentry 10 F b AR  (b abt 1840)
  Uriah Gentry 8 M b AR  (b abt 1842)
  Jabez Gentry 5 M b AR  (b abt 1845)
  Martha Gentry 3 F b AR  (b abt 1847)
  
  After 1850, Elizabeth married for the first time.  I had indications the this husband was named Foster, but could not find the records.
  
  Elizabeth's daughter's name is written as Fosler, which genealogies have taken as Foster.)  In 1850, living next door to the Gentry family was a Foster couple, James F and Mary L, who had been married a couple of years.  I found their marriage information in the Sevier County genealogical society online library.  This couple may be the connection through which Elizabeth met her first husband.
  
  1850 Federal Census, Sevier County, Arkansas, 25 November, Blue Bayou Township, page 438, Hse/Fam #453
  James P Foster 25 M Farmer $0 Real Estate b Tennessee (b abt 1825)
  Mary L Foster 20 F b VA  (b abt 1830)
  Owen H Foster 1 M b Arkansas  (b abt 1849)
  
  A clue was provided in July 2011 by Alisa K Hardman in a note on my genealogy at Ancestry.com.
  
  "There is a record of a marriage in Sevier County, Arkansas of Thomas Foster, age 23, to Elishebeth Gentry, age 21 on 5 Oct 1854."
  --  Alisa K Hardman, comment on genealogy, 27 July 2011
  
  Elizabeth's age in that marriage record matches closely the age in the 1850 census.  Elizabeth's first daughter, Mary Elizabeth Foster, was born near Arkadelphia in Clark County, east of Sevier County, which is on the Oklahoma border.    This latter date also presents a problem about the first marriage and birth of Frances, since the marriage record Alisa refers to above dates the marriage of Frances' parents in October 1854, when she was over 1 year old.  It may be that the Sevier County record, while in the right area, is still for another similarly-named couple.
  
  Elizabeth married Isaac Henry Sorey in about 1856, after the death of her first husband.  Isaac Sorey died after the death of their last child Frances in 1873.  In the 1860 census, Isaac is enumerated as J H Sorey.  It appears from the age of Martha J Sorey that Isaac and Elizabeth married about 1876-77.  Note that Elizabeth's husband's initials are clearly written in the census record as J H, but other sources report his name as Isaac Henry.  He is reported in 1870 as Isaac H.  His gravestone appears to read I H.
  
  1860 Federal Census, Wood County, Texas, 21 June, Precinct 1, PO Springville, Page 17 (scan 351), House/Fam #107
  J H Sorey 46 M Farmer $840 Real Estate $350 Personal b Tenn [born abt 1854]
  Elizabeth Sorey 30 F b VA Cannot read or write [born abt 1830]
  Mary Fosler (Foster) 5 F b Ark [born abt 1855]
  Martha J Sorey 2 F Texas [born abt 1858]
  
  There is another Mary Foster, Mary M, living with Elizabeth's parents at that same time.  Either that, or the same Mary is enumerated in both households.
  
  1860 Federal Census, Cooke County, Texas, 4 July, p 60, PO Gainesville, Hse #286, Fam #294
  Hopson O Gentry 56 M Waggon Maker $600 Real Estate $430 Personal b Virginia [born abt 1804]
  Jane P Gentry 49 F Virginia Insane [born abt 1811]
  Luston Gentry 22 M Arkansas [born abt 1838]
  Uriah L Gentry 15 F [sic] Arkansas [born abt 1845]
  J W Gentry 14 M Arkansas [born abt Jan 1846]
  Franklin Daugherty 11 M Arkansas [born abt 1849]
  Mary M Foster 7 F Arkansas [born abt 1853]
  
  The birth year of 1853 for Mary M Foster is the same as the specific date reported by one or more genealogies for Mary Elizabeth Foster, 2 July 1853,  But in the Wood County, Census, that Mary Foster is reported as 5 years old, and thus born in about 1855.  But the only Mary Foster I know of is Mary Elizabeth, whom I would assume is in her mother's home.
  
  1870 Federal Census, Kaufman County, Texas, 5 August, PO Kaufman, page 111 (scan 79), Hse #729, Fam #747
  Sorey, Isaac H 54 M W Farmer $200 Real Estate $875 Personal  b Tennessee
  Sorey, Elizabeth 40 F W Keeping House born Virginia
  Sorey, Martha  11 F born Texas
  Sorey, Melissa B 9 F W born Texas
  Sorey, Margret M 6 F W born Texas
  
  1880 Federal Census, Kaufman County, Texas, 17 June, District 35, page 34, Hse #371, Fam #391
  Sorey, Elizabeth J  W M 49  Widow  Farming VA VA VA
  Sorey, John W M 11 Son TX KY VA
  Sorey, Francis G  W F 7 Dau TX KY VA
  Lovett, James W M 24 Son-in-Law MO TN TN
  Lovett, Martha J  W F 21 Dau TX KY VA
  Lovett, James H  W M 1 Gr-Son TX MO TX
  Lovett, Marion F  W M 3mos born Feb 1880 Gr-Son TX MO TX
  
  Elizabeth is buried in the Forney, Texas, Cemetery (Kaufman County).  For some reason Elizabeth's gravestone says her birth date was in 1860, when we know she was enumerated in the 1850 census, when she already age 18.  Her own daughter was born in 1853, according to family sources.
  
  Forney Cemetery, Forney, Kaufman, Texas
  Elizabeth J
  wife of J H Sorey
  Born July 16, 1860
  Died July 19, 1907
  

Sources

• 1. 1850 Federal Census, Sevier County, Arkansas
  • 25 November, Blue Bayou Township, page 438, Hse/Fam #452
• 2. 1870 Federal Census, Kaufman County, Texas
  • 5 August, PO Kaufman, page 111 (scan 79), Hse #729, Fam #747
• 3. 1880 Federal Census, Kaufman County, Texas
  • 17 June, District 35, page 34, Hse #371, Fam #391
• 4. 1860 Federal Census, Wood County, Texas
  • 21 June, Precinct 1, PO Springville, Page 17 (scan 351), House/Fam #107
• 5. Gravestone of Elizabeth J Gentry Sorey, Forney Cemetery, Forney, Kaufman, Texas
• 6. Ancestry Trees
  • Lovett Tree, http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/16377257/person/1104683412?ssrc=&ftm=1
• 7. 1910 Federal Census, Kaufman County, Texas
  • 18 April, Precinct 2, District 25, page 2B,  Hse/Fam #312
• 8. 1900 Federal Census, Kaufman County, Texas
  • 12 June, Forney, District 71, page 15A-B, Hse/Fam #286
• 9. Ancestry Trees
  • RootsMagic, http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/22599453/person/1267043011
• 10. 1920 Federal Census, Kaufman County, Texas
  • 20 January, Forney, District 32, page 8A, Forney & Heath Road, Hse #136, Fam #143