HOOKER
History
This surname surely gives many the giggles, but it has nothing to do with the "oldest profession in the world". Rather, the Hooker surname has two origins: an occupational name referring to people who made or worked with hooks, and a locational name given to people who lived near a "hook" in the land - river bends, spurs, etc. Our own Hooker ancestry can be traced back to 1800s Virginia, but the name has been used since at least the 11th century in Europe.
Hymbrick Hooker
1803 - 1885
Hymbrick (often spelled Hymrick) was born in 1806 in Virginia, USA. In 1829, he married Myranda Baggett, and the two raised nine children on a farm in Mississippi. A biography of the Hooker family states that they lost almost everything in the civil war, and so Hymbrick looked for land cheap enough that he could buy it for the small amount his Mississippi home would go for. He found what he was looking for in Johnson County, Texas, and bought enough land that he and his six surviving sons could each own a farm, but the men were so disappointed by the land that only Hymbrick, Myranda, and two sons stayed - the rest returned to Mississippi. Hymbrick named the new area Bethany, after the area he had left in Mississippi, and successfully farmed there for the remainder of his life. Hymbrick passed away in 1885, and is buried on that land along with Myranda and several relatives. His biography does not mention his being a freemason, but his headstone most certainly does, and the letters on Myranda's headstone have had people scratching their heads for 130 years.
Hymbrick and Myranda's children:
Sources:
Hymbrick and Myranda's children:
- Nathan James Hooker, b. 1829, d. 1881
- William Richard Hooker, b. 1832
- Ann Hooker, b. 1835
- Francis Marion Hooker, b. 1837, d. 1862
- Marcus Lafayette Hooker, b. 1840, d. 1915
- Thomas Jefferson Hooker, b. 1843, d. 1927
- Martha Jane Hooker, b. 1846, d. 1927
- Henry Hooker, b. 1849, d. 1923
- Winston Hooker, b. 1852, d. 1923
Sources:
- 1850 & 1860 Census
- Marriage Registration
- Newspaper Article
- Gravestones
Winston Hooker
1852 - 1923
Born in 1852 in Mississippi, Winston was the youngest child of Hymbrick and Myranda, and was seemingly one of the children who stayed in Texas, as he married Josephine Tidwell there in 1877, and all seven of their children were born in Texas. He did not, however, keep the farm his father had purchased for him, as the 1900 census lists him as a day labourer living in a rented home. It is unclear when he moved to Arizona, but he passed away there in 1923.
Winston and Josephine's children:
Sources:
Winston and Josephine's children:
- Nathan Hooker, b. 1878, d. 1917
- Robert Hooker, b. 1880, d. 1946
- Homer Hooker, b. 1882, d. 1947
- William Ernest Hooker, b. 1884, d. 1963
- Ola Hooker, b. 1887, d. 1982
- Winnie Hooker, b. 1890, d. 1926
- Richard Hooker, b. 1892, d. 1973
Sources:
- 1850, 1860, & 1900 Census
- Marriage Registration
- Obituary
William Hooker
1884 - 1963
William - who was actually known as "Pat" most of his life - was the middle child of Winston and Josephine, and was born in 1884 in Cleburne, Texas. In 1911, he married Telia Bowen, and they had two daughters whom they raised in both Texas and Oklahoma. William was a farmer early in his working life, and later worked as a courthouse employee and civil servant.
My family remembers William as a bit quiet and shy, but also funny and friendly. He was apparently highly devoted to his wife, acting as her caregiver after an accident left her largely immobile. William passed away in 1963 and is buried in Lawton, Oklahoma beside his wife.
William and Telia's children:
Sources:
My family remembers William as a bit quiet and shy, but also funny and friendly. He was apparently highly devoted to his wife, acting as her caregiver after an accident left her largely immobile. William passed away in 1963 and is buried in Lawton, Oklahoma beside his wife.
William and Telia's children:
- Josephine Rebecca Hooker, b. 1914, d. 1996
- Winnie Ruth Hooker, b. 1924
Sources:
- 1900-1940 Census
- Military Registration
- U.S. City Directories
- Death Index
- Gravestone
Josephine Hooker
1914 - 1996
The eldest daughter of William and Telia, Josephine was born in Oklahoma in 1914. In the early 1930s, she married Clarence Hough, and they had two daughters. Josephine passed away in 1996.
For more information about this family, please visit the Hough page.
Sources:
For more information about this family, please visit the Hough page.
Sources:
- 1930 & 1940 Census
- U.S. City Directory
- Gravestone