Eighth Generation

30. George Bush LEONARD was born on 6 November 1846 in Pope, AR. He died on 16 December 1914 at the age of 68 in Limestone, TX. In the 1880 Census, the family was living in Navarro, TX.

The following is from the family history as written down by Margaret Martha Higginbotham Jones for her son, Lowell (referred to by her as Sonny):

Then our little Grandpa Leonard will always be such a sweet memory to me. I believe he was the most gentle man I’ve ever known. (Both mother and Uncle Walter –her brother- had sweet natures like grandpa). I can never remember seeing Grandpa Leonard angry, neither saying an unkind word about anyone. (Even our dad loved and respected him.) Grandpa always laughed a lot, loved to talk and always seemed so happy with mother and to be in our home. It was always such a thrill when he’s write mother and tell her he’s be seeing us on a “certain day” as his asthma was getting so bad in Forreston with Annie (his baby daughter). He’d have to come by train to “Tehuacana Junction”, and when mother couldn’t meet him, he’s cut across pastures for home was about a mile…when he’d top a certain little hill, all us kids would run to meet him and “fight” over who would carry his little ole suitcase. It was such a joy for me to cook his breakfast as he’d sleep late many times after these asthma attacks. This will always stick in my memory –he’d slice a big ole ripe tomato and put sugar on it instead of salt, and eat it with relish.
When he was only 16 yrs. old, he fought in the Civil War, along with his brother, Uncle Bob (Robert Samuel Leonard). Oh! It would frighten and grieve us so when he’d have these asthma attacks. He’d cough and wheeze so hard to catch his breath…he’d turn blue so many times, struggling to breathe. Bless his sweet heart, he died in December 1914 at the ole farm place (the same year our home burned that summer at Tehuacana). He was buried by Grandma Leonard in the ole Tehuacana Cemetery. His death just broke our hearts.

George Bush LEONARD and Martha Mattie MORGAN were married on 19 November 1874 in TX. Martha Mattie MORGAN was born (date unknown).

George Bush LEONARD and Martha Mattie MORGAN had the following children: