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Probably the first member of this Greear family Line to reside in Lampasas, County was Jonathan Thomas Greear, Grandfather of the late L.C. Greear of Lampasas. He was decended from an old Scotch-Irish line which has been traced back to the origin of the McGregor Clan and the first kings of Scotland. His first ancestor in America arrived in Maryland in 1674. (see article on Greear family tree, The Lampasas Record, Oct 24. 1980, p. 9). Around 1914 he and his wife were living in east Lampasas with their daughter-in-law, Sarah Vashtie (Burgoon) Greear and her children Roy, Bea, Belle, Rosie and Losie (L.C.). They later lived in a small rent house, also in east Lampasas. In Sept. 1910, at the age of 66, Jonathan Thomas Greear and his wife lived in Roscoe, Nolan Co., Tx. It was at this time that he applied for a Confederate Pension from the State of Texas. On this application he listed his occupation as a stonemason. The Scotch were well known for their skill and knowledge in the craft of masonary. It is unknown why he later came to Lampasas, other than to be near some of his family.
Jonathan Thomas Greear was born Sept. 14, 1844 in Grant, Grayson Co., Virginia to William B. and Annie(?) Greear Her maiden name is unknown and there is some question as to the spelling of her given name. William B. Greear, father of Jonathan Thomas, was born Oct. 18, 1822 in Grayson Co., Virginia, and his wife Annie (?) was probably born in 1823 also in Virginia.
J. T. Greear came to Texas in November 1858. At this time he would have been 14, so he probably came with his parents and siblings. On November 15, 1861 at the age of 17, he enlisted in the Civil War and served until the end of the war in April 1865; however, he was on furlough when the war ended. He was a Private, serving as a teamster with Company K, 7th Texas Cavalry, Confederate States Army. His father, William B. Greear also served in the Civil War as a Captain in the "Texas Rangers" group. He was under the command of General John H. Morgan, of Morgan's Raiders fame, when he made his march into Ohio. It is believed that william B. Greear was captured and died in a Yankee POW camp at Camp Douglass, Illinois in 1864. (this is in Chicago)
By 1870 Jonathan Thomas had married Margaret Marie Burgoon and was farming in Tarrant Co., Texas. His wife Margaret was born (probably June 6, 1845) in DeMoines, Polk Co., Iowa. Her parents were Lee and Anna (Geiger) Burgoon. It is believed that they may have been born in Maryland.
To Jonathan Thomas Greear and Margaret Marie (Burgoon) Greear were born the following 8 children: Willie, died in 1927; Thomas Joseph Monroe (father of the late L.C. Greear of Lampasas), b. April 7, 1869, m. Sarah Vashtie Burgoon, July 3, 1890, Granbury, Hood Co., Tx., d. April 17, 1943, Bakersfield, Kern Co., Calif.; Shady Lee (Sedrick), b. Aug. 12, 1872, m. Eda Underwood; Kenneth Charles, b. Feb. 14, 1874, m. Sarah Lucretia Walker, June 16, 1906, d. April 3, 1946, Riverside, Calif.; Annie; Ollie; Minta; Florence Bell, b. June 10, 1844, Henrietta, Clay Co., Tx., m. Lester Spires, Jan 22, 1905.
Jonathan Thomas Greear died in his sleep Dec.14, 1923 at the age of 79 in Portales, Roosevelt Co., New Mexico at the home of his daughter Florence Spires. His wife Margaret died May 8, 1927 in San Bernardino, California. She had been living with or near their son Thomas Joseph for some time before her death.
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