by Charles B. Foust, 1914
About 84 years ago there lived in North Carolina one little Irish girl by the name of Evalina Stout. At the age of fifteen years she was married to a German Dutchman. After about two years they decided to move to the state of Tennessee. So they packed what few thing they had on a two year old colt, and started on the long the long journey from North Carolina to Tennessee on foot. The Dutchman carrying the baby in his arms and the girl leading the colt.
After a long and weary journey they settled down in Tennessee with the future before them and stayed there nine years. During those years the family increased to five children.
They accumulated some property while here and then moved to the State of Mississippi Lafayette County some ten miles east of Oxford. After one year they bought land on Pumpkin Creek. Here they settled down worked and prospered.
They had born to them fifteen Children, eleven of them lived to have families, five served in four years of war, one lost his life, one lost his left leg. Three came out safe. Two of the girls lost their husbands.
The baby that was carried from North Carolina to Tennessee in her fathers arms is now visiting her connections in Mississippi. She is eighty two years old and is a Consecrated Christian. Her home is at El Paso Ark.
That German Dutchman and Irish girl lived a useful life in the Methodist Church and Community in which they lived and raised their Children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
There is only six of the Children now living four in Mississippi and two in Arkansas.
That German Dutchman and Irish girl were the parents of children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and great great grandchildren of over a hundred in number. The Mother died in August 1899. The father died several years previous to this time. There are now four generations of children of their descent.
The North Carolina baby Melvina by name is the mother, grandmother and great grand Mother of 61 children. The other ten children will be known as follows: John has 38, Dow 27, Jane 75, Mary 14, George 76, Sara 31, Wesley 3, Enos 7, Tom 26, Charley 7, and Irish girl 15, will give us the number 380 children in 84 years. That German Dutchman and Irish girl was known far and near as Uncle Billy and Aunt Lina Foust and the writer of this record is the fourteenth child of that dear father and mother who left this world of sorrow and trouble to gain that heavenly home to meet those who have gone on before and their dear Savior in Whom they trusted where there is no sorrow or trouble, but all is Joy and peace.
Written by Charles B. Foust. This is said to have been written in 1914.
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Notes: This family history has been transcribed from a copy of a two page, handwritten document. I do not know if my photostatic copy is from the original or from a later transcription. In any event, it has been transcribed here, mistakes and all, exactly as it appears in the copy I have.
Charles B. Foust wrote this account of the Foust family about 1912, based on Melvina Foust being born about 1828 in Randolph County, North Carolina, where her parents, William Foust and Evalina Stout were married October 13, 1827. (The reference to El Paso, Arkansas, was probably meant to be El Dorado.) The children of William and Evalina Foust were:
Melvina, b. circa 1829 in Randolph County, North Carolina; married Quick Morrow
Children born in Tennessee, probably Roane and/or Rhea Counties:
John Foust, born 16 Nov 1832, married Lucy Carter, then Sarah A. McLarty
Lorenzo Foust, born circa 1834, married Sarah A. McAlpin
Elizabeth J. Foust, born circa 1836, married W. W. Morrow, then Edmond Beard
Mary A. Foust, born circa 1838, married James Nolen Hyde
George Foust, born 19 Nov 1839, married Mary Elizabeth Hudgins
Children born in Lafayette County, Mississippi
William W. Foust, born 19 Mar 1842, married Margaret A. Burkhead
Enos B. Foust, born circa 1844
Sarah A. Foust, born 29 Jun 1846, married James D. Hodge
Ester Foust
Dow Foust
Jane Foust
Thomas D. Foust, born Dec 1849, married Eliza King
Charles B. Foust, born 12 Feb 1853, married Mary F. Wiley
Wesley Foust
Lorenzo Foust was probably the son killed in the Civil War. In 1870, his wife and her young children were living with her parents again. This researcher currently has no information about Ester, Dow, Jane, and Wesley even though Charles B. gives the offspring counts for Dow and Jane. According to one account, Thomas D. Foust moved to Colorado.
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