I'm tracing the lineage of Thomas J Hedrick, My Grandfather.

So far, i have found a reference in: History of Jackson County by W. Z. Hickman, there are a couple of paragraphs about the Hedrick Family of Buckner, MO.

"Hedrick, James who died in 1903 was married to Elizabeth (Mary Jane) Ray, (?b. 1827) d. 1898. The Hedrick (Heidrich) family came to America From Germany in the 1700’s and settled in what was then Lancaster County. Pennsylvania. Desiring religions and personal freedom, they helped to establish a free colony. James Hedrick moved west and settled around Sevierville, TN. He served in the Union Army During the Civil War with a Tennessee regiment. Family stories indicate that he fought with General Sherman in his march to the sea, and helped to capture Atlanta, Georgia. James Hedrick and his brother, William Hedrick, settled in Jackson County, Missouri prior to 1900."

Thomas Jefferson (my grandfather), “T. J.”, “Tom” Hedrick b. 1/4/1860. d 5/29/1923 came to Jackson County in the spring of 1878, and for the next four years worked as a farm hand at monthly wages (he is on the 1880 census as a farm hand at Martin Larey's farm, . He then rented a tract of land and later purchased a farm. On 9/20/1882, Thomas Jefferson Hedrick married Maude Mershon b. 9/13/1864 d. 2/22/1937, daughter of Eli and Mary Elizabeth Mershon. While engaged in farming he became interested in the buying and selling of livestock and thus found his niche in the commercial and agricultural life of Jackson County. He made a pronounced success as a livestock dealer. He moved to Buckner in 1898 and established the Hedrick Grain Elivator 1889. He made Buckner the central point for the conduct of his large business from then on out. Tom Hedrick and his son, Rex, purchased the flour mill from Richard Chatburn and it was renamed “Hedrick and Son”. Tom Hedrick was appointed in 1909 by Governor Herbert Hadley to the Missouri State Board of Agriculture and he held that office until 1921, when he was appointed by Governor Hyde as the Missouri State Grain and Warehouse Commissioner. He was prominent in the affairs of the Republican party and was a member of the Republican State Central Committee.

Tom and Maude Hedrick had five children: Merle Hedrick b. 6/17/1883 d 10/26/1887 of diphtheria, Rex Vincent Hedrick, Guy Clarence Hedrick (my father), Ruie Hedrick (see Jonas Chatburn), and Amy Hedrick (see Martin Larey). Tom and Maude Hedrick were active members of the Buckner Episcopal Church, and active members of the Accepted Masons, the Eastern Star, and fraternal insurance orders.

The following list of James Hedrick’s children were taken from that History of Jackson County. "As of 1920 William and James, Jr. were deceased. John lived in Atherton, Missouri. Thomas Jefferson lived in Buckner, Missouri. Robert had died in Ponca City, Oklahoma are. An infant daughter and Eliza were deceased."

What I have been able to confirm by using census data of the statements in the Book.

1850 Census of Blount County, TN, Shows James Headrick - age 18 & Jane Headrick - age 20, no children, but liffing with William King (also in the house Eliza King (I think this was second marriage, I think Eliza King was once Eliza Rhea), also in that household Alec Rhea (?), and younger King children.

1850 Blount County Marriages, Hedrick & Mary Jane Rhea, Oct 1850.

1860 Census of Blount County, TN, shows James Hedrick - age 30 and Jane Hedrick - age 30, with children William (age 8), James (age 6), John (age 4), Elizabeth Hedrick (age 2), and Thomas (6 months old on July 30, 1860 born 1/4/1860) This is TJ's and my Grandfather.

James enlisted in the Union Army on October 1, 1862, in the TN 5th Regiment. He was wounded May 14, 1864, in the battle at Resaca. After being wounded, he was listed for 70 days as a deserter Nov 12, 1864 returning February 1, 1865. He was discharged June 30, 1865. But, records show he was restored to duty by the War Department Jun 31, 1867. This decision was upheld by the War Department on December 23, 1887. He had a disability from the injury and is listed in 1890 on the Special Schedule Of Surviving Soldiers, Sailors, And Marines And Widows from Fort Osage, Jackson County, Missouri. On that report, he is shown as living with or near Thomas Jefferson Hedrick (born 1/4/1860 in Brick Mills, Blount County TN), now living in Buckner MO.

The 1870 Census from Brick Mills post office, Blount County, TN, has James (age 43) and Mary Jane (age 43), all of the children are listed as 10 years older than in the 1860 Census. In addition to William (age 18), James (age 16), John (age 14), Elizabeth Hedrick (age 12), Thomas (age 10), there three more children born after the 1860 census, Eliza J (age 8, born prior to enlistment), Robert A (age 4, born about a year after his discharge), and Amanda L, (8 mos old in 1870).

1880: James and Mary Jane are still in Blount County, the census records 1880, in the First Civil district of Blount County TN, James and Mary Jane are listed, (this time ages 52 and 51, this is consistent with estimated ages), with Robert A age 14, and Eliza Jane now Age 17. As noted in the book mentioned, Amanda died in infancy.

By 1880, Thomas Jefferson moved to MO, and is listed as a farm hand (age 20) on the farm of Martin Larey, now in Fort Osage Township, Jackson County MO.

Marriage records show that Thomas Jefferson married Maud Mershon on September 20 1882, in Jackson County Missouri.

By the time of the 1900 census, Thomas Jefferson, is listed with wife Maud, and children, Rex (b1887), Clarance G (b1889) (my father), Ruie, (B1891), and Amy Elizabeth (b 1894). The DAR records show Amy Elizabeth married a son or grandson of Martin Larey, the owner of the farm Thomas J worked on in 1880.

James, from Blount County Tn, Married Mary Jane Rhea, in 1850. Anyone have these two people in their line?