RESTER FAMILY HISTORY Submitted by Bonnie M. Dier Prepared by Gwen G. Hobbs June, 2001 ****************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ****************************************** THE RESTER FAMILY HISTORY --------------------------------------- This family history was written from information furnished by various family members, courthouse records, cemetery records, census records, and other sources. Elder John Alva Rester of the Progress Community provided much information about the Resters. --------------------------------------- The first Rester that we can find any record of was the Frederic Rester who settled in the Province of George in 1766. He was also referred to as Frederic Rests, Frederic Restar and Frederic Reister in early documents. As yet, we have unable to find out where he was born, who his parents were, their nationality or the original family name. It seems likely that the original name was shortened or changed to "Rester" as no record can be found of any immigrant to this country by the name of Rester. It is hoped that in the future we can find out more about the original Rester family FREDERIC RESTER SR. The Colonial Records of Georgia reveal by a petition dated August 1765 that Frederic Rester (Resta) applied for a land grant to settle in the Province of Georgia. A petition dated July 1766 stated that Frederic Resta, formerly an inhabitant of South Carolina, had settled on 450 acres of land on the south of the Great Ogechee (River) in St. Phillip's Parish with his wife and three children and eight Negroes. In December of 1769. he was granted an additional 300 acres in St. Phillip's Parish about a mile and a half from land of Great Ogechee at a Cypress Pond between branches of Black Creek. Later, sometime between 1771-1782, Frederic Reister petitioned for an additional 100 acres for cultivation about two miles from Black Creek in St. Phillip's Parish. At that time, he stated that he had a wife, three children and fifteen Negroes. All of the above property was located in that part of St. Phillip's Parish, which became part of Bulloch County, Georgia upon its formation in 1769. On January 12, 1776, at a meeting of the Council of Safety, a militia company was formed from the Lower District of St. Phillip's Parish, and Frederic Rester was recommended for Second Lieutenant. Later records show that a commission was ordered issued for Frederic Restar, First Lieutenant. The records of Bulloch County, Georgia reveal that on Feb. 14, 1803, there was granted to Stephen Denmark and Frederic Rester Jr., letters of Dismission from acting as administrators of the Estate of Frederic Rester Sr. deceased. Unfortunately, all other papers in connection with this estate were either lost or destroyed long ago. From the records, it appears that Frederic Rester Sr. had only three children. It seems likely that there was only one son, Frederick Rester Jr. to carry the family name as there is no reference to any other Resters in the records of Bulloch County and adjoining counties other than the Frederic Rester Jr. as shown below. FREDERICK RESTER JR. Frederick Rester Jr., the son of Frederick Rester Sr., was born sometimes before 1765 at old Purysburg, South Carolina, just across the Savannah River from Effingham County, Georgia. The records of the old Ebenezer Church in Effingham County show that Frederick Rester Jr. was baptized on May 16, 1765. This record does not give his age at the time, but he was probably a year or so old. Our next record of Frederick Rester Jr. is when he received his discharge from the armies of the United States of America, signed on Dec. 10, 1783 at Savannah, Georgia by Major John Habersham, Commander of the Georgia Battalion, after having served two years as a Private Soldier during the Revolutionary War. He married Louisa Denmark, daughter of William Denmark, in Bulloch County, Georgia in 1783 or 1784, according to the Declaration signed by Louisa Rester on June 11, 1850 in Harrison County, Mississippi. In said instrument, she also stated that she was married at about the age of sixteen and that she was born on October 17th, 1768. A leaf from her family Bible was attached which read; "Louisa Denmark was born October 17th, 1768". A Warranty Deed date Nov. 27, 1797 in the records of Bulloch County shows that Frederick Rester purchased 600 acres of land in Bulloch County from John Moore. On Sep. 9, 1802 in Bulloch County, a Frederick and Louisa Rester deeded a slave girl named "Mary" as a gift to their daughter, Elizabeth Rester Pool. On Sep. 8, 1806 in Bulloch County, Frederick and Louisa Rester deeded to their son, Gideon Rester, the land purchased from John Moore in 1797. On Nov. 22, 1807 in Bulloch County, Frederick and Louisa Rester executed a Power of Attorney to his son Gideon Rester, to collect debts due him and to sell and deed any of his property. This was in preparation to leaving Georgia for --- On Tuesday, October 13, 1807, Governor Milledge of Georgia had issued a passport to Frederick Rester to travel through the Creek Nation. Thereafter, Frederick, Louisa Rester and their younger children settled in Hancock County, Mississippi. Being among the early settlers of this newly opened territory. The four oldest children of this family were married and followed their parents west a few years later. It appears that Frederick Rester settled somewhere near red Creek a few miles west of the present town of Wiggin, Miss. There is a small creek in this same area which was at one time referred to as Rester Creek. Frederick Rester died on December 30, 1830 in what was then Perry County, Miss. but later (in 1841) became Harrison County. In 1849 and 1859, Louisa Rester applied to the Government for a widow's pension, such pension have been appropriated by Congress for widows of the Revolutionary Soldiers. Numerous affidavits were filed in this connection by her sons, David and Frederick, providing much of this information of the family of Frederick Rester contained therein. Louisa Denmark Rester died on Aug. 5, 1851 near Red Creek in Harrison County, Mississippi, according to an instrument filed in the Probate Court of Harrison County at the April term in 1857. FREDERICK AND LOUISA RESTER had the following children: 1. David Rester, born July 16, 1786, married Barbery. His eldest son was Zachariah Rester, and he had three other boys and three girls, but we do not know their names. He received his passport on Monday, March 16, 1809 to travel through the Creek Nation to Mississippi. He settled in an area of Hancock County, Miss. which became a part of Harrison County when it was formed in 1841. He continued to live in Harrison County until his death sometime after 1858. 2. Elizabeth Rester married William Pool in Bulloch County, Ga. On Sept. 9, 1802, her parents deeded her a slave girl, referred to above. On Tuesday, March 2, 1811, William Pool received his papers to travel through the Creek Nation, and he settled with his family in Washington Parish, Louisiana on what became known as "Pool's Bluff", which is south of the present day town of Bogalusa, La. Their children were: a. John Pool, 1800, who married Charlotte Richardson (1820-1861) pg. 166 b. Matthew Pool c. David Pool who married Caroline Holden d. William Pool e. Cassander Pool who married Thomas Holden f. Rebecca Pool who married Benjamin Richardson g. Harriett Pool who married Britton Hall h. Anna Pool i. Martha Pool 3. Mary Rester married Matthew Carter Jr. on May 11, 1807 in Bulloch County, Georgia. The received their passport to travel through the Creek Nation on Tuesday, April 16, 1811. At that tine, they had two children. They settled in Jackson, Mississippi. Mary Rester Carter died before 1813 and 1816. In 1825, Matthew Carter Jr. married Ann Goff, the daughter of William Goff. 4. Gideon Rester married Sarah _____. On Thursday, April 27, 1809, a passport to travel through the Creek Nation was ordered prepared for the Gideon Resters. He settled in Washington Parish, Louisiana. His daughter Mary (nicknamed Polly) Rester, married Warren Ball, the son of Sampson Edward Ball, and they lived at Angie, LA. The descendants of Sampson Edward Ball claim that he was a nephew of Mary Ball, the mother of George Washington. Many of the Ball descendants live in Marion County, Mississippi. 5. Margaret (Peggy) Rester born in Bulloch County, Georgia, married Thomas Hunt, born in Alabama. They lived in Greene County, Mississippi and were there in 1857. Three of their children were: Sarah Hunt, Samuel Hunt, and Rebecca Hunt. 6. Anna Rester married Carlos Ladner and they lived in Hancock County, Mississippi. The 1830 census shows that they had six sons and one daughter, but their names were not listed. However, it is known that one of his sons was named Carlos Ladner. 7. Hezekiah Rester married Elizabeth Smith, the daughter of David and Elizabeth Smith, on March 13, 1828 in Hinds County, Mississippi. He was living in Union Parish, Louisiana in 1857. 8. John Rester married Elisa Robertson on June 2, 1829 in Marion County, Mississippi. Frederick and Mary Rester deeded 288 acres of land in Rankin county, Mississippi to John Rester of Rankin county for the total price of $350.00. John Rester of Rankin was still in Rankin County in 1857. The deed was dated Feb. 4, 1846 in Harrison County, Mississippi. 9. Frederick Rester III was the youngest child of Frederick and Louisa Rester. No record of his birth, marriage or death can be found and therefore we can only estimate according to information on the census reports. Records are scarce for the period in his lifetime. Both the Hancock and Perry County courthouses burned, destroying valuable records. It is estimated that Frederick Rester was born between the years 1808-1810 in Mississippi. He married Mary Goldman between 1831 and 1834. It appears that they lived with his widowed mother, Louisa Rester in the family home near Red Creek until her death in 1851 and remained there until around 1858. At that time, they moved to the Will Smith Community, which is about two miles west of the present Juniper Church in Pearl River County, Mississippi. this area was at that time part of Hancock County. Mary Goldman Rester died upon the birth of her tenth child, Elizabeth in 1861. She is buried in the Will Smith Cemetery west of Juniper Grove. After her death, Frederick Rester married Priscilla Bilbo, the widow of Washington Bilbo, on Sep. 16, 1862 in Hancock County, Mississippi. However, they were unable to live together peacefully as their children could not get along (they each had large families) so they agreed to live separately, but they never obtained a divorce. At the time of his death, Frederick Rester III was living on Wolf River about two miles from the present home of Elder John Alvan Rester in the Progress Community in Pearl River County. We do not know when he died but he was buried beside his first wife, Mary, in the Will Smith Cemetery. There are no markers on their graves. Frederick and Mary Rester III had the following children: 9a. G. Rester - we do not know his full given name. He enlisted with his brother, William Rester, on march 25, 1862 at Gainsville, Mississippi as a private in Co. C of the 38th Calvary of Mississippi, CSA during the Civil War. There is no record of him past December of 1863 and his family never learned of what became of him. 9b. Melvina Rester married Dawson V. Breland on April 4, 1859 in Hancock County, Mississippi. She died near Savannah in Pearl River County, Mississippi. One of her sons, Calvin Breland, lived at Sellars in Hancock County. Another son was Brad Breland. 9c. Martha Ann Rester married Jeremiah Smith on Oct. 29, 1865 in Hancock County, Mississippi, moved to Texas and was never heard of again by her family. 9d. William "Bill" Rester was the fourth child of Frederick and Mary Rester, born October 10, 1842 and married Anna Bilbo on Jan. 13, 1864 in Hancock County, Mississippi. They lived in Highway 26, about four miles east of Poplarville, Mississippi. Anna Bilbo was born May 21, 1839. Her father, Washington Bilbo, came to Juniper Grove from South Carolina. He was born in 1816 and died on August 3, 1860 and is buried at Juniper Grove. Her mother, Priscilla (Prissilar) Smith Bilbo, was born in 1818 and died March 17, 1904 and is buried at Juniper Grove. As stated above, she was married to Frederick Rester III for a time. After they separated, she resumed the name of Bilbo. Anna Bilbo's brother, James Oliver Bilbo, was the father of Theodore F. Bilbo, who served the State of Mississippi as Lt. Governor for one term, Governor for two terms and United States Senator for three terms. William Rester served as a private in Company G of the 38th Regiment of Mississippi Calvary CSA during the Civil War, having enlisted on March 25, 1862 at Gainsville, Mississippi. William Rester died Nov. 14, 1910, Anna Bilbo Rester died August 1, 1915. They are both buried in Juniper Grove. 9d1. James Rester was born Jan. 22, 1865. He married Annie Deborah Fry on April 29, 1884 in Marion County, Mississippi. Annie was born April 26, 1863 and was the daughter of Andrew Jackson Fry and Deborah Gardner. Elder A. J. Fry was a Baptist preacher and a blacksmith. He was the son of Charles and Winnie Fry and was brought up in Greene County, Mississippi where the town of Lucedale is now located. It was there that he married Deborah Gardner, that daughter of John Gardner, on January 5, 1853. After their marriage, they moved to the Progress Community out from Poplarville in Pearl River County. They had three other children; Charles F., Aletha Anne, and William L. Fry. Several years after their marriage, Jim and Annie Rester moved from the Poplarville area to the Leetown Community in Hancock County, Mississippi. Jim Rester died on October 18, 1933. Annie Rester died Jan. 6, 1935. They are buried in the Caesar Cemetery in Pearl River County right across the Hancock County Line. a. John Sullivan Rester, born Jan. 27, 1885, married Elizabeth "Lizzie" Lee on Oct. 3, 1906. He died May 27, 1953. Elizabeth died May 6, 1961. Both are buried at Caesar. Julius Harvey Rester lives in Omaha, Nebraska. James Monroe Rester lives in Gulfport, Mississippi. Mamie Rester - her foster child - married George Minton and lives at Petal, Mississippi. b. Anna Deborah Rester born March 27, 1886 married Roger W. Lee on Sep. 3 1903 and lives in the Leetown Community. Her husband, roger Lee died Nov. 2, 1965 and is buried as Caesar. Their children are: Rhoda Lee - married to Robert Brown and lives in Leetown. Ezra Lee who lives at Artmore, Ala. O'Connell Lee lives at Leetown. Morrell Lee lives at McMinnville, Tenn. Rita Lee married Raymond Gregory and lives in St. Louis, Mo. c. Etha Elizabeth Rester born July 27, 1889, married Luther Leroy Lee on Oct. 4, 1904 and lives in Picayune, Mississippi. Their children are: Jessie Lee married to Leander Stockstill and lives in Picayune, Ms. Oren Lee lives in California. "Bill" Willie Leland Lee lives in Picayune. "Virgie" Virginia Mae Lee, married to William Franklin Farmer and lives in Pascagoula, Ms. Orene Lee married to Roy Thigpen and lives in Picayune. John L. Lee Frances Lee married to Deha Korkut and lives in Metairie, La. d. James Harvey Rester, born Oct. 18, 1892, married Sadie Lou Pigott on march 9, 1916. He died June 21, 1958 and is buried at Bogalusa, La. Sadie Rester now lives in Pensacola, Fla. Their children are: Dorothy Elaine Rester married D. Joseph William Douglas and lives in Pensacola, Fla. James Harvey Rester Jr. lives at Groveland, Fla. Gerald Franklin Rester lives in Annapolis, Md. e. Travis J. Rester born May 26, 1896, married Helen May on December 9, 1926 and lives in Mobile, Ala. Their children are: Shirley Laine Rester married Leif Halfdan Konrad Jr. Alan Gary Rester f. Otha Rester born March 22, 1898, 1st married Mae Lee who died in 1925. 2nd, married Annie McGhee on March 29, 1927. They live in Leetown and their children are: By 1st marriage: Ouida Mae Rester who married Herbert G. Kinarik and lives at Franklinton, La. Otha Lee Rester Jr. who died March 30, 1958 and is buried at Caesar. James Audborn who live at Leetown. Hallie Marian Rester who married Frank Bolton McNeese Jr. Jane Ann Rester who married James Arthur Kuhlmann and lives in Houston, Texas. Betty Jo Rester married Ralph Seals and lives in Purvis, Miss. g. Robert R. Rester, born October 24, 1900, married Ella Lea Regan on August 15, 1926 and lives at Bogalusa, La. Their children are: Robert Thomas Rester who lives in Bogalusa. David Hampton Rester who lives at Dallas, Texas. h. Hubert Collins Rester born Feb. 10, 1903, married Juanita Bilbo on Aug. 4, 1926 and lives in Mobile, Ala. Their children are: Hubert Collins Rester Jr. Reginald Edwin Rester i. Ruby Rester, an adopted daughter, born July 20, 1914, married Forrest Necaise and lives in Bay St. Louis, Miss. In his book, "Next Door to Heaven", Mr. S. G. Thigpen of Picayune, speaks of Jim Rester; "That was the kind of man Jim Rester was. He treated everybody fairly and was highly respected by all who knew him. Also, he was one of the most successful farmers and one of the most influential men in South Mississippi." Note: A complete record of the birth, marriages and death of all of the descendants of James R and Annie Rester is being compiled and will become part of the Rester Family records. This family holds a reunion each year on the third Sunday in October. 9d2. Mary Jane Rester, born Dec. 2, 1866, married William M. "Bud" Gipson on Sep. 4, 1883 in Marion County, Mississippi. They live at Alton, La. (a few miles above Slidell, La.). She died on May 10, 1951. Her husband died about 1904. They were both buried in the cemetery at Basswood out from Alton, but there are no markers on their graves. Their children were: a. Laura Elizabeth Gipson who married James Powe b. John L. Gipson c. Annie Gipson who married Chester Carroll. d. Louise Gipson who married George Sullivan. e. Doshie Gipson who married John James Harper and lives at Hickory, La. f. Birdie Mae Gipson who married Marion Harper. g. William Zeno Gipson who married Lillie Penton (Williams) Catherine Gipson (Gibson) b. May 1, 1940 md Lawrence Crow Steven Dennis Gerald Audrey Gipson b. May 1942 md Larry Davis Larry Jr. John Gipson b. 1936 md Colene Freeman John Leslie Ann Joey Zeno lives near St. Joe Community north of Slidell, La. 9d3. William Singleton Rester, born in 1868, married Missouri Strahan on Feb. 1, 1888 in Marion County, Miss. He died in 1946 and is buried at Juniper Grove. One of his sons, Arthur Rester, lives in Picayune, Miss. 9d4. Nancy Rester, b. about 1869. She must have died young as no one can recall her. 9d5. Jeptha Frederick Rester, b. Sep. 29, 1871, married Elizabeth Lee on Nov. 27, 1895, the daughter of Uriah and Elizabeth Lee, in Pearl River County, Miss. Jeptha died Nov. 2, 1958 and his wife died on April 28, 1961. They are both buried in the Lee family cemetery off Highway 26 about 10 miles east of Poplarville, La. Their son George Rester lives next door to the family cemetery. He has a son, Emmett Rester, who lives in Poplarville. 9d6. Leonard Rester, born July 4, 1873, married Sarah Louise Spears. He died Sep. 26, 1953 and is buried at Sones Chapel out from McNeil, Miss. His wife died Oct. 16, 1967. She was born Jan 14, 1881. Their children were: a. Annie Mae Rester who married Horace Smith Sr. b. Mandy Violet Rester who married J. V. c. Tim Arless Rester married Irma Lumpkin. d. Wiley William Rester married Vesta Mae Strahan. e. Letha Rester married Clyde Moody. f. Joseph Edward Rester who died May 19, 1963 g. Marie Louise Rester married Leonard Anthony. h. Lula Bell Rester married Bill Beasley. 9d7. Martha Louisa Rester, b. 1875, married Joseph Ira Smith on March 25, 1895 in Pearl River County, Mississippi. She died in 1960. Her husband died July 9, 1934. They are buried at Juniper Grove along with two of their sons; Asa W. Smith who died in 1947 and Cecil K. Smith, who died in 1960. 9d8. Ema Rester, born Aug. 27, 1876, married Thomas Uriah Lee (brother of Elizabeth Lee) on Jan. 14, 1892, in Pearl River County, Mississippi. She died Aug. 26, 1931 and is buried in the Lee Family Cemetery. 9d9. Thomas Rester, born about 1880, married Martha Belle Ladner on Nov. 2, 1901 in Pearl River County, Mississippi. He is buried at Juniper Grove, but there is no marker on his grave. He had only one child, Lona Mae Rester who married a Cox and lives in Baltimore, Maryland. 9d10. Susie Mae Rester, born June 1, 1883, married George B. Davis on Nov. 22, 1899 in Pearl River County, Mississippi. She died on May 23, 1956. Her husband died Aug. 8, 1939. They are buried at Juniper Grove, along with three of their children; Elsie Davis who died in 1918, William Davis who died in 1924 and Elrith Davis who died in 1931. 9d11. Minnie Rester, born May 16, 1887, married Aaron Ladner (brother to Martha Bell). She died on Sep. 21, 1944 and is buried at Juniper Grove. Her son Bob Ladner lives at Poplarville, Mississippi. 9e. Abseline Rester married G. W. Burge on July 10, 1868 in Hancock County, Mississippi. She is buried on the bank of Crane Creek in the Progress Community. There is no marker on her grave. Two of her sons were Allen Burge who married an Odom and Monroe Burge who married Mary Lowe. They both live near Baxterville, Miss. 9f. Hezekiah Rester married a Hickman and died while still a young man at Sicily Island in Louisiana where he is buried. His widow and two young children returned to Hancock County to live. His children were: 9f1. Mary Rozella Rester who married John Perkins on June 29, 1889 in Harrison County, Mississippi. 9f2. F. Wilson Rester who married Martha Miller on June 28, 1893 in Harrison County, Miss. They live in Hancock County. They had a son, Rankin Rester who married Opie Brogdon. Another son was Burdrick Rester. 9g. Emaline Rester married Taylor Smith and live at Baxterville, Mississippi. Three of her son were: Calvin, John and Lawrence Smith. 9h. Frederick Rester IV, born Feb. 22, 1857, married Aletha Anne Fry, the daughter of Andrew Jackson Fry and Deborah Gardener, on Oct. 1874. they lived in the Progress Community near Poplarville, Miss. They are buried in the Rester Cemetery there. Frederick died Aug. 24, 1918 and Alethea died Oct. 31, 1934. There children are: 9g1. Annie Elizabeth Rester who married Elisha Ladner. 9g2. Andrew Jackson Rester who married Eliza Gipson. 9g3. James Monroe Rester who married Cleta Beall. 9g4. William Randolph Rester who married Sophie Ladner. 9g5. John Alva Rester who married Cora Smith and, after her death, Ola Faye Garrison. 9g6. Henry Hezekiah Rester who married Sadie A. Williams and lives in Poplarville, Miss. 9g7. Fred Randle Rester who married Aletha Flint and lives at Poplarville, Miss. 9i. Louisa Rester married Quick Breland and moved to Louisiana near Baton Rouge. Their son, Martin Breland, lived on the Millard Road in Pearl River County until his death. 9j. Elizabeth Rester born, Nov. 11, 1862, (Although this date is on her tombstone, it must be incorrect as her father remarried Sep. of 1862. Possibly this year should be 1861.) married Mark Rayborn and lived at Baxterville, Miss. She died April 11, 1901 and is buried next to Caney Baptist Church out from Baxterville. Lee Rayborn was one of her sons. Transcribed 25 Jun 2001 by Gwendolyn "Gwen" F. Goff Hobbs for the Washington Parish, LA Genweb site.