Tarrant County - Obituaries - John Percy Casstevens *********************************************** This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Charlotte Coble Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm *********************************************** Mansfield News Mirror December 26, 1919 “Uncle” John Casstevens – Tuesday evening, Dec. 23, 1919, as the sun sank to rest behind the western sky, the shades of night also closed over the life of one of the noblest and most highly esteemed citizens Mansfield has ever known – Mr. John Percy Casstevens, and his death cast a shadow of sorrow in every home in the entire community. A true pioneer, he has weathered the storms of sixty-three years in Tarrant County, 40 years of that time in Johnson County, and 23 years in Mansfield He came here before the town was built and delighted in telling his experiences of those frontier days, when they traveled overland in ox-wagon to Waxahachie—their nearest milling and banking town. Mr. Casstevens was 85 years, 8 months and 5 days old at the time of his death. He was born April 18, 1834 in Lincoln, Tennessee, the son of Thomas Jefferson Casstevens (Surry, NC) and Hester Massey Casstevens (Hardeman, TN). He was first married to Miss Sarah Catherine Ellis (Illinois), and to them was born 17 children; 13 of them lived to have families of their own; and 11 are now living. They are: Daughters, Bessie (Mrs. David Spyrus, M.D.) Rumph, Nancy (Mrs. Clay Calhoun) Nash, Sarah Elizabeth (Mrs. Eli) Ball, Mary Jane Allen, Faria Lee (Mrs. Joshua Amos) Ball, and sons, George Washington, Albert, Finis Ewing, John Louis, Samuel Jerry, and Charles Casstevens. Two years after the death of Sarah Catherine Casstevens in 1897, he was married to Mrs. Mary Ann (Yeates) Wallace, who, with the above children, survives him. For several years, Mr. Casstevens has been very feeble and three years ago, while talking with the writer, he made the remark that he knew his time on earth was short and that he had spent his efforts for some time in trying to live so that no preparation would be necessary when he received a summons to depart this life, and his life radiated that sweet Christian spirit which dispels every doubt as to his readiness to meet his Maker. He had been a member of the Missionary Baptist Church for many years. The funeral services were held at the family residence Wednesday morning, Dec. 24, 1919, by Reverend Solon Gibson, of Rice, after which his remains were laid to rest in the Cope Cemetery (Johnson County), west of Mansfield.