Thurzy Ross

Thurzy Ross Alexander

Thurzy Ross Alexander was born in Tennessee on April 15,

1810. With her family, she moved to Missouri where her sister

China Ross was born. She had at least one other sister who lived

and died in present-day Crawford County, Arkansas.

Thurzy was married to Samuel Stevenson Alexander in Crawford

County. They bought land in early Washington County and

lived for several years near his parents. They were one of the

couples who helped to organize the first local Church of the Disciples

of Christ, following the teaching of Alexander Campbell.

At first, the group met under a tree near West Fork, Arkansas.

The eleven Alexander children all were born in Washington

County, Arkansas. They made good, substantial citizens in Texas

when they moved to that new state in 1848. At first, they settled

in Williamson County, then moved to the northern part of

Burnet County, near Lampasas Springs.

The children were: Robert born March 6, 1827, James born

January 29, 1830, Martha born September 6, 1831, John Ross

born April 3, 1833, Franklin born April 17, 1834, Marion born

June 22, 1835, William born February 10, 1837, Joseph born

January 29, 1839, Eliza born November 5, 1841, Elizabeth born

October 19, 1842 and Stephen born March 22, 1844.

The Arkansas Alexanders and those descending from Thurzy

Ross and Samuel Alexander exchange visits to this day. A family

reunion is held each year at the site of the old home on Mesquite

Creek in Burnet County, Texas. The land, a new house, an old

rock granary built by Samuel and the eight boys in the family,

rock fences put up by slave labor are still in use by descendants

of Marion Alexander.

Thurzy died in Burnet County in 1889 at the home of her

daughter, Martha Alexander Lewis. She was 79 years old and was

buried near Samuel in the family plot on Mesquite Creek, a

short distance from their home.

By: Gladys D. Alexander