HOWARD ADAIR

The following bio was taken from page 84 of the book entitled "Rusk County History" compiled and edited and used with permission of the Rusk County Historical Commission.

Transcribed by Shirley Koym

Submitted by Gloria Briley Mayfield, Rusk County TX Coordinator

About seven miles from Henderson on Highway 259 South is the home of Howard Eugene Adair, who was born January 31, 1908, his wife Jewel Johnston, who was born March 4, 1915, and their son, Larry Dean, who was born January 5, 1955. By Howard’s first wife, he has two daughters, Leah and Rita. In World War II he was with Patton’s Third Army. In 1973 Howard retired from Brown and Root where he had worked as a crane operator.

Howard is descended from one of the oldest Cherokee Nation families. His parents were Luther Martin Adair and Lillie M. Waldrop. Luther’s parents were Ephriam Martin Adair and Sallie Starr. Ephriam’s parents were Judge Calvin Adair and Lucinda Miller. Calvin was born in Tennessee and rode "The Trail of Tears" into Oklahoma. The Cherokee chief, Red Bird, sold the Indian land in Tennessee for two gallons of whiskey.

Many of the Indians were tired and hungry and became angrier and angrier at Chief Red Bird, and finally they hanged him and elected a new chief. The Cherokees who were against the hanging came to East Texas, while the others went on to settle in Eastern Oklahoma. All the Adair children received land except Howard, who was born "too late." Under Cherokee law, he received his father’s role number. Both Howard and Larry are listed on the Cherokee roles in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.

Howard’s mother was the daughter of Captain (Doctor) Monroe Waldrop and Lou Fisher. Captain Waldrop was killed during the Civil War shortly before Lillie was born. Lou Fisher’s family had a plantation near Dallas, Texas. Her father took his slaves from Louisiana and sold them. When he returned home, several men tortured him to death, trying to find out where he had hidden his money. When the Fisher boys heard what had happened, they deserted the army and returned home to track down their father’s murderers and kill them wherever they found them. This "taking the law in their hands" made them fugitives from the law. They fled to Indian Territory, taking their sister, Lou, with them.

Jewel’s parents were Johnny Sylvester Johnston and Ada Hilton. She was raised near Laneville. By her first marriage to Homer H. Dudley, she had one daughter, Myrle. Her grandfather was Charlie Burnett Johnston. Her grandmother, Willie Ann Swain, died when Johnny and his brothers and sister were small. Johnny worked at sawmills until the family moved to Henderson; then he worked for the Rusk County Lumber Company for several years.

Jewel’s mother, Ada, was born in Nacagdoches County, but the family moved a short distance into Rusk County between Mt. Enterprise and Glen Fawn. Glen Fawn, Sacul and Cushing were the places Ada attended all-day singings where she especially liked to sing Sacred Harp.

Larry Adair graduated from Henderson High School and Kilgore College. He is a draftsman for C. M. Lingle Company. He has also become an avid fisherman.

We three Adairs, Howard, Jewel, and Larry, are very proud of all of our pioneer families.

Submittted by Howard Adair