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Colonel Robert Fain(4) Looney (Abraham(3)), was born 5 August 1824, in
Columbia, Tennessee. He was living there with his parents at
the 1830 census but has not been located in 1840. He was admitted to the
bar in 1845, and removed to Memphis for a year or so. Upon his return to
Columbia, he married on 2 May 1847, Louisa M. Crofford, the daughter of
Colonel James Thomas Crofford of Maury County, and his wife, Jane Brown
Porter. Robert F. Looney practiced law there until 1853, then again
went to Memphis.
At the 1850 census, he was enumerated in Maury County, living with or
very near his older brother, Abraham M.(4) Looney. At that time, he had
no children, but with them lived Louisa's mother, Jane B. Crofford, born
ca 1810. His property at that time was estimated at $4,200.00. He was
a prosperous planter and merchant as well as lawyer.
After the election of Lincoln as President, Robert Fain Looney made the
last Union speech in Memphis, but, then promptly raised a regi-
ment , the 38th Tennessee Volunteer Infantry, for the Confederacy. At
Shiloh, he led this regiment in the last charge of the battle. After the
war, he was for seven years a member of the National Democratic Committee
from Tennessee, and a member of the Southern Army of Shiloh Battlefield
Park Commission at the time of his death on 19 November 1899, in Memphis.
The children of Colonel Robert Fain(4) Looney and Louisa M. Crofford
were:
Sarah Elizabeth(5) Looney; died an infant.
Robert Fain(5) Looney, Jr. of Memphis, Tennessee
Thomas Crofford(5) Looney. born 18 August 1860 in Memphis. md on
3 February 1891, Anna F. Bruce. They had:
Louisa(6) Looney. who married Dr. Allan E. Van Ness, son
of the Reverand I.J.Van Ness, of Nashville, Tennessee.
Abraham(5) Looney. died 27 June 1902, in Memphis, Tennessee.
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Janie C.(5) Looney. md. Judge Lunsford L. Lewis, of Richmond, Vir-
ginia. (DAR #1786).
Elizabeth(5) Looney. md Arthur Stillingfleet Buchanan of Memphis,
Tennessee. (DAR #2392). Mrs. Buchanan once wrote that her grand-
father, Abraham(3), "wrote a complete history of the Looney fam-
ily...but this was burned during the Civil War...he knew of the
14 brothers...of his ancestors who fought with Marlborough...of
descent from the House of Derby...and of a Welsh grandmother of
the House of Tudor or Llewellyn."
Mary C.(5) Looney of Memphis.
Louisa Preston(5) Looney. (DAR #24408).
Sarah Dillahunty(5) Looney. of Memphis. (DAR #3934).
.....
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FIFTH GENERATION (DAVID(2) BRANCH
Robert Looney(5) Edwards; (Elizabeth(4), Robert(3)) was born 9 May
1808, either in Fayette or Shelby County, Kentucky. He married in Shelby
County, Kentucky, on 17 August 1830, Emeline Shackleford (1813-1860), and
died 23 August 1874, in Owen County, Kentucky. They had a daughter:
Penelope(6) Edwards. (1833-1905). md. 19 August 1850 in
Owen County, Kentucky, Joel Tom Garvey(1829-1912). Joel
and Penelope Garvey were the grandparents of
Unknown child(7) who was the parent of:
Jennie G.(8) Seitz.(Mrs. Ira J. Seitz.)
.....
James(5) Looney; (David Reasons(4), Robert(3)) was born ca 1836
either in Maury County, Tennessee or in Lauderdale County, Alabama, where
his father bought land at about that time.
At the 1840 census of Lauderdale County, Alabama, James was doub-
tless the boy, age 0-5 years with his parents. In 1850, he was with his
parents in Pontotoc County, Mississippi, aged 14, born in Alabama.
He was probably a druggist at Holly Springs, Mississippi, and
probably married before 1860, Norvel Hopkins. They lived in Atlanta,
Georgia. (NOTE: They seem to be the parents of ):
Dr. Benton(6) Looney.born 27 January 1859.
Holly Springs is in Marshall County, Mississippi, about 70 miles
northwest of Fulton, Mississippi. At West Fulton on 27 January 1859,
Dr. Benton Looney was born and went to Arkansas with his parents in 1863.
("History Of Indian Territory Biographical & Genealogical", by D.C. Gide-
on, 1901; Lewis Pub. Co., page 527.) He was a physician and druggist at
Mill Creek, Indian Territory. He retired in January 1901. He married
on 24 January 1889, Victoria Blanche Morrow. Their children were:
Terrance Curtis(7) Looney.
James Benton(7) Looney.
Archibald Weldon(7) Looney.
Willie Victoria(7) Looney.
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Fulton, Mississippi is in Itawamba County. The census of 1860
may show that James and Norvel Looney were the parents of James Benton
Looney.
.....
Benton Reasons(5) Looney; (David Reasons(4), Robert(3)) was born 18
January 1874, and died 23 December 1942. Buried at New Orleans,
Louisiana. He married 1st: Eunice("Nicy") Purtle (died in Hobart, Okla-
homa December 1917, aged 46), on 30 January 1898, in Honey Grove, Texas.
They had these:
John Martin(6) Looney. born 1 October 1898, near Bonham, Fannin
County, Texas. He lives on Route 1, Thomasville, Georgia, and wrote to
Elizabeth Looney, of Washington, D.C., in 1963. He mentioned that his
father, Benton Looney, was a strict Methodist. John Martin was a war
veteran (1942) and had never married.
Benton Reasons(5) Looney married 2nd: Ethel Mae Barton, in October 1919.
She was buried in New Orleans, Louisiana. No children listed.
......
Abraham(5) Looney; (Abraham(4), David(3)), was born ca 1841 in
Wisconsin. He married in 1873, Julia Evans. He died in 1884. They were
the parents of at least one child.
Jessie M.(6) Looney. md F.W. Spier. (DAR #85700.)
.....
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Abraham(5) Looney; (John Spurgeon(4), David(3)), was born ca 1831
in Jackson County, Illinois. He was still with his father in 1850 at the
census of LaFayette, Wisconsin, where they had been living for 2 or 3
years. Abraham(5) was designated a miner at the census of 1850.
Abraham(5) Looney married Elizabeth Wright (b.ca. 1828 in New York) and
at the 1850 census of LaFayette County, Wisconsin, was living
with Abraham's uncle, Robert(4) Looney and wife, Sarah, who was also born
in New York.
Abraham(5) and Elizabeth Wright Looney were the parents of :
Lark(6) Looney. born Winona, Wisconsin.(DAR #64483), who
married Frank Phelps Toms.
Morrell M.(6) Looney, who married Mary Minnesota Moore and
they were the parents of:
Susan M.(7) Looney, born at Dresback, Minnesota.
.....
Continue with Part 7, David (2) Looney Branch (NEXT PAGE)
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