The Preyer Family History
Introduction
This family history page is an ongoing, work in progress. I will be adding to this page continuously. As of today, I have an enourmous amount of information that I need to add to what is already on this page at the moment. I have place holders in place to occupy the empty historical information for each person listed. Feel free to send me any information that you have on anyone in our family tree. I'll incorporate it into the person's personal history and will credit you for your contribution. 
My name is Dominique Henri Preyer. I was born in Châteauroux, France in 1963. My father was in the United States Air Force stationed at Châteauroux-Déols Air Base in France when I was born. I have one sibling, Lawrence Preyer, III and he was born in Merced, California in 1962. Our parents were Lawrence Preyer, Jr. (1937 - 1980) and Chantal Marie Therese LeRoy (1939 - 1976).
I first started researching the Preyer family back in August 1990 while living in San Antonio, Texas. My father had passed away 10 years before I started so I didn't have anyone at home that I could ask about the Preyer family. I only had stories that my father told me throughout the years. This was before the Internet and all the resources that are now available. I made use of the resources that were available at the San Antonio Public Library. My closest family members that I was able to get more information from were my aunts, Elsie Mae Preyer Perkins and Rena Mae Smith Walton, who were both living in Memphis, Tennessee at the time. It all started when my aunt Rena and I talked on the phone for about an hour and I filled several pages of information on my Grandfather's (Lawrence Preyer, Sr.) siblings and my Great Grandfather's (Wallace Preyer) siblings. The following family history is derived from my research over the last years and I'm presenting it as my research exists at this moment. Since I will continue researching and getting new family information from other relatives, this family history will be revised periodically. I encourage anyone with information that pertains to our Preyer family (and related families through marriages) to send me family stories, pictures, newspaper clippings, letters or anything that could further enrich our family history. As many of you know, our last name has many spelling variations. In many historical documents, you will see Preyer, Prayer, Pryor, Pryer and Prior. To keep things simple, I will use Preyer throughout this family history except when including how the name was actually listed in the documents or if a family actually used one of the variations throughout their family's generations. If you have anything you would like to share and have included in our Preyer family history, please visit the Contact page and follow the instructions. 1838 ‐ VirginiaAs of today, the furthest I have researched back is to my great-great-grandparents Albert W. Preyer and Anna Lee. Albert was born about 1838 in Virginia and Anna was born about 1847 in Mississippi. I do have quite a bit of information on the Lee family line but I will make a special page for this line later. This is where the Preyer family line starts, but I hope that I can take it back even further. 1870 ‐ Panola County Mississippi Census - (view image)The first historical document that our Preyer family line appears in is the 1870 Panola County Mississippi Census. Listed in this census are the following. Notice that our last name was spelled Prayer. Name Relation† Sex Age Born Albert Prayer Self M 30 Mississippi Ann Prayer Wife F 26 Mississippi Mary Prayer Daughter F 7 Mississippi Matt Prayer Son M 5 Mississippi Ann Prayer Daughter F 3 Mississippi † Relationships were not listed in the 1870 census. I added them to this transcription of the census. If you look at the actual census record, you will see some interesting things and some that might not be so accurate. In the 1870 census (columns 11-12) have check marks if the person's parents were "of foreign birth." Albert and Ann have check marks as do all of their children. Right away, we can see that there is a contradiction as Albert and Ann are listed as being born in Mississippi (Albert was actually born in Virginia). With this information, it's hard to know if column 11 for Albert and Ann were incorrectly check marked. If they were the only two with check marks, we could assume that Albert and Ann's parents were not born in America and possible in Africa. The census also tells us that Albert and Ann could not read or write. The children have marks too but it appears that the marks were crossed out. It may be to indicate that they were too young to know how to read or write despite the fact that Mary was seven years old. It is well known that slaves were not allowed to read or write and with this being just five years after the end of the war, it's understandable.
President Lincoln announced the Emancipation Proclamation, which granted freedom to slaves in Confederate states, on New Year's Day in 1863. Word didn't reach the African-American slaves of Galveston, Texas, until June 19, 1865, when a force of two-thousand Union soldiers arrived and informed them of their freedom. - New Orleans Online One more interesting bit of information that many who have looked at this page in 1870 census, and specifically just Albert Preyer's family, the family that lived next door. You'll see that it's Tobe Lee and his wife Lucy. Tobe full name is Harrison Tobe Lee and he is Albert's wife, Anna's younger brother. Tobe's wife is Lucy Morgan. I have researched the Lee side of our family and I will be adding some of their family history down the road. 1880 ‐ Panola County Mississippi Census - (view image)Albert and his family are now living in Eureka, Panola county Mississippi. The 1880 Mississippi census reveals that Albert and Anna added five more children to the family. One child, Ann, is missing and to date, I have yet to find out what happened to her. She would have been about 13 years old in this census. Another interesting fact, with regards to the ability to read and write, is Albert is now listed as being able to read but not write. This is a huge accomplishment for a man who was at that time 42 years old. You will also notice something very interesting. All of the women were listed as not being able to read and write and all the men were listed as being able to read and write (with Albert only able to read and not write).
During the 19th century a number of former slaves published narratives detailing their experiences in bondage. Although some of these were dictated, others were actually written by ex-slaves. - Education, Arts, & Culture (PBS) Albert's employment is listed as a Laborer but there's no indication as to where he was employed. Ann's employment is listed as "Housekeeping" but no indication as to where she was employed. It might be safe to assume that both of them were their own employers and worked on their own land and in their own home. There's also no information stating if they owned their home and the land they lived on. In the 1880 census, the oldest of the three daughters was Mary, at the age of 15. The oldest of the five sons was Jim, at the age of 8. None of the children were attending school and the three daughters, Mary, Mattus (aka Mattie) and Dorah worked. Mary, 14, and Mattie, 13, worked in the field and Dorah, 10, is listed as "unemployed." The boys were apparently too young to work as they had no indication of any type of employment. Name Relation Sex Age Born Abbert Prayer Self M 42 Virginia Ann Prayer Wife F 33 Mississippi Mary Prayer Daughter F 14 Mississippi Mattus Prayer Daughter F 13 Mississippi Dorah Prayer Daughter F 10 Mississippi Jim Prayer Son M 8 Mississippi Wallace Prayer Son M 6 Mississippi Green Prayer Son M 4 Mississippi Cellus Prayer Son M 2 Mississippi Whitfield Prayer Son M 8 MississippiThe 1900's Since most of the 1890 Census were badly damaged by a fire in the Commerce Department Building in January 1921, there's a huge gap of time where we have no information about our family. Between 1880 and 1900, Albert and Anna's children grew up and many got married and left Mississippi and moved to different cities across the United States. Many ended up in Memphis, TN with other moving to Chicago, IL, Little Rock, AR, Milwaukee, WI, St. Louis, MO and many cities in California. Below I will list each of Albert and Anna's children with their own part of our family history. Mary Preyer
Mary Preyer was the first child born to Albert and Anna. She was born about 1863 in Mississippi and died approximately 1901 in
[1][1] Mary Preyer Scott's death location provided my Mary Elizabeth White Terrell. Mary marries Alfred Abraham Scott on December 08, 1893 in DeSoto County, Mississippi. Per the 1900 DeSoto County census, Mary and Alfred had been married for seven years and Mary had seven children and all seven children were still living. When you look at this 1900 census below, you can see that there are seven children all with the last name of Scott. This is the first discrepancy of several pertaining to the children from Alfred and Mary. When you examine the ages of Isaac and Elijah, you will see that they were both born before Mary and Alfred were married. As of today, , I do not know if Alfred was married before he married Mary and had Isaac and Elijah with another wife or if Mary and Alfred had these two boys before they were married. The mystery thickens when you look at the two daughters. In records that I have researched for Elizabeth and Pink, their father is listed as Essex Johnson. To clarify who Pink Scott (a.k.a. Pinkie Scott) is, her real name is Alene Johnson. Elizabeth's real name is Elizabeth Anna Johnson. Based on the date of when Alfred and Mary married and when Elizabeth and Alene were born, my only assumption is that they may be the daughters of one of Mary's siblings. My thoughts are maybe Anna's children. 1900 ‐ DeSoto County Mississippi Census - (view image Pg 1, Pg 2)Name Relation Sex Age Born Alfred Scott Head M 34 Miss Mollie Scott Wife F 28 Miss Isac Scott Son M 10 Miss Elija Scott Son M 8 Miss Elizabeth Scott Daughter F 6 Miss Pink Scott Daughter F 4 Miss James H Scott Son M 3 Miss John H Scott Son M 2 Miss Edgar L Scott Son M 1 Miss1910 ‐ Shelby County Tennessee Census - (view image) Name Relation Sex Age Born Alfred Scot Head M 35 Mississippi Anna Scot Daughter F 17 Mississippi John Scot Son M 12 Mississippi Eddie Scot Son M 11 Mississippi Lucius Scot Son M 2 Mississippi 1910 ‐ Shelby County Tennessee Census - (view image) Name Relation Sex Age Born Jim Preyer Head M 38 Virginia Pinkie Henderson Niece F 17 Mississippi Jim Scott Nephew M 15 Mississippi 1930 ‐ Cook County Illinois Census - (view image) Name Relation Sex Age Born John Scott Head M 31 Mississippi Ruby Scott Wife F 29 Tennessee Almira Scott Sister F 29 Mississippi James Scott Brother M 33 Mississippi Ruth M Scott Sister-in-law F 32 Arkansas James H. Scott was the first child born to Mary and Alfred Scott and he was born in December 1897 in DeSoto County Mississippi. James first appears in the 1900 DeSoto County Mississippi census at the age of 3 years old. James next appears in the 1910 Shelby County Tennessee Census as the nephew of James E. Preyer. James E. Preyer is Mary's brother. Also listed in the 1910 census is his sister, Alene "Pinkie" Johnson, who is listed as Pinkie Henderson and James' niece. I have not found out how she became a Henderson. I have not been able to find James in any 1920 census. James does appear in the 1930 Cook County, Illinois census living with his younger brother, John. He is 33 years old and married to Ruth who is 32 years old and born in Arkansas. I have not been able to find any more information on either James or Ruth. John H. Scott was the second child born to Mary and Alfred and was born in 1898 in DeSoto county Mississippi. Edgar L. Scott was the third child and he was born in April 1899 in Mississippi. Edgar died on May 4, 1929 in Memphis, Tennessee at the age of 30. He is buried in a cemetery in Millington, Tennessee. His cause of death was Syphilitic Meningitis which, during the late 1920s into the early 1930s, syphilis was reaching epidemic levels. This was 14 years before penicillin became the treatment for the disease and just three years before the horrific Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male which officially began in 1932. Edgar was under the care of Dr. J. W. McElroy at Memphis General Hospital from April 26, 1929 to May 4, 1929.
1929 - Aggressive treatment approach initiated with mercury and bismuth. Cure rate is less than 30 percent; treatment requires months and side effects are toxic, sometimes fatal. - The Tuskegee Timeline Almira Scott was the fourth child and she was born about 1901 in Mississippi. The 1930 Cook County Illinois census is the only historical document that I have found her in. I have no other information on her. Lucius Scott was the last of the children and was born about 1908 in Mississippi. Matt Preyer was born about 1865 in Panola City, Panola county Mississippi. Matt appears in the 1870 Panola County census and there's no other record of him since. I've made the assumption that he might have died between 1870 and 1880. He would have been about 15 years old in 1880 and his other siblings, who are close to his age, are still living at home except Ann (see her entry below). Ann PreyerAnn Preyer appears in the 1870 Panola County, Mississippi census as a 3 year female. She does not appear in the 1870 Panola County census and there's no other record of her since. I can only assume that she died between 1870 and 1880. She would have been about 13 years old in the 1880 census and her other siblings, who were close to her age, are still living at home except for Matt (see his entry above). Dora PreyerDora Preyer has a lot of descendants and this is where the Christopher, Johnson and many other family names started. She was one of the first of these siblings that I research back in the early to mid 1990s. Dora was born on September 26, 1870 in Batesville, Panola County, Mississippi. She married William Christopher on November 04, 1896 in Shelby County, Tennessee. Dora and William had six children (3 boys and 3 girls). Five of the six children lived well into their late 60s and mid 80s except for their daughter, Redella Christopher. Redella was born on December 15, 1909 in Frayser, Shelby County, Tennessee. She died on June 26, 1925 in Lucy, Shelby County, Tennessee of Typhoid Fever. She was 15 years, six months and 12 days old. Dora and William's other five children have descendants that are our cousins and there are hundreds living all across the United States. Grover Arthur Christopher 1897‐1964 Timothy Christopher 1900‐1985 Ida Mae Christopher 1906‐ Lucille Christopher 1908‐ Lucille's daughter Velma A. Johnson is still living at years old. She married Lee Vorn Brown in 1952. Velma and Lee were married 60 years at the time of his death on February 28, 2012.George Rufus Christopher 1912‐1981 Dora died on April 26, 1949 in Woodstock, Shelby County, Tennessee. She had a history of broncho-pneumonie and this was her cause of death. Mattie PreyerMattie Preyer's family line ended too early in 1955 when her only son passed away. There are no surviving members of this family line. Mattie was born in December 1872 in Batesville, Panola, Mississippi. Mattie married James R. Anderson January 20, 1893 in Memphis Tennessee and they had one child named Joseph Anderson who was born in September 1894 in Mississippi. Mattie, James and Joseph all appear in the 1900 Shelby County Census. 1900 ‐ Shelby County Tennessee CensusName Relation Sex Age Born James Anderson Head M 54 Tennessee Mattie Anderson Wife F 27 Mississippi Joe Anderson Son M 11 Mississippi Mattie was only 21 years old when she married 46 year James. Both Mattie and James were listed in the 1900 census as not being able to read or write. Joseph, age 11, was attending school at the time but was also listed as not being able to read or write. Mattie did not have an occupation or any employment listed in the 1900 census. At age 54, James' employment was listed as a farm laborer. James E. PreyerJames E. Preyer - Family history is pending. Wallace PreyerWallace Preyer is my Great Grandfather. Family history is pending. Green PreyerGreen Preyer - Family history is pending. Whitfield PreyerWhitfield Preyer - Family history is pending. Hilliard PreyerHilliard Preyer - Family history is pending. Sarah PreyerSarah Preyer has been an elusive family member. I've found her in other family member's documents but no document pertaining specifically to her. Marcellus Preyer Marcellus Preyer - Family history is pending.
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