Funeral for J. Marlin DeFoor of Morrow will be held Sunday at 4 P. M. at the Phillips Drive Chapel. The Reverend Thad Persons and Howard Scarborough will officiate. Buriel will be in the Huie Cemetery in Morrow. DeFoor 91 died Saturday. He was one of the last surviving Pioneer Members of the Morrow Baptist Church. A former building contractor DeFoor was active in Business and political circles in Clayton Co and was at one time a member of the Clayton Co Democratic executive board. Surving are the widow, the former Emma Murypy Adason. A son Edward DeFoor of Jacksonville, a duaghter Mrs. Louie Tyrone of Palo Alto CA; two stepsons, Drewy Adamson of Birmingham and Carl Adamson of Houston.
/Benjamin Deffoor
/James DEFOOR (DEFUR) (DEFAUX) b: ABT 1711 d: 1780
| \ Mary
/Andrew DEFOOR (DEFUR) b: 1750/1755 d: 1810/1820
/James DEFOOR b: 12 JUN 1778 d: JUL 1856
| \Elisabeth ROBISON (?)
/ Albert Sidney DEFOOR b: 7 OCT 1816 d: 11 MAY 1878
| | /Nathan SIMS
| | /Martin SIMS b: 16 DEC 1754 d: 7 JUL 1823
| | | \Agnes
| \Elizabeth (Betsy) SIMS b: DEC 1782 d: 27 JUL 1879
| \Anna Jane HOWARD b: JAN 1762 d: JAN 1836
/James Martin DEFOOR b: 7 AUG 1845 d: 9 DEC 1927
| | /John THURMAN b: ABT 1670 =>
| | /John THURMAN b: ABT 1710 d: ABT 1770
| | /Benjamin THURMAN b: 1755 d: 1840
| | | \Mary COOK
| | /David THURMAN b: 6 MAY 1796 d: 1831
| | | \JULIE Shumate b: ABT 1765 d: 1846
| \Annie THURMAN b: 10 SEP 1828 d: 24 SEP 1902
| \Lavine MANN d: 14 OCT 1864
Joseph Marlin DEFOOR b: 20 FEB 1878 d: 8 NOV 1969
| /Andrew Lynn HUIE
\Mary Ann HUIE b: 26 DEC 1848 d: 9 MAR 1936
| /Merriman BAXLEY
\Mariah BAXLEY b: 10 FEB 1814 d: 24 APR 1879
/John THURMER b: 1605
/John THURMER b: BEF 1638
| \Anne MORECRAFT b: 1605
John THURMAN b: ABT 1670
Our DeFoor family name has been spelled many different ways over the years. When Benjamin, our first American ancestor came to Maryland about 1704, he spelled his name Deffour. He was listed as a French planter of Anne Arundel County, Maryland.
In the Proceedings and Acts of the General Assembly of Maryland, an Act for naturalization of Benjamin Deffour states:
Benjamin Deffour of Ann Arundel County, Planter, a protestant native of France shall henceforth be adjudged reputed and taken as naturall borne people of this Province and that they and every one of them by the authority after be enabled and adjudged to all intents and purposes to demand challenge ask, have, hold and enjoy any lands, tenements, rents and hereditaments to which they might in any wise be entitled as if they were free and naturall borne subject and people of this province and also that they and every one of them shall and may be enabled to maintaine prosecute avow justifie and defend all mannere of actions suites pleas plaints and other demands whatsoever as liberally franckly freely lawfully and securely as if they and every one of them had been natural borne people.
By the House of Delegates 15 December 1708
Benjamin Deffour and his wife Mary are listed in All Hollows Parish of Anne Arundel County. By the records we know that they had four sons; John, Daniel, Benjamin, and our ancestor, James and a daughter, Elizabeth. Elizabeth's whose birth is recorded in the church records was born March 25, 1717 and Benjamin's birth is recorded as July 15, 1719. We do not know when or where John, Daniel or James were born.
Benjamin and Mary died in Anne Arundell County, Maryland.
