Robert Williams Deen

Robert Williams Deen, son of Henry Deen and Nancy Miles was born 07 Jul 1881, Baxley, Appling CO, GA, died 03 Jan 1957, Bunnell, Flagler CO, FL, married 07 Jun 1903, Appling CO GA to Mattie Jane Richardson, dau of Worth Zeno Richardson and Martha Jane Wallace, born Oct 1875 N C, died 07 Oct 1953, Flagler Hospital, St Augustine, St Johns CO, FL. Both are buried Espanola Cemetery, Espanola, Flagler CO, FL.

The family is listed in the 1910 census of St. Johns CO on page 52 with his occupation given as "Turpentine - Operator" and was living at the Side Camps near Espanola. In the 1920 census Flagler CO the family is found on page 35, residing in St. Johns Park with his occupation given as "Farmer." He was a Charter Member of Bunnell Lodge #200 F & AM.

He came to Florida in the fall of 1906 to work in the terpentine operation with his brother William Henry (Doc) Deen at the Espanola Side Camps, then moving to St. Johns Park and farming the later moving to Bunnell. He farmed and had a cattle ranch. He and his son were active in the Flagler CO Cattleman's Association. They were members of the Bunnell Methodist Church. Issue;

1. Donnella Deen born 20 Feb 1905, Baxley Appling CO, GA, died 30 Oct 1997, Cookeville, Putnam CO, TN, married 07 Jun 1943, Daytona Beach, Volusia CO, FL, Calvin Lake Chastain, son of Calvin Foster Chastain and Minnie Lake, born 23 Aug 1894, Batesville, Independence CO, AR, died 07 Jan 1966, Jacksonville, Duval CO, FL, buried Riverside Memorial Park, Jacksonville, Duval CO, FL.

In the 1920's, The Flagler Tribune carried a column entitled Flagler Hi News - Donnella was the senior class reporter. The last time the Flagler Hi News column appeared was in the 04 Oct 1923 edition. In the 11 Oct 1923 edition, the column is called the Bunnell Hi News so they must have changed the name of the high school at this time.

Donnella was a graduate of Florida State College for Women (now Florida State University) and taught for 12 years (grammar school in Bunnell for two years and then in Titusville where she was on the high school faculty) before purchasing the Lyndhurst Hotel (three stories/25 bedrooms), 132 Second Ave., Daytona Beach in Jun 1938 from Mr. and Mrs. Solomon Wenrich for $9,500.

She won the race in May 27, 1952 primary over Willard Knight for Superintendent of Public Instruction of Flagler CO. In June 1952, John A Clegg, the incumbent Superintendent of Public Instruction and a supporter of Willard Knight, resigned and she was appointed by Governor Fuller Warren to take office effective July 1, 1952.

Donnella did not finish her second term as superintendent. She resigned effective Aug 15, 1956, and took a teaching position in Macclenny moving there in August.

She is listed in Who's Who of American Women, First Edition, 1958-1959.

Calvin moved to Daytona Beach around Oct 1942 where he owned and operated an apartment house on Main Street. He moved to Jacksonville in 1960. For 15 years before his retirement, he was in real estate business in Detroit - he was a World War I Army Vet. Issue;

(1) Calvin Deen Chastain, born 11 Apr 1945, Daytona Beach, Volusia CO, FL, married Donna Lynn McCrary, dau of Curtis McCrary, born 18 Jul 1950 (Div.). He served in the U. S. Army. Issue;

A. Michelle Lynn Chastain

B. Melissa Deen Chastain.

Calvin Deen Chastain married 2nd, Faye Dodson

2. Robert Wallace (Rob) Deen, born 21 Apr 1906, Baxley, Appling CO, GA, died 26 Sep 1983, Bunnell, Flagler CO, FL, married 26 Dec 1929, DeLand, Volusia CO, FL, Helen Lucile Cody, dau of Larry Sidney Cody and Mary Virginia (Verdie) O'Neal, born 21 Apr 1911, Dupont, now Flagler CO, FL, died 20 Jun 1997, Bunnell, Flagler CO, FL. Both buried Espanola Cemetery, Espanola, Flagler CO, FL.

He moved to what is now Flagler CO, FL with his family in 1906. He was a graduate of Bunnell High School and the Jones Business College in Jacksonville

He farmed and was in the cattle business with his father. The owner of the Bar-D-Ranch, he had farmed in Flagler CO for 33 years.

In Mar 1948 he had seven or eight acres of tobacco just about large enough for transplant. He said that tobacco could be grown successfully here, but because of federal acreage allotments, growers here can't get into the game.

He was the founder of and served as President of the Flagler CO Cattleman's Association for several years. He also served on the Flagler CO Board of Supervisors, the Bimini Drainage District and the Flagler County Soil Conservation District.

In the plat dated 27 Jan 1972 of DAYTONA NORTH which is located in the western part of Flagler CO, he and his wife Helen are shown as mortgagees with the owners of the subdivision the D & B Cattle Company with a C G Phillips listed as president.

Helen was a charter member of the General Joseph Eggleston Johnston Chapter #2317, United Daughters of the Confederacy, Bunnell, Flagler CO, FL joining on 14 May 1962 with eligibility based on the service record of Thomas Philip DeLeGal, Home Guard, FL Inf with a supplemental line to Arthur J T Wright, 3rd Reg, W FL Inf. She served as Registrar (1962-1996).

She was also a charter member of both the Pioneers of Bunnell and the Flagler County Historical Society. The family were members of the Bunnell Methodist Church. Issue;

(1) Patricia Ann Deen, born 14 Apr 1934, Halifax Hospital, Daytona Beach, Volusia CO, FL, married 21 Jul 1954, First Methodist Church, Bunnell, Flagler CO, FL, Charles Harold Cowart, Jr, son of Charles Hiram Coward and Esther Helen Davidson, born 15 Sep 1932, Pomona Park, Putnam CO, FL died 13 Nov 2018, Flagler CO, FL. Charles is buried in Espanola Cemetery, Flagler CO, FL.

Pat graduated from Bunnell High School class of 1952 and attended the University of Florida two years where she was active in campus affairs and was a member of Alpha Chi Omega Sorority.

She was a charter member of the General Joseph Eggleston Johnston Chapter #2317, United Daughters of the Confederacy, Bunnell, Flagler CO, FL joining on 14 May 1962 with eligibility based on the service record of Thomas Phillip DeLeGal, Hulls Home Guard, FL Inf. She served as Chaplain (1962-1966)

Charles was engaged in the turpentine business and was associated with his father in the cattle industry in Haw Creek. He served in the U. S, Army. Issue;

A. Charles Harold (Chuck) Cowart Jr, born 29 Apr 1955, Flagler Hospital, St Augustine, St Johns CO, FL, married 24 Feb 1978, United Methodist Church, Bunnell, Flagler CO, FL, Kimberly Ann (Kim) Gardner, dau of Joseph Henry (Joe) Gardner and JoAnn Weatherby, born 27 Nov 1960 (Div-17 Dec 1979).

Chuck Cowart married 2nd, 20 Mar 1982, St James Methodist Church, Palatka, Putnam CO, FL, Marguerite A Diehl, dau of Richard Diehl, born 04 Feb 1956, Orville, Wayne CO, OH. Issue;

a. Charles Larkin Cowart, born 10 May 1983

b. Brittney Lee Cowart, born 27 Jul 1986

B. Robert Deen (Rob) Cowart, born 10 May 1957, Flagler Hospital, St Augustine, St Johns CO, FL, married 20 Jun 1979, St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, Tarpon Springs, Pinellas CO, FL, Mary Frances Karaphillis, dau of Mike John Karaphillis and Norma LNU (Div-29 Sep 2000). Issue;

a. Robert Deen (Rhett) Cowart, Jr, born 24 Apr 1983, FL

C. Edee Coleen Cowart, born 26 Jan 1960, Flagler Hospital, St Augustine, St Johns CO, FL, married 25 Nov 1984, United Methodist Church, Bunnell, Flagler CO, FL, Royce Keith Hurst, son of Gordon Lee Hurst, Jr and Peggy Helen Carroll, born 16 Jul 1959, Montgomery CO, TX.

She was named a world champion in ladies breakaway roping in Columbus, MT in 1983. He was a graduate of Henderson High School, Henderson, Rusk CO, TX, Kilgore College and Stephen F Austin State University. He was president of H&H Oilfield Equipment Company. Issue;

a. Codee Hurst

(2) Sondra Deen, born 06 Nov 1939, St. Augustine, St Johns CO, FL, died 12 Sep 2005, Flagler CO, FL, married 30 Apr 1961, United Methodist Church, Bunnell, Flagler CO, FL, William Mintlow Burton Jr. (Div-Nov 1963). She was a Registered Nurse.

She was a graduate of Bunnell High School, attended the University of Florida where she pledged to Phi Mu Sorority. She also attended a business school in Miami and in Apr 1961 was working for a law firm in Miami

She is a registered nurse and was living in the Bimini area (Water Oak) in 1997. Sondra retired as a nurse at the prison in East Palatka in 2002.

She was a member of the General Joseph Eggleston Johnston Chapter #2317, United Daughters of the Confederacy, Bunnell, Flagler CO, FL joining on 15 Mar 1966 with eligibility based on the service record of Lt Col Arthur J T Wright, 3rd West FL Inf.

When we were kids, Sondra, Billy Deen, and I (Sisco Deen) used to ride our horses around Bunnell. Sondra had a proper horse; Billy and I had ponies (Tony and Daisy Mae, respectively)

Sondra married 2nd, 07 Mar 1964, Folkston, Charlton CO, GA, Charlton Daniel Wall, son of Roy Wall and Pauline Arlo Gillis, born 14 Jun 1935, Coffee CO, GA (Div). He was a resident of Miami but moved to Ft Lauderdale where he established a law firm around 1961. Issue;

A. Deen Scott Wall, born 05 Oct 1954, Douglas, Coffee CO, GA

B. Jodee Helen Wall, born 19 Aug 1966, Bunnell General Hospital, Bunnell, Flagler CO, FL, married 12 Nov 1988, Flagler CO, FL, Cliff Hamlin Carnado of Shreveport, Caddo Parrish, LA

Jodee Wall married 2nd, 19 Apr 1991, Boys Ranch, Altoona, Lake CO, FL, Guy Dale Motsinger, born 03 Sep 1963. Issue:

a. Korey Russell Motsinger, born 23 Nov 1991, Jacksonville, Duval CO, FL

b. Randa Helen Motsinger, born 12 Jul 2001, Jacksonville, Duval CO, FL

Robert Williams Deen married 2nd, 02 May 1954, First Methodist Church, Bunnell, Flagler CO, FL, Mary W LNU. (She was previously married to FNU Martindale and Lewis M Barrs)

Source: The First Families of Flagler by Mary Ketus Deen Holland who cites as her sources, Census and Published Articles.

Additional sources used by the compiler were: Census, 1900, Brooks CO, GA, Nakin, Dist. 1, 12 Jun 1900; 1920 United States Federal Census, Saint Johns, Flagler, Florida; 1930 United States Federal Census, Bunnell, Flagler, Florida; WWI Civilian Draft Registrations; World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918; Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997; Florida Marriage Collection, 1822-1875 and 1927-2001; Florida Divorce Index, 1927-2001; Social Security Death Index; Florida Death Index, 1877-1998 Record; The Flagler Tribune, Bunnell, FL, 06 May 1954, 08 Jul 1954, 16 May1957, 02 Jan 1958; 04 Feb 1960, 08 Oct 1964; 25 Mar 1966; 29 Jun 1967; Calvin Chastain Family information posted on ancestry.com; Geraldine Vaughn, Profiles, General Joe's Daughters, (Gen Jos Eggleton Johnston Chap 2317, UDC, Bunnell, FL, 2005); U.S. Public Records Index and personal knowledge.

Please send questions, corrections or additions to Sisco Deen, P.O. Box 637, Flagler Beach, FL 32136 or email him at Sisco_Deen@hotmail.com