The Demus Family will host the 1st Mega Demus Family Reunion at the Embassy Suites on Northwest Highway, near Dallas Love Field this weekend. Our very own Religion Editor Sister Shirley Tarpley is a proud member of the Demus family and an heir of David N. Demus.
The family will spend a full day, July 12, 2014 in Mexia, Texas, approximately 92 Miles south of Dallas, a place where their ancestors were born and/or grew up.
They are excited to receive a welcome letter from Governor Rick Perry, the longest serving governor in United States history. Also, from the mayor of Mexia; as well as the mayor of Carrollton, Texas.
Activities will include a church service in the ballroom of the Embassy Suites on Sunday morning, July 13th at 11 a.m.and the public is invited to attend. Bishop Carl Morgan, an heir of Nicholas Demus is delivering the message. He is also the father of Michael Morgan, a member of the 2014 Super Bowl Champions the Seattle Seahawks.
According to family history, the last name was passed down through Deacon David N. Demus’ heirs and that the unusual last name comes from John 3:1-8. (The New Birth)
“There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? . . .”
Sis. Tarpley shared, “We were taught to go to church, to be a servant for God, support our church, our pastor and our sisters and brothers in the Lord.
From the beginning of this lineage in Texas our family legacy is to honor God, to worship Him, to praise His Holy name and to magnify His name above everything. He deserves all of the praise.”
The history of Nicholas Demus
In Texas, which was a “Slave State” prior to 1865, when Black people in Texas heard the news, two years after it was declared that all slavery in the United States was abolished; that Boy Means was a slave on the Means farm; it was only after 1865 that Nicholas Demus name can be found recorded in the county records and recorded in the United States Census where he lived.
Sister Tarpley has a picture with the last official document of the Emancipation Proclamation that is held by the State of Texas when it was loaned to the State Fair of Texas.
Research uncovered that in 1870 and after that Nicholas Demus owned property in Texas. In fact, his two sons, George N. Demus and David N. Demus owned more property than their Dad in Texas.
George and David were the two Demus Deacons along with Deacon Rainey of the church that purchased land for a church and school for Black children. It still stands today. It is Union Primitive Baptist Church. That’s one of the historical landmarks that have been planned for a day visit, July 12, when the family goes to Mexia, Texas during the First Demus Mega Family Reunion 2014.
Nicholas Demus had five sons (Fleetwood N. Demus, Chester N. Demus, George N. Demus, Lud N. Demus and David N. Demus (the “N” in the middle of their names, reportedly meant they were sons of Nicholas Demus) and one daughter, Lucy Demus Jackson, married to Rev. Mack Jackson, the first pastor appointed by the Deacons (George N., David N. and the other Deacons at Union Primitive Baptist Church.
Nicholas Demus had all of his children by Bettye Demus (maiden name unknown). In those days when females married, they ceased using their maiden name, that’s why it is difficult to trace females in our history and most official records.
Texas Demus Ancestry
Nicholas (1820, Virginia – 1880, Texas) & Bettie (1821, Alabama – 1872 in Texas) Demus
Deacon David N. (1870 – 1959 in Texas) & Ida Rutherford (1871 – 1964 in Texas) Demus
Lloyd David (1910, Mexia – 1970, Dallas) & Cedella Baker (1912, Mexia – 1984, Dallas) Demus
Eloyd Della Demus Avery (1933 in Mexia – 2013 in Dallas)
Billie Iveree Demus Daye (1935 in Mexia – 2013 in Dallas)
James David Demus (1935 in Mexia – 2013 in Dallas)
{James was bon 11 months after Billie; no mistake on the year 1935}
Ida Mae Demus Eggins (October 31, 1938 in Forney, Texas)
Frank Demus (1940 – 1984 in Dallas)
Shirley Jean Demus Tarpley (August 2, 1941 in Dallas, Texas)
Rose Mary Demus Watson Fielding (April 11, 1945 in Dallas, Texas)
Harold Edward Demus (1947 – 2010 in Dallas)
So very proud to call this family my very own