Jestern Coots was born in 1816 in Eastern Tennessee, the daughter of Jacob Coots and Polly Goins Coots. She married c. 1837 in Missouri to Rev. John George Castoe, who was born in Wood County, West Virginia in 1805. They had nine children all born in Missouri or Arkansas. (Submitted by Winnie Bell)

Jestern coots
1840 Taney Co., MO
CASTO, John George
Jestern (COOTS)
Mary Louise - under 5

(Note: For information, I am listing other families on the same census, which we think are also related, even though the names are spelled differently.)

COOCH, Polly
(In the household there are 3 males, and 1 female besides Polly. We think that this could be Jestern's mother)

COATS, Andrew
(Jestern had a brother Andy, we think this could be him.
He is listed with 2 males, 1 under 5years, 1- five to ten years. I old man, and himself.
There is his wife, and 2 female kids.)

Cootze, John
(Jestern also had a brother John, We don't know if this is him or not.
He is listed with a wife and a child under 5.)

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1850 Barry Co., MO
CASTER, John G . - 34 - m - Blacksmith - VA
Jestine - 34 - f - TN
Mary L - 11 - f - MO
George W. - 10 - m - MO
Robert - 7 - m - MO
Sarah - 5 - f - AR
David - 3 - m - AR
Virginia - 1 - f - MO

( As shown two of the children are born in Arkansas.
We know that they were in Montgomery Co., AR and that Jestern's brother Uriah Coots was there also and a James Mays who in the 1850 census of Searcy Co, AR is married to a Catherine Coots who has three children: Andrew 15, Amanda 13, and Rachel10.
We don't have a clue why they would travel that far to another mountainous area.)

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1860 BARRY CO., MO
(Shoal Creek Township-July 16, 1860)

CASTOR, J. G. - 44 - m - Farmer - VA
Jestin - 44 - f - TN
Robert - 17 - Farm Labor - MO
Sarah - 15 - AR
David - 13 - AR
Virginia - 11 - MO
William - 9 - MO
John - 6 - MO
James - 3 - MO
George - 19 - Mar in year - MO
Sarah J. - 18 - Mar in year - KY

(The George and Sarah J. Sears Castoe shown above are my ggrandparents. The Castoes oldest daughter, Mary Louisa has married George David Sears and is also living in Barry Co. Another Castoe son, Robert, will marry Leticia Sears. Thus, three Castoe children marry three Sears brother and sisters, creating many sets of double cousins.)
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1860 Barry Co., MO Census
Capps Creek Township
July 20, 1860

COATS, Elizabeth - 22 - IN - (Domestic)
Lucinda - 19 - IN
George - 14 - MO
Catharine - 12 - MO
Jacob - 5 - MO- (Deaf & Dumb caused by Mumps)

NOTE: Even though this group are listed as Coats, we are pretty sure that they are Coots.
My gggrandfather, John G. Casto, whose wife was Jestern Coots, performed the marriage of Lucinda.
As far as I have been able to tell, he only married family or persons close to family. The names are all good for Coots children, but we have no idea who they belong to.
Families living next door are: Whites, Browning, Collins, Montgomery and Haddocks.
Submitted by Winnie Bell
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1860 Camden county Missouri: Jackson Twsp.

Uriah Coots - 46 - farm laborer - Tenn
Susannah - 45 - Ky.
Lucinda - 20 - Ind.
Sarah - 10 - Mo.
Elizabeth - 8 - Ark.
Louisa H. - 6 - Ark.
James M. - 5 - Ark.
Joseph A. - 3 - Mo.

1870 LAWRENCE CO., MO
( Turnback Township)

Castow, John - 54 - F - VA
Jeston - 54 - KH - TN
William - 19 - BSS - MO
John - 16 - WOF - MO
James - 13 - WOF - MO

( In the occupation column above, BSS stands for Blacksmith Shop and WOF is Works on Farm. John George Casto was a blacksmith by trade also. William Riley Castoe would have his own blacksmith shop in AR. The youngest son, James Calip Castoe is the direct line for the husband of another researcher, Wanda Castoe.)

1880 Moniteau county Missouri:

Uriah Coots - w - m - 66 - Tenn.
Susa - w - 65 - Ky.
Lucinda - d - 40 - Ind.
Ambrose - s - 33 - Mo.
John g.s. - 14? - Mo.
Eyre (Uriah) g.s. - 8 - Mo.
Lustta g.d. - 6 Mo.

Susannah, Uriah's wife dies 11 Oct 1882 in Moniteau co. Mo. and is buried in the Old Lebanon Cemetery, McGirk, Missouri. Uriah dies after 1892 according to his Civil War papers. But no definite date.

Jemima Coots, Uriahs dau. by Elizabeth Gross marrys Elisha McGee in Barry county Missouri 10 Jul 1856 and they have two sons, Elisha & Uriah McGee.
In 1860 Jemima is living with the Hiram Skinner family with her two children ages 2 & 1.
After this I can not find Jemima. She may have married but there are no marriage records for Camden county Missouri that early because of a fire.
I have found some descendants of Uriah Coots but they don't have as much information as I do.
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1880 Lawrence Co., MO
(Turnback Township)

Castoe, John G. - 64 - VA - VA - VA
Jeston - 64 - TN - TN - TN
William R. - 16 - KS - MO - KY

( William R., above, is my grandfather living with his grandparents.)

In 1894, John George and Jestern Coots Castoe moved with some of their sons to Pope Co., AR. They are listed on the 1895 tax rolls there. During this same time Jestern tries to apply for citizenship with the Cherokee Nation West. She is rejected because she does not live within the boundaries of the established nation. From the papers we learn that her parents are Jacob and Polly Goins Coots, Her grandparents are Thomas and Jemima Sinnes Goins, and her ggrandparents are full-blood indians with the name of Benjamin Sinnes. Benjamin and relative are listed on the 1835 Henderson Roll of the Cherokees living in Jackson Co., AL.
Jestern dies in Searcy Co., AR sometime between 1896 and 1900 of consumption. She is buried in the Witts Springs Cemetery in Searcy Co. Her husband, John, moved to Benton Co., AR with their son, William Riley Castoe. He died there around 1905, and is buried in Gamble Cemetery at Centerton, AR.

(Note: You will notice the many spellings of Casto in the census. These are the way they were in the original census, not my typos.
Even in our families today the spelling can be either Castoe or Casto. Also the spelling of Jestern is recorded many ways, but she herself gave it as Jestern on the indian papers. You might have also noted that the age of her husband John George Castoe differs from the date given at the introduction. In a newspaper interview of 1899 in Searcy Co., AR, John says that he was born in 1805, the same is true of his Civil War papers, but in every census his birthday is listed the same as Jesterns. Who knows why?
Jestern's father Jacob was also called Jack Coots. In the indian papers, one witness list three of Jestern's brothers: Jacob Coots who married Mary Jane Stoneman, John Coots, and Abe Coots.)