1824 - 1885
John A. Roberts was born December 24, 1824, in Liberty, Amite County, Mississippi. His parents were Elvington E. Roberts and Susannah Fleming; he was the fifth of their six children. When he was still a young child the family moved to Caldwell Parish, Louisiana. They later settled in Catahoula (now LaSalle) Parish, near present day Urania.
On July 22, 1847, John married Mary Ann Sayre at the home of her grandmother, Lydia Bannister.
July 2, 1860, John received a US Land Grant across the parish line from Urania in Winn Parish, 80 1/3 acres in Section 11, T 11N -R 1E. The next year on May 10 he received 80 1/3 more acres in the same section. This is where John and Mary Ann raised their family.
According to a statement made by An a S. J. Harper
Well, what about our public schools of any kind? Well, we had none. There may have been a few private schools before the Civil War, but none of account for many years after. I had never gone to school a day when I was eleven years old.
In 1872 Uncle Jack Roberts and my father built a little split log school house some 3 miles north-east of Beech Creek Church and hired one Shelve West to teach a three month school during February, March and April.
Uncle Jack Roberts sent five children and paid $ 10 per month and Papa boarded the teacher and paid $ 5 per month and sent four children.
John died August 10, 1885. John and Mary Ann are believed to have been buried on their land. The location of their graves is unknown.