Owen K. Highsmith was born on 1/12/1848 in Wayne County, now designated Brantley. He was the son of David Highsmith (1802-1860 PWG Vol. I), and Annis Highsmith, daughter of Daniel Highsmith (PWG Vol III). Owen was married twice; first to Selener Counts Harrell, born about 1850, and died January 10, 1913. His 2nd marriage was to Tempie Hurst (known as Mrs. Tempie to Owen's children). Children born to and Owen K. and Selender are:
1. Laura, born June 28, 1870, and died August 30, 1900. She was married to Franklin Robert Harrison, born September 3, 1865, the son of Jonathan C. and Mary Moody Harrison. After Laura's death, Franklin Robert Harrison married Eva Highsmith, born Nov. 12, 1888 (died Oct. 1, 1939) the daughter of Leighton and Laura Willis Highsmith. Laura, Franklin, and Eva are buried at Whitaker Hill- Harrison Cemetery.
2. Edna Earle, born February 15, 1874, and died January 29, 1922. She married John Jones Saxon on July 3, 1890.
3. Marietta (Etta), born about 1875. She was married to James P. Harrell on October 5, 1892.
4. Allen Jackson (Jack), born August 8, 1878, and died May 3, 1953, He was married to Christa Ida Harris, daughter of J. Eben Harris, on September 19, 1900. Both are buried at Smyrna Cemetery, north of Lulaton, Georgia.
5. Clifford Amanda, born January 10, 1880, and died November 6, 1929. She was married to Noah Thomas Harris (PWG Vol IX) in about 1903. Both are buried at Smyrna Cemetery, north of Lulaton, Georgia
6. Vina (Vinnie) Michael, born about 1881, and died about 1934. She was married to George Edward Smith on October 4, 1899. She died about 1934 in Glynn County, Ga.
7. Annis, born about 1882, and married Collie Allen.
8. Dora, born about 1884, and died about 1901, due to extensive burns. She was married on July 26, 1900, to Alvin Osgood Drury. They had one child, Patrick Henry Drury, born in the early 1900's.
Owen and his family lived on a small farm located approximately 1 1/2 miles directly south of a small non-incorporated community in Wayne (now Brantley) County, Georgia, called Lulaton. Due to it's location on the old Brunswick and Western Railway (B & W) (east-west), Lulaton's population grew in the 1800's and early 1900's as a commercial community to transport timber and naval stores to markets. It also provided mercantile stores for to accommodate early pioneers who had settled along the Satilla river basin, and other surrounding farmlands.
Mrs. Annis Highsmith, wife of David, was living with her son Owen K. and and his wife Selener at time of the 1870 Wayne County Census; and with her son Moses and his wife Dora Knox Jones (daughter of John Knox and widow of Harley Jones) at the 1880 Census of Wayne County. Annis Highsmith died 10/1/1881.
Owen's first wife, Selender, died on 1/10/1913. Owen died four years later on 6/4/1917. Tempie Hurst, Owen's second wife died on 3/13/1951. All are buried at the Smyrna Cemetery in Brantley County, about 1 1/2 miles north of Lulaton.
No Children were born to Miss Tempie Hurst and Owen K. Highsmith.