Passed down & believed to be written by Oma Townsend,
granddaughter of John F. Elliott
Submitted by Glenn Elliott
John F. Elliott was born April 7, 1829 in Tennessee. He died July 5, 1902 at Lipan, Texas and was buried there in the Baptist Cemetery.
He had a brother, William Elliott, who lived in East Texas, and that’s probably when he slowly wended his way toward the Lone Star State.
It is presumed that he met and married his first wife in Arkansas. To this union were born four children, Wright, James called Doss, Demetria called Ellen, and Charles. Wright, Doss and Ellen were born in Arkansas. Charles was born in Louisiana. When Wright was a young man, he left home and the family never knew what happened to him. They presumed he went to Arkansas. Charles must have died.
Doss married Elizabeth and they had three daughters, Nancy L., Cora and Betty. Elizabeth became mentally ill and lived in the Terrell Hospital for seventeen years. She was dismissed from the hospital, made Doss a good wife for several years and died in East Texas. He died in the 1920’s and was buried at Paint Rock, Texas.
Ellen was married three times. Her first husband was Albert Robertson. Their children were Emma, Frank and Ida.
Her second husband was Frank Foy. Their children were Ada and Frank. Mr. Foy’s team of horses ran away going down Baird Hill and he was killed.
Ellen’s third husband was a Mr. Roberts, probably he was her best husband. He committed suicide.
John F. Elliott’s brother, William H. Elliott and wife, Laura, were both born in Tennessee. Their children were Wright, Jesse, Cora and P. Henderson all born in Texas. Cora married an Arnold, and had four or five children. She was a school teacher. Her daughters, with their husbands, became prominent citizens near Leuders. Cora lived her last years at Leuders and was buried there.
Pinkney H. Elliott was a prominent man in Greenville, Texas. A young daughter studied too much and became mentally ill. She set fire to their home. Another daughter was a good friend of an A.A.U.W. state president one or two years in the 1950’s.
John F. Elliott’s second wife was S. Elizabeth Armstrong who was born September 2, 1839 in Alabama. She died March 11, 1906 while living with her son, John Elliott, in Merkel, Texas and was buried in the Merkel Cemetery. She was a remarkable lady. She waited on every one and was of the Primitive Baptist Faith. Her granddaughter, Oma Townsend, had the same wonderful qualities as she.
John F. and Elizabeth’s children were John, George W., Sarah E. (known as Lula) and Arthur F. were all born in Texas. The Hood County, Texas U.S. Census shows they were raising an orphan boy, Major Cambell, two years old.
During the Civil War, John F. Elliott had poor eye sight, and couldn’t enlist in the army. He became a wheel wright and made wagon wheels for the army.
John Elliott was a windmill merchant in Merkel and was considered “well-to-do.” George W. said John “made a dollar to every nickel he made.” John married Sally White, an orphan girl, at Lipan. To this union were born Roy, Lloyd, Jack, Bessie and Elsa. Roy was a career army man. Bessie died when she was a child. Roy’s first wife died in the Philippine Islands. He had three daughters by his second wife. Lloyd married a Boston girl and he was a mechanic. Miller was a printer. Both Jack and Elsa died then they were in their twenties.
John went and moved to San Antonio. In 1936 or ’37, he was run over by a car and was killed. John, Sally, Jack and Elsa are buried in San Antonio.
Lula was courted by Buck Blackwell. She thought he was a rich man, because he drove a different span of horses each time he came to call. She married him, but later became disillusioned and after years ran off with another man. Buck took her back. Their children were Claude, John, Earl, Clifford, Leta and Cecil. Claude got a government job in Washington, D.C., and Buck and Lula moved to Maryland. They died and were buried there. Claude was killed in a hunting accident. Earl lived and died at San Angelo. John’s wife ran off with another man and left him with four boys to raise. All the men except Cecil have passed away by 1984. Leta also died.
Arthur was really the black sheep of the family. He stole some horses and spent a term in the state penitentiary. He married Ava Baker at Lipan. After raising a big family, his wife divorced him. Names of some of his children were Seay, Irene, Hal, Ralph and Pauline. Arthur fussed with a neighbor and caused Hal to be killed. Ralph married an Indian girl in Oklahoma and became a millionaire. At this writing very few of Arthur’s children are living. A tractor fell on Ralph and killed him.
Arthur married again. He was too old to make a living for his two daughters by his last wife who were reared in the Methodist Orphan’s Home in Waco. They were grown and married when he died in Waco. He was born February 23, 1877 and died October 12, 1952.
George W. Elliott was born at Carthage, Panola County, Texas September 6, 1863. He moved with his family to Hill County and thence to Hood County. He married Mary Alice Compton March 26, 1885 and died April 11, 1932.
George went to school very little, for his father became blind, and he had to work. He liked to read and write letters. His reading consisted of the Bible and newspapers. He was able to quote many verses of scripture.
George was a member of the First Baptist Church organized at Lipan in 1876. It was on the bank of Crockery Creek, by the old Baptist Cemetery in the country. He was the first deacon to be ordained and that was in 1889. He was licensed to preach the gospel in 1890. In 1894, the members voted to move the church to the Lipan school building.
George became a charter member of the Woodmen of the World Lodge January 29, 1900 at Lipan. He was a member of the I.O.O.F (Oddfellows) Lodge, which was organized January 19, 1884. He was also a member of the Masonic Lodge at Lipan, which was granted a charter December 16, 1882. He retained his membership in that lodge until his death. He dropped his membership in the other two lodges.
At a later time, George became a member of the Methodist in Lipan.
In December, 1905, he, with his wife, Alice, and three children moved to Stephens County.
George was a “straight-laced” man. He never smoked or drank alcohol beverages. He never made love to any other woman except his wife. He called her “my little angel.” He never contacted his brother for he was ashamed of the life Arthur had led.
Alice’s father, Yelverton O. Compton, was born February 26, 1837 in Missouri and died about 1871 or ’72 in Arkansas and was buried in Randolph County. He enlisted in the Confederate army designated as the 6th Regiment Missouri Cavalry Division, Company G, on August 24, 1862 at Washington County, Arkansas. He entered as a private and was promoted to corporal February 1, 1863. He was a prisoner of war and surrendered May 11, 1865. He was paroled at Jacksonport, Arkansas June 6, 1865.
Y.O. married Sarah L. Iles (Ales) August 12, 1858 in Missouri. She was born November 16, 1836 in Missouri and died March 23, 1902. To this union were born six children. A son was born dead June 25, 1859.