Person Page - 24

Ann Higginbotham

• Father: Col. Samuel Higginbotham^1,2
• Mother: Jane Satterwhite^3,4

• Birth*: She was born on 8 May 1772 in Amherst County, Virginia.^5,6
• Marriage*: She married William Fortson, son of Lt. Thomas Fortson Jr. and Rachel Winn, on 7 August 1794 in Elberton, Elbert County, Georgia.^7,6
• Death*: She died on 21 April 1852 in Eutaw, Greene County, Alabama, at age 79.^8,6
• Burial*: Interment was in Eutaw, Greene County, Alabama.⁶

• Last Edited: 12 Sep 2004

Richard Fortson¹

• Father: Lt. Thomas Fortson Jr.^2,3,4 b. 1 May 1742, d. 15 Feb 1824
• Mother: Rachel Winn^5,6,7 b. c 1743, d. 15 Feb 1824

• Birth*: He was born on 6 February 1778 in Orange County, Virginia.^8,9,10
• Marriage*: He married Lucy Tate Arnold, daughter of William Arnold Jr. and Susannah Tate, circa 1799 in Elbert County, Georgia.^11,10,12
• Death*: He died on 2 November 1836 in Harris County, Georgia, at age 58.^13,14

• Note*: • One family history says he was born on 6 Feb 1778, while another family history says he was born on 6 Dec 1778. Both books are by the same author.
  • His place of death may have been Harris County, Georgia.^15,16,17

• Last Edited: 16 Dec 2020

Lucy Tate Arnold

• Father: William Arnold Jr.^1,2
• Mother: Susannah Tate³

• Birth*: She was born on 7 April 1778 in Louisa County, Virginia.^4,5,6
• Marriage*: She married Richard Fortson, son of Lt. Thomas Fortson Jr. and Rachel Winn, circa 1799 in Elbert County, Georgia.^5,4,7
• Death*: She died on 18 September 1847 in Harris County, Virginia, at age 69.^5,4,6

• Last Edited: 16 Dec 2020

Mildred ('Milly') Fortson^1,2

• Father: Lt. Thomas Fortson Jr.³ b. 1 May 1742, d. 15 Feb 1824
• Mother: Rachel Winn⁴ b. c 1743, d. 15 Feb 1824

• Marriage*: She married John Willis.²
• Birth*: She was born in Orange County, Virginia.^2,5

• Note*: They had eight children.²

• Last Edited: 5 Jul 1997

John Willis¹

• Marriage*: He married Mildred ('Milly') Fortson, daughter of Lt. Thomas Fortson Jr. and Rachel Winn.²

• Note*: He was a soldier in the Revolutionary Army. Records suggest he built the Elberton Academy and the Elbert County, Georgia courthouse.²

• Last Edited: 6 Jul 1996

Jesse Fortson

• Father: Lt. Thomas Fortson Jr.¹ b. 1 May 1742, d. 15 Feb 1824
• Mother: Rachel Winn² b. c 1743, d. 15 Feb 1824

• Birth*: He was born on 17 December 1783 in Orange County, Virginia.^3,4,5,6
• Marriage*: He married Mary B. White, daughter of Daniel White and Mary ('Polly') Ballinger, circa 1800 in Elbert County, Georgia.^7,4,6
• Death*: He died on 2 April 1828 in Elbert County, Georgia, at age 44.^8,4,9

• Note*: He may have been born in 1773. They had seven children.¹⁰

• Last Edited: 27 Feb 2012

Mary B. White

• Father: Daniel White^1,2 b. 1746, d. 1808
• Mother: Mary ('Polly') Ballinger³

• Birth*: She was born on 19 May 1783.^4,5
• Marriage*: She married Jesse Fortson, son of Lt. Thomas Fortson Jr. and Rachel Winn, circa 1800 in Elbert County, Georgia.^6,7,5
• Death*: She died on 2 September 1827 at age 44.^4,5

• Last Edited: 7 Jun 2003

Anthony Morgan III

• Father: Anthony Morgan Jr.¹
• Mother: Anne Dunkin²

• Birth*: He was born in 1686.³
• Marriage*: He married Olive Judi Michaux, daughter of Abraham Michaux and Susanne Rochet, circa 1725.⁴
• Death*: He died in 1763.³

• Note*: He was a witness to the will of his mother-in-law, Susanne Michaux, and the probate records in Goochland County, Virginia describe him as a Quaker whose affirmation, rather than oath (as with the other witness), was taken to prove her will.

• Last Edited: 10 Feb 1998

• Charts: Pedigree of Roger F. Bartlett Sr.

Benjamin Franklin Fortson¹

• Father: Benjamin Joseph Fortson² b. 1820, d. 17 Sep 1855
• Mother: Elizabeth Ann Titus Holliday³ b. 28 Feb 1824, d. 1867

• Birth*: He was born in 1846 in Monroe County, Mississippi.^4,5
• Marriage*: He married Mary Pauline ('Molly') Cravens, daughter of John Earle Cravens, on 1 July 1873 in Navarro County, Texas.^6,7,8
• Death*: He died in January 1883 in Corsicana, Navarro County, Texas.^9,10

• Last Edited: 5 Jul 2006

• Charts: Descendants of Lt. Thomas Fortson Jr. and Rachel Winn

Julia Ann Catherine Fortson¹

• Father: Benjamin Joseph Fortson^2,3 b. 1820, d. 17 Sep 1855
• Mother: Elizabeth Ann Titus Holliday^4,5 b. 28 Feb 1824, d. 1867

• Birth*: She was born in 1848 in Mississippi.^6,7
• Marriage*: She married James Smart.^8,9

• Note*: One source gives her name as Katherine. She may have lived in Stephens County, Texas.

• Last Edited: 7 Jul 2006

• Charts: Descendants of Lt. Thomas Fortson Jr. and Rachel Winn

Mary Ann Mildred Fortson¹

• Father: John Fortson^2,3,4 b. 6 Feb 1794, d. 6 Dec 1860
• Mother: Sarah ('Sally') Moore^5,6,7 b. 13 May 1792, d. 27 Jan 1847

• Birth*: She was born on 5 March 1815.^8,9,10
• Marriage*: She married George W. Blair on 29 June 1837 in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama.^{11,12,13,14,15}
• Death*: She died on 25 June 1888 in Aberdeen, Monroe County, Mississippi, at age 73.¹⁶
• Burial*: Interment was in plot 256, Odd Fellows Rest Cemetery, Aberdeen, Monroe County, Mississippi.¹⁶

• Last Edited: 26 Jul 2021

• Charts: Descendants of Lt. Thomas Fortson Jr. and Rachel Winn

John Thomas Fortson¹

• Father: John Fortson^2,3,4,5 b. 6 Feb 1794, d. 6 Dec 1860
• Mother: Sarah ('Sally') Moore^6,7,8,9,10 b. 13 May 1792, d. 27 Jan 1847

• Birth*: He was born on 18 February 1817 in Elbert County, Georgia.^11,12
• Marriage*: He married Judy Ann Eliza ('Lizzie') Dupuy, daughter of William L. Dupey and _____ _____.^13,14
• Death*: He died on 10 April 1859 in Monroe County, Mississippi, at age 42.^15,16,17,18
• Burial*: Interment was in Old Aberdeen Cemetery, Aberdeen, Monroe County, Mississippi.^11,17

• Scrapbook*: "$125 Dollars Reward.
     "ABSCONDED from the subscriber living near Mullin’s Bluff, in Lowndes county, on the night of the 22d inst. FOUR NEGROES, of the following description, to wit:
     "JIM, thirty five years old, five feet nine or ten inches high, inclined to be yellow, his face rather rough:
     "Also his wife, MILLEY or ISABELLA, about 24 or 25 years of age, of the same complexion, stout and likely, lisps slightly: Also her two children, GIRLS, one an Infant, five months old; the other about five years old; has bad eyes, and has had holes in her ears.
     "I have cause to suspect they were decoyed off by some villainous LOAFER, as they left without provocation. The above reward will be given upon the arrest and conviction of the thief, and twenty-five dollars for any information of the negroes, so that I get them.
     "JOHN FORTSON,
     "Columbus, Mi. April 30, 1839."¹⁹
• Obituary*: "JOHN T. FORTSON was born February the 8th, 1817 in Elbert County, Georgia. Died April the 10th, 1859 at his residence in Monroe County, Mississippi. About the year 1834 he settled in Lowndes County, near Waverly, since which time he has been a citizen of Miss; and for the last 12 or 15 years, a resident of Monroe County. He, at one time, represented this county in the State Legislature, with honor to himself and his constituents. It is true that he never made politics a study, or a profession, nor had political office any charms for him, but on the contrary, was really distasteful. Yet few men in the county had more influence, or whose judgement [sic] was more reliable in matters of state or national concern. All his political aspirations grew out of the solicitation of personal friendship.
     JOHN T. FORTSON was, in many respects an excellent specimen of the "Prairie Planter." Eminently practical, energetic and succesful, commencing life in a new country with small means, in a few years he amassed a handsome fortune, which he leaves as a legacy for his children. He was a good neighbor, a kind and humane master, a generous, devoted friend, and a hospitable, liberal man. He had his faults and they were not concealed in life; now that he is dead let them be as voiceless as the grave in which he sleeps—and like the burial years of the dead past, let them, too, sleep on forever."²⁰
• Note*: He was a student at the University of Alabama in 1833 and was a representative to the Mississippi General Assembly.²¹

• Last Edited: 10 Mar 2023

• Charts: Descendants of Lt. Thomas Fortson Jr. and Rachel Winn

Sarah Frances Fortson¹

• Father: John Fortson^2,3,4 b. 6 Feb 1794, d. 6 Dec 1860
• Mother: Sarah ('Sally') Moore^5,6,7 b. 13 May 1792, d. 27 Jan 1847

• Birth*: She was born on 7 December 1818 in Elbert County, Georgia.^8,9,10,11
• Marriage*: She married Ulysses ('Ulys' or 'Eules') S. McAllister, son of Barnabas McAllister and Elizabeth Moore, on 13 July 1836 in Greene County, Alabama.^12,13
• Death*: She died on 2 October 1897 in Aberdeen, Monroe County, Mississippi, at age 78.^9,11
• Burial*: Interment was in Aberdeen, Monroe County, Mississippi.¹¹

• Note*: One source says they married in Aberdeen, Mississippi. They lived in Aberdeen, Mississippi. A jaconet dress originally owned by Sarah's grandmother, Mary Lewis Moore, was rescued by a slave who, knowing how Sarah treasured the dress, ran into the McAllisters' home as it was being burned by Union troops in 1863. The dress and a luster mug used in the Moores' home during the American Revolution were still in the family in 1988 and are pictured in A History of Monroe County, Mississippi published that year.^14,15,16

• Last Edited: 26 Aug 2005

• Charts: Descendants of Lt. Thomas Fortson Jr. and Rachel Winn

(Daughter) Glenn

• Father: J. Curtis Glenn^1,2
• Mother: Martha Eugenia ('Mattie') Fortson^1,3 b. 4 May 1868, d. 20 Sep 1893

• Birth*: She was born on 10 May 1893.⁴
• Death*: She died on 10 September 1893.⁴
• Burial*: Interment was in Old Cemetery, Chatfield, Navarro County, Texas.⁴

• Last Edited: 10 Jul 1999

• Charts: Descendants of William Clayton and Sally Davis, Descendants of Lt. Thomas Fortson Jr. and Rachel Winn

Joseph Benjamin ('Joe B') Fortson Jr.^1,2

Joe B. Fortson, Jr., 8 Aug 1970, courtesy of Ann Dilworth Cavender.

• Father: Joseph Benjamin Fortson Sr.^3,4 b. 31 Mar 1872, d. 22 Nov 1950
• Mother: Lyda McGee^5,6 b. 22 Dec 1880, d. 13 Dec 1967

• Birth*: He was born on 13 July 1905 in Rice, Navarro County, Texas.^7,8,9
• Marriage*: He married Ruby Loyce Sykes on 28 August 1935.^8,10
• Marriage*: He married Mary Frances Prince, daughter of Elmer Prince and Addie Louise _____, on 29 August 1986 in Orange County, Texas.¹¹
• Death*: He died on 23 September 1988 in Rice, Navarro County, Texas, at age 83.^12,8,13
• Burial*: Interment was on 24 September 1988 in row 6, section C, Oakwood Cemetery, Corsicana, Navarro County, Texas.^14,15

• Note*: He attended Texas Military Academy and Vanderbilt University. He was a director of First State Bank in Rice from 1950 to his death and of First National Bank of Corsicana and its successors from 1952 to his death. He was a member of Haynie Memorial Methodist Church of Rice all his life and of First United Methodist Church of Corsicana since 1923. He was an investor, farmer, and rancher.¹⁶

• Last Edited: 24 Jan 2017

• Charts: Descendants of William Clayton and Sally Davis, Descendants of Lt. Thomas Fortson Jr. and Rachel Winn

Laura M. Fortson

Laura Fortson Johnston, from Navarro County History, vol. 6, p. 406.

• Father: Joseph Benjamin Fortson Sr.^1,2,3 b. 31 Mar 1872, d. 22 Nov 1950
• Mother: Lyda McGee^4,5,6 b. 22 Dec 1880, d. 13 Dec 1967

• Birth*: She was born on 7 August 1907 in Rice, Navarro County, Texas.^{7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14}
• Marriage*: She married Eliot Alexander Johnston, son of Horace Greeley Johnston and Genevive Chancey, on 26 January 1928 in her parents' home, Corsicana, Navarro County, Texas.^15,16,17,11
• Death*: She died on 2 November 2002 in Corsicana, Navarro County, Texas, at age 95.^18,19
• Burial*: Interment was on 6 November 2002 in Oakwood Cemetery, Corsicana, Navarro County, Texas.^18,13

• Scrapbook*: "Corsicana's Roger Q. Mills Home Is Now State Historic Landmark.
     "The historic Roger Q. Mills Home here has been named a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, significant to the history of this community and state, and worthy of preservation, today announced Charles Woodburn of Amarillo, president of the Texas State Historical Survey Committee.
     "As a result of meeting TSHSC requirements for this high official designation, the Texas Historical Building Medallion with interpretive plate giving a capsule history of the structure will be affixed to the structure.
     "Dedication of the marker will be announced by Arthur Patrick, chairman of the Navarro County Historical Survey Committee.
     "A certificate signed by Gov. John Connally, Charles Woodburn, and Patrick will be presented at the dedication.
     "The inscription on the marker reads:
     "'Roger Q. Mills home. Outstanding example plantation architecture. Was long the home of U. S. Senator Roger Quarles Mills (1832-1911). Born in Kentucky, Mills came to Corsicana in 1852. Was colonel in Civil War; served Texas 27 years as congressman, senator. Married: five children.
     "'He built northwest section of House in 1856, used some of logs from cabin built on same site in 1847. House was completed 1875.
     "'Broad verandas, carriage lamps are reminders of gracious era.
     "'Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, 1967 restored by Mr. and Mrs. Eliot A. Johnston.'
     "The aluminum markers with Swedish steel effect are handsome and require practically no maintenance. More than 3,300 Official Texas Historical Markers have been awarded throughout Texas since 1964 when the Texas State Historical Survey Committee initiated its 5-year RAMPS Program. This program is designed to Record, Appreciate, Mark, Preserve and Survey the history of Texas.
     "This marker and its location will appear in the next edition of the "Guide to Official Texas Historical Markers," in tourist guides and on maps to stimulate tourist interest in this area, to provide interest on historical tours, and to acquaint the people of Navarro County with their own unique historical past."²⁰
• Note*: She graduated from Corsicana (Tex.) High School and Ward-Belmont College in Nashville, Tennessee and attended Southern Methodist University. Laura and her family lived in the antebellum home of U.S. Senator Roger Q. Mills on West Second Avenue in Corsicana, which they bought in 1944 and which bears a Texas historical marker. She was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Corsicana, The Study Club, Friends of the Library, and the Daughters of the American Revolution. She was survived by two granddaughters, a grandson, three great-granddaughters, three great-grandsons, a great-great-granddaughter, and a great-great-grandson.^18,21,11

• Last Edited: 29 Oct 2020

• Charts: Descendants of William Clayton and Sally Davis, Descendants of Lt. Thomas Fortson Jr. and Rachel Winn

John McGee Fortson¹

• Father: Joseph Benjamin Fortson Sr.^2,3 b. 31 Mar 1872, d. 22 Nov 1950
• Mother: Lyda McGee^4,5 b. 22 Dec 1880, d. 13 Dec 1967

• Birth*: He was born on 11 December 1909.^6,7
• Death*: He died on 9 June 1912 in the family home, Rice, Navarro County, Texas, at age 2.^8,9
• Burial*: Interment was in row 9, section E, Oakwood Cemetery, Corsicana, Navarro County, Texas.⁶

• Obituary*: LITTLE JOHN MCGEE FORTSON SUCCUMBS
  Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Fortson's Baby Boy Died Sunday Evening After Suffering Great Pain
  John McGee, the little two and one half year old son of Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Fortson died at their home at 7:30 o'clock Sunday evening after an illness of about one week.
  Everything that was possible for human hands to do was done to prolong his little life, but to no avail. He steadily grew worse until the end came and death relieved his suffering.
  The news of his death spread over town as if on wings of the wind and left sorrow wherever it touched and brought many expressions of heart-felt sympathy for the bereaved ones.
  Impressive funeral services were held at the residence by Rev. Riley at 3 o'clock Monday afternoon. Many of the friends and relatives of the sorrowing family were present and as theylooked upon the sweet, placid little body in its white casket and surrounded by beautiful and fragrant flowers - yet no more beautiful and pure than the little face within - their hearts swelled with sympathy for the bereaved father and mother. The remains were interred in the Rice cemetery at 4 o'clock Monday afternoon.
  Mr. and Mrs. Fortson have the profound sympathy of the entire town and community.¹⁰

• Last Edited: 17 Aug 2013

• Charts: Descendants of William Clayton and Sally Davis, Descendants of Lt. Thomas Fortson Jr. and Rachel Winn

James Edwin Fortson^1,2

James Edwin Fortson, courtesy of his family.

• Father: Joseph Benjamin Fortson Sr.^3,4 b. 31 Mar 1872, d. 22 Nov 1950
• Mother: Lyda McGee^5,6 b. 22 Dec 1880, d. 13 Dec 1967

• Birth*: He was born on 5 September 1921 in Rice, Navarro County, Texas.^7,8,9
• Marriage*: He married Anita Marie Hurley, daughter of Willie Monroe Hurley and Nettie Lee Collins, on 27 June 1945 in Corsicana, Navarro County, Texas.^10,7,11,12
• Death*: He died on 27 June 2011 in his residence, Corsicana, Navarro County, Texas, at age 89.
• Burial*: Interment was on 2 July 2011 in Oakwood Cemetery, Corsicana, Navarro County, Texas.^13,14

• Note*: Excerpt from his newspaper obituary: "James Edwin Fortson, 89, went to be with his Lord, and be reunited with his late wife Marie Hurley Fortson on their 66th wedding anniversary June 27, 2011. Born Sept. 5, 1921, in Rice, Texas, he was a vital member of the Rice and Corsicana communities all his life, as well as a beloved son, brother, husband, and father of 24 living descendants. After graduating from Corsicana High School in 1939, Mr. Fortson attended Virginia Military Institute and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1943, and served as a U.S. Navy pilot during WW II. He married Marie Hurley on June 27, 1945. James E. Fortson, his brother Joe B. Fortson Jr., and sister Laura Fortson Johnston operated extensive farm and ranch land centered near Rice for more than 50 years. In 1959 Mr. Fortson founded the Rice Water Supply and Sewer Service Corporation as a community-owned, non-profit utility, the first water system for the City of Rice that did not involve a cistern. He served as chairman of the board for the utility until 2008. Mr. Fortson also served the Texas banking industry for more than 50 years as director and chairman of the board of First State Bank of Rice, and as director of First Bank and Trust of Dawson. He served on numerous boards and agencies in Corsicana including Soil Conservation Service, Navarro Central Appraisal District and First United Methodist Church of Corsicana. James Fortson was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph Benjamin and Lyda McGee Fortson, his wife, brother, and sister." (Information about surviving descendants has been removed.)^15,13

• Last Edited: 30 Dec 2018

• Charts: Descendants of William Clayton and Sally Davis, Descendants of Lt. Thomas Fortson Jr. and Rachel Winn

Robert Leslie Harper Jr.

• Father: Robert Leslie Harper^1,2 b. 24 Jul 1880, d. 18 Apr 1960
• Mother: Ida Mae Fortson^3,4,5 b. 29 May 1881, d. 18 Jul 1958

• Birth*: He was born on 5 June 1910 in Navarro County, Texas.⁶
• Marriage*: He married Marjorie Katherine Rattan, daughter of Clarence Travis Rattan and Marjorie Higdon, on 14 March 1942 in Highland Park Presbyterian Church, Dallas, Dallas County, Texas.⁷
• Death*: He died on 21 March 1974 in Dallas, Dallas County, Texas, at age 63.^8,9
• Burial*: Interment was on 25 March 1974 in Restland Cemetery, 9220 Restland Road, Dallas, Dallas County, Texas, 32.927032,-96.742741.¹⁰

• Note*: They lived in Dallas, Texas.¹¹

• Last Edited: 29 Oct 2020

• Charts: Descendants of William Clayton and Sally Davis, Descendants of Lt. Thomas Fortson Jr. and Rachel Winn

Mattie Beth Harper

• Father: Robert Leslie Harper^1,2 b. 24 Jul 1880, d. 18 Apr 1960
• Mother: Ida Mae Fortson^3,4,5 b. 29 May 1881, d. 18 Jul 1958

• Birth*: She was born on 17 March 1903.⁶
• Marriage*: She married Samuel Arthur Moore Jr. in 1928 in Dallas, Dallas County, Texas.^7,8
• Death*: She died on 16 May 1990 in Tarrant County, Texas, at age 87.^9,10,11
• Burial*: Interment was in Entrance Garden, Restland Memorial Park, 9200 Restland Road, Dallas, Dallas County, Texas.¹²

• Scrapbook*: "WEDS IN DALLAS.
     "Mrs. Arthur Moore, before her marriage Saturday, was Miss Mattie Beth Harper. She is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. R. L. Harper, 5302 Tremont street. She is an ex-student of C. I. A. and of the Presbyterian College at Milford.
     "The above social item, accompanying a striking picture of Mrs. Moore in Friday evening's Dallas Journal, will be of interest to Corsicana friends of the R. L. Harper family, former residents."¹³
• Note*: • She was a student at the College of Industrial Arts (now known as Texas Woman's University, a college in Denton, Texas). She also was a sudent at Texas Presbyterian College at Milford, Texas (which later merged into Austin College in Sherman, Texas).
  • Her Find A Grave memorial gives 12 Mar 1903 as her birth date.^14,15

• Last Edited: 17 May 2024

• Charts: Descendants of William Clayton and Sally Davis, Descendants of Lt. Thomas Fortson Jr. and Rachel Winn

Samuel Arthur Moore Jr.

• Birth*: He was born on 7 January 1906.¹
• Marriage*: He married Mattie Beth Harper, daughter of Robert Leslie Harper and Ida Mae Fortson, in 1928 in Dallas, Dallas County, Texas.^2,3
• Death*: He died on 27 October 1974 in Tarrant County, Texas, at age 68.^4,5

• Last Edited: 17 May 2024

• Charts: Descendants of William Clayton and Sally Davis, Descendants of Lt. Thomas Fortson Jr. and Rachel Winn

Ruby Frances Fortson

• Father: James Thomas Fortson Jr.^1,2 b. 3 Apr 1884, d. 24 May 1959
• Mother: Laura Ursula ('Connie') Conrad^3,4 b. 7 Sep 1892, d. 31 Dec 1977

• Birth*: She was born on 11 April 1918 in Navarro County, Texas.^5,6
• Death*: She died on 19 January 1919 in Navarro County, Texas.^7,6
• Burial*: Interment was in City Cemetery, Mexia, Limestone County, Texas.⁸

• Obituary*: "Lost Their Infant Daughter
  "The nine-month-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Tom Fortson died at Rice Saturday night and the remains were interred there yesterday."⁹
• Note*: One source gives her name as Mary Frances. She died in infancy.¹⁰

• Last Edited: 24 Dec 2013

• Charts: Descendants of William Clayton and Sally Davis, Descendants of Lt. Thomas Fortson Jr. and Rachel Winn

Doris Ann Fortson

• Father: James Thomas Fortson Jr.^1,2,3 b. 3 Apr 1884, d. 24 May 1959
• Mother: Laura Ursula ('Connie') Conrad^4,5 b. 7 Sep 1892, d. 31 Dec 1977

• Birth*: She was born on 15 May 1920.⁶
• Death*: She died on 6 May 1997 in Corsicana, Navarro County, Texas, at age 76.^7,8
• Burial*: Interment was in Mexia, Limestone County, Texas.⁷

• Note*: She never married.⁹

• Last Edited: 2 Nov 2011

• Charts: Descendants of William Clayton and Sally Davis, Descendants of Lt. Thomas Fortson Jr. and Rachel Winn

Col. Royce Eugene House

Royce Eugene House, courtesy of Jan House Kiessling.

• Father: F. R. House
• Mother: _____ _____

• Birth*: He was born on 11 January 1916 in Atlanta, Georgia.^1,2
• Marriage*: He married Annelle Hollister, daughter of Walter Scott ('Hollie') Hollister and Caroline Frances ('Callie') Fortson, on 21 January 1941 in Dallas, Dallas County, Texas.^1,3,4
• Death*: He died on 1 January 2000 in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas, at age 83.^5,2
• Burial*: Interment was on 7 January 2000 in section 26, site 1392, Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, 1520 Harry Wurzbach Road, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas.^5,6

• Note*: He attended the University of Georgia, Texas Christian University, and Baylor University College of Medicine and was a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity and Phi Beta Pi, a medical fraternity. He was a colonel and physician in the U. S. Army and served from 27 Oct 1937 to 30 Apr 1974.^7,8

• Last Edited: 18 Jan 2014

• Charts: Descendants of William Clayton and Sally Davis, Descendants of Lt. Thomas Fortson Jr. and Rachel Winn

Betty Lou ('Betsy') Hollister

Betsy Hollister in 1943.

• Father: Walter Scott ('Hollie') Hollister^1,2,3,4,5 b. c 1888, d. 3 Nov 1945
• Mother: Caroline Frances ('Callie') Fortson^6,7,8,9 b. 19 Jan 1889, d. 25 Dec 1941

• Birth*: She was born on 12 February 1925 in Dallas, Dallas County, Texas.^{10,11,12,13,14,15}
• Marriage*: She married Edward Francis Seaman Jr. on 21 August 1943 in Highland Park Methodist Church, Dallas, Dallas County, Texas.^16,17,18,19
• Death*: She died on 9 May 2002 at age 77.^12,20,21
• Burial*: Interment was on 14 May 2002 in Floral Hill, section N, Restland Memorial Park, 9200 Restland Road, Dallas, Dallas County, Texas, 32.927032,-96.742741.^12,22

• Note*: She graduated from Highland Park High School in Dallas and studied music at Southern Methodist University, where she was a member of Chi Omega sorority. They lived in Houston. After he died, she moved to San Antonio, where she lived until her death. She was survived by three children, six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Her bridal picture was published in the Dallas Morning News on 22 Aug 1943.^23,24

• Last Edited: 12 Mar 2019

• Charts: Descendants of William Clayton and Sally Davis, Descendants of Lt. Thomas Fortson Jr. and Rachel Winn

Edward Francis Seaman Jr.

Edward F. Seaman, Jr. in 1941.

• Birth*: He was born on 16 February 1918 in Saint Louis, Missouri.^1,2,3,4
• Marriage*: He married Betty Lou ('Betsy') Hollister, daughter of Walter Scott ('Hollie') Hollister and Caroline Frances ('Callie') Fortson, on 21 August 1943 in Highland Park Methodist Church, Dallas, Dallas County, Texas.^5,6,7,8
• Death*: He died on 7 April 1973 in a hospital, Houston, Harris County, Texas, at age 55.^9,5,10,11,12
• Burial*: Interment was on 10 April 1973 in Floral Hill, section N, Restland Cemetery, 9220 Restland Road, Dallas, Dallas County, Texas, 32.927032,-96.742741.^13,14

• Note*: • He was a member of Kappa Alpha fraternity, attended Rice Institute, and graduated from Southern Methodist University.
  • When he died in 1973 he had lived in Houston for fifty years and was a salesman for the F. W. Dodge Division of McGraw-Hill.^15,16

• Last Edited: 20 May 2020

• Charts: Descendants of William Clayton and Sally Davis, Descendants of Lt. Thomas Fortson Jr. and Rachel Winn

Ruby Loyce Sykes¹

• Birth*: She was born on 9 February 1915 in Garrison, Nacogdoches County, Texas.^2,3,4
• Marriage*: She married Joseph Benjamin ('Joe B') Fortson Jr., son of Joseph Benjamin Fortson Sr. and Lyda McGee, on 28 August 1935.^2,5
• Death*: She died on 31 December 1968 in Corsicana, Navarro County, Texas, at age 53.^6,2,7,4
• Burial*: Interment was in row 6, section C, Oakwood Cemetery, Corsicana, Navarro County, Texas.^8,9

• Last Edited: 17 Aug 2013

• Charts: Descendants of William Clayton and Sally Davis, Descendants of Lt. Thomas Fortson Jr. and Rachel Winn

Lyda Gayle Fortson¹

Lyda Gayle Fortson, from 1960 college yearbook.

• Father: Joseph Benjamin ('Joe B') Fortson Jr.² b. 13 Jul 1905, d. 23 Sep 1988
• Mother: Ruby Loyce Sykes³ b. 9 Feb 1915, d. 31 Dec 1968

• Birth*: She was born on 19 August 1938 in Corsicana, Navarro County, Texas.^4,5,6
• Marriage*: She married Teddy Dale Littlefield.⁷
• Death*: She died on 27 May 2018 in her home, Rice, Navarro County, Texas, at age 79.⁶
• Burial*: Interment was in Old Cemetery, Chatfield, Navarro County, Texas.⁶

• Note*: She graduated from Southern Methodist University in 1960 and from Methodist Hospital School of Technology in 1961. She was a computer programmer/analyst at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Dallas. She began farming in the mid-1980's.^4,8
• Obituary*: "Lyda Fortson Littlefield, age 79, won her fight with cancer and went home to her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on May 27, 2018. She passed away at her home just outside of Rice. She was born Aug. 19, 1938, in Corsicana. Born 'Lyda Gayle Fortson' to Joe B. Fortson, Jr. and Ruby Sykes Fortson, she was the oldest of two children.
     "Lyda was born and raised in Corsicana and after high school she attended Southern Methodist University, where she graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Science. She furthered her education for a time at the University of Houston, where she met her first husband Hugh Dawson. The couple moved to California, where they had their son Clayton, but soon moved back to her native Texas.
     "After a career in medical research and a subsequent career in computer programing, she returned to Rice in 1987, back to the family farm. She took over management of her father's farm and ranch operation and continued in that role until her passing. During her agricultural career she met, and later married, Teddy Dale Littlefield.
     "Lyda was both a Christian and a Patriot. She cared greatly about the message of Jesus and the nation that our forefathers left to us. She was a strong and independent woman, who always let you know what she thought. An independent thinker, with a 'show-me' attitude, she loved to research a multitude of subjects. The knowledge she gained, she loved to share with the people in her life. She would often quote Hosea 4:6 'My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. . . .' She had a great love for the family farm and enjoyed her agricultural endeavors. . . .
     "She was preceded in death by her parents and her beloved husband Teddy Dale Littlefield.
     "The memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 2, 2018 at the Cowboy Church of Ennis. The family asks in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Compassion International (www.compassion.com.) There will be a small meal to follow the memorial and everyone is welcome to stay and visit."⁹

• Last Edited: 29 Oct 2020

• Charts: Descendants of William Clayton and Sally Davis, Descendants of Lt. Thomas Fortson Jr. and Rachel Winn

Eliot Alexander Johnston¹

• Father: Horace Greeley Johnston² b. 1851, d. 1930
• Mother: Genevive Chancey² b. 1874, d. 1957

• Birth*: He was born on 12 October 1906 in Corsicana, Navarro County, Texas.^3,4,5,6
• Marriage*: He married Laura M. Fortson, daughter of Joseph Benjamin Fortson Sr. and Lyda McGee, on 26 January 1928 in her parents' home, Corsicana, Navarro County, Texas.^7,8,9,10
• Death*: He died on 1 September 1996 in Tyler, Smith County, Texas, at age 89.^11,5,6
• Burial*: Interment was in Oakwood Cemetery, Corsicana, Navarro County, Texas.¹²

• Note*: He attended Corsicana public schools and the University of Oklahoma. He worked for American Well & Prospecting Company, which his father founded and which became Bethlehem Supply Company. In 1945 he founded Builders Supply Company in Corsicana with Allen Edens, Jr.

• Last Edited: 23 Jul 2014

• Charts: Descendants of William Clayton and Sally Davis, Descendants of Lt. Thomas Fortson Jr. and Rachel Winn

Judith Claire Johnston¹

• Father: Eliot Alexander Johnston^2,3,4 b. 12 Oct 1906, d. 1 Sep 1996
• Mother: Laura M. Fortson^5,6,7 b. 7 Aug 1907, d. 2 Nov 2002

• Birth*: She was born on 16 April 1933 in Corsicana, Navarro County, Texas.^8,9,10,11
• Death*: She died on 26 March 2000 in Corsicana, Navarro County, Texas, at age 66.^8,12
• Burial*: Interment was on 29 March 2000 in Oakwood Cemetery, Corsicana, Navarro County, Texas.¹³

• Note*: She attended Corsicana public schools and Southern Methodist University. She was employed in the jewelry business in Dallas and as business manager for First United Methodist Church of Corsicana.^10,13
• Obituary*: "Judith Johnston Roberts
     "Judith Johnston Roberts, 66, of Corsicana went home Sunday, March 26, 2000 after a courageous battle with cancer.
     "Visitation will be 6 to 8 p.m. today at Corley Funeral Home. Services will be 2 p.m. Wednesday at First United Methodist Church, with the Rev. Nancy Schusler officiating. Interment will follow at Oakwood Cemetery.
     "Pallbearers will be Roy Tom Cassel III, Mike Fleming, James H. Fortson, Eliot Killebrew, Michael Killebrew, Michael Killebrew Jr. and James Maxwell Jr. Honorary pallbearers will be James Edwin Fortson and Joe B. Fortson III.
     "Born April 16, 1933 to Eliot A. Johnston and Laura Fortson Johnston, she graduated from Corsicana High School and attended Southern Methodist University. She later married and raised two daughters and a son in Dallas. She worked for several jewelry establishments before returning to Corsicana where she was the business manager for First United Methodist Church of Corsicana. After retiring she became a party animal, filling her life with friends, family and merriment. She was a member of the DAR, president of the First United Methodist UMW, director of First State Bank of Rice, and member of Kinsloe House, Literary Club and various bridge groups. Her lovely presence will be missed by all that knew and loved her. . . ."¹⁴

• Last Edited: 7 May 2018

• Charts: Descendants of William Clayton and Sally Davis, Descendants of Lt. Thomas Fortson Jr. and Rachel Winn

Anita Marie Hurley¹

Anita Marie Hurley with brother Billy Doyle Hurley, courtesy of Jon Cole Thomas.

• Father: Willie Monroe Hurley² b. 13 May 1899, d. 16 Jan 1987
• Mother: Nettie Lee Collins³ b. 17 Aug 1898, d. 26 Dec 1993

• Birth*: She was born on 27 October 1922 in Corsicana, Navarro County, Texas.^4,5,6,7
• Marriage*: She married James Edwin Fortson, son of Joseph Benjamin Fortson Sr. and Lyda McGee, on 27 June 1945 in Corsicana, Navarro County, Texas.^4,6,8,9
• Death*: She died on 12 December 2001 in Corsicana, Navarro County, Texas, at age 79.⁴
• Burial*: Interment was on 15 December 2001 in Oakwood Cemetery, Corsicana, Navarro County, Texas.^4,10

• Note*: She was known as Marie. She attended public schools in Corsicana, Texas and Texas Woman's College in Denton, Texas, was employed by American Well and Prospecting Company for about three years around World War II, was active in the First United Methodist Church in Corsicana, and was the first president of Friends of the Corsicana Public Library.^4,11

• Last Edited: 15 Jul 2011

• Charts: Descendants of William Clayton and Sally Davis, Descendants of Lt. Thomas Fortson Jr. and Rachel Winn

John Abraham McGee M.D.¹

Dr. John A. McGee's tombstone, Rice Cemetery, Rice, Tex., courtesy of the Stubbs.

• Father: Dr. Joseph J. McGee^4,3 b. 6 Sep 1819, d. 30 Jan 1863
• Mother: Eliza Ann Templeton^2,3 b. c 1826

• Birth*: He was born on 8 November 1844 in Clarendon, Monroe County, Arkansas.^5,6,7,8,3,9
• Marriage*: He married Laura Paralee Sessions, daughter of Isaac Boone Sessions and Rachel Minerva Hammonds, on 24 January 1878 in Navarro County, Texas.^10,11,3,12
• Death*: He died on 1 July 1905 in his home, Rice, Navarro County, Texas, at age 60.^5,13,14,3,9
• Burial*: Interment was in section C, Rice Cemetery, Rice, Navarro County, Texas.^15,16,17

• Obituary*: McGEE—Dr. J.A. McGee was born in Clarenden, Ark., Nov. 8, 1844, died July 1,
  1905, at 8:45 p.m. at his home in Rice, Texas. He was the eldest son of Dr.
  J.J. and Mrs. E.A. McGee. His father died while he was yet young, and to him
  was the responsibility of helping his mother raise the younger brothers, Tom
  and Rev. W.V. McGee. He professed religion in about the year 1874 at
  Louisville, Ky., while attending lectures, and joined the Presbyterian Church.
  He moved to Rice in March, 1877, and became a charter member of the Cumberland
  Presbyterian Church at that place and was elected a ruling elder which position
  he filled with honor to his death. He was married to Miss Laura P. Sessions,
  January 24, 1878. They had born to them one son and five daughters. Two of the
  girls preceded their father to heaven. The others were with him at the last and
  live to mourn their loss. He was a devoted husband, a loving father, a fine and
  successful doctor, a faithful elder and a good man. His home was always open to
  the preacher. No husband or father loved his family better than did Dr. J.A.
  McGee. Religiously he was a Cumberland Presbyterian of the truest type.
  Socially, he was a Mason, knight of Honor and Odd Fellow. His first partner was
  T.J. Linch and his last was Dr. Hugh Sloan of Rice. His partnership with Dr.
  Sloan lasted for sixteen and a half years. Dr. McGee was a public-spirited man
  always taking an interest in everything that was for the bettering of man or
  the building up of the town or country in which he lived. No one in his
  community had more friends than did he. When it was known that Dr. McGee was
  dead all seemed to want to do him honor. More people came to his funeral than
  had ever been to one in Rice. The religious services were conducted by Rev.
  M.C. Johnson and the social by the lodges of which he was a member. While Dr.
  McGee was over sixty, he was yet in the prime of his manhood and was in the
  front ranks for all that was good. While he has gone, he fell with his armor on
  and God took him home. To the loved ones we can only say: "Weep not for him,
  but rejoice that you can soon meet him where troubles never come and no
  good-byes are ever said." W.J. LACKEY, former pastor.
  [The Rev. Lackey also was a brother-in-law, husband of Mrs. McGee's sister.]³

• Last Edited: 1 Jul 2019

Laura Paralee Sessions¹

Laura Sessions McGee, from Navarro County History, vol. 6, p. 75.

• Father: Isaac Boone Sessions^2,3,4 b. 7 Jan 1817, d. 19 Jul 1884
• Mother: Rachel Minerva Hammonds^5,6,7 b. 24 Mar 1830, d. 29 Jul 1886

• Birth*: She was born on 25 July 1856 in Sessions, Navarro County, Texas.^8,9,10,11
• Marriage*: She married John Abraham McGee M.D., son of Dr. Joseph J. McGee and Eliza Ann Templeton, on 24 January 1878 in Navarro County, Texas.^12,13,14,15
• Death*: She died on 20 December 1942 in her daughter's home, 220 N. 14th St., Corsicana, Navarro County, Texas, at age 86.^8,9,16
• Burial*: Interment was on 22 December 1942 in section C, Rice Cemetery, Rice, Navarro County, Texas.^17,18

• Obituary*: "Mrs. J.A. McGee died Sunday night; burial be in Rice
     "Mother of Mrs. J.B. Fortson was native of Navarro County.
     "Mrs. J.A. McGee, age 86 years, died at 10 o'clock Sunday night [20 Dec 1942] at the home of her daughter, Mrs. J.B. Fortson, 220 North Fourteenth Street. Funeral services will be held Tuesday afternoon at 3 o'clock from the Methodist church in Rice. Rev. E.F. Bohmfaulk, assisted by Rev. C.O. Hightower, will conduct the rites. Burial will be in the Rice cemetery.
     "Mrs. McGee was a native of Navarro County. She was the daughter of Isaac Boone and Rachel Minerva Hammonds Sessions and was born July 25, 1856, in the Sessions community near Rice. She attended school at Chatfield and later at Marvin College in Waxahachie. Joining the Methodist church at Chatfield at the age of 12 years, she had been an active member of that denomination since that time and had also taken an active interest in civic and social affairs of Rice and Corsicana.
     "She married Dr. J.A. McGee of Rice on January 24, 1878, and made her home in Rice until 1928 when she moved to Corsicana to make her home with her daughter. Dr. McGee died in 1905. Surviving are two daughters, Mrs. Lyda McGee Fortson, Corsicana; Mrs. Roxie McGee Collins, Ennis; two sisters, Mrs. J.A. Lackey of Rice and Mrs. H.P. Barkley, Ennis; a brother, Dr. I.P. Sessions, Rockdale; seven grandchildren, John Murray McGee, Beaumont; Joe B. Fortson Jr., Corsicana; Mrs. Eliot a. Johnston, Corsicana; James Edwin Fortson, student at the University of Texas, Austin; Mrs. Arley McCarson, Ferris; James McGee Collins, aviation cadet at Hondo; Virgil A. Sanders, Lexington, Ky; five great grandchildren, Marylyn and Natalie McGee, Beaumont; Judith Johnston, Corsicana; Lyda Gayle Fortson, Corsicana; Joe B. Fortson III, Corsicana; a number of nephews and nieces and other relatives. Pallbearers will be Hiram Bartley, Claude Hervey, Tom Queen, Tom Fortson, Clarence Mahaley, Byron South, Scott Swafford, Arthur Caldwell, B.H. Clark and A.R. Jackson. Honorary pallbearers will be friends of the family.
     "Sutherland-McCammon is directing the arrangements."¹⁹
• Note*: She attended school in Chatfield and Marvin College in Waxahachie, Texas. She was a member of the Methodist Church since age 12 and was active in church, civic, and social affairs of Rice and Corsicana. After her husband died in 1905, she remained in Rice until 1928, when she moved to Corsicana to live in the home of her daughter.¹⁶

• Last Edited: 30 Jan 2022

Edwin Sessions McGee

• Father: John Abraham McGee M.D.¹ b. 8 Nov 1844, d. 1 Jul 1905
• Mother: Laura Paralee Sessions^2,3 b. 25 Jul 1856, d. 20 Dec 1942

• Birth*: He was born on 12 November 1878 in Texas.^4,5,6
• Marriage*: He married Ethel Ann Smith on 27 November 1901 in Navarro County, Texas.⁷
• Death*: He died on 17 March 1922 in his home on West Fourth Avenue, Corsicana, Navarro County, Texas, at age 43.^8,9,10,11
• Burial*: Interment was on 18 March 1922 in the new part of section B, Oakwood Cemetery, Corsicana, Navarro County, Texas.^12,11

• Obituary*: McGEE—Corsicana, Texas, March 17—Edwin Sessions McGee, 43 years old, died at his home here on West Fourth Avenue at 6 o'clock this morning. He had been sick only eight days. He had held a responsible position with the Tatum Hardware Company for the last 23 years and was prominent in religious, social and Masonic circles of the city. He was a member of the Corsicana School Board, of which body he was secretary. He was also secretary of the Lions' Club and a member of the executive committee of the YMCA He is survived by his wife, a son, John Murray McGee; his mother, Mrs. Laura McGee of Rice and by two sisters, Mrs. Joe Fortson of Rice and Mrs. James Collins of Ennis. The funeral will take place Saturday afternoon from the First Methodist Church and will be conducted by the Rev. D.K. Porter, pastor of the First Methodist Church, and the Rev. Illion T. Jones, pastor of the Third Avenue Presbyterian Church. The Masons will take charge of the remains at the grave.¹¹
• Note*: He worked for Tatum Hardware Company in Corsicana, Texas for twenty-three years until his death. He was a Mason and at his death was secretary of the Corsicana School Board, secretary of the Lions' Club, and a member of the YMCA executive committee. He died at his home after a sickness of eight days.¹¹

• Last Edited: 17 Aug 2013

Roxie McGee

• Father: John Abraham McGee M.D. b. 8 Nov 1844, d. 1 Jul 1905
• Mother: Laura Paralee Sessions b. 25 Jul 1856, d. 20 Dec 1942

• Birth*: She was born on 6 February 1885.¹
• Death*: She died in October 1973 at age 88.²

• Last Edited: 3 Apr 2010

Abe McGee

Main gate, Rice Cemetery, Rice, Tex. Photo was taken by Dave Bell, Lubbock, Tex., and is used here with his permission.

• Father: John Abraham McGee M.D. b. 8 Nov 1844, d. 1 Jul 1905
• Mother: Laura Paralee Sessions b. 25 Jul 1856, d. 20 Dec 1942

• Birth*: He was born on 13 April 1888.^1,2
• Death*: He died on 10 November 1896 at age 8.^1,2
• Burial*: Interment was in section C, Rice Cemetery, Rice, Navarro County, Texas.¹

• Note*: He died of diphtheria.

• Last Edited: 24 Oct 2011

Laura McGee

Main gate, Rice Cemetery, Rice, Tex. Photo was taken by Dave Bell, Lubbock, Tex., and is used here with his permission.

• Father: John Abraham McGee M.D. b. 8 Nov 1844, d. 1 Jul 1905
• Mother: Laura Paralee Sessions b. 25 Jul 1856, d. 20 Dec 1942

• Birth*: She was born on 28 October 1891.^1,2
• Death*: She died on 16 November 1896 at age 5.^1,2
• Burial*: Interment was in section C, Rice Cemetery, Rice, Navarro County, Texas.^1,2

• Note*: She died of diphtheria six days after her brother Abe died of the same disease.

• Last Edited: 24 Oct 2011

Elizabeth ('Bessie') McGee

• Father: John Abraham McGee M.D. b. 8 Nov 1844, d. 1 Jul 1905
• Mother: Laura Paralee Sessions b. 25 Jul 1856, d. 20 Dec 1942

• Birth*: She was born on 13 September 1896.¹
• Marriage*: She married _____ Sanders.²
• Death*: She died on 8 December 1918 at age 22.¹
• Burial*: Interment was in Rice, Navarro County, Texas.¹

• Last Edited: 27 Jul 2011

Olive Judi Michaux

• Father: Abraham Michaux¹ b. 23 Feb 1671/72, d. 5 Aug 1717
• Mother: Susanne Rochet² b. 13 Apr 1667, d. c Dec 1744

• Birth*: She was born in 1706/7 in Henrico County, Virginia.³
• Marriage*: She married Anthony Morgan III, son of Anthony Morgan Jr. and Anne Dunkin, circa 1725.³
• Death*: She died on 27 October 1760 in Cumberland County, Virginia.^3,4

• Last Edited: 10 Feb 1998

• Charts: Pedigree of Roger F. Bartlett Sr.