Barton Family- Family Histories - Coleman County, Texas

     James Watson Barton was born April 23, 1873, the twelfth child of Robert Watson Barton and Martha Carolina Shaffer, in or near Marion, Perry County, Alabama. He lived and grew to early manhood in and around Pine Bluff, West Clay County, Mississippi. At about the age of 17, he migrated from Mississippi to Tennessee Colony, Anderson County, Texas. His sister, Addie, and her husband, John L. Carroll, lived at Tennessee Colony and operated a mercantile store; brothers, Dave and Fed, lived in Navarro County.

     Lou Elna Seagler, born September 6, 1878, the second child of Richard L. Seagler and Isabella Amanda Guinn, at Tennessee Colony, attended East Texas State Normal College at Commerce. James and Lou were united in marriage September 18, 1898, at Tennessee Colony. Their first four children were born at Tennessee Colony. In the fall of 1905, mother's brother, Richard E. Seagler, was working in West Texas, Coleman County, and became ill with typhoid fever and father went out there to nurse and look after him during his illness. While he was there, he rented a farm and wrote to mother, telling her to catch the chickens and get the kids together, for they were moving to West Texas.

     They moved 10 miles south of Coleman, on the banks of Home Creek in what was known as the Red Bank community. In the fall of 1906, they purchased a tract of land, containing about 172 acres, located near Shields. They built a barn and moved some of their feed from the Red Bank place into the barn, and in December 1906, they moved into and used the barn as their home, while the carpenters were building a home. They purchased other tracts of land in the county, and farmed some of the land they acquired, raising cotton, wheat, oats and grain sorghums, primarily, and used the pasture land for livestock. The place south of Santa Anna was rented to tenant farmers. A Mr. Kline rented and lived on this place for almost 30 years. From about 1914 to 1925, Father bought and traded livestock; primarily in hogs, horses and mules. He was in the sheep business from the early 1930's until he retired in 1948.

     On September 18, 1948, Father and Mother celebrated their Golden (50th) Wedding Anniversary at their home near Shields. The next day they moved to Coleman, into a home they had purchased. They had also purchased several rental houses in Coleman, and Father looked after these, keeping them rented and repaired. On September 7, 1953, Father died suddenly with a heart attack at Rice, Texas, buried in Coleman. Mother continued to live in Coleman for some two years after father's death. She then moved to Palestine, where her sons, Hal and Don were living. She also had three sisters living in Palestine. Her health began to wane rapidly in early 1963 and she died March 6, 1963. Eleven children were born to this union:

     Hal Derter, July 23, 1899, married Helen Woolverton November 24, 1921. Two daughters: Mary Elna, September 5, 1922; and Margaret, December 8, 1924. Mary Elna married Orland Merriman, June 12, 1941, two children: Helen Joe and David. Margaret married Logan Bars, September 6, 1941, two children: Bob Logan and Jimmy Hal. Hal went to school at Shields. He died of a heart attack, December 6, 1963. Helen married (2) Ben Carroll. Helen died February 2, 1983, both buried at Palestine.

     Richard Watson (Dick), July 15, 1901, married Willie Mae Kennedy, December 8, 1993, two daughters, Carol Ray, July 20, 1935, and Virginia Lee, December 18, 1937. Carol Ray, married Daniel I. Fossler, three children: Stacie, Kristi, and Gregory. Virginia Lee married (1) Jimmie Charles Ash, August 15, 1958, three children, Mark Richard, Michele and Allison. She married (2) a Mr.
Brown, they live in Utah. Dick went to school in Shields, then went to Houston to work with a road construction companv. He died October 10, 1957, buried at Karnes City.

     Mabel Elora, August 3, 1903, married Elmo Eubank at Santa Anna, April 17, 1924. Four children: Elmo, Jr., August 20, 1925; Thomas Edwin, May 17, 1923; Betty Jeanette, May 17, 1930; Kenneth Weldon, November 21, 1933. Elmo, Jr. married (1) Loucile Newman, October 31, 1943 (see Ferguson Family), two children: Charles Woodrow and Jeanette. Elmo, Jr. married (2) Minnie Ready, who had 3 children from a previous marriage, Linda Ann, Cathy Jean, and Paul Alan Ready. Elmo, Jr. attended A&M University and now owns The City Plumbing Company in Austin. Mabel went to Shields school until her last two years, graduating from Winters High School in 1922. They lived in Coleman County for several years after their marriage, farming, then moved to Temple. Mabel got an LVN degree in nursing. Elmo died May 9, 1979, at Temple, buried at Coleman. Mabel still lives in Temple. Thomas Edwin married Peggy Jean Southerland, January 27, 1951, four children: Michael Edwin, Nitia Clarine, William David, and Donald Wayne. Edwin received an engineering degree from A&M University, lives in Amarillo. Betty Jeanette married Ray Moore, February 2, 1954, two daughters: Sharon Ray and Julie Ann. Betty graduated from Santa Anna High School and Hardin Simmons University. After their marriage, she taught at Burleson, now teaching in Fort Worth, and Ray, is working for Arthur Young Accounting Firm. Kenneth Weldon married Iona (Brown) Zimmerman in 1954. Their children: Sonia Jean, Timothy Dean and Anita Louise Eubank and Gerald George Zimmerman, Jr., born to Iona in a previous marriage. Kenneth currently works for IBM in Boca Raton, Florida.

     Carrie Belle, born March 4, 1905, married Barney Hugh Roark, March 15, 1930, at San Angelo. Their son, Bobby Hugh, born February 26, 1982, married Iris Jean Crook, August 22, 1953. Two daughters: Lisa Renee and Sallie Babette. Carrie Belle went to school at Shields until 1922, when she went to Winters High School, 1922-23, and the 1923-24 term, to Coleman High School, where she graduated. She attended Tyler Commercial College, graduating in 1927 and was sent to San Angelo to work at Western Union. After their marriage, they moved to Arden, where they farmed and raised sheep and cows. Hugh had a heart attack in 1968, lived until August 4, 1975. Carrie Belle still lives there on "Poverty Knob." Bob is now Vice President of Monterey Pipeline in New Orleans.

     Frederick Shaffer, February 2, 1907, at Shields, married Lucy Virginia Henslee, April 30, 1937. Two children: James Watson II, February 20, 1941, and Sally Beth, July 3, 1944. Sally married Jerry Vincent Clement January 22. 1964, 3 children: Stephen Joseph, Karen Kay and John Barton. Frederick went to Tyler Commercial College after high school, then worked for Texas Power and Light Co. at Palestine, then for Orr Oil Co. in Longview until his death, April 23, 1969.

     Guinn Seagler, October 5, 1908, in the Shields Community, attended Shields Public School. He married Willie Thelma Pennington of the Buffalo Community, November 12, 1931. One daughter, Patsy Ruth, August 17, 1932, married (1) Gordon Green, March 18, 1949, had two boys, Barton Stanley and Gordon Keith. Gordon, the husband, was killed in an automobile accident in 1954. Patsy married (2) Robert C. Wright, June 24, 1955, one daughter, Charla Patrice, December 4, 1956. Guinn farmed in the Buffalo Community in 1931 and 1932. In 1933, he was employed by a bakery in Bangs. He moved to Santa Anna in 1934, where he worked various jobs including the Public Works Administration building roads in the Santa Anna area. He worked in Coleman, employed by a contractor in 1936, building schools and churches. etc. In late 1943, he moved to Beaumont, where he was a concrete finisher for various contractors until retirement in 1980. His wife died July 17, 1980. Guinn lives at
Beaumont.

     Don B., Sr., graduated from Shields High School in 1932, entered Tyler Commercial College and took courses in radio, electronics and typing, finishing in 1933. Lois and he were married, July 16, 1949. She had three children by a previous marriage, Bill, Mickey and Clare Welborn. Their son, Don B., Jr. was born March 25, 1953. Don B. volunteered for service September 15, 1942, in the Air Force. He was discharged at Pounds Field, Tyler, in March of 1946. He suffered a severe heart attack in September of 1968, then had open heart surgery in 1973. He is partially retired, but still serves as Vice President and Assistant Trust Officer and on the official Board of Directors of the East Texas National Bank of Palestine.

     Jettie Elena, October 18, 1913, at Shields, married Sulton J. Boyd, September 26, 1932. Four children: Nancy Lou, December 30, 1934, married John Albert Murdock September 21, 1953. Their children: John Stephen, Randy Boyd, and Anthony Carlyle; George Taylor, March 26, 1937, married Glenda Carol McKinney, June 16, 1957. Four children: Michael Taylor, Burtis Elizabeth, Marshal Don and Carol Elena; Lela Jonita, September 25, 1940, married Jerry Brice Borchardt, July 25, 1959. Three children: Margaret Elaine, Nancy Joan and Eric; and Betty Elena, February 11, 1944, married Homer Elton Burns, February 14, 1964. Three children: Kelly Elena, Lauren Taylor and adopted Alicia Ann. Elena was a beautician for many years in Ft. Worth, Denton and Kreem. She expired on Mother's Day, May 13, 1979,

     John Carroll, April 24, 1915, at Shields, married Norlaine Bartlett, September 2, 1944. He graduated from Santa Anna High School and entered Texas A&M University, majoring in Entomology. After he married, they moved to Rice, engaging in farming, and raising cows.

     James Watson, June 23, 1917- April 22, 1921, buried at Shields.

     Jesse Kirby, October 25, 1919, in Shields, attended grade school at Shields through the 8th grade, then went to Santa Anna High. He attended college at Texas A&M University, graduating with a major in animal husbandry, and a commission as 2nd Lt. in the infantry in May, 1940. He was called to the Army in March, 1941, returning to the states in December, 1945, and was discharged as a Major in June 1946. He married Kathaleen Bean, April 18, 1946, in Orange. One daughter, Carol Janis, graduated from Texas Tech University in 1969, now lives in Dallas and is married to Cecil Wade Rhodes from Brownwood. Two daughters: Tiffany Lynn, and Kimberly Ann. Carol Janis attended Santa Anna Public Schools from 1953 to 1958. Civilian positions of Jesse Kirby included Assistant County Agent jobs in Orange and Brown Counties in 1946 and 1947. He moved back to Santa Anna in April, 1947, and served as Veterans Vocational Agriculture Teacher through June 1953. Having become active in the Texas National Guard, he was instrumental in getting a new armory built there. He served as commander of the unit from 1948 through 1956. He purchased the Santa Anna Farm and Ranch Supply, a feed store and grain elevator in 1953 and operated it through April, 1958. They now live in Beaumont.

pictures to be added

Bottom row: Elena Boyd, Mabel Eubank, Mrs. Barton, Mr. Barton, Hal, Carrie Belle Roark, Top row: Kirby, Carroll, Don, Guinn, Fred, Richard