Joseph Burton Dibrell was the first born of James Brazel Dibrell (April 9, 1854 Somerset, Kentucky) and Mary Snodgrass (September 1, 1855 Sparta, Tennessee James Brazel was a school roommate of Frank L. Snodgrass and saw a picture of his sister, Mary, and asked permission to correspond with her (see Frank Lee Snodgrass).  The letters led to a proposal of marriage and they were engaged before they ever set eyes on each other.  They married September 13, 1877 in Sparta, Tennessee, then came to Medina County, Texas, where he served as a Methodist Circuit Rider Preacher until his death April 5, 1890. They had seven children:

       (1) Joseph Burton (June 4, 1878, Oakland, Medina County) married Jewell Edwina Martin (July 5, 1889 Tyler);

       (2) Frank Snodgrass, (February 6, 1880-1918 flu epidemic at Austin);

       (3) Bertha (October 10, 1881 Seguin) married Dan Johnson, had seven children;

       (4) Margaret Blake (March 13, 1883, (Cuero) married Lee Guthrie, Brownwood, had two daughters (see W. F. Guthrie);

       (5) Ina James (September 10, 1885, Seguin) married Will Clark Gay, had three children (see William C. Gay, Jr.);

       (6) Mary July 9, 1887, Seguin) married Walter Gann and they had three children;

       (7) Janie Holford (November 3, 1889 Seguin) married Lucien Stith White, no children.

     Mary (Snodgrass) Dibrell was left a widow with seven children under twelve years of age.  She was appointed Postmistress of Seguin and lived there until early 1900, when her brother, Frank L. Snodgrass, an early attorney in Coleman, built her a two story home on his land, just west of his home on West Cottonwood Street, where she died  on November 7, 1935, buried in Coleman.  When Joseph B. Dibrell completed law school, University of Texas. Austin he practiced law in Houston for two years, but soon found the climate unhealthy and joined the firm of his uncle and the partnership of Snodgrass, Dibrell and Snodgrass was formed in 1905.  Jewel Martin came to Coleman as a teacher after finishing Kidd Key College, Sherman, and married Joseph Burton, July 18. 1910 in Fort Worth.  He practiced law in Coleman until his death August 12, 1950 and buried along side his wife who died March 25. 1938.  Their children were:

       (1) Elisabeth (July 2, 1911);

      (2) Mary Bess (May 8, 1913-August 4, 1958) married John Franklin Petty, December 12. 1906 - September 27, 1938, Vernon).  Two children: John Franklin, Jr. (April 16, 1934, Crowell), James Robert (October 25, 1935, Spur);

       (3) Josephine (September 30, 1914) married Lewis Harvey Jobe (February 4, 1910 Sweetwater) September 5, 1936, and they had four children:

       (3a) William Dibrell (January 4, 1938 Corsicana), married Pamela Harkinson April 17, 1943), divorced 1975.  Had three daughters: Stacy Ann February 25, 1966), Jennifer Page, January 5, 1969) and Heather Marie (March 4, 1972),

       (3b) Ann Louise (July 19, 1943 Fort Worth), (3c) Thomas Lewis (November 20, 1947 Fort Worth-July 11, 1983 Arlington, buried Kerens) married Gerrie Ellis (April 1, 1962), one son, Robert Harley September 12. 1982),

       (3d) David Harrel November 10. 1949, Coleman) married Melinda McClung (April 19, 1953), their children: Jill Durea (March 15, 1980 Wichita Falls) and James David (October 9, 1981 Wichita Falls).

     The Jobe's lived in Coleman ten years, 1948-58, and had the Buick Agency and now live in Arlington.

     (4) James Wendell (March 8, 1916);

     (5) Jennie Lee (February 14, 1920-December 4, 1945);

     (6) Joseph Burton, III (October 27, 1925) married Jayne Word November 16, 1929), two children were born in Coleman while Joe served as County Judge and District Judge. 

       (6a) William Word (August 23, 1953) and

       (6b) Margaret (June 30, 1956).  They now live in Austin.

     The Dibrell family was extended when Mary (Snodgrass) Dibrell took two nephews that were orphaned into the family.  They were the sons of Samuel Pride Dibrell (1859) and Sallie Moore:

       (1) Samuel Pride (February 14, 1897 - August, 1957, buried Coleman) married Irene Glynn (October 10, 1893).  Their three children born in Coleman are:

       (la) Patsy (December 27, 1923) married Don Rich Deere, one son, Donald (December 26, 1955),

       (1b) Imogene (November 10, 1925) married William A. McClellan and have twin sons, William and Sam (January 15, 1950) and Thomas Jack (August 25, 1955),

       (1c) Samuel Pride, III (June 26, 1932) married Anne Coffey, three children: Samuel Pride, IV (January 20, 1956), Mary Ann (October 6, 1958) and Jane Lynn (March 24, 1965);

       (2) Thomas Moore (July 1, 1898 - August, 1949 buried Coleman) married Frances Stevens (see J. E. Stevens).

     The Dibrells of Coleman County are related through a common ancestor Jean Antoine Dubreuil (May 15, 1728, Virginia).  He was described as 5' 7", 140 Ibs., dark completion, hair and eyes, aquiline nose and prominent chin and forehead.  He was called Anthon Dibrell.