Goss - Pridemore - Family Histories - Coleman County, Texas

Lazarus Napoleon Goss was born November 25, 1864, the son of James R., January, 1834-March 22, 1883, and Charlotte Goss, born March 11, 1838. His brothers and a sister were Jimmy, Clay, Eugene, Braz and Georgie. Lazarus N. married Mary Elizabeth Lowe, born May 19, 1870. They came to Hubbard, Hill County, Texas, in 1914 from Pell City, Alabama, and to Coleman County in 1920. Lazarus Napoleon died March 27, 1930, and Mary Elizabeth, February 20, 1948, both buried in Coleman. Their children:

(1) Verna Eudora married H. A. Marshall (died September 26, 1979);

(2) Joseph Carl married Sally Lee (died October 9, 1977). Children: Mary Lee (Hardin);

(3) Lillie Mae (died July 24, 1983 in Alabama) married Thomas David Treadwell. Children: (3a) Larance, November 18, 1914-January 14, 1915. (3b) Thomas David, April 3, 1916, and his wife, Euline, have two children, Jayne and Wayne. (3c) Elizabeth Irene, December 14, 1919, married Elmer Burnham (now deceased). (3d) Margaret Helen, July 28, 1924-November 1, 1974, married James ?, three sons. (3e) Margaret Gwen, June 4, 1928 married Edd Hollis. Children: Danny and Kathy;

(4) Mattie married Loamer Rauhoff. Children: Zelphia, Talmage, Dwain, Cletys, Ellie hna and Sandra;

(5) Leon married Mabel E. Pridemore, daughter of James A. Pridemore, 1871 in Tennessee-October 30, 1922, and Laura L. Trent, March 3, 1880-July 23, 1913, both buried in Coleman. (The Pridemores came to Coleman County from Denton, Texas in 1905, and settled in the Loss Creek community). Leon and Mabel lived in the Echo area and now live on a farm west of Coleman. They had three children:

(5a) Billie Jack, May 29, 1925-May 1, 1947, buried in Coleman, graduated from Burkett High School

(5b) Barbara Ruth, April 26, 1927 in Coleman, attended school at Burkett and Coleman, where she graduated in 1944. She married Lawrence N. Witt, born June 28, 1922 at May, Texas, the son of Joseph Washington Witt of Alabama and Daisy McNeil Palmer of Holder, Texas. Lawrence served in the Navy during World War II. They moved to the E. A. Harris farm in the White Chapel community in the winter of 1955, purchasing this farm in 1958. They live at Centennial, where Lawrence has been employed by the Talpa-Centennial Independent School District since 1960. Barbara owns the Dixie Beauty Shop in Coleman. They have six children, all graduates of Talpa-Centennial High School. They are:

(a) Bethany Joyce, born December 20, 1947 in Boise, Idaho (see George A. Stinson). She has three children: Stacy Leonard, Todd Leonard and Tony Everret.

(b) Jackie Aaron, May 23, 1949, Boise, married Linda Maples. Children: Doug and Dave.

(c) Edna Elaine, October 7, 1952 in Coleman, married Larry Don Robinson (see Joe B. Smith).

(d) Joey Leon, March 10, 1957, Coleman, married Sharon Stroud, live in Odessa.

(e) Jamie Glen, November 10, 1959, Coleman, graduated from Texas Tech University in May, 1984, with a degree in mechanical engineering.

(f) Cecilia (Sissy) Lin, August 8, 1962, Coleman, graduated as an LVN (2nd in class) from Overall-Morris Memorial Hospital.

(5c) Janie Leon, November 23, 1931, graduated from Coleman High in 1948. She married Bert Humble of Oklahoma. They live in Winters where Bert is General Manager for W. W. West Drilling Company of Midland;

Mrs. Laura L. (Trent) Pridemore's mother, Mary J. (Seals) Green-Trent, died July 27, 1924, and father, Woodsen Trent, died September 9, 1921, both buried in Coleman, came to the county in the early 1900's.

(6) Mamie Melissa married Lelas Richardson. Children: Edward Eugene (now deceased), Shirley Maurice, Bobby Joe, Don, Juanita (now deceased);

(7) Talmage Edward married (1) Gertrude thur, daughter of B. F. and Lula Authur of Valera (see Authur Family). They had one child: Talmage Edward, Jr. Talmage, Sr. had a daughter, Sandra, by his second wife;

(8) Thomas Clarence married Johnnie Callaway. Children: (8a) Jo Alice married Billy Bob McMullan. (8b) Shirley married Bobby Joe Browning. (8c) T. C., Jr. (deceased);

(9) Beaulah Gordon married Gladys Sparks. Children: Clyde Elwood, Douglas and Carl Glen;

(10) R. L., July 11, 1908-May 24, 1909.

Brothers and sisters of Mary Elizabeth (Lowe) Goss were:

(1) John Lowe and his wife, Elvie, had one son, Elbert;

(2) Tom Lowe and his wife, Ada Lee, had Beatrice, Owen, Lois, Stanley and Tom;

(3) Shelly Lowe and his wife, Emma, had Ray, Linda, Elvis, and Ralph;

(4) Will Lowe;

(5) Bell Lowe married John Ragland. Children: R. L. and Anna Bell;

(6) Mattie Lowe married Edd Martin. Children: Curtis and Bill.

Other children of James A. and Laura L. Pridemore were: (1) Birda (now deceased), married Luther Ary; (2) John married Elizabeth ?; (3) Alta (now deceased); (4) Guy (deceased) never married; (5) Woodie, now lives near Las Vegas, Nevada; (6) Mary Ella, born 1911, married H. A. Baumann, now lives in St. Louis, Missouri; (7) Robert Earl, born 1913, and his wife, Mildred, live in Oakland, California.

James A. Pridemore had a brother, W. T. S. (Sherman) Pridemore, February 14, 1866 in Tennessee-July 6, 1947, and his wife, Nancy J. Wallen, 1867-1914, both buried in Coleman, who also came to the county. Their children: Daniel; George (see George Hipsher); James M. (died 1966) married Nellie (Clary) Ewing (died 1984), both buried Ozona; Jesse; Rosa; Ottist (see Sparkman); R. B.; and Lucille.

Laura L. also had a half brother, Samuel Green (Greene on tombstone), 1866 in Tennessee-1941, and his family who came to the county in 1905. His wife was Laura Davis, 1868-1941, and both buried in Coleman. Their children were:

(1) Kurt Green;

(2) Guy H. Green, 1899-1929, married Johnnie Parker, 1897-1962, both buried in Coleman, in 1916. Three children: Fred; one daughter married H. C. Lancaster and the other daughter married B. H. Seaman. Johnnie was the daughter of Jett and Neely Gray (Holloway) Parker and a sister to Bertha Olive Jameson (see Roland Casper Jameson);

(3) Cornelius (Neal) M. Green, July 16, 1891-October 26, 1981, married Martha R. Parker (a sister to Johnnie and Bertha Olive), December 27, 1899-March 30, 1983, both buried in Coleman. Their children: Joyce (Mrs. J. W.) Whitt and M. D. (Dale);

(4) Maggie Green married Charlie Wilder;

(5) Dewey Green married a Hefner;

(6) R.F. (Fernando) Green, called Nan, April 3, 1901 in Tennessee-April 16, 1984 in Fort Worth, married Maggie Griffith, November 4, 1899 in Lanham, Texas-December 12, 1979, both buried in Coleman. Maggie was the daughter ot James and Ellen M. (Cox) Griffith. Nan and Maggie had one daughter, Odessa H. (Tate) of Fort Worth;

(7) Vola Green;

(8) Ina Mae Green married Donald Odom, live in Coleman. Children: Carl Edward (see Hugh B. Williams) and Evelyn.