Philip PENNINGTON

Submitter: Lou Ann Naut

Husband: Philip PENNINGTON
Born: 3 Nov 1846 Place: Lawrence Co., MO
Married: (2nd marriage) 8 Sep 1889 Place: Limestone Co., TX
Died: 30 Jul 1916 Place: Buffalo, Leon Co., TX
Cemetery: Old Sandhill Cemetery Place: Buffalo, Leon Co., TX
Father: Simeon PENNINGTON
Mother: Nancy McGEHEE
Other Spouses: Elizabeth Jane MORGAN b. 1845 MO, d Aug 1884 Denton, TX, m. 10 Jan 1868

Wife: Sarah Frances LEE
Born: 17 Aug 1870 Place: Freestone Co., TX
Died: 3 May 1950 Place: Buffalo, Leon Co., TX
Cemetery: Old Sandhill Cemetery Place: Buffalo, Leon Co., TX
Father: Isaac LEE
Mother: Martha J. DEATON
Other Spouses: Charles Emmett RUSSELL b. 1 Dec 1877 KY, d. 3 Sep 1941, Sherman, Grayson Co., TX, m. 1917

Children:

1 Name: M Joe Isaac PENNINGTON
Born: 18 Oct 1889 Place: Groesbeck, Limestone Co., TX
Died: 21 May 1982 Place: Corsicana, Navarro Co., TX
Cemetery: Buffalo Cemetery Place: Buffalo, Leon Co., TX
Spouse 1: Willie Corine MURPHY
Married: 29 Oct 1912 Place: Sulphur Springs, Hopkins Co., TX

2 Name: F Milisia Ann PENNINGTON
Born: 2 Sep 1892 Place: probably Limestone Co., TX
Died: 1 Apr 1966 Place: Buffalo, Leon Co., TX
Cemetery: Sardis Cemetery Place: Jewett, Leon Co., TX
Spouse 1: Henry JUSTUS
Married:   Place:  

3 Name: M Ernest James PENNINGTON
Born: 11 Mar 1894 Place: Buffalo, Leon Co., TX
Died: 3 Sep 1969 Place: Harlingen, Cameron Co., TX
Cemetery: Restlawn Cemetery Place: LaFeria, Cameron Co., TX
Spouse 1: Clara Bell LAND
Married: 15 Aug 1915 Place: Knox City, TX

4 Name: M Eddie Philip PENNINGTON
Born: 8 Nov 1895 Place: Teague, Freestone Co., TX
Died: 12 Aug 1967 Place: Palestine, Anderson Co., TX
Cemetery: Buffalo Cemetery Place: Buffalo, Leon Co., TX
Spouse 1: Lillie Lee USRY
Married: 16 Feb 1919 Place:  

5 Name: F Effie Sarah PENNINGTON
Born: 8 Nov 1895 Place: Teague, Freestone Co., TX
Died: 14 Nov 1980 Place: Alameda, Alameda Co., CA
Cemetery: Memory Gardens Cemetery Place: Alameda, CA
Spouse 1: George Tom WALDEN
Married: 3 Feb 1911 Place: Sanger, Denton Co., TX

6 Name: F Etta Belle PENNINGTON
Born: Dec 1897 Place: Leon Co., TX
Died: Before 1910 Place: Leon Co., TX
Cemetery: Unknown Place:  

7 Name: M Claude PENNINGTON
Born: 9 Dec 1899 Place: Leon Co., TX
Died: 26 Aug 1987 Place: Buffalo, Leon Co., TX
Cemetery: Buffalo Cemetery Place: Buffalo, Leon Co., TX
Spouse 1: Mattie Belle HALL
Married: 6 Aug 1920 Place: Leon Co., TX

8 Name: M Odis or Otis PENNINGTON
Born: Dec 1901 Place: Leon Co., TX
Died: 3 Jul 1903 Place: Leon Co., TX
Cemetery: possibly Old Sandhill Cemetery Place: Buffalo, Leon Co., TX

9 Name: F Martha Ann PENNINGTON
Born: 1906 Place: Leon Co., TX
Died: 1906 Place: Leon Co., TX
Cemetery: possibly Old Sandhill Cemetery Place: Buffalo, Leon Co., TX

10 Name: M Harvy or Harry Lee PENNINGTON
Born: 1908 Place: Leon Co., TX
Died: 1908 Place: Leon Co., TX
Cemetery: possibly Old Sandhill Cemetery Place: Buffalo, Leon Co., TX

11 Name: F Ethel Pearl PENNINGTON
Born: 10 Apr 1911 Place: Leon Co., TX
Died: 3 Feb 1991 Place: Buffalo, Leon Co., TX
Cemetery: Buffalo Cemetery Place: Buffalo, Leon Co., TX
Spouse 1: never married
Married:   Place:  

NOTES:
Philip came to Texas with his first wife, Elizabeth Jane Morgan and their three children, Ida Mae, Emma Bell and John W. and settled in Sanger, Denton Co.,TX. Elizabeth Jane Morgan died soon after the birth of their fourth child, William Franklin Pennington. Philip was the youngest child of Simeon Pennington and Nancy McGehee, and his grandparents were Asa Pennington and Rachel Lane. The Penningtons, McGehees and Lanes were all prominent and well settled families in the Lawrence County, Missouri region.
An uncle of Philip's, Corbin P. Pennington, had settled in Coryell Co., TX between 1850-60, and another uncle, Riggs Pennington, had obtained a land grant in Washington Co.,TX in 1841. It may be Philip and his family first settled with these relatives on arrival to Texas before finally settling in Denton County.
A story in circulation about Philip Pennington says he killed a man in 1882 in Lawrence Co., Missouri and fled with his family to Texas. This anecdote was originally submitted by Pamela Lehman Norris, 15 Feb 2007 at ancestry.com: "Phillip owned a farm and was doing very well. There was a neighbor (John Hayes) who had land adjoining his. They were not very nice people - really rough men folks. Phillip and his dad had trouble with them before. One day Phillip's milk cow got out and was on the neighbors property or he claimed she had been. When Phillip found his cow, the man wasn't going to let Phillip have her. He drew a knife on Phillip. Phillip was known to be an expert shot with throwing rocks. He used to kill rabbits and squirrels with rocks. The man kept coming towards Phillip with the knife so Phillip picked up a rock about the size of a quarter, Phillip threw the rock and struck the man on the head, he fell unconscious. The man died three days later. Phillip knowing they were mean people and this man had several brothers, and figured they would come after him. So Phillip sold his farm to one of his brothers and took his wife and kids and everything he could get into a covered wagon and left Missouri during the night."
I don't know the circumstances of Philip's courtship with Sarah Frances Lee, but their marriage was an enduring one. Sarah Frances Lee was the youngest daughter of Isaac Lee and Martha J. Deaton. Isaac came to Texas with his father John Lee and brothers Jeremiah, Robert, Jacob, Alfred, Peter and Levi from Shelby County, Illinois via Taney County, Missouri. The eldest brother, Jeremiah died shortly after arrival in 1847, but brothers Robert, Alfred, Jacob and Peter obtained land grants in what was known as the Mercer Colony: Alfred -Freestone Co.,TX 1852, Peter - Limestone Co.,TX 1855, Robert - Hopkins Co.,TX 1856,Jacob -Limestone Co., 1860. Robert Lee and Levi Lee both served as privates in Nelson's regiment, 10th Texas Infantry, CSA. It's believed Robert died during service. It is possible Isaac also served as there is a record of an Isaac Lee, Corporal, Co.G, Madison's regiment, 3rd Texas Calvary. But this hasn't been proved. In his lifetime Isaac worked as a farmer, a laborer, a waggoner and a carpenter in Limestone, Freestone, Falls, Bell, Hopkins and Robertson Counties. It is believed he died about 1880 in Robertson County.

SOURCES:
1850, 1860, 1870, 1889 US Federal census - Lawrence, Cedar and Barton Counties, MO
1876 US Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, Harrison, MO
Missouri Marriage Records 1905-1902 (ancestry.com)
Texas Marriages 1837-1973 (family search.org)
1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930 US Federal census - Cameron, Denton, Leon, Freestone, Limestone, Bell, Falls, Robertson, Coryell, and Washington Counties, TX