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The Saga of the Carson Family of Brazos County, Texas | |
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CHAPTER 12 - The Deaton Family FIRST GENERATION782 John Calvin DEATON was married to (783) Unknown DEATON. Their two sons were: +784 Thomas DEATON 785 Elias DEATON 786 Marshall CRAWFORD was married to (787) Unknown CRAWFORD. Their daughter was: +788 Harriett (Crawford) DEATON SECOND GENERATION 784 Thomas DEATON was married to (788) Harriett (Crawford) DEATON. He was a freighter for the U.S Army. Their son was: +789 James Monroe DEATON 856 George Washington FAGGARD was born about 1823 in South Carolina. He was married to (857) Martha M. (Overstreet) FAGGARD, who was born on1 July, 1822. They lived in Baldwin County, Alabama, prior to moving to Texas. The census of 1820 for Baldwin County, Alabama listed a Daniel Faggard and a Henry Faggard (neither family had slaves). The children born in Alabama were from 1842, and after that, from Texas. Their daughter was: +806 H. Susannah (Faggard) DEATON THIRD GENERATION 805 James Monroe DEATON was born on 3 July, 1849 in Milam County, Texas. Most probably his birth location is in present day Coryell County at the site of Fort Gates. The 1850 Texas census lists the Thomas Deaton family as living next to the garrison of Fort Gates. A recent history of Coryell County suggests that the Deatons, in fact, lived inside the fort. This would be logical as it was known that Thomas Deaton, James's father, was a freighter for the United States Army. Curiously, the Deaton family is listed next to Captain George Pickett. Pickett would later become a Confederate general and would be the general who commanded the charge at Gettysburg, which was named after him. In contrast to his celebrated father, Thomas, the sheriff of two Texas counties, and his Uncle Elias, who was author of the book "Indian Fights on the Texas Frontier", certain aspects of James' life are shrouded in mystery. He is listed on the 1860 census with his parents and siblings as living in Comanche, Comanche County, Texas, where his father was then sheriff of the County. In approximately 1869, he married (806) H. Susanna Faggard, born in Baldwin County, Alabama in 1852, and whose family were early pioneers of Hamilton County. No marriage record exists but it can be surmised tht the marriage was before 1869 because the Hamilton County courthous in Hamilton burned down in that year and many records were lost. James Deaton may or may not have been an outlaw. Certainly, some of his descendents thought that he was. However, it should be noted that James Deaton came to maturity in a post Civil War Texas that was noted for its lawlessness along the frontier. rather than bein an outlaw, James may simply have been a typical young cowboy of the era in which men sometimes took the law into their own hands and were perhaps somewhat loose about whose cattle they were claiming as their own. It can be said that just as his grandfather, John Calvin Deaton, had pioneered Hopkins County, Texas, and his father, Thomas Deaton had pioneered Comanche County, Texas, James Deaton was one of the earliest pioneers of Kimble County Texas, and it is so recognized by the Kimble County Historical Association. During the early years of their lives, it appears that James and Susanna migrated between Hamilton and Comanche counties. they, along with their firs child, Amber May, are listed on the 1870 Comanche County, Texas census. He is last noted on the Comanche County tax rolls for the year 1871 and his brand for cattle is registered in the brand book for Comanche County with the date of 1873. By 1876, however, he was definitely in Kimble County, Texas, living at Junction. Junction at this time was the edge of the frontier and was a haven for bandits, as noted by Walter Prescott Webb in his book "The Texas Rangers". By this time, James Deaton was a wealthy young man. At the age of 28, the tax rolls indicate that he had 12 horses worth $300 and 200 head of cattle worth $800. As his father Thomas as also a wealthy man, James may have inherited some of this property. If he did not, then therein may lay the foundation for why his descendents thought him an outlaw. Kimble County was organized only in 1876. "The Family Book of Kimble County", a book produced by the local historical association contains much information about the early history of the county. James Deaton's name figures prominently in several of the stories. His house stood close to the center of present day Junction and originally had been built as the first school house. He bought it for his residence. He had several cowhands working for him. John C. Gray wrote in February 1927 that he herded cattle for Jim Deaton in the spring of 1876 and that these cattle grazed in the mesquite brush where the public square of Junction now exists. What James Deaton is best remembered for in Kimble County, however, is the manner of his death, an event which still lives in the folklore of Kimble County, Texas. According to whom you believe, James Deaton was either murdered or killed in self defense in one of the first killings that occurred in Kimble County. Tom Doran, who killed him, was the defendant in the first murder case tried in Kimble County. It is now impossible to know what really happened. It is known that his daughter Hattie always told her children that her father had been shot in the back. Others say it was self defense. In 1937, Junction resident O.C. Fisher, later to become a prominent United States Congressman, published "It Occurred in Kimble", one of the first efforts at oral history undertaken in the United States. His book includes a description of the Tom Doran and Jim Deaton incident. It reads: "Tom Doran Kills Jim Deaton Early in 1880, Jim Deaton tried to kill Tom Doran when they met at Bill Frank's saloon. Doran sat in the saloon leaning his chair against the bar when Deaton, with an open knife in his hand, entered and paced to and fro in front of Doran. Suddenly, as he passed, Jim whipped the knife blade against Doran's throat. Doran ducked, the blade slashing at the under edge of his chin. Doran then raised his head and the flesh under his chin dropped down like an apron (as someone who helped sew him up put it). Deaton had drawn blood and the feud between the two was not settled. Everybody in Junction City knew that there would be more trouble. Six months later they met just outside of the same saloon and one word brought on another. Some construction work was being done on the building, and Deaton grabbed a piece of loose lath with which to strike Doran, but the latter shot him with a 'needle' gun and killed him on the spot. The feud was ended. There was no trial, remembers one man, as it was a plain case of self defense, and why bother the man with a trial? Trials cost money. Tom Doran's preliminary hearing was conducted under an arbor, and during the course of the proceedings, Mrs. John J. Smith, who had been at these proceedings, recalled that Jim Deaton's widow made a dramatic appearance on the scene. Brandishing a loaded gun, she made her way through the crowd and announced that she wanted to kill that man Doran. Several men relieved her of the weapon, order was finally restored, and the proceedings resumed. (See: Fisher, O.C., "It Occurred in Kimble", Anson Jones Press, Houston, 1938, pp. 229 - 230). However, this may not be the full story. O.C. Fisher was conducting an oral history based on the reminiscences of early Junction County pioneers. Certain aspects of his account are not accurate. For example, he states that this incident occurred early in 1880. However, it did not. fisher says there was no trial. Others say there was an actual trial (see: "Family History Book of Kimble County). Perhaps time had dimmed the memory of whatever pioneer told Fisher the story or, perhaps, the particular pioneer was a friend of Tom Doran or his family. Others in Kimble County believe in a different version. After the killing, Tom Doran fled, which could be an indication of guilt. On 20 Sept., 1878, the following item was reported in the Galveston Texas "Daily News". Junction City, September 12, 1878 "My husband was killed in this place yesterday by a man by the name of T.H. Doran. My husband's name was J.M. Deaton. The difficulty occurred in a saloon close by and my husband started home and was followed by Doran who shot him in the back. When my husband was killed, he had nothing to defend himself with, not even a pocket knife. Thomas H. Doran, a man about 38 or 40 years old, has red sany hair and mustache, blue eyes, about 5 feet 10 inches high, and weighs about 165 pounds. He had a difficulty and had a cheek cut very badly with a knife which will be a good mark to identify him. Please accommodate a poor widow by publishing this description of the murderer of my husband so that he may be caught and published. Yours respectfully, H.S. Deaton It can not be known now whether this is an accurate description of the incident or the recollections of a grieving widow. Note that Susanna Deaton's letter contains the information about the deep cut that Doran had suffered. The fact is that at least some in Kimble County thought it was necessary to track down Doran. The Galveston Daily News reported on 25 Sept., 1878, the following news: News Item: James Deaton was shot and killed at Junction City last week by Thomas Doran, a wild character from Travis County. Whiskey, we learned, was the cause. At last accounts, Doran was at large but a party of the good citizens of Kimble County had gone in pursuit. Doran was eventually apprehended. Since Kimble County did not have a court house, the trial was held in a brush arbor, located now whether the city park in Junction is located. Doran was acquitted. However, on 21 Dec., 1878, Tom Doran himself was killed in a saloon fight in Junction. His killer, Lewis Temple, was a sheriff's deputy who did not like Doran. Perhaps Temple had been a friend of James Deaton. No grave stone marks James Deaton's grave. However, Frederica Burke Wyatt wrote in "Peace in the Valley, A Chronicle of Kimble County Cemeteries", that James Deaton is without doubt buried in Pioneer Cemetery on the banks of the Llano River within the city limits of present day Junction. Wyatt believes this because it is the only logical place for Deaton to have been buried. These were the words by the author to Stephen Pate, who did the research on James Deaton. Indeed Tom Doran was buried in the same cemetery only three months after Deaton was killed. His grave, however, is marked and is the oldest marked grave in the cemetery. As the records show, Susanna Deaton took her young children and returned to Hamilton County, Texas, where she is shown on the 1880 census living next to her widowed mother and close to the Elias Deaton family. Family tradition has held that she was broken hearted by her husband's death and never fully recovered. She married again to (885) C. S. Uphamon on 26 June, 1883, but died some three months later, leaving her children orphans. The children of James and Susanna Deaton were: +161 Amber May (Deaton) CARSON +199 Harriett "Hattie" Belle (Deaton) CARSON 876 Jesse DEATON was born in 1873 in Comanche County, Texas. He possibly died in 1925 in Arkansas. +149 Martha "Mattie" Belle (Deaton) CARSON 877 James DEATON was born in 1876, probably in Kimble County, Texas. FOURTH GENERATION 161 Amber May (Deaton) CARSON was born 15 Oct., 1869 in Hico, Hamilton County, Texas, and died on 19 April, 1892 in Waller, Waller County Texas. She was married to (84) Thomas Roe CARSON 199 Harriett "Hattie" Belle (Deaton) CARSON was born in 1872 in Comanche County Texas, and died on 20 May, 1923 at her family's farm at Corinth, Leon County, Texas. She was married to (95) Thomas Mitchell CARSON (please see chapter 4 for more information on Thomas Mitchell CARSON). Their children were: +200 Ora Myrtle (Carson) PATE 201 Modie CARSON was born in Oct., 1894 in Leon County, Texas. She appeared on the census in 1900 in Leon County. She died on 11 March, 1920 in Leon County, at the age of 26 years. She was buried in the Buffalo City Cemetery, Leon County, Texas. She never married +202 Era May (Carson) WALKER 203 Rena Jane CARSON was born 28 Aug., 1898 in Leon County, Texas. She appeared on the census of 1900 and 1920 In Leon County. She died on 17 Aug., 1925 in Leon County at the age of 26 and is buried there in Buffalo Cemetery. 204 William CARSON was born in 1902 in Leon County, Texas. +205 Benny Bradford CARSON +206 James Cuvie CARSON was born on 3 Nov., 1904 In Leon County, Texas and died on 30 Oct., 1966 in Eureka, California, and is buried at Ocean View Cemetery there. It is believed he never married. 207 Thomas "Tommie" Mitchell CARSON was born on 11 March, 1907 in Leon County, Texas. +208 Iva Ruth (Carson) HELM 209 Wendell CARSON was born in 1911 in Leon County, Texas. 149 Martha "Mattie" Belle (Deaton) CARSON was born on 1 Oct., 1875 and died 11 Jan., 1918 in Leon County, Texas. She was the second wife of (84) Thomas Roe CARSON. She is buried in Booneville Cemetery, Brazos County, Texas. FIFTH GENERATION 200 Ora Myrtle (Carson) PATE was born in 1891 in Leon County, Texas and died in July, 1972 in Centerville, Leon County, Texas. She had been a school teacher in the Boykin Chapel Community in Leon County, Texas.She married (422) Wilborn Sebastian PATE on 27 Dec., 1916 in Leon County, Texas. Their children were: 423 Alton PATE, born 1920, died 1982 in New Mexico 424 Elton PATE, born 1923 in Leon County, Texas 425 Rena Jane PATE, born 1926 in Leon County, Texas and died 19 Jan., 1993 in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas +426 Gordon Ralph Sr. PATE 202 Era May (Carson) WALKER was born on 31 Oct., 1896 in Leon County, Texas. She was on the census of 1900 in Leon County. She married (1331) Henry WALKER. Their child was: +1334 Marjorie Nell (Walker) REEDER She later married (1332) Unknown HADWIN on 26 Sept., 1947 in Madill, Oklahoma. 205 Benny Bradford CARSON was born on 11 Feb., 1903 in Jewett, Leon County, Texas. He was married to (305) Alma Florence (Hinsley) CARSON on 29 June, 1924 in Centerville, Leon Co., Texas. She was the daughter of (1277) Fant HINSLEY and (1278) Ida (Wood) HINSLEY. Their marriage of 54 years endured many hard times. Brad worked for a government agency (WPA?) during the depression for 50 cents perday, bulding US Highway 75 between Dallas and Houston. He was a sharecropper most of his life until the early 40's when he moved the family to Oakwood, Leon County, Texas where he established a partnership of sorts with Will Hagler. Living on the Hagler farm about 3.5 miles south of Oakwood, Brad farmed on shares and worked at the local cotton gin in spring and summer, leaving the harvesting to Alma and the kids. In the winter, he and Mr. Hagler bought and sold animal pelts. Brad followed this routine for several years. In 1948 he bought a five acre tract of land on US 79 about 1.6 miles west of Oakwood and built a modest home. By this time Roger was the only child left at home as the girls were married and had families of their own. Brad also leased a 80 acre black land farm and had a successful cotton crop while continuing to gin and trade pelts. By 1950, he bought a Magnolia (Mobil) gas station in Oakwood which through his hard work became very successful. He went on to own two other stations in Oakwood, a Fina and a Texaco. Alma saved silver dimes and half dollars (without Brad's knowledge) to finance new furniture and appliances for the house. He died of emphysema brought about from years of smoking cigarettes and inhaling dust around the cotton gins. Alma was visiting Roger's family in Tyler when she suffered a stroke from which she never recovered, dying in Tyler, Smith County, Texas on 16 Nov., 1989. They are both buried in Oakwood City Cemetery, Oakwood, Leon County, Texas.They were both Christian believers, but Brad seldom attended church. Their known children are: +317 Roger Niel CARSON +1261 Hattie Fay (Carson) DAUFFENBACH +1279 Addie Jean (Carson) MOORE 206 James Cuvie CARSON was born on 3 Nov., 1904 In Leon County, Texas and died on 30 Oct., 1966 in Eureka, California, and is buried at Ocean View Cemetery there. He was married to (336) Hazel (Unknown) CARSON. It is not known if they had any children. Roger Niel CARSON remembers him as being legally blind, and having receiving some sort of training for the blind and could mold bud vases from plastic (a new material at the time). He made one of the vases for Addie Jean (Carson) MOORE. 208 Iva Ruth (Carson) HELM was born on 19 Sept., 1913 in Kerrville, Texas, and died on 8 Aug., 1974 in Redding, California. She was married to (1340) Roe Hart HELM. Their children were: +1341 Bobbie Roe HELM +1342 Jackie Leroy HELM +1343 Joel Keith HELM +1344 Barbara Ann (Helm) WEST +1345 Thomas Bradford HELM SIXTH GENERATION 317 Roger Niel CARSON was born on 29 April, 1937 in Buffalo, Leon County, Texas. He married (326) Betty Sue (Harris) CARSON on 25 May, 1957 in Donie, Texas. He is a 1960 graduate of Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, and served in the military for 17 years. He was in the US Army Military Police Corps, and spent one year in Korea (1964), a year in Vietnam (1970, and two 3-year tours in Germany. He was discharged in 1977 with the rank of Major Since that time, they have resided in Tyler, Texas. Their children are: +1247 Roger Niel "Kit" Jr. CARSON +1248 Kathy Jean (Carson) DEAN +1249 Kyle Bradford CARSON +337 Kenneth Harris CARSON 426 Gordon Ralph Sr. PATE was born 13 Sept., 1928 in Leon County, and was married to (816) Shirley Jeanne (Riley) PATE on 15 Aug., 1954 in Dallas, Dallas County, Texas. He is an attorney and is a managing partner of the firm of Pate & Dodson in Beaumont, Texas. He has been listed in "Who's Who in American Law", and is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates. Their children are: +616 Gordon Ralph Jr. PATE +617 Steven PATE +618 Kathleen (Pate) WILLIFORD 1261 Hattie Fay (Carson) DAUFFENBACH was born on 12 Oct., 1925 in Leon County, Texas, and died on 5 Aug., 2000 in Wichita, Kansas. She was buried in Benton, Kansas. She married (1280) Robert Cecil Sr. DAUFFENBACH on 1 Sept., 1945 in Dallas, Texas. He was born on 27 Oct., 1917 and died in June, 1984 in Wichita, Kansas. Their children were: +1281 Robert Cecil Jr. DAUFFENBACH +1282 Connie Faye (Dauffenbach) DUKES +1283 Elizabeth Ann DAUFFENBACH 1284 Sherri Lynn DAUFFENBACH was born on 4 June, 1951 in Wichita, Kansas, but died at birth. +1285 David Allen DAUFFENBACH +1286 Brad Roger DAUFFENBACH Hattie Faye later married (1287) George Ronald RUBIA on 10 May, 1968 in Wichita, Kansas. 1279 Addie Jean (Carson) MOORE was born on 2 June, 1927. She married (1299) John Stant MOORE. The child of Addie Jean and John Moore was: +1300 Jerry Stanford MOORE She later married (1301) Mancil JACKSON, then (1302) Jimmy Dee BRYAN, then (1299) John Stant MOORE. 1334 Marjorie Nell (Walker) REEDER was born on 15 March, 1917 in Buffalo, Leon County, Texas. In 2001 she was living in an assisted living home in Palestine, Texas. She married (1335) Fannin Carroll REEDER. Their children were: 1336 Bill REEDER 1337 Ellis Ray REEDER was born on 4 March, 1944 and died on 24 Jan., 1975. He is buried in Buffalo City Cemetery, Buffalo, Leon County, Texas. 1338 Jerry REEDER 1339 J. W. REEDER is the only surviving son (2001) , and owns a heating and air conditioning business in Buffalo, Texas. 1341 Bobbie Roe HELM married (1346) Virginia (Hartland) HELM, then married (1347) Virginia (Unknown) HELM. The child of Bobbie Roe and Virginia (Unknown) was: 1348 Roe Hart HELM 1342 Jackie Leroy HELM married (1349) Anita (Unknown) HELM. Their children were: +1350 Atessa Constance (Helm) CAPELLI +1351 Darius Matthew HELM 1353 Abigail Amanda Carson HELM +1354 Cassandra Regina Faranda (Helm) GUINANE 1343 Joel Keith Sr. HELM married (1353) Kay (Unknown) HELM. Their children were: 1356 Joel Keith Jr. HELM 1357 Eva Marie HELM 1344 Barbara Ann (Helm) WEST was born on 27 Dec., 1935. She married (1357) Harold Ward WEST on 1 Jan., 1953. Their children are: +1358 Marcella Ann WEST +1359 Melinda Lea WEST 1360 Harold Wayne WEST was born on 3 Sept., 1957 in Redding, California, and died on 17 Sept., 1977 in Grand Forks, North Dakota, age 20 years. +1361 Cynthia Ruth WEST +1362 Vivian Lynn WEST 1345 Thomas Bradford HELM was born on 18 Sept., 1939. He married (1363) Tonya (Unknown) HELM. Their children are: 1365 Derek HELM 1366 Christopher HELM 1367 Damon HELM He then married (1364) Brenda (Unknown) HELM. Their child was: 1368 Zachary HELM SEVENTH GENERATION 616 Gordon Ralph Jr. PATE was born on 10 June, 1956 in Beaumont, Texas. He is married to (858) Diana (Clonger) PATE. Their children are: 817 Eric PATE 818 Hannah PATE 819 Josh PATE 617 Steven PATE was born on 6 May, 1958 in Beaumont, Texas. He married (878) Jean (Janssen) PATE on 15 Oct., 1995 in Houston, Harris County, Texas. He is a member of the Sons of the Republic of Texas, tracing his lineage to (786) Marshall Crawford, father of (882) Harriett Crawford who married Thomas Deaton. He is a 1980 graduate of Vanderbilt University, Magna Cum Laude with a Phi Beta Kappa key. He is a graduate of Vanderbilt Law School and clerked for a United States District Court after graduation from law school. He is a partner with the law firm of Fulbright Jaworski, the nation's sixth largest firm, in Houston, Texas, where he specializes in trial law. He is a fellow of the Houston and Texas Bar Foundations and is a member of the Federation of Insurance and Corporate Counsels. He is listed in "Who's Who in America", and "Who's Who in American Law". Their child is: 820 Teddy Crane PATE 618 Kathleen (Pate) WILLIFORD was born 28 July, 1961 in Beaumont, Texas. She married (812) Jeff WILLIFORD on 8 Jan., 1989. Their children are: 821 Austin WILLIFORD 822 Patrick Riley WILLIFORD 823 Gordon Pate WILLIFORD 1247 Roger Niel "Kit" Jr. CARSON was born on 2 May, 1959 in Huntsville, Walker County, Texas. He married (1253) Lynda Kay (Brown) CARSON on 9 Aug., 1979 in First Methodist Church, Jacksonville, Texas. Their children are: 1255 Kristopher Kirkpatrick CARSON was born on 3 April, 1982 1256 Dalton Chase CARSON was born on 26 May, 1991 They were divorced and he subsequently married (1254) Cindy (Arnold) CARSON on 3 June, 1995 in Colonial Hills Baptist Church, Tyler, Texas. 1248 Kathy Jean (Carson) DEAN was born on 20 June, 1961 in Georgia Baptist Hospital, Atlanta, Georgia. She was married to (1257) Lawrence Reagan DEAN in June of 1980 in Flint Baptist Church, Flint, Texas. Their children are: 1258 Lawrence Ryan DEAN was born on 30 June, 1982 1259 Timothy Adam DEAN was born on 4 April, 1985 1260 Jonathan Taylor DEAN was born on 7 Nov., 1988 1249 Kyle Bradford CARSON was
born on 4 Feb., 1966 in Darnell Army Hospital, Fort Hood, Texas. He
married (1250) Rebecca Ann (Hardin) CARSON on 18 May, 1987 in the
Pleasant Hill Baptist Church, Tyler, Texas
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