StephensTHE STEPHENS FAMILY
with
The Dedoehdants
of
WILLIAM BARNET STEPHENS
by
Pat Trask
Dedicated to
EULA STEPHENS BOMAR
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Dido, Texas
,. February 219 1881
Mr. Jefferson Stephensi
I will write you a few lines to inform you of the death of
your brother Marion, which took place about 10 o'clock at night
the 14th instant. Father Boone has moved the children to his
house, to take care of them, it being Marion's request. We still
have the baby.
Your friend,
W. S. Coleman
( EXPLANATION FOR LETTERS OF W. Me STEPHENS AND W. S. COLEMAN)
The wife of "Father Boone" 'was Elizabeth Floyd, sister of Jane
Floyd, who was the mother of Arrilea Bearden Stephens. Thus, after
raising her own children, Elizabeth accepted the sir children
of William Marion and Arrilea Bearden Stephens into her home, as
they were the.grandchildren of her sister. W, S: Coleman was the
step -brother of Arrilea, and he was also the son-in-law of "Father"
Howard Boone and Elizabeth Floyd Boone. The Boones and the
Colemans had preceded the William Marion Stephens to the Fort
Worth, Texas, area by a few years and they had been neighbors
An the Flatcreek area of Bedford, Cob, Tenn., prior to going to
Texas. When W. S. Coleman used the terra "Father" Boone, it Was
because he was referring to him as his father-in-law. When
William Marion referred to the sadness of leaving Tennessee, he had
in mind the death and burial of his baby daughter Arrilea'Moss
Stephens, only four months prior to the writing of the letter of
February 8, 1880.
(Provided by Gilley T. Stephens)
OAVIE CO. PUBLIC LIBRARY
M.00KSVILLE; No
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LETTER OF WILLIAM MARIO$ STEPHENS# TARAANT CO.t TEXAS. JAN 2091881
Dear brother and family.
I #ill try to drop you a fear lines this morning with a sad heart
and feeble body. I am sick; have•been bad -near two weeks, it is
all that I can do to hold..the pencil. I have been in bad health
nearly all the winter but have kept up till now. I feel like my
time in this world was nearly over, I am worked nearly like I was
back there. We have moved into our new home, hard life and mis-
fortune follow close upon our heel. One of my horses died with
blind staggers and the other liked to. Great many horses have died..
Jefferson, I .can't write much, I am so nervous. It took nearly
all my cotton crop to have it picked, we did not pick much on
account of chills. I have come .out behind. - I know all of you
think hard of me for not writing more often but I have seen so
mush trouble -it seemed like I could not write. I want you to send
me $25.00, this will surprise you I know, but the facts are that
way. I am needing medicine, can't get it without money and other
things we are obliged to have. If you see Jim Hix see if maybe
he will help me some. This may be the last request that I will
make of you in this world and if it is and if this should be my
last letter to you all I want you all to meet me in heaven. The
Lord knows what will become of my poor children. I must close I
have wrote more now than I thought I could. If you cfi.n'e �:�1 that
money, send it right away, the stamp that brings this letter is
the last and no money to buy anymore so far. Well write soon.
W. M. STEPHENS
P.S. Since I wrote I am feeling a little better though very week,
ean,,scarcely walk across the house. Don't disappoint me in sending
th:e money, if it can be had. Anyway I need medicine now and don't
have the money to buy it. I will have to sell my interest in the
dower if I can't do anything better. W. M . S .
A-2
oAVIE GO. PUBLIC LIBRARY
M.00KSVILE6 NO
THE BOONE AND COLEMAN FAMILIES
The Boone family descends from George Boone : I, I &III who were
ancestors of the famous frdntiersmani Daniel Bone. The community
of Boonesville, Lincoln Cot Tenn.was named for this Boone family
who settled there in the early 18dolsi: The 7th generation down
from George Boone I was William ( Billy) Boone who was born in
Rowan Co., N: C. Dec. 12, 1790 and died at F_ eek, Tenn June 99
1854.. On. March 25, 1824 he married Sally(Toward a daughter of
William and Mary Ste hens Howard. Sally o was born Dec. 29,
1803 and died Jan:�i' ;84.3. William Boone -served in the war of
1812 with his brother James.
William and Sally Howard Boone were the parents of 11 children
among whomwas Howard Boone born Dec, 22, 1824. On Nov. 14, 184.49
he married Elizabeth Floyd, an aunt of Arrilea Bearden' Stephens d�e_�
Elizabeth was a daughter of Elijah and Sally Watso loy wardF.
Boone died Aug. 5, 1883 and Elizabeth died Sept. 20, ., Azle, i�
Tex. They were the parents of 11 children, plus they took all the -;4,J"1
children of William Marion and Arrilea Bearden Stephens except the
baby, Lula who was taken in by the W. S. Coleman family, then later
the Pedent s.
Sarah Ann Boone, a daughter of Howard and Elizabeth Floyd Boone,
was born' Sept 10, 1855 and married William Samuel Coleman ( a step-
brother of Arrilea Bearden Stephens) at Flatcreek, Tenn. W. S.
Coleman was a son of James and Sarah Byrd Coleman. We So and Sarah
Boone Coleman were the parents of 13 children plus the baby of
Arrilea .and Wm. Marion Stephens.
In 1873, the Howard Boone family and the 1•1. S. Coleman family went
to Texas in .covered wagons, settling first near the little village
of Smithfield, Texas, in Tarrant County, near the frontier town of
Fort Worth.
During the last part of 1876, the Boone and Coleman families decided
to make a move. They bought a farm near the Trinity River, about
3 miles Northwest of the Dido, Texas, postoffice. They built a
log house, and moved in, and started cotton and corn crops. TfAs
was the beginning of a neighborhood called Boone -Lane. (This is
the same farm now owned and occupied by one of Sam and Sarah Coluiiians
great grand so n t s , Richard Vance Hall.)
Sam and Sarah Coleman moved into a log cabin on a branch about n.
mile to the Northeast of the Boone' s new home. ( This land was
purchased in the last part of 1876 -by Jim D. Peden and wife Maggie
Stennis, who had just arrived from Kemper Co., Miss.)
In the fall of 1880 Sam and Sarah Coleman moved to their new farm
about 1 mile West of Boone Lane. In the fall of 1888 they rented
their farm and moved to Springtown, Texas, in Parker Co. In 1898
William Samuel Coleman passed away.. Sarah Ann and her children,
continued to live on this Coleman farm. She was a widow for 46
years after the death of her husband. ..She died at the age of 89,
near Ringling, Okla.,, and is buried in the Ringling Cemetery.
Note: A William Stephens made his will in Rowan Co. NC, Sept. 3,
1803 :(Rowan Co. will Bk. D, pg 43) naming 3 children- Sarah Stephens,
Joseph Stephens, and Polly (Mary) Stephens. Also a marr. record
in Rowan Co. N. Co for Sarah Stephens to Benjamin Howard 1812.
OAVIE CO. PUBLIC UBRARII
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