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Posts Tagged ‘Texas’

Wordless Wednesday – Terry and Chris Williams Portrait

May 12th, 2010 1 comment

Terry and Chris Williams Portrait

My aunt, Teresa Lynn Williams, and my mother, Christine Williams. Photo taken approx. 1959, in Houston, Texas.

Brian Davis – Christine Davis (Williams)

Categories: Williams, Wordless

Tombstone Tuesday – Emmit Rowland Gibson (1894 – 1918)

April 27th, 2010 2 comments

Emmit Rowland “E. R.” Gibson, my first cousin three times removed, was born 1/11/1894 in Smith County, Texas. He was KIA in France on 11/2/1918 (nine days before the armistice 11/11/1918) during World War I.  Emmit served as a Private in Company A of the 360th Infantry 90th Division. His gravesite is located at Noonday Cemetery in Noonday, Texas.  Many thanks to Gary Mosley for the pictures and information.

Brian Davis – James Michael Davis – James Nead Davis – Margie Leaine Davis (Kirkpatrick) – Burla Eugene Kirkpatrick (Gibson/aunt of Emmit Rowland Gibson)

Categories: Davis, Military, Tombstone

YouTube Videos – 8mm Davis Family Home Movies

April 14th, 2010 No comments

I recently sent some old 8mm film reels to Just8mm.com for conversion to DVD. I have uploaded the series of three videos to YouTube.  The videos include footage from my early childhood in Orange, Texas and Clinton, Iowa approx. 1975-1981.  Also included, is an Easter trip to Petronila, Texas.

Brian Davis

Categories: Davis, Williams

Wordless Wednesday – Mike Davis Mud Football Pictures

April 14th, 2010 2 comments

My father, James Michael Davis, participating in the Texas A&M Mud Football Intramurals. Individual and group photos taken approx. 1969 in College Station, Texas.

Brian Davis – James Michael Davis

Categories: Davis, Wordless

World War II Project – Lt. Col. Ewing Stuart Watson (1918 – 2008)

March 31st, 2010 No comments

Lt. Col. Ewing Stuart Watson, the father of my aunt, Fran Davis (Watson), was born in Bowie, Texas, on 5/21/1918.  Stuart served during World War II as a B17 pilot in the 533rd Bombardment Squadron, 381st Bomb Group.  He flew 47 B17 missions over Europe and received the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters, and the European-African-Middle Eastern (EAME) Campaign Medal with 6 Bronze Service Stars.  Stuart passed away 1/13/2008 and is buried in Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery.

Ewing Stuart Watson and Crew Picture

Many thanks to Fran and Paul Watson for providing many pictures, documents, and information on their father’s service for my family tree World War II project. Please check back periodically for updates on the project. If you have anything you’d like to contribute, please send me an email.

Brian Davis – James Michael Davis [brother of Kenneth Allan Davis (son-in-law of  Ewing Stuart Watson)]

Categories: Davis, Military

Tombstone Tuesday – Richard Ruel Tarrant (1859-1911)

March 23rd, 2010 4 comments

My family and I took a recent road trip to Tyler, Texas. On the way, I took pictures of Pleasant Hill Cemetery, located southwest of Bullard, Texas on FM 2137.

Richard Ruel Tarrant, my 3rd great grand uncle, was born 8/13/1859 in Cherokee County, Texas.  Richard was 51 years-old at the time of his death. His gravesite, along with those of his wife, Melissa Gabrielle Tarrant (Cole), and several members of her family are located at Pleasant Hill Cemetery.

Brian Davis – James Michael Davis – James Nead Davis – Margie Leaine Davis (Kirkpatrick) – Woodie Tarrant Kirkpatrick – Mary Louise Oliphant/Kirkpatrick (Tarrant/sister of Richard Ruel Tarrant)

Categories: Davis, Tombstone

Tombstone Tuesday – Houston National Cemetery Visit

March 3rd, 2010 2 comments

Houston National Cemetery Hemicycle

Although no direct family relations are buried there, my family and I visited the Houston National Cemetery in Houston, Texas yesterday. The cemetery is beautiful and very well maintained. It was a nice, sunny day, although a bit windy and chilly. We hope to visit again this summer when the grass is greener and the flowers are in bloom. Click here for the entire picture set from our visit.

My wife’s co-worker, Bruce Alan Johnson, recently passed away, and is buried there. His obituary appeared in the Houston Chronicle 12/21/2009:

Bruce Alan Johnson Headstone

BRUCE A. JOHNSON, 62, of Houston, passed away on Friday, Dec. 18, 2009. He was born on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 27, 1947, in Galesburg, IL to Floy and Herman Johnson. After years of service to the US Military and Texas Children’s Hospital, he leaves behind four sisters and two brothers, Leslie Fletcher of Houston, TX, Kathy (Donald) Bell of Aledo, IL, Randi (Bruce) Richardson of El Cajon, CA, and Sue (Rob) Carey of Katy, TX, Steve (Kristy) Johnson of Galesburg, IL, and Craig Johnson of Pittsburg, PA, along with several nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by both his mother and father.Visitation will be at Earthman Bellaire Funeral Home from 6-8 p.m., 6700 Ferris St., Tues., Dec. 22, 2009. The funeral will be held Wed., Dec. 23rd, 2009 11 a.m., at Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church, 4930 West Belfort, Houston, Texas 77035. Donations may be made to the Texas Children’s Auxillary and Voluntary Services and Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church, both of Houston, Texas. On-line condolences may be made at MEM.com

There are also three Congressional Medal of Honor recipients and a renowned veteran/Congressman buried in the cemetery:

From the Houston National Cemetery website:

First Lieutenant Raymond L. Knight, (World War II), U.S. Army Air Corps. Northern Po Valley, Italy, on April 25, 1945. His remains were relocated to Houston National Cemetery on April 25, 1992.

Staff Sergeant Macario Garcia, (World War II), U.S. Army, Company B, 22nd Infantry, 4th Infantry Division. Grosshau, Germany, Nov. 27, 1944.

Captain James H. Fields, (World War II), U.S. Army, 10th Armored Infantry, 4th Armored Division. Near Rechicourt, France, Sept. 27, 1944.

Albert Thomas Headstone

From the Houston National Cemetery website:

The most renowned veteran buried in the cemetery is the late Honorable Albert Thomas, United States Congressman from Texas. Congressman Thomas served as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army during World War I, and served almost 30 years in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was instrumental in getting this cemetery established by Congress. “Congressman Albert,” as his many friends knew him, died in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 15, 1966, and was buried in the mall area of the Houston National Cemetery, on Feb. 18, 1966.

Categories: Military, Tombstone

Tombstone Tuesday – Mary Louise Oliphant (1856-1940)

February 23rd, 2010 2 comments

Mary Louise “Mollie Lou” Oliphant/Kirkpatrick (Tarrant), my 3rd great grandmother, was born 7/27/1856 in Bullard, Texas. She died of “natural causes”, but heart trouble was listed on her death record. Mollie Lou was 84 years-old at the time of her death, and had three children with her first husband, John Marion Kirkpatrick (died in 1886): Woodie, Jack, and Johnnie Mae. She had two children with her second husband, Valcour Little Oliphant: Valcour Leon and Louis. Her gravesite is located at Old Larissa Cemetery in Mount Selman, Texas.

Brian Davis – James Michael Davis – James Nead Davis – Margie Leaine Davis (Kirkpatrick) – Woodie Tarrant Kirkpatrick – Mary Louise Oliphant/Kirkpatrick (Tarrant)

Categories: Davis, Tombstone

Tombstone Tuesday – Lewis F. Kirkpatrick (1863-1934)

February 16th, 2010 3 comments

Lewis F. Kirkpatrick, my 3rd great grand uncle, was born 2/15/1863 in Cherokee County, Texas. He died in Jacksonville, Texas of leg gangrene on 12/29/1934 at the age of 71. “L.F.” is the son of my 2nd great grandparents, James Isaac Kirkpatrick and Martha Margaret Fulton. He was a farmer in Cherokee County and married Mary Gay around the year 1900. I’m always intrigued by headstones with a picture of the deceased on them. This is invaluable to a genealogist, as it may be the only photo we come across. L.F. is buried in Union Grove Cemetery in Jacksonville, Texas.

Brian Davis – James Michael Davis – James Nead Davis – Margie Leaine Davis (Kirkpatrick) – Woodie Tarrant Kirkpatrick – John Marion Kirkpatrick (brother of Lewis F. Kirkpatrick)

Categories: Davis, Tombstone

Tombstone Tuesday – John D. Backus (1940-1940)

February 9th, 2010 No comments

John D. Backus, my first cousin, twice removed, was born 12/5/1940 in Corpus Christi, Texas.  He died of natural causes on 12/30/1940 at the age of 25 days.  John is the son of my great grand uncle, Arthur Burgoyne Backus, and his second wife, Anna Marie Flahie.  John is buried in the “Baby Land” section of Rose Hill Cemetery in Corpus Christi.  My wife and I visited the cemetery last August.  Most of the headstones around John’s were either missing or destroyed, but his is still standing.  We were struck by this and the headstone itself, with the inscription of “Gone to be an angel.”

Brian Davis – James Michael Davis – Georgia Lou Davis (Barlow) – Katie Maybelle Barlow (Backus/aunt of John D. Backus)

Categories: Davis, Tombstone