Masons and Stringers done....next

So I've worked hard on investigating my father's family line....we explored

Mason (Lemmie, Marion, Sylvanis, Sylvanus, Thomas, James)

Wolford (Linnie, Wylie, John Milton, Dr. John, Major John, Johan)

McKay (Clara, Benjamin, William Franklin, William Andrew)

McCullers (Camella, Peyton, James, Malcolm)

there are still lines that branch off from these folks (Curl, Dupree, Covington, Patterson, Shuck, Coulson, Shephard) but I'll try to investigate them at another time as now I'll go to my mother's family line.

I've worked on my mother's family....the Stringer's.

Daniel (Pearl Anna, Woody Asberry, Eron Asberry, William N., Isaiah “Josiah”)

Brannon (Leola Mae, Ansel Gadd, Reverand Julian)

Stringer (Delbert Elloid, Joseph Daniel, John)

Smalley (Jessie Christine, William D.)

there are still lines that branch off from these folks (Truitt, Rogers, Causey, Fisher, Henderson, Gadd, Mize, Cox, Pipkins, Myers) but I'll try to investigate them at another time as now I'll go to my husband's family line.

Smalley, Jessie Christine....WIlliam

I'll be honest that when I started the journey of finally getting the genealogy information I've found throughout the years in one place that was easier to read than just looking at census, etc. I actually did not plan on including the Smalley family. As you have read my grandfather's mother left him as a small child and he did not find her until he was in his 50s therefore I never knew her. I wondered how any mother could do that. I'm glad I did end up researching the Smalley family as it gave me a glimpse into their life. Often times we deal with a situation in a way because we are ill equipped on how to deal with it.

I've decided here on out to post information by families with the oldest member I can find listed first. It's not just the Smalley family but many when it is useful to view the things they have done in a bigger context seeing how they were raised or what happened to them growing up.

WILLIAM D. SMALLEY

William D Smalley was born November 1859 in Macoupin, Illinois to William C. and Virginia (Hilyard) Smalley.

I found a lot of census on this family in various forms.

We know William's father died when he was four.

1860 Census is listed in Township, Illinois when William D is one. His father is William born in in New Jersey and he is 32 and a farmer with a Personal estate of 185 which is not much even in those days! Virginia is 28, Resin is 9, Jane 7, Silas 5, Leonard 4.

1870 Census listed in Township Illinois. William is 11. His mother is listed but not his father (he died in 1864). Children Leonard 6, Lizzie 13 and Weston 6 are listed. Their personal Estate value: $309.00

There is an 1880 Census but I'm not certain it is our William. There are things that point in the direction this is him ….but it lists his mother as Christine. We know many reasons why it would go from Virginia to Christine (step mother) but I'm not sure.

I do have the death certificate for W D Smalley and his father is not listed but his mother is listed as Christine Barth (maiden name). It also lists him as divorced.

We see that he married Tennessee “Tennie” Pipkins (1861-1936) August 16, 1880 in Brazos, Texas when he is 20 and she is 18.

They had two children Edward Dekerd (1881-1929) and Jessie Christine (1885-1975).

By April 15, 1897 we find Tennie married to James Redden Mattox according to marriage records.

She shows up in 1900 Census in Seminole Nation, Indian Territory which lists JR (67), Tennessee (37), Bell (all Mattox except Jessie Smalley) who is 16, Charles (15), Elmer (13) and Jessie Smalley (15).

Family history shows Jessie did not like her stepdad so she left home we were told when she was 13 but the 1900 census shows her as in the home and 15. She went to live with the Dunway family which had 17 children and she cooked for them. When she was 17 she married.

The 1910 Census the Mattox family is listed in Norman Oklahoma - James (57) and Tennie (48).

1920 Census again in Norman with James (67) and Tennie (57). The Census says Tennie's parents were both born in Tennessee.

By 1930 Tennie (69) lives with Cecil Smalley 22, Laura Smalley 50 and Billie Smalley 21. The men are farmers and it says Tennie's first married when was 18. Why do some census collect more information than others? What a shame.

We were lucky to find a picture of Tennie and James with a horse names Sealam taken in

There is also a picture of two couples one of them Tennie and James.

All of the census are listed on Ancestry.com if you want to see them.

Jessie Christine Smalley

Jessie was born April 27, 1885 in Franklin, Texas to William and Tennessee “Tennie” (Pipkins) Smalley.

She shows up in 1900 Census in Seminole Nation, Indian Territory which lists JR (67), Tennessee (37), Bell (all Mattox except Jessie Smalley) who is 16, Charles (15), Elmer (13) and Jessie Smalley (15). The census shows she had had no schooling but can read and write.

Family history shows Jessie did not like her stepdad so she left home we were told when she was 13 but the 1900 census shows her as in the home and 15. She went to live with the Dunway family which had 17 children and she cooked for them. When she was 17 she married.

She had Phillip Orval Littleton Dec 9, 1903-1959 with Otis Littleton. Then Una Mae Stringer was born in 1906-1912 and Delbert Elloid Stringer was born Dec 18,1909-1998 to Joseph Daniel Stringer. But by April 23, 1911 Jessie gave birth to Otha Littleton and went on to have a total of eight children with Otis Littleton. Once she left Joe Stringer she left her two children of his with him and they did not reconnect until Delbert was 50 …...and at first she denied him. I, as Delbert's granddaughter, had a hard time understanding that at all. Now that I've done the genealogy of the family I see that tough decisions were made and you never know what you will do. Her family history did not prepare her for so much of what happened to her. I'm told she actually was a nice lady and that her children and grandchildren love her. My grandfather spent his life wishing to find his mother and once he did and she finally accepted him it made him very happy so that says a lot.

In the 1920 Census the Littleton family is in Kirk, Oklahoma. Otis is listed as 46, Jessie 33, Orval 16, Otha 8, Ethel 6 and Jessie is 2. Otis is a farmer

1930 Census the family is in Garvin, Oklahoma. Otis is 56, Jessie 44, Jessie 12, Edna 9, Esta 7, Liona 5 and Oscar 3.

1933 records the family in Fort Worth, Texas.

1940 Census in Willis, Oklahoma. Otis is 56, Jessie 55, Esther 17, Leona 14 and Oscar 13.

Her husband passes away when she is 59.

Jesse Smalley told her daughter, Leona Wallace, that she was part German and during the war reminded her to keep this a secret.  Jesse could recite the Lord's prayer in German.

Children of Mother Jessie Littleton

Phillip Orval Littleton Dec 9, 1903-1959, UnaMae Stringer (also listed as Mabel) 1906-1912,

Delbert Elloid Stringer Dec 18, 1909-1998, Otha Littleton April 23, 1911, Ethel Littleton April 2, 1913, Jessie M Littleton Jan 18,1918-1990, Edna Mae Littleton Aug 28, 1920-2010, Esther Lorene Littleton Dec 6, 1922-2015, Leona Janice Littleton Aug 8, 1925-2019, Oscar Clifford “Tom” Littleton Dec 22, 1926-1999

                                                                  Jessie and Delbert

Stringer, John

John Stringer

I've collected information on John Stringer....but let's face it.... anyone named John you are searching for is not the easiest!!

John Stringer was born in 1848 in Alabama. There are so many John Stringers much more research needs to be done before we determine much. We know he married Florence Mary Elizabeth Cox. We know his son is Joseph Daniel Stringer.

We know from the 1910 Census that Joseph's father is John who was 62 in 1910, Florence is 40, Mabel is 7 and Delbert is 9 months old. This census lists his birth in Alabama as well as his mother and father. Florence was born in Texas, her father in Texas and Mother in Indiana.

Stringer, Joseph Daniel

Joseph Daniel Stringer

Joseph Daniel Stringer (Joe D Stringer) was born March 8, 1876 (according to his death certificate) to John and Florence Mary Elizabeth (Cox) in Choctaw Nation (Hugo, Oklahoma). I found four census that Joseph was in and his correct age is in only one of them so.....did he give the wrong age....did they write down the wrong age? You will find after looking at enough census penmanship for census takers could have been greatly improved so that can be a problem also.

We see through the birth of their children Joseph and Jessie Christine Smalley had Unamae in 1906 and Delbert in 1909. Joseph is 33 when Delbert is born and Jessie is 26. Jessie is gone shortly thereafter as she is not listed in the 1910 Census. We know through family stories that Joe had her leave after being caught with her exhusband. She was not allowed to take their children and there was no contact with her. Family stories also noted they changed their last name to Springs or Springer for a period of time but I found no evidence of that.

The 1910 census of Wolf Oklahoma shows Joseph is 24 (he is really 34) lives with his father John who is 62, his mother, Florence, and two children Mabel (although in the family Bible she is listed as Unamae) and Delbert. If Joseph were 24 he would have been born in 1886. His father and he farm on a rented farm.

Joseph and Mary Evelyn Wheeler (1902-1981) were married August 12, 1917 in Maud, Oklahoma. Mary is 17 and Joe is 41. That is a 24 year age difference. I was amazed before when he let one of his daughter's marry someone so much older than her....maybe this explains it!

The 1920 census of Wolf, Oklahoma shows Joseph is 34 (he is 44) and wife Mary, who is 18. His son, Delbert, is 12. He is is a farmer who had a 3^rd grade education and can read and write.

By the 1930 census of Chickashaw, Oklahoma Joseph is listed as 38 (he is 54), Mary 25 and they have Walter, Lillie, Ellen, Melvin and they are farming.

The last census I found was in 1940 in Pontotoc, Oklahoma and finally Joe lists his correct age of 63, Mary is listed as 39 with Walter 19, Lillie Mae 15, Marvin 12, James 10 and Billy 6. Joe is listed as a laborer for a road project and the annual income is $360.00.

Joe passed away January 29, 1963 in Stonewall, Oklahoma. I have a picture of his headstone and on it he is listed as Joe D Stringer.

I have a copy of all the census on Ancestry.com if you want to see them. I also have the Death Certificate for Joseph Daniel Stringer. I always knew him as Grandpa Joe. His grandchildren say he was a really nice grandpa.

Joesph Daniel Stringer's children:

Una Mae 1906-1912                                               Delbert Elloid Dec 18,1909-1998

Walter Reed Aug 4, 1920-2009                               Lou Ellen April 12, 1922-2007

Lillie Mae May 20, 1924-1997                                 Melvin Eliza June 16, 1926-1962

James Chester April 1, 1930-1993                          William Edward Dec 21, 1933-2007

Netha Francis Jan 28, 1942-                                   John Henry Oct 27, 1943-