Living

Living married Living [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Francis married Mildred Alyne Fuller on 30 Nov 1946 in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana. Mildred (daughter of James Herman Fuller and Ruth McCroskey) was born on 12 Jan 1925 in Rosevine, Sabine County, Texas; died on 7 Feb 2011 in Orange, Orange County, Texas; was buried in Rosevine Cemetery, Rosevine, Sabine County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Starr Funeral Home

Mildred Alyne Fuller Toner,86, our beloved Mother, passed away on Monday, February 7, 2011 at Baptist Orange Hospital in Orange, Texas. She peacefully departed this life with her devoted family by her side.

Mildred was born in Rosevine, Texas on January 12, 1925 she was the eldest child of James Herman Fuller and Ruthie Mae McCroskey.

Mildred grew up in Sabine County and graduated from Rosevine High School as Valedictorian. In order to attend Texas Women's University in the fall she also continued for six more weeks of instruction at Pineland High School and graduated from there as well. After a year of attending college at Denton, TX, Mildred transferred to Stephen F. Austin and continued college to become an educator. Unfortunately, World War II began and Mildred was needed to teach school at Brooklyn High School because many teachers were drafted.

Mildred left there, as many young women did, and joined the war effort by moving to Dallas to work in an aircraft factory and later to Beaumont to work at Bethlehem Steel. During the intervening war years she met her sweetheart, Francis James (Buddy) Toner in Beaumont, Texas, while working in the office at the port. Following the war, Mildred joined Buddy in Indianapolis , Indiana where he was attending Butler University and they were united in marriage. She became a part of an extended and loving Irish family. Buddy transferred to Texas A & M University where he would study to become a mechanical engineer. They left College Station to live in Beaumont, TX where in the early years of her marriage Mildred would quit her teaching job at Chenier Business College to become a fulltime mom. Mildred and Buddy would travel the United States as he worked for various companies as an engineer and plant manager. Finally ending up back in Orange, Texas they bought a home and enjoyed raising and educating their five children. As her children all entered school, not one to be idle, she held various jobs working in the offices at Sears, JC Penney and her son-in-law Michael Mazzola's Insurance office.

Always a lover of knowledge, when her oldest children began college she again felt an urge for higher education and attended Lamar University. She also felt it was very important to give back to the communities in which she lived and was a member of the Red Cross as a Gray Lady at Orange Memorial Hospital and a lifetime member of the PTA supporting teachers and education.

Mildred was a member of the Church of God her entire life, a devoted Christian, who participated fully at the churches in Orange and Rosevine (in later years) holding secretarial and Sunday school leader positions. After the death of her husband she built a home in Rosevine on the land where she was born. While living in Rosevine she worked as an Avon saleslady who achieved the Silver Circle Status within the company.

During her years in Orange and Rosevine she was always there to help care for and cheer on her children and grandchildren assisting her family in every way possible. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Francis James Toner, two sisters: Narvalyn Ellison, and Ola Jean Ford, four bothers: Conrad Fuller, Bobby Joe Fuller, and David Fuller and Kenneth Fuller. Those left to survive Mildred are her children: John Brendan Toner (Melaine) of Rosevine, Kathleen Ruth Toner Mazzola (Michael), Mary Camille Toner Fuller (Preston) and Frances Patrice Toner Lewis (Eddie) of Orange and Ramona Jean Toner Darnley (John) of The Woodlands. Also surviving are three brothers: Roland Fuller (Betty) of Nacogdoches, Herman Fuller (Jr.)(Charlene) of Rosevine, and Francis Dwain Fuller (Oquilla) of Houston. She is also survived by her beloved Uncle Ray McCroskey (Cortez) of Sarepta, LA.

Mildred leaves behind her 16 beloved grandchildren: Jack, Hunter, Shane, Chad, Rebel, Brendan, Amy, Amber, Jennifer, April, Patrice, Michael, Nick, Alex ,Tara, and Frank, and her 17 adorable great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be Saturday, February 12 at 2:00 PM at Starr Funeral Home in Hemphill, TX. The family will be receiving friends from 10 AM until the funeral begins. Interment will follow in Rosevine Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to Rosevine Church of God or a charity of your choice.

Starr Funeral Home
510 Starr Street
Hemphill, Texas 75948
(409)787-3331
www.starrfuneralhome.com

Copied from the Orange Leader online
Also published in THE SABINE COUNTY REPORTER on February 16, 2011

Francis married Katherine Donnelly. Katherine was born before 1905 in Ireland. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Herman suffered from tuberculosis, and spent some time at a hospital in San Angelo when his children were still young. His wife and their eldest children, ranging in age from 14 to 10 had to bring in the crops while Herman was hospitalized. James Roland Fuller recounted that "what kept us going beyond our own best efforts was the help and encouragement of the good people of the county, especially their friends and neighbors in Rosevine, who came to help work the crops. Many of them pledged one days work each week, as needed, even while busy with their own crops. With their help and the grace of God we were able to survive."

When Herman returned, he was not able to farm. He traded his animals and equipment to a local store owner as a down payment on the store. He also was hired by the Rosevine school district to pick up and deliver students to the school. Ruth also helped at the store. As the years passed, Herman regained enough strength to operate stores and service stations throughout east and southest Texas.

The following obituary was excerpted from the
SABINE COUNTY REPORTER HEMPHILL, TEXAS
13 August 1970

Funeral services for James Herman Fuller, 66, of Rosevine were held 2 pm Thursday at the Rosevine Church of God, Pastor Bill Miller, officiating, assisted by Rev. Tommy Long and the Rev. C.D. Sachtleben. Burial was at the Church Cemetery under the direction of Wyman Roberts Funeral Home of San Augustine.

Pallbearers were Earl Williams, Ira Drawhorn, Bill Baber, Kenneth Baber, Keith, Tommy and Jim Fuller and Johnny Toner.

Fuller died suddenly at 11 pm Tuesday in San Augustine. He was a native of Sabine County, a member of the Church of God, and retired merchant.

Survivors were his wife, Julia, 6 daughters, Mrs. Mildred Toner and Ola Jean Ford of Orange, Narvalyn Ellison of Rosevine, Mrs. E.J. Cox of Houston, Mrs. Bill Baber of Beaumont, Mrs. Roland Bigley of Kingsville [the last three women were his stepdaughters]; seven sons, Conrad Fuller of Pasadena, James Fuller and Herman Fuller Jr. of Rosevine, Bobby J Fuller of San Augustine, David Fuller of Bronson, Dwayne Fuller of Baytown and Winfred Wright [step-son] of Port Neches. He was also survived by sisters Nina McLemore of San Augustine, Tera Cousins of Carthage, Bertha Williams of Conroe, and brother Joe Fuller of Rosevine, and by 40 grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

(Courtesy of Kay Parker McCary of Sabine County)

(Research):
Census Listings:

1930 Census
Texas, Sabine County, Precinct 6
Enumerated April 14, 1930
ED 202-8 SD 19 Sheet 7A Stamped 98
139-143
Mc Croskey, Robert Head M W 52 m20 Ga Ga Ga Farmer
McCroskey, Maud Wf F W 42 M17 Miss Miss La
McCroskey, Fred Son M W 19 S La Ga Miss Laborer General Farm
McCroskey, Roy Son M W 16 S La Ga Miss
McCroskey, Ray Son M W 11 S La Ga Miss
140-144
Fuller, Herman Head M W 24 m19 Tx Tx Tx Laborer Hauling Co
Fuller, Ruth Wf F W 23 M18 La Ga Miss
Fuller, Mildred Dtr F W 5 S Tx Tx La
Fuller, Narvaline Dtr F W 3 S Tx Tx La
Fuller, Conrad Son M W 1 S Tx Tx La

James married Ruth McCroskey about 1924. Ruth (daughter of Olive Robert "Bob" McCroskey and Maudie Alva Roberts) was born on 11 Jan 1907 in Pollock, Grant Parish, Louisiana; died on 9 Dec 1967. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Not able to find death record.

Notes:

Married:
At one time, Ruth's parents were sharecroppers for Joseph T. Fuller (Herman's father), and that is how Ruth McCroskey and Herman Fuller met.