Emily Elizabeth Fullen

Notes:

Former Resident Dies At Lufkin

Funeral services were held Monday at the Ebenezer cemetery for Mrs. Elizabeth Byerly Alexander, 74, of Lufkin and formerly a Jasper citizen, who died Sunday in the Angelina County hospital.

She had lived in Lufkin three years and was a member of the Pentecostal church. Mrs. Byerly was the mother of Jack Byerly of Jasper and Mrs. Ellie Womack of Jasper.

SOURCE: Obituary, as published in the Jasper Newsboy, Thursday, 5 February 1948, page 10 Transcription is courtesy of Yolanda Pepper Miller

Her death certificate shows the following: State of Texas, County of Angelina, City Lufkin, Angelina County Hospital Length of Residence 3 years Address Sheppard Ave. Female. White. Widowed. DOB December 7th, 1873 Age 74 years 1 month 18 days Housewife Born Vernon Parish, LA to James FULLEN born in Alabama (?) and Katherine PARKER born in Alabama. Informant Mrs. Effie WESTBERRY 606 Culverhouse St Lufkin TX Buried Ebenezer Cem. Jasper County on January 26th, 1948. W. C. Stringer Funeral Home DOD January 25th, 1948. Cause of Death Diabetic Coma 2-3 days Contributory causes Possible Brain Hemorrhage (5 days) & Hypostatic Pneumonia (2 days) due to accident (hit by car in Lufkin).

She may have been born prior to 1873, as the records in the Fullen's family Bible show the oldest daughter as "Emily, (born) 1870."

Peggy Tanner McDonald instead shows her as the daughter of William (sic) FULLEN and Catherine E. STROYON of Center, Shelby County, Texas. It appears that Catherine Parker married a Mr. Stroyon after the death of Jim Fullen, as she is living with Emily and Vernon and listed by this name in both 1910 and 1930.

(Medical):See attached sources.

Emily married Vernon Teller Byerly about 1895 in Texas. Vernon (son of Uriah P. Byerly and Helen "Haddie" May) was born on 21 Nov 1878 in Texas; died on 13 Oct 1959 in Jasper County, Texas; was buried in Ebenezer Cemetery, Jasper County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Married:
Marriage Information, as shown in the scan of the UNIONS page of the Fullen Family Bible, was shown as follows:

Emily and Vernon 1887

1. Ethel Victoria Byerly was born on 9 Oct 1896 in Texas; died on 1 May 1986 in Jasper County, Texas.
2. Wesley E Byerly was born on 2 Oct 1897 in Texas; died on 2 Aug 1900 in Texas.
3. Abbie Mae Byerly was born on 27 Dec 1898 in Texas; died on 8 Aug 1993 in Brazoria County, Texas.
4. Baby Girl Byerly was born about 1900 in Texas; died about 1900 in Texas.
5. Gorman Jack Byerly was born on 28 Nov 1901 in Texas; died on 5 Dec 1974 in Beaumont, Jefferson County, Texas.
6. Katy Bell Byerly was born on 9 Feb 1903 in Texas.
7. Effie Ruby Byerly was born on 16 Dec 1904 in Texas; died on 9 Apr 1997 in Angelina County, Texas; was buried in Ebenezer Cemetery, Jasper County, Texas.
8. Berlin "Bill" Byerly was born on 13 Aug 1914 in Terral, Jefferson County, Oklahoma; died on 20 Oct 2006 in Hemphill, Sabine County, Texas; was buried in Ebenezer Cemetery, Jasper County, Texas.

Notes:

James C is listed as a two year old at the time of the 1850 Sabine County census, along with this two older brothers and widowed mother. However, since neither James nor his mother can be located on any subsequent Sabine County census records, it had been long assumed that he probably died young.

Amy Fullen of Dallas, however, states that the James DID survive and grow into adulthood. In March, 2005, in response to a query from Melinda Strong, she emailed the following explanation: "According to the family bible...Rebecca or "Becky" as they called her did die in 1852, now family lore says that she did marry Solomon but that he was a mean man and she died soon after marrying him. Family lore meaning aunt Doris's husband, he is the only old timer left with us, he just turned 101 last month. Well he says that James C moved in with his uncle James and his wife as he was the youngest, this I guess would have been the brother of either James W or Rebecca, he is not sure whose brother he was, just that James lived with them and worked on their farm until he married....[Aunt Doris's husband] also has all the genealogy work that his wife did on the family and he is the source of the family bible as well." She further indicated that "I was given the bible upon...Doris's death, it seems that no one else in the family collects these as I do. That was some 15 years ago I received her treasure trove. It did not say anything about who they were, where they might be buried, or what towns they lived in, just the names and dates."

Amy had scans of the "Birth, Marriages & Burials" pages from the bible posted on her website, however the title page or publication information from the bible were note posted, so it is currently not known exactly when these names and dates were recorded, and by whom. This could account for some of the seeming discrepencies of the Bible notes with other records. Amy's website is privatized, but a password can be obtained from the site administrator. The bible scans are also reproduced in Amy's book, the "The Fullen and Post Family Genealogy Book" by Ameth Carmicheal. This is Amy Fullen's pen name. The book can be purchased from at www.lulu.com .

In early 2006, Amy posted to her website that "James C Fullen was taken in by Powell W. Fullen and his wife Sarah. This couple is seen nearby Becky and her sons on the 1850 census but on all other census records they are listed as Fuller's." It does appear, from examining the census microfilm, that Powell's last name could have been FULLEN. He is indexed by Ancestry.com as Powell FURLER, and in shown in Schuluter and Toole's 1850 census transcription as Powell FULLER. James could have lived with Powell Fullen after his Mother died in 1852. However, he is not listed with Powell and Sarah on the 1860 San Augustine County Census, or on any subsequent census records.

His birth information, as shown in the scan of BIRTHS recorded in the Fullen Bible, was as follows:

J C Fullen 1848

His marriage information, also listed under UNIONS in the Bible, is shows as follows:

JC & Catherine 1868

(Research):Census Information:

Unable to locate James of his family on the 1860, 1870 or 1
880 census enumerations. PLEASE EMAIL IF YOU HAVE FOUND JAMES FULLEN ON ANY OF THE ABOVE CENSUS ENUMERATIONS.

James married Catherine Elizabeth Parker on 29 Sep 1870 in Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana. Catherine was born between 1843 and 1849 in Alabama; died about 1931 in Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Her birth information, as shown in the scan of BIRTHS recorded in the Fullen bible, was as follows:

Catherine Fullen 1849

She also appears to indicate that her father died ca 1868, as the following listing is one of the first listings under BURIALS in her family Bible: Daddy Parker 1868. Later, a listing is shown for Moma Parker 1889 Aged 61 years

Her own burial information, the last listing in the burial section of her bible, was shown as:

Catherine "Momma" Fullen, 1929, 80 years

It appears that she actually died after 1930, as she was living with her daughter and son-in-law, Emily Elizabeth and Vernon BYERLY, at the time of the 1930 census. Her last name was shown as STROYON, so it appears she remarried after the death of of James FULLEN.

Notes:

Married:
Amy Fullen also lists them as the parents of a Frank Fullen, born ca. 1882.

Notes:

Little is known about James C. Fullen, even his exact name is uncertain. W. F. Fullen, a grandson, reported that both his father AND his grandfather were named JOHN W. FULLEN. He reported this in 1933 however, some 80 years after his grandfather's death, when he was completing his father's death certificate. The name John is inconsistent with several published histories of Sabine County, all of which list the progenitor of the Fullen family of Sabine County as James W. Fullen. No sources are cited.

In Gifford White's book, FIRST SETTLERS OF SABINE COUNTY, TEXAS, there is a James C. Fuller (sic) listed as receiving 320 acres of land on 4 Mar 1844. The Texas archives show that this land grant was actually made to a James C. Fullen. Due to both the time frame and the relative rarity of the last name Fullen, it is assumed that James C. was the husband of Rebecca, and father of William and John.

CHEROKEE County Texas

Survey - Person or Concern bearing the land certificate at time survey filed. Block - Block number. Grantee - Person or Concern to whom the land was actually awarded. Leag - League Flag. L = 4,428 acres, B = League + Labor. Labor = 177 acres. Section - Section Number Abs - Number of the Abstract on file at county courthouse and at the
Texas General land Office in Austin.

Survey Blk Grantee Leag Section Abs
JAMES C FULLEN J. FULLEN 724 281


What is known is that Mr. Fullen and his 18 year old wife, Rebecca, moved to the Republic of Texas sometime before the birth of their son William around 1844. They had two more sons over the next three years, and he probably died sometime around or after 1848, when his youngest son was born. He is listed on neither the 1850 Sabine County census, nor is his death reported on the 1850 Mortality Schedule. In the Family Bible owned by Catherine Parker Fullen, thought to be a daughter in law, the following entry is found under Burials: Daddy Fullen 1850.

Even his birthdate is unknown. Presumably he would have been the same age, or older, than his wife Rebecca, who was born circa 1826. The 1850 census indicates that both Rebecca and her husband were born in Pennsylvania. As Rebecca was the only adult in the household, she probably reported this information herself. It appears that their families must have migrated to the South when they were young however. W. F. Fullen did not recall his grandparent's Pennsylvania orgins, but rather reported his grandparents born in North Carolina and Tennessee. On the 1870 census, their oldest son William reported that both his parents were both born in Pennsylvania, while his younger brother John reported them both born in Alabama. In 1900, John reported their place of birth as Tennessee.

There are other families from Pennsylvania on the 1850 Sabine County, Texas census, but none seemed to live nearby the young widow, who was in household number 81. Rebecca's closest neighbors were the Jackson and Davidson families from North Carolina and Tennessee, the Oliphant's from Mississippi, and the Smith's from Virginia. Families with Pennsylvania origins were headed by 70 year old David Welch, household #138; 70 year old George Koher, household #180; 94 year old Henry Stagner, household #191; and 90 year old Michael Widner, household #192. There were a scattering of other families from Pennsylvania as well, but none have obvious links to the Fullen's.

(Research):
Items for later follow up

1810 Census
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Chestnut Ward
HOH James Fullen
Free White Males under 10: one
Free White Males 26-44: one
Free White Females under 10: two
Free White Females 16-25: 1
Number of HH members under 16: 3
Number of HH members over 25: 1
Number of HH members: 5

Also, the 1850 US Census Mortality schedule shows a James Fullen, age 43, and whose occupation was Cooper, as dying of dyspepsia in Westmoreland County, PA in 1850

James married Rebecca Bal(L)\(Dwin) before 1844. Rebecca was born about 1826 in Pennsylvania; died after 1850 in Sabine County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

A mother at age 18, and widowed with three young sons at the age of 24. She appears to have remarried Solomon Causey sometime after the 1850 census. It appears that she died prior to 1860, as only her sons, William and John were living in Solomon's home at the time of the 1860 census, along with Solomon's new wife Harriett.

A listing in the Family Bible of Catherine Parker Fullen, under burials, shows:

Becky Fullen 1852

Her grandson, W.F. Fullen, reported her maiden name as Baldwin. Some published histories of Sabine County show her instead as Rebecca Ball. No other Ball or Baldwin families are listed on the 1850 or 1860 Census for Sabine County. The census shows Rebecca as being born in Pennsylvania. Her grandson William reported that she was instead born in North Carolina.