Wilma Fay Ferguson

Notes:

The Sabine County Reporter
November 29, 1995, Page 12

Wilma Fay Head

Wilma Fay Ferguson Myers Head, 61, of Vinton, La., died Tuesday, Nov. 14, 1995, from injuries sustained in a traffic accident.

A longtime resident of the Vinton area, she was a native of Brookeland.

Survivors: husband, Willie D. HEAD of Vinton; sons, Skippy Myers of Iota, La., and Lee Myers of Gueydan, La.; daughter, Fay Myers Istree of Mermentau Cove, La.; a brother, Percy Ferguson of Jasper; sisters, Maybelle Chance of Orange, Abbie Wellenhouse of Pearland, Elbie Lewis of Silsbee, Bernice Bxline of Vidor, and Lillian Cirilo of Deer Park; ten grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Funeral services were held at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Northside Assembly of God in Crowley, La., with interment at LeBlanc Cemetery in Midland, La. Arrangements were handled by Geesey-Ferguson Funeral Home in Crowley.

(Transcribed by Melinda McLemore Strong, June 2009)

Notes:

When he applied for a Social Security number in 1942, he was an unemployed farmer and lived on Route 1, Box 51, Brooklyn, Texas. He listed his date of birth as Aug. 27, 1890 in Jasper, Texas, stating that he was the son of Hardy Robert Ferguson and Ella Roberson.

Albert married Emma S. Low. Emma (daughter of Isaac Hickman Lowe and Melissa Cordelia Travis) was born on 19 Jan 1896 in Brookeland, Sabine County, Texas; died on 12 Sep 1977 in Jasper, Jasper County, Texas; was buried in Weeks Chapel Cemetery, Newton County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Hardy married Ella Frisby about 1889. Ella was born on 5 Dec 1873 in Jasper, Texas; died on 29 Dec 1940 in Sabine, Texas; was buried in Frisby Cemetery, Jasper County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Family Seach shows her parents as Andrew Jackson Frisby and Elizabeth Robinson. Her son Albert instead listed her as Ella Robinson on his social security application.

Isaac married Melissa Cordelia Travis. Melissa (daughter of James Cannon Travis and Sophronia Pauline White) was born on 25 Feb 1867 in Sabine County, Texas; died on 1 Aug 1908 in Hemphill, Sabine County, Texas; was buried in Hemphill City Cemetery, Hemphill, Sabine County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Called "Mausa."

Notes:

He was said to have died in the service of the Confederate States Army in Marksville, Louisiana.

Isaac married Mary Ann Parker before 1844. Mary was born about 1824 in Mississippi; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

He was known by his middle name, Cannon. He may have been married previously to an Elizabeth, also from Mississippi.

According to the MINUTES 1858-1890 FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH HEMPHILL, TEXAS, (James) Cannon and Sophronia (White) Travis were among the 11 founding members of the church. Sophronia was admitted by voucher on September 7, 1857 from W. C. Southwell, Missionary East Texas, as was her husband, Cannon Travis. Fellowship was withdrawn from Cannon Travis on November 10, 1860, and restored September 24, 1864. In June 1884, "charges having been preferred against Bro. Cannon Travis for unchristian conduct & said charges as alleged being Sustained, it was ordered that the Church withdraw fellowship from him & it is further ordered that his name be erased from the Church Book."

Note: Children's names and birthdates are based on a transcription of the 1870 census. The actual 1870 and 1880 census microfilm's should be carefully checked. The 1880 extract seems to have several glaring discrencies in names and dates. Blanche Toole speculates that perhaps the census taker knew Cannon and his family, and completed the information from (faulty) memory instead of by actually interviewing the family. Also, Charlie White lists a child named Jann White, born ca 1868 per the 1870 census who is not listed on either transcription of the census. Perhaps this is Martha Jane White.

Military Service Co. D 1 Tex HV Arty CSA (Courtesy of Tony Pickett)

Was shown on the muster roll of Captain J.M. Burroughs Company of the Sabine County Volunteer Infantry, CSA, and was enlisted at Hemphill, Texas by Drury Field for 3 months duty on January 15, 1863.

Jules Hurst writes that "I understand that Cannon died in Texas of cancer of the eye."

James married Sophronia Pauline White on 5 Dec 1850 in St. Helena Parish, Louisiana. Sophronia (daughter of Edward White and Elizabeth Strickland) was born in Nov 1833 in Amite County, Mississippi; died on 15 Jun 1915 in Hemphill, Sabine County, Texas; was buried in Hemphill City Cemetery, Hemphill, Sabine County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Sophronia was born during an auspicious month. On November 13, 1833, between midnight and dawn, thousands of meteors showered the sky over North America. To the native peoples of the land, it appeared that the stars were falling out of the heavens. Some thought it was the judgment day. Others called it "The Night the Stars Fell".

A young girl who was a slave at the time of the event said "Somebody in the quarters started yellin' in the middle of the night to come out and to look up at the sky. We went outside and there they was a fallin' everywhere! Big stars coming down real close to the groun' and just before they hit the ground they would burn up! We was all scared. Some O'the folks was screamin' and some was prayin' we all made so much noise, the white folk came out to see what was happenin'. They looked up and then they got scared too."

The celestial phenomenon called "the most impressive and awesome display ever recorded" was, in fact, the Leonids meteor shower seen in one of its most impressive years. Viewers witnessed 50,000 to 150,000 meteors per hour, only equaled by the November 17, 1966 display, when the Leonid shower brought 150,000 meteors per hour. Debris from the comet Temple-Tuttle that orbits the sun every 33 years causes the shower.

She was born and raised in Amite County, Mississippi, and can be found on the 1850 census with her parents. Sometime after that, the family moved to Sabine County, Texas.

After her husband's death, she lived with her oldest son, William Hardy Travis. She can be found living with he and his wife, Grace Ener, at the time of the 1900 and 1910 Sabine County census.