Margaret J. Smith

Notes:

Educated in New Orleans, and was a beautiful lady. (White and Toole, p 57).

Margaret married James Youngblood about 1856. James (son of Henry Youngblood and Sarah Miller Harvey) was born about 1817; died about 1919. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Willie Hogan. Willie was born after 1856; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Tom Gragson. Tom was born after 1856; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: E.J. Roberts. E.J. was born after 1856; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Benjamin Clinton Arthur. Benjamin (son of Solomon L. Arthur and Evaline Curtis) was born on 2 Jul 1854 in Sabine Parish, Louisiana; died on 23 Mar 1937 in Hemphill City Cemetery, Hemphill, Sabine County, Texas; was buried in Hemphill City Cemetery, Hemphill, Sabine County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

MRS. MARGARET ANNA YOUNGBLOOD RAGAN DECEMBER 26, 1963

Mrs. Margaret Anna "Maggie" Youngblood Ragan will be 92 years old February 9, 1964, but a fresh complexion, twinkling eyes and amazing energy belie those years. Born in 1872 at the family home just past the bend in the north edge of Hemphill, Sabine County, Texas on the Milam road, she is the daughter of the master James and Margaret Smith Youngblood, members of pioneer families in Sabine County. The Youngblood's came from Mississippi by the way of Louisana.

Mr. Youngblood, oldest of 13 children, fought in 3 wars---Civil, Indian and Mexican--and did not receive a scratch. His relatives were not so fortunate, however. His father was killed in the Civil war (it is believed that he died in 1862); two brothers died in service, one lost an arm and another a leg. Mrs. Youngblood's grandfather, Robert H. "Bob " Smith was a man of means when he came to Texas. In the 1830's, persons desiring to become a citizen of Texas were required to have a sponsor who was already a citizen. Sam Houston, himself sponsored Mr. Smith, who lived on the Yellow pine Hi way where Roy Payne now lives. Bob Smith bought thousands of acres in many surveys in Sabine and other counties.

On January 3, 1897, Margaret Anna was married to John A. Ragen, who was born where Woods Garage now is. He is the son of Dr. Jubal Harper and Martha Ann Broadway Ragan, pioneers from Virginia. Before they were married, they never went anywhere together. During the week, he would send her a note by a Negro boy telling her he would be coming to see her on Sunday afternoon at the home of her parents. Her sister and family did not get to the wedding because the oxen which were to pull the wagon got out of the pasture and could not be found in time.

In 1900 they loaded up all their belongings in a covered wagon and drove a pair of mules to Greer County, Oklahoma to visit her father, sister and brother who had moved up there. It took them three weeks to get there, staying in wagon yards at night, and cooking in a "cook house" when they were in towns. Most of the time, however, they tied up by the side of the road, if you could call it a road, and did Thier cooking on campfires and slept in the wagon. They baked biscuits and cornbread everyday, using a "Dutch Oven" with 3 legs and a scooped out lid to put the coals on. She says it baked real good.

After a week or two of visiting, they set out on the return trip, but stopped for a year at the Halsell Ranch where they both worked. While there they took a train to Wichita Falls to see Ringland Bros. Circus and came home that night after the show. It was the only train ride that Mrs, Ragan ever took.

They finally returned to Hemphill because they did not like the severe weather, sand storms, wind and cold, and because they could not find a house to buy except a "dug out" This was a house built into the side of a hill with a portion of the hill used as walls so as to conserve building material which was quite scarce on the prairie in those days. Back in Hemphill, they bought a log house on 63 acres of land three miles south of town, which they farmed until 1928, when they traded with Bob Crowell and moved to Hemphill. Mr. Ragan died in 1958, and since then Mrs. Ragan has made her home with her only child, Miss. Willie Ragan of Houston. They spend time as possible at their home here.

Mrs Ragan recalls an incident of their Oklahoma trip. While they were spending time in a Fort Worth Wagon Yard, with a rain coat hung over the front of the wagon sheet. She had laid out a pair of trousers on the spring seat for Mr. Ragan to put on in the morning, and during the night she saw them rise up and go back down. The next morning they were gone, but when Mr. Ragan went to feed his mules, there the pants hung. Since there was no money in the pocket, the robber evidently didn't care to keep them.

James Youngblood is listed along with a brother and sister as living in Greer County Oklahoma and were the purpose of the above trip in 1900. However James Youngblood is listed on the 1910 Census of Sabine Co. TX. Therefore sometime between 1900 and 1910 he had returned to Hemphill.

C. Royall Oct 18, 1969.

Source: ARFAULKN-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [ARFAULKN] Wagon Trip to OK. Nancy&Charles Royall [cnroyall@wcc.net]

Margaret married John Arthur Ragan on 3 Jan 1897 in Sabine County, Texas. John (son of Jubal Harper Ragan, M.D. and Martha Ann Broadway) was born on 26 Mar 1871 in Texas; died on 6 Aug 1968 in Hemphill, Sabine County, Texas; was buried in Hemphill City Cemetery, Hemphill, Sabine County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

FamilySearch.org, Texas Deaths, 1890-1976 shows she was born on 27 Jun 1887 in Texas, the daughter of Benjamin Arthur and Emma Youngblood, and that she died 28 Sept 1967 in Hemphill.

Family/Spouse: James Obie Smith. James (son of John Elbert Smith and Laura Kelsey) was born on 7 Feb 1887 in Sabine County, Texas; died on 7 Feb 1970 in Sabine County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Occupation from 1922-1936, U.S. Post Office. Special interests in Real Estate, Merchant. Co A 360th Inf USNA 1917. (Source: Katherine D. Friestat)

Jett married Anna Alice Smith on 21 Aug 1917 in Hemphill, Sabine County, Texas. Anna (daughter of John Perry Smith and Alice Sophrina Ferguson) was born on 4 Mar 1898 in Jasper County, Texas; died on 18 Oct 1976 in Hemphill, Sabine County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

She was a charter member of the JFG Chapter of the DRT. (White and Toole, p 57).

Aubrey married Ruby Lawrence Youngblood after 1974. Ruby (daughter of William Harry Youngblood and Willie Viola Gooch) was born on 7 Feb 1918 in Sabinetown, Sabine County, Texas; died on 21 Jan 2003 in Hemphill, Sabine County, Texas; was buried in Harpers Chapel Cemetery, Sabinetown, Sabine County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

The Sabine County Reporter
June 7, 1995, Page 10

Ima Lee Edgar

Ima Lee Edgar, 76, of Hemphill died Friday, June 2, 1995, at the AMI Medical Center Hospital in Nacogdoches.

Born Aug. 14, 1918, in Sabine County as a daughter of the late Obie and Mary (Arthur) Smith, she was a lifelong resident of the area. Mrs. Edgar was a member of the Camp Springs Baptist Church and a homemaker.

She is survived by a brother, Aubrey Smith of Hemphill.

She was preceded in dehat by her husband, N. Austin Edgar, on Aug. 14, 1994.

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Sunday at the chapel of Starr Funeral Home Inc. in Hemphill with Bro. Lewis "Buddy" Pratt officiating. Interment followed at the Hemphill City Cemetery.

(Transcribed by Melinda McLemore Strong, May 2009)

Family/Spouse: Nicholas Austin Edgar. Nicholas (son of James Valentine Edgar and Jack Payne "Paynie" Gooch) was born on 6 Dec 1911 in Sabine County, Texas; died on 14 Aug 1994 in Sabine County, Texas; was buried on 15 Aug 1994 in Hemphill City Cemetery, Hemphill, Sabine County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

The Sabine County Reporter
October 15, 2008, Page 11

Jett Clinton Arthur, Jr.

Jett Clinton Arthur, Jr. 90, died Sunday Aug. 31, 2008 at his home in Metairie, LA.

Arthur was born in Hemphill on May 31, 1918 to Jett Clinton Arthur and Anna Alice Smith Arthur. He had lived about 67 years in Metairie.

Arthur graduated from Hemphill High School as valedictorian in 1935 and was the first Eagle Scout in Sabine County. He graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University in 1939, where he received a B.A. degree in chemistry and from the University of Texas at Austin in 1946 where he received a M.A. degree in physical chemistry and chemical engineering. he was a U.S. Navy World War II veteran.

Following the war, Arthur returned to his chemistry career at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Southern Regional Research Center, located in New Orleans.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 56 years, La Verne Pitts Arthur; his parents; his brother, Roland Smithie Arthur; and brothers-in-law, Orland and Norvell Pitts.

Survivors; daughters, Martha Ann Stitsinger and husband Jon of Pearland, and Laura Jean Porter and husband Albert of Metairie; son James Clinton Arthur and wife Alicia (Jurisch) of New Orleans; grandchildren, Jennifer Lussier and husband Allen of Pearland, Arthur Lloyd Walters Walters of Portland, OR, Christopher Stitsinger and wife Lynda of Lake City, FL, and Megan Elizabeth and Jett Clinton Porter of Metairie; 15 great-grandchildren; brother Williamd Scott Arthur and wife Jean and son, Robert, of Woodville and nieces and nephews.

A memorial service was conducted by Rev. Gene Finnell at Munholland United Methodist Church, Metairie, on Saturday, Sept. 20. His ashes were buried beside his wife, LaVerne, at the Lakelawn Metairie Cemetery in a private family ceremony.

Memorial donations may be made in Arthur's memory to Munholland United Methodist Church, 1201 Metairie Road, Metairie, LA 70005 or to the Jett C. Arthur, Jr. Scholarship Fund, Stephen F. Austin State University, Attn. Alicia Roland Chapman, P. O. Box 6096-SFA Station, Nacogdoches, TX 75962.

Arrangements were made by Leitz-Eagen Funeral Home and Lakelawn, Metarie Cemetery.

(Transcribed by Melinda McLemore Strong, October 2008)

Notes:

The Sabine County Reporter
October 15, 2008, Page 11


William "Bill" Scott Arthur

William "Bill" Scott Arthur, 81, of Woodville passed away Friday, Sept. 26, 2008, at Woodland Heights Medical Center in Lufkin.

Arthur was born May 21, 1927, to the late Jett Clinton Arthur Jr. (sic) and and Anna Alice Smith Arthur in Hemphill. He was a former resident of Houston and had lived in Woodville for the past 15 years. He was a retired electrical engineer from Brown & Root and was a U.S. Army World War II veteran.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his brothers, Jett Clinton Arthur, Jr. and Roland Smithie Arthur.

Survivors: his loving wife of 60 years, Jean Arthur of Woodville; son, Beau-Robert "Bobby" Arthur of Woodville; former daughter-in-law, Pamela Arthur Bracy; sister-in-law, Virginia "Ginger" Hanks; nieces and nephews, and a host of caring friends, cousins, and his special friend, Sherry McRight.

Funeral services were held Monday, Sept. 29 at 11 a.m. at the Stringer & Griffin Funeral Home Chapel with burial in Campground Cemetery in Woodville. Officiating were Bro. Jim Turner and Father Egido Vecchio.

Pallbearers: Lloyd Hanks, Jr. , David Hanks, Ken Deslattes, Stuart Kane, Robert Oates and Eliza Oates.

Services were under the direction of Stringer & Griffin Funeral Home.

(Transcribed by Melinda McLemore Strong, October 2008)