James Leroy Payne, Jr.

Notes:

James L. Payne, Jr., "Jamie", 82, a lifelong resident of Sabine County, passed away in his home, Thursday, March 9, 2017. He was born June 24, 1934 to Fronie and Roy Payne, Sr. in Hemphill, Texas.

Jamie graduated from Hemphill High School and received his bachelor's degree in business from North Texas State University in Denton, Texas. He married Ella Frances Griffin (Fran) on August 12, 1967; they were married for 49 years.

Jamie owned and operated Hemphill Motor Co. in Hemphill, Texas for over 50 years following in the footsteps of his father, Roy Payne, who had founded the dealership in the 1930's. He received the Chairman's Club Award with Ford Motor Company, Ford's highest honor, along with numerous other awards.

He was active in the community and served on the board of directors of First Bank & Trust, on the Hemphill School board, on the Sabine County Hospital board, and served as director of Shelby Savings Bank. He was a longtime member of the Hemphill Lions Club.

Jamie was known for his honesty, integrity, and his straightforwardness to tell it like it is. He was a friend and mentor to so many and never knew a stranger.

Jamie is survived by his wife, Fran Payne of Hemphill, Texas; his son, Sonny Payne of Dayton, Texas; his daughters, Paula Pruitt and husband, Ronnie of League City, Texas, Pamela Payne of Dallas, Texas, and Liz Noyes and her husband, Jason, of Dallas, Texas; his grandchildren, Jase Payne of Houston, Texas, Kaitlyn Mayfield and her husband, Wesley, of Pearland, Texas, and Bailey Pruitt of League City, Texas; great grandchild, Wyatt Mayfield; and two nephews, Jimmy Sewell and Robert Sewell of Dallas, Texas.

He was preceded in death by his sister, Frances Payne Sewell.

Visitation will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Saturday, March 11, 2017 at Starr Funeral Home, 510 Starr Street, Hemphill, Texas.

Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Sunday, March 12, 2017 at First Baptist Church, 301 Hwy 87 S, Hemphill, Texas with Rev. Derrick Hicks officiating and eulogy by Bob Neal.

Pallbearers are Dan Fussell, James Allen Payne, Gaylon Waller, Charles Mitchell, Jimmy Sewell and Robert Sewell. Burial will follow the service in Hemphill Cemetery.

Contributions to the American Cancer Society would be greatly appreciated by the Jamie's family.

Downloaded from Starr Funeral Home website, also published in the Sabine County Reporter on March 8, 2017, Page 8

Notes:

Census Listings:

1930 Census
Texas, Sabine County, JP 1
Enumerated April 8, 1930
ED 202-21 SD 17 Sheet 2A Stamped 16
25-28
Payne, J. Leroy Head M W 33 M 27 Tx Tx Tx Salesman Automobile
Payne, Fronie Wf F W 26 M 29 Tx Tx Tx
Payne, Francis E Dtr F W 2 2/12 S Tx Tx Tx

James married Saphronia "Fronie" Pauline Whittlesey about 1924. Saphronia (daughter of Luther Cogswell Whittlesey and Sophronia Lee Travis) was born on 2 Apr 1904 in Sabine County, Texas; died on 27 Jan 1994 in Sabine County, Texas; was buried in Hemphill City Cemetery, Hemphill, Sabine County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Luther married Sophronia Lee Travis in 1882. Sophronia (daughter of James Cannon Travis and Sophronia Pauline White) was born on 25 Feb 1866 in Texas; died on 3 Feb 1932. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

"Records of the WHITTLESEY family have been traced to 664 A.D. in Whittlesey Mere, County of Cambridge, England. William Whittlesey (1300-1374) was the 57th Lord Archbishop of Canterbury (1368-1374). John Whittlesey came to America in 1623, and is a direct ancestor of Joseph Adolphus Whittesley b 1820. He was in Texas before 1840. In 1841, he was co-editor of the REDLANDER in San Augustine. He taught school, served in the Mexican War, was County Judge of Sabine County, and Postmaster of Sabinetown." (White and Toole, p 82).

The death certificate of his eldest son, Oscar, instead showed that Joseph was born in Virginia.

Joseph married Anne "Annie" Newton Bullock on 19 Apr 1849. Anne (daughter of Lemuel Bullock and Martha L. Day) was born about 1833 in Mississippi; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

The daughter of Lemuel Bullock and Martha Day. Dale Rubel shows that she was born in Holmes County, Mississippi, and died ca 1912 in Short, Texas.

The death certificate of her eldest son, Oscar, instead showed that Anne was born in Virginia.

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.