John William Spurlock & wife Martha Grace Jones, Union Parish Louisiana 

Submitted for the Union Parish Louisiana USGenWeb Archives by Bryan Price, 8/2005



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John William/Martha Grace Jones Spurlock History 

Prepared & submitted by W. Bryan Price, Great Great-Grandson of John William 
           and Martha Grace Jones Spurlock
Source: "A Book of Favorite Recipes" Compiled by the Decendants of John William and 
         Martha Grace Spurlock.
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Little is known about the meeting of John William and Martha Grace;  however, "Grace" 
related to family members in her later years about how she was attracted to "Johnny" 
when she first saw him.  The feeling must have been mutual because he thought she was 
the "prettiest girl" in Church.  One thing that attracted him was her long hair, so 
long that it touched the back of the horse when she rode.  The story goes that, when 
Johnny first arrived in the community, the other girls told Grace to leave Johnny 
alone because they wanted a chance at him for their beau.  The girls accused her of 
attracting every young man who came into the community.  When she related this incident 
to members of the family, she said she wasn't worried because she knew in the end 
Johnny would be her beau.  Naturally, most of their courting was done in church and 
under the strictest of rules.  Grace said that Johnny told her in later years that, 
if she had kissed him before they married, he would never have married her.
 
In 1890, John William and Martha Grace were married, and to the union were born 
thirteen children:  Thomas Ransom, who married Guthrie Futrell; Howard, who died at 
age 4; Martha Jane (Janie) who married Rommie Bryan; Fred Jackson, who married Billie; 
Mary Alma (Mamie) who married Roy Weems; Ernest Edwin, who died at the age of 8; Lila 
Blanche, who married Blanford Messer; Guy Robinson, who married Eva Foster;  Carrie 
Viola who married Miller B. Roye; an infant who died at the age of 1 month; Linnie 
Grace, who married Elzy Roberson;  John who died at birth; and Samuel Victor, who 
married Nita Crowder.  Only nine children lived to be grown.
 
John William and Martha Grace built their home in Union Parish, farmed, and reared 
their children.  The children helped both on the farm and taking care of the household.
Many tales have been handed down about the family life, the hardships endured, and the 
joyful times.
 
Martha Grace did much cooking for relatives, friends and preachers and their families.  
She ministered to the sick often, including the newborns and the dying, and operated a 
switch board in her home (called a thumbswitch) connecting  calls to and from the 
community to the main switchboard in Downsville.  She managed the garden, the cows 
and the chickens.
 
John William managed the farm and led the singing at Church and conducted many singing 
schools.  He also did most of the household, family and farm shopping as well as the 
selling of the crops.
 
Not only were John and Grace active in Church work, but also in civic affairs.  He 
was very active in the Masonic Organization and she was active in the Order of the 
Eastern Star.  Several nephews lived at various times with the family speaking well 
for the family atmosphere.  However involved they were in household/farm duties and o
ther activities, they were never too busy to find time for their family, always 
teaching them to love one another.  
 
John William suffered from heart trouble and retired from farming at the age of 70.  
He died in 1947 at the age of 82.  At that time, Martha Grace moved from the family 
home living with her children until her death in 1962 at the age of 88.  Both are 
buried at the Mt. Nebo Cemetery.  The family house structure was demolished in the 
mid 1960's and the family property remains in the hands of family members.

 
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