DeKALB COUNTY, TN - LETTERS - Letter From Minnie Roberts Rogers --------------¤¤¤¤¤¤-------------- This letter was written by my great grandmother Minnie Roberts about her family. James Henry Roberts (her father) and Malvina Warford/Wafford were both born in DeKalb, Tennessee, They decend from Matlock Roberts/relatives of this family also involve the Drivers/Jones/Banes of the area as well, however they are not listed in the letter. --------------------------- I think we have a pretty good background what do you think. The record of Matlock Roberts family as learned by Minnie Roberts Rogers the 10th child of James Henry (Jim for Short) Roberts The older people, Matlock and family came from England. Matlock was English, his wife was English and Irish mix. They settled in DeKalb County, Tennessee. Smithville is the county seat. Matlock and one wife, to this union was born 17 children. My father was the 17th Child they owned a farm (homestead) in DeKalb County. My mothers name was Melvina Wafford. They too owned (homesteaded) a farm adjoining the farm of Matlock Roberts. Our father Jim Roberts and Melvina Wafford grew up together and was married in 1873 in DeKalb County, Tennessee. I do not know the day or month. They lived there until 1887. Then moved to Louis County, Hohenwald is the count seat of Lewis County. They had 7 children by 1886. There were 12 children in all 8 girls, 4 boys. Matlock died in 1890, the father. I don’t know when his wife died, after his death Jim took the, his, family and left Tennessee and came to Durant, Indian territory, now Durant, Oklahoma with 9 children in a covered wagon. 1890 The oldest child a girl named Mattie was married at Durant on her 17 Birthday, February 6, 1891, to Enoch Roberts a 4th cousin. Fathers family stayed one year at Durant, then started back to Tennessee, my dad had a sister living, at Durant, her name was Kathern Gearharte. (Pike County) When they reached Murfreesboro, Arkansas, Jim our father took sick with Typhoid fever, then the oldest boy took sick with fever, our dad was real bad sick for 40 days, mother said Charlie was sick a long time. On May 10, 1892 Minnie (I) was born. I also had the fever; they finally got back to Tennessee on Feb 14th 1894. Franklin was born May 4th, 1896. Zelpha was born near Hohenwald Tennessee in Lewis County. 7 of the children was born in DeKalb County, 4 in Lewis (Dillie, Lula, Franklin, Zelpha) Grandfather must have been pretty well fixed, to have 17 children to raise. When he died everything was sold to the highest bidder. And when it was all sold and settled there were $700 Seven hundred dollars for each child, that was a lot of money in those days. My mother’s mother, our grandmother on mother’s side of the family died when she was very small. She had one sister, Granddad. Remarried and they had 2 girls. She had one sister and 2 half sisters. Her father, my grandfather was French that’s all I know about my mother. It’s hard for you to believe this but it’s true. When we were in Tennessee. Coffee came packed in Barrels (grune) people had to roast it and grind it in a hand coffee grinder, some grinders would hold 1 pound other 2 lbs. A little drawer at the bottom to catch the coffee. Also pickles, dry beans, sugar, crackers, cookies, flour, salt. All was packed in Barrels. People took corn to the mill and had it ground for meal. They grew sugar cane, and cut it and hauled it to the mill. Together mush the juice out to make molasses, one mule would pull the musher by going around and around in a circle. The juice would go into a big vat they called it. It was a big thing made especially to cook the juice into molasses. They would skin the white foam off the top while cooking. People butchered their own hogs; there were open range all stock roamed at will. The fields were fenced with split poles, lots of deer to kill, and all kinds of wild berries, hickory nuts, hazel nuts, chestnuts & grapes. In 1900 Jim my dad with the family of 7 children, one girl Gertrude was married she and her husband came with the family, they would pitch a tent each night to sleep. They cooked on an open fire outside baked bread in a Dutch over of cast iron. But it was nice, they put the Dutch oven on coals of fire and put coals of fire on the lid build especially to hold the fire, they left Hohenwald in June, Corn was in Roasting pans. It took until December to get to Mount Joy Texas; we stayed there at one of the girls about a week. Then went on to 3 miles north on Lannious, Texas in Fanning County. 14th of February 1901, the youngest boy died (This must be Franklin) 1905 Jim died Sept 14th, maybe Zelpha can tell you from there on, but all in all I think we have a pretty good back ground. We stayed on the back of the Mississippi River all day, so we could ride the big boat 5 miles up the river. This is the birth record of our family my father and mother is the 2 top names. James Henry Roberts born August 29, 1855 Malvina Wafford Roberts Dec 22 1853 Oldest – Mattie Roberts Feb 6, 1874 James Charlie Roberts Nov 16, 1875 Thursie Roberts May 10th, 1878 Joseph Roberts June 7th, 1880 Gertrude Roberts July 2, 1882 Jennie Roberts Aug 14, 1884 Bud – James Henry Roberts JR Feb 24th, 1886 Dillie Roberts April 1, 1888 Lula Roberts July 23, 1890 Minnie Roberts May 10, 1892 Frankie Roberts Feb 17, 1894 Zelpha Roberts May 4th, 1896 Mitchell’s mother Gertrude Roberts, she was married to Jim Williams in 1900 in Tennessee. They came to Texas with her family, we arrived in Mount Joy Texas 2 weeks before Christmas, Mitchell was born in March 1900 at Mt. Joy Texas near Paris Texas. I do not know anything about Jim Williams family as I was only 7 years old when they were married. I do knot know anything about Mitchell’s family. As I only saw him a few times when he was living with his first wife. I did not see any of Gertrude’s family but a few times after I was 13 years old. Mitchell’s mother. You can get all the record of the background in the letter they are all dead but 2 of us girls. The youngest girl, Zelpha Anderson, Parker View nursing home, Paris Texas, 75460. You can fill out these forms and if you need them signed send them back. But this is a true record as far as I know and the only one. Take care of your records Mitchell came to see me two or three times his baby sister also came to see me and her name was ER Wright, Tucson, Arizona. You can write this in your own handwriting if you want, you can read it better. You can read it better if you want to keep it for the grandchildren. I had this written for someone else but will send it to you I will be 83 years old May 10, 1975, Just got a new 4 year driving license. Zelpha my sis that’s living will be 79 May 4th. ___________________________________________________________________ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Kris Wheeler-Dabbs ___________________________________________________________________