Freestone County, Texas
Biographies 



Biography of Robert Richard Childs

By Mrs. Uel L. Davis Jr.
Freestone County History Book, Vol.1, page 319

Robert Richard Childs was born May 11, 1859 in Bradley County, Arkansas.  He 
was the son of Edward Washington Childs (1823-1909) and Nancy Joyce Childs 
(1824-1867).  Robert R. Childs came to Texas with his parents and other members 
of the family in 1865 when he was six years old.  They settled in the eastern 
part of Freestone County near Cook’s Ferry in the community called Sandtown.  
Soon after they came to Freestone County, there was a malaria epidemic in the 
communities along the Trinity River.  Robert’s mother and twin sisters died 
while they were living in Sandtown.

The settlers along the Trinity began to move inland and Edward W. Childs moved 
his family to the Antioch Community about eight miles east of Fairfield.

On March 23, 1879, Robert married Elizabeth (Lizzie Babe) Robertson, who was 
born on June 24, 1862, the daughter of Charles Franklin Robertson and Martha 
Mims Robertson.  They were married by Robert’s brother, William B. Childs, who 
was a Baptist minister. 

Robert and Elizabeth moved to Turlington where he was engaged in farming.  They 
were very active in the affairs of their church.  After moving to Fairfield, 
they became charter members of the Calvary Baptist Church and served on the 
building committee for that church.

Robert and Elizabeth had eight children:  Bell, Mattie, Callie, Lottie, Myrtis, 
Robert Clay, Sterling Travis and Julia.

Bell married Arch Evans, but they had no children.  Mattie married Charlie Day 
and they had five sons and one daughter: Van, William Roy, Richard Ray, Myrtis 
Ione, Frederick and Wilmer Cecil.  Callie married George Arthur Parker, and 
they had two sons: Ruby Sterling and George Arthur Parker, Jr.  Lottie married 
Jervis G. Manahan, and they had one son and one daughter:  Jervis Robert and 
Juliette Manahan.  Myrtis married Alvin F. McAdmas, and they had six sons and 
six daughters: Ellis Floyd, Marshall Neal, Milton Travis, Myrtle Evelyn, 
Richard Roscoe, Callie Mae, Verdie Ellen, George Robert “Jack”, Ruby Bess, 
Dottie Ruth “Dot”, Mary Katherine, and Bobby Dent McAdams.  Robert Clay married 
Willie Mae Weaver, and they had three daughters and one son: Bobbie Noel, 
Lottie Mae, Emelious Aubrey and Doris Childs.  Sterling Travis married Mabel 
Hunt, and they had no children.  Julia married Albert Sidney Johnson, and they 
had one son Millard Filmore Johnson.

Elizabeth died December 7, 1938 and Robert died August 31, 1944.  They are 
buried in the Antioch Cemetery.