Freestone Past/Present
                            J.R. “Sonny” Sessions
                            Sheriff l965-2001

  More Sessions Homestead-Jim Sessions

  Been told about my Grandfather Carter Sessions and a cattle buyer sitting 
on a large board fence haggling over the price of steers Carter trying to sell 
and both drinking so much corn whisky they fell off the fence into the 
muddy working pen having to be helped to get up and out, unknown if  a 
trade made. Feel sure his drinking added to his many problems. When cattle 
being worked there always spectators usually on Sunday which upset my 
Mother.
  Carter Sessions moved his family to Mexia for better schools, still having 
business in Kirven he commuted; he had a tent to stay in here, these type 
tents better than some homes with a wood floor and other. Jim 
Sessions attended school in Mexia, helped his Daddy in his ventures. 
Working at one of his Daddy’s saw mills he somehow cut his leg bad with 
an axe and had to ride home in a wagon to recover. Jim attended Texas 
A&M one year traveling by train.
   Married to Thelma Batchelor they made their home in Kirven until elected 
Sheriff on his second attempt being defeated in his first attempt. Jim had 
been working for a Waco insurance company Amicable Life, I was told by 
my mother that if he had not been elected Sheriff they planned to move to 
Waco and pursue the insurance business. My Daddy’s first experience in law 
enforcement was as Deputy Sheriff in the Wortham Oil Boom. Still living in 
Kirven my mother told of him calling on the phone the weather too bad to 
try and come home and their Model T needing water drained out, telling her 
how she and their little dog went into the freezing weather and did it by the 
light of a kerosene lantern. 
  Carter Sessions due to many things had lost all his property including this 
land where I live today except their home in Kirven. In his later years he had 
Model T type pickup and peddled something like Watkins products, 
sometimes trading for farm produce and wildlife skins, he never drove a 
motor vehicle and local youths usually drove for him. My Daddy had to bury 
him and then buy out the interest of his siblings in the house so his 
unmarried sister and aged aunt would have somewhere to live.
  During WW II my Daddy was able to buy this land back from his brother 
who had owned it a few years. When I returned home from the Navy he 
deeded it to me.  I moved an old log house from the Hines Place here and 
later Peggy and I built a home on the location of the old house. The land 
here had been used and abused with cotton farming; I worked on improving 
the land and pastures for more than 60 years with good success.                      
   Jim Sessions was ahead of the times in law enforcement and very 
successful as Sheriff, elected 10 consecutive times, this more than other 
elected official in Freestone Co. history. I served more years than he as my 
terms were for four years and his two. When Jim Sessions was Sheriff you 
never quit electioneering due to the short terms.  He was also ahead of the 
times in the cattle business, using the Brahma crosses and improved 
pastures; he predicted that the farming would move to the west and cattle 
business to the east all of which came true. I well remember the first calf he 
ever sold for $100 to O.B. Utley for his store market, I also remember when 
he bought small Jersey type cows for $15 and bred to Brahma bulls with 
good success. 
                                                ***
                    From the Original Sheriffs Report l971
  Solved two deals for Wortham Police, found his lost coon dog and told him 
where Brewer was as this on his daddy’s birth certificate and dint know 
where it located.  Helped hold down long haired youth for doctor to pump 
his stomach out for drugs. Young crop duster pilot lost life in crash near 
Donie while seeding.
 James Goff new Game Warden moved here from Palestine. Visiting with 
rancher on Trinity River who was told by former big time whisky maker that 
once he had 47 whisky still locations on that land. New Wortham Peace 
Justice Ernest Jones held his first inquest at home of man who died of 
natural causes.
  Heard one prisoner tell another he ready for new company in Jail, other 
replied he ready replacement. Several large rattlesnakes brought by office
and others reported. Thefts of rifles from vehicles, checking suspect looked 
into trunk of car left open by wife and there they were, wife in dog house 
with husband for leaving it open.
  Cut dude loose that been with us for while, said it made him sad as we 
understood him better than most. Prisoner’s medical requested medical 
attention for VD.  Youth scheduled for polygraph called early to cancel it 
and admitted doing it.
  Annual Game Assn. meeting with special recognition of Game Warden 
Brent Bergstrom who stationed here 23 years. Man laying out drunk fine 
released advised he rode bus down from Dallas to visit but found when he 
got off bus he couldn’t even walk and not sure how he got to jailhouse. 
                            ***
            Grandpa’ Report
  Learned longtime friend Eddie Foreman with the Cattle Assn. died 
recently, Eddie came to Navarro Co. and working in law enforcement 
attended first certification school with Aubrey Key and I in Waco in the mid 
l960’s.