BATES FAMILY HISTORY - Smith County, TX Submitted by East Texas Genealogical Society P. O. Box 6967, Tyler, TX 75711 18 January 2004 Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ********************************************************************* ETFR, VOL. III, No. 1, Spring 1979, page 17 BATES FAMILY HISTORY By SheRita Vaughn Holbrook Rt. 1, Box 2-416 Wintergreen Rd., Dallas, Texas 75211 Nathan Willis Bates was born circa 1857 in Texas. He married Margaret Elizabeth Stedaham around 1878, possibly in Smith County, Texas. Six children are known: Willis, Irene, Walter, Mildred, Aaron and Jenie. Nathan and Elizabeth ran a General Store in Tyler, Texas as late as 1930. His father is said to have been the founder of the Blackstone Hotel in Tyler, which was ran by his granddaughter, Irene (Nathan's daughter), after his death. Willis (my grandfather) was born November 16, 1879 and was married several times. It is known that one of his wives was named Effie ? She died in 1907 in childbirth in Angelina County. His other known wife was Frances Lee Strahan (my grandmother) of Nacogdoches County, Texas. Willis had several children but only one from his marriages before Frances is known. She is Carrie Bates who married Thomas Spinks of Angelina County and had a daughter, Bernice. His children from his marr;age to Frances include: Edith Geraldine (my mother), born January 14, 1926 in Plgsy, Nacogdoches County; William Matthew, born September 26, 1927, also in Pigsy; and a set of twins, Odis Roland and Elizabeth Rosetta, born November 23, 1933 in Appelby, Nacogdoches County. Willis served in the Spanish-American War, according to oral family history, but no records have been found. He was a member of the TITANIC's crew and manned one of the lifeboats that carried women and children. Willis died March 31, 1940 in the Ammons Hill Section of Nacogdoches County, and is buried in the Shady Grove Cemetery. No death certificate was filed. On April 24, 1978 a delayed birth certificate was issued in Austin, Texas on Willis. The children of Willis and Frances have brothers and sisters they have never met, but would like to find. If anyone knows of the other children, I would appreciate a letter or call at 214-224-3437. 1 am in possession of many photos on this family dating back to the 1800's.