Lula Belle Stickney was the third of James Franklin and Elvira T. (Perry) Stickney’s ten children, of whom only eight survived to adulthood. Lula was the first to marry and leave the family nucleus in 1892 while they were still living in Jonesboro, Texas. Lula Belle married Joseph “Joe” Henry Sauls, the son of William M. and Elizabeth C. (Bunting) Sauls. Researching Joe’s parents, William Sauls and Elizabeth Bunting, was more challenging since they did not enter Texas as children with their parents, as was the case in previous posts about “The Stickney / Brown Family” of Lula Belle’s elder sister, Ann, and her husband, Cephas Brown.

The first public family trees I examined on Ancestry to gather clues did not include William or Elizabeth, who both turned out to be the eldest child or the eldest living child in their families. The names they gave their children helped connect them to their siblings and vice versa. Shortly after their marriage, they moved away from their respective families, taking only a few pieces of evidence that tied them to their past in Hardeman County, Tennessee.

The Sauls and Bunting families had established themselves in North Carolina before their younger generations moved west into what is now Hardeman County, Tennessee. Elizabeth’s family, the Bunting family, originally immigrated to William Penn’s colony in Pennsylvania, where a David Bunting moved south and acquired land in Duplin and Sampson Counties in North Carolina. William’s father, Burwell (Burrell) Sauls, appears to have left North Carolina before marriage to seek his fortune primarily in Hardeman County, Tennessee, but he also acquired land in Tippah County, Mississippi, where he farmed and several of his children were born, before returning to Hardeman County, Tennessee, to live out the rest of his life. Both William’s and Elizabeth’s families had documented family cemeteries on Find a Grave, which provided helpful dates and are located near the community of Saulsbury, Tennessee. Wikipedia offers an interesting history of Saulsbury, situated just east of Grand Junction, Tennessee.

Saulsbury’s historical roots stem from a former settlement named Berlin, Tennessee, which was located one mile south of the current location of Saulsbury. Two regional mail roads—one from Bolivar to Ripley, Mississippi, and another from LaGrange to Corinth, Mississippi. These mail roads met at an intersection which would form into a trading center. In 1839 a post office was established there, and Berlin would be incorporated in 1846, and within five years it would be home to 351 people. Upon the completion of the Memphis and Charleston Railroad, Berlin was bypassed due to one landowner’s refusal to sell their property to the railroad. A track was instead laid one mile north of Berlin, on land that was owned by Burrell Sauls and Berry Futrell. The finished railroad station and track would be called Sauls-Berry Depot. Eventually Berlin would be deserted as people moved to the new settlement and in 1856 Saulsbury was incorporated.

Burwell and Jane (Mathis) Sauls Family

BURWELL SAULS was born 17 Aug 1800 in North Carolina and died 15 Sep 1887 in Hardeman County, Tennessee son of John Sauls and Nancy B. Yelverton. On 11 Aug 1829, he married JANE MATHIS, born 10 Feb 1814 in Georgia, and died 15 Apr 1886. Both are buried at Sauls Cemetery, a family cemetery found northeast of Saulsbury, Tennessee.

Burwell and Jane (Mathis) Sauls had the following children:

WILLIAM M. SAULS was born on 13 Jun 1831 in Hardeman County, Tennessee and died 13 Nov 1900 in Texas. He married ELIZABETH C. BUNTING, daughter of Samuel Adolphus and Elizabeth A. (Moore) Bunting on 22 Oct 1849 in Hardeman County, Tennessee. She was born on 29 Apr 1835 in North Carolina and died 20 Dec 1916 in Texas. They are both buried in Jonesboro Cemetery in Jonesboro, Texas.

JOSEPH DUDLEY SAULS was born 18 Oct 1833 in Hardeman County, Tennessee and died there on 21 Apr 1904. He married first ELIZABETH “DIZA” ANN JONES on 14 Sep 1856. She was born 10 Mar 1837 and died 6 May 1873. He married second AMMIE MADDEN (OLIVER) JONES on 20 May 1873 the daughter of J. M. and S. E. Oliver, widow of Moses Lafayette Jones (1837 – 1867). She was born 22 Nov 1843 in Mississippi and died 1 Apr 1909 in Saulsbury. Joseph and his wives are buried at Sauls Cemetery.

ELIZABETH SAULS was born about 1836 probably in Hardeman County, Tennessee, and died in 1871. She married first L. B. “LITTLEBERRY” FUTRELL on 28 Jul 1853, and may have been the Berry Futrell mentioned above in the note on Saulsbury, but could not find any parent information. He was born 18 Dec 1819 and died 10 Apr 1860. Sadly this family did not prosper. Found in the Sauls Cemetery are four “Infant Futrell” born between 1855 and 1858 who died the day they were born or within several days. The last “Little Bery Futrell” was born 1 Oct 1860 and died 5 Jun 1862. Elizabeth married second DANIEL MILTON CLARK about 26 Apr 1862. He was born about 1839 and died about 1879. Both are buried in Sauls Cemetery.

AMANDA SAULS was born 22 Jan 1841in Tippah County, Mississippi and died 14 Sep 1900 in Saulsbury, Tennessee. She married JOHN C. RUSSELL on 14 Jan 1857, son of David Craig Russell and Elizabeth Wardlaw. He was born 18 Feb 1833 and died 19 Dec 1883. Both are buried in Sauls Cemetery.

MARCUS LAFAYETTE SAULS was born 22 Sep 1843in Tippah County, Mississippi. He never married, and U. S. Census notations indicate he was mentally handicapped and listed as a ward. He died 12 May 1895 and is buried in the Sauls Cemetery.

DAVID CROCKETT SAULS was born 7 Apr 1845 in Tippah County, Mississippi and died 31 May 1913 in Saulsbury, Tennessee. He married ELIZABETH ANN RUSSELL on 23 Jan 1867, sister to John C. Russell above. Elizabeth was born 20 Feb 1842 in Ripley, Tennessee and died 18 Sep 1914 in Saulsbury, Tennessee. They are both buried in Sauls Cemetery.

LUCINDA SAULS was born about 1849 in Tippah County, Mississippi and died young sometime before 1860.

BURWELL JOSEPH SAULS was born about 1851 in Tippah County, Mississippi and died 29 Oct 1907 in Hardeman County, Tennessee. He married MARY IDA WILLIAM on 8 Jan 1902, daughter of Ben P. Williams and Elizabeth Oliver. She was born Aug 1869 in Tennessee and died 18 Apr 1914 in Hardeman County, Tennessee. Both are buried in Sauls Cemetery.

Samuel Adolphus and Elizabeth A. (Moore) Bunting Family

SAMUEL ADOLPHUS BUNTING was born 5 Jan 1804 in Sampson County, North Carolina and died 18 Apr 1846 in Hardeman County, Tennessee, son of David and Elizabeth (Clinton) Bunting. He is buried in Bunting Cemetery, near Saulsbury, Tennessee. In February 1833, he married ELIZABETH “ELIZA” A. MOORE in Sampson County, North Carolina, the daughter of Joseph and Mary (Fryar) Moore. She was born 3 May 1815 in North Carolina and died 30 Apr 1867 in Hardeman County, Tennessee and is buried in Bunting Cemetery. She married second John Raines on 23 Dec 1849 in Hardeman County, Tennessee.

Samuel A. and Elizabeth A. Bunting had the following children:

MARY BUNTING was born 3 Dec 1833 in North Carolina and died young on 9 Oct 1844 in Hardeman County, Tennessee.

ELIZABETH C. BUNTING was born 29 April 1835 in North Carolina and died 20 Dec 1916 in Texas. She married WILLIAM M. SAULS on 22 Oct 1849 in Hardeman County, Tennessee, the son of Burwell and Jane (Mathis) Sauls. He was born 13 Jun 1831in Hardeman County, Tennessee and died 13 Nov 1900 in Texas. Both are buried at Jonesboro Cemetery, Jonesboro, Texas.

JULIA A. BUNTING was born 20 Apr 1837 in North Carolina and died 17 Nov 1863 in Hardeman County and is buried in Bunting Cemetery. She married first E. O. HUMPHREY on 30 Dec 1852; he was born 8 Mar 1830 and died 18 Oct 1857 and is buried in Bunting Cemetery. She married second M. C. PEARCE shortly after 29 Dec 1860.

DAVID BUNTING was born 30 May 1839 in Hardeman County, Tennessee and died 26 Jun 1865 and is buried in Bunting Cemetery.

CAROLINE O. BUNTING was born 2 Jan 1841in Hardeman County, Tennessee and died 25 Mar 1881 and his buried at Forest City Cemetery, Forest City, Arkansas. She married first ARCHIBALD N. PREWITT son of Patrick Henry and Mary (Morrow) Prewitt. He was born 5 Jan 1829 in Grand Junction, Hardeman County, Tennessee and died 23 Jun 1864 and is buried in Prewitt Cemetery, Grand Junction, Tennessee. Caroline married second WILLIAM JAMES MATTHEWS, a doctor and son of James Washington and Surrilda Katherine (Dooley) Matthews. He was born 28 May 1831 in Maury, Tennessee and died 10 Sep 1896 in Forrest City, Arkansas and is buried in Forrest City Cemetery.

JAMES OWEN BUNTING was born 14 Jun 1842 in Hardeman County, Tennessee and died 8 Oct 1880 in Lee County, Texas. He married SARAH ELIZABETH “SALLIE” MATHIS on 28 Mar 1866 in Arkansas, daughter of Joseph Benjamin and Harpolicy W. (McGehee) Mathis. Sarah was born 30 Jan 1849 in Hardeman County, Tennessee and died 7 Jul 1892 in Lee County, Texas. Both are buried in Prospect Cemetery in Lee County, Texas.

VIRGINIA B. BUNTING was born 16 Jun 1844 in Hardeman County, Tennessee and died 15 Sep 1925 in Little Rock, Arkansas. She married WILLIAM EVANS ROBINSON on 18 Oct 1859 in Hardeman County, Tennessee, the son of Cumberland and Elizabeth (Marchbanks) Robinson. He was born on 5 May 1836 and died on 5 Nov 1904 in Lonoke County, Tennessee, and both are buried in Old Austin Cemetery in Little Rock, Arkansas.

SAMUELLA ADOLPHUS BUNTING was born about 1846 in Hardeman County, Tennessee and died about 1874. She married ROBERT MARCUS WRIGHT on 1 Aug 1865 in Hardeman County. He was born 3 Dec 1834 in Madison County, Alabama and died 24 Nov 1895 in Saulsbury, Tennessee and is buried in Saulsbury Cemetery.

William and Elizabeth (Bunting) Sauls, the eldest surviving children of these two families, came together in Hardeman County, Tennessee. The locations of the Sauls and Bunting Cemeteries, noted to be northeast of Saulsbury, indicate that their family farms were in the same general area. Sauls Cemetery can be found on Google Maps and is located just 2.3 miles from Saulsbury. This is not true for Bunting Cemetery since it is on private property and apparently inaccessible, though it is also believed to be northeast of Saulsbury. As they grew, it’s easy to picture William and Elizabeth frequently gathering with their families for perhaps weekly church services, evidently forming a bond that would last a lifetime.

Part 2, “The Stickney / Sauls Family – William and Elizabeth (Bunting) Sauls’ Youthful Beginnings” is coming soon.