By 1890, the Sauls and Stickney families were living on neighboring properties near Jonesboro, a small farming community that straddled the Coryell and Hamilton county line. What do these two neighborly families possibly consist of in 1890?
| William M. & Elizabeth C. Sauls | James F. & Elvira T. (Perry) Stickney |
| (Their first three children died young, as did their youngest known son, who died in 1888, and by this time three daughters were married and out of the household.) | (Two sons that died young and daughter, Clydine, yet to be born were not in the household at this time.) |
| Samuel A. Sauls 30 yrs | Annie Olena Stickney 16yrs |
| Joseph Henry Sauls 23 yrs | Lula Belle Stickney 14 yrs |
| Texanna Sauls 21 yrs | Bertha Mae Stickney 9 yrs |
| David Owen Sauls 18 yrs | Emma Jean Stickney 7 yrs |
| Jessie Frank Stickney 5 yrs | |
| Hesta Louise Stickney 3 yrs | |
| Alvin Burton Stickney 1 yr |
Joseph Henry “Joe” Sauls and Lula Bell Stickney were coming of age in families on the western edge of Jonesboro, Coryell County, Texas. They obtained their marriage license in Hamilton County on August 30, 1892, and were married by Elisha Terry on August 31, 1892. Joe was nearly 25, while Lula Bell was not yet 16.
In their first ten years of marriage, they had five children, all born in Jonesboro, Texas, except for their son, George, who was born in Coke County, Texas. This indicates that Joe and Lula followed the movement of her parents and siblings to Robert Lee, Texas, in 1898, possibly seeking better economic opportunities and a drier climate to benefit Lula’s father, James Franklin Stickney, who suffered from tuberculosis. The 1900 US Census records Joe and Lula living in Coke County, where they were renting a farm. A year later, at least Lula Bell returned to Jonesboro, where she gave birth to her last child, Allyne, on May 10, 1901. By 1910, the family had moved to a farm about nine miles north of Hamlin, in Jones County, Texas. Joe and Lula lived in this area for the rest of their lives.
In 1910, the Sauls are enumerated in Stonewall County, Texas, where their farm is located. They are buying the farm through a mortgage and have been married for eighteen years. Their eldest child, Buelah, was not listed with the family because she had married in 1908 and started her own family. The lives of Joe, Lula, and their children are illustrated through newspaper articles. Most of the articles are from The Hamlin Herald found on newspapers.com, unless stated otherwise. The articles reveal that they were very much part of the Hamlin community and had a home in Hamlin on Central Avenue.
The following newspaper excerpts illustrate a social family that is centered on their children in the early years.
1/26/1917 – “Mrs. Joe Sauls entertained the young people last Friday night.”
2/23/1917 – “The singing was well attended at Mrs. Joe Sauls Sunday night.”
5/18/1917 – This longer article, shown below, provides more details of a social outing held in their home.
7/27/1917 – “Mrs. Joe Sauls entertained the young people Saturday night. Refreshments consisting of punch and cake were served.”
7/11/1919 – “Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Sauls had as their guests for dinner July 7th Mr. and Mrs. Swenson of Flat Top Ranch and Mr. and Mrs. F. S. Hastings and daughter Miss Ruth Hastings of Stamford.”
Joe is featured in the local paper, highlighting his special work projects, and the ads shed light on their farming livelihood.
3-16-1917 – “Joe Sauls has the contract grading the roads in this corner of Stonewall county. We will soon have fine roads.”
7-13-1917 – “Joe Sauls has the contract for digging a tank for the Swenson ranch.”
2/6/1920 – “MILLET SEED – I have a lot of good Millet Seed for sale at $2.00 per bu. BARLEY – Have some good barley seed at $1.50 per bu. This is the time to sow. (13-2p) Phone J. H. Sauls.”
1/6/1922 – “POLAND CHINA AND DUROCK HOGS, I have as fine Poland China and Durock hogs as you can find – they are subject to register, but don’t pay the price for the papers. Have shoat just right for meat making this fall, priced $3 and up. Phone or see J. H. Sauls for hogs or hog breeding.”
2/24/1922 – “PIANO FOR FORD, Have a nice, practically new Werner Piano to trade for a Ford Car. If interested call Mrs. J. H. Sauls, Phone 9017-F2.”
4/6/1923 – “LONE STAR COTTON SEED, I have some fine Lone Star Cotton Seed, just two years from the Spur station, for sale at $1.00 per bu. Phone 9017-F2. J. H. Sauls”
10/19/1934 – “FOR SALE, I have a fine Red Brood Sow for sale. J. H. Sauls.”
7/10/1936 – “J. H. Sauls of the Flat Top community was in town Saturday, celebrating his 4th of July by selling eggs and cream, etc., from his farm. J. H. says that the first six months of 1936, his place produced an average of $50.00 per month, except June, and was not far under that amount then. Again and again, we hear of this in the Hamlin country. Don’t know whether every farmer could do this or not, and if everyone did, then how many more could do it? There is plenty of “space” for many more thrifty farmers in this country, and if there were twice as many as there are now, could each and every one sell from their place as much as $50.00 worth of eggs, cream, milk, butter, poultry? If so, what we need most is more farmers to do that very thing.”
8/26/1938 – “POSTED ACCORDING TO LAW – I have leased the Kenith Scott pasture of almost 400 acres, nine miles northeast of Hamlin. This pasture is posted according to law and no trespassing will be permitted whatsoever. J. H. Sauls”
1/2/1942 – “CAR FOR SALE OR TRADE – 1933 model Chevrolet, five good tires, motor fairly good shape. Will sell or trade for young cattle. J. H. SAULS Route 4, Hamlin, Texas.”
9/3/1943 – “FARM MAN WANTED – A man with wife or family to work on farm – one who can do any kind of farm work. Good pay to right man. J. H. SAULS.”
Articles provide news on visits with extended family.
1/5/1917 – “Miss [Clydine] Stickney spent the holidays with her sister, Mrs. Joe Sauls. She returned to her school near Spur Sunday morning.”
2/23/1917 – “Joe Sauls and family “Overland” to Sweetwater Saturday to visit Mrs. Sauls’ sister.”
4/20/1917 – “Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Sauls were called to Roswell, N. M., Saturday night by the death of Mrs. Sauls’ mother, Mrs. E. T. Stickney.”
7/13/17 – “Burt [Pennington] and family were the guests of Mrs. Joe Sauls Sunday.” (This is eldest child, Buelah’s family.)
9/17/17 – “Little Annie Belle and Jessie Frank Pennington are spending the week with their grandmother, Mrs. J. H. Sauls.”
7/11/1919 – “Burrell Sauls, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Sauls, arrived last week from over sea fighting with the Bosche.”
1/1/1932 – “Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Sauls had their children, Burrel Sauls of Spur, Mrs. Beulah Pate and Mary Lou Fudge of Crowell and George Sauls and family of Flat Top, Mrs. Alline Crutcher and children of Benjamin, at their home, Christmas Day. They also had as guests Miss Ethel Cox of the Pitchfork Ranch near Spur and Jess Petty and family of Hamlin. Needless to add that a sumptuous rural dinner was served and mostly from the Sauls farm.”
1/4/1935 – “Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Sauls and two grandchildren were in a car turnover Friday returning from Sweetwater. All were severely shaken up and bruised, and Mrs. Sauls suffered a severe scalp wound that necessitated stitches when she received treatment at the local hospital. She is improving nicely. The turnover was caused by a tire going down.”
1/24/1935 – “Bill Sauls and Bessie Yearly are Married, quietly married Monday evening, January 14, at the Methodist Parsonage, Rev. E. L. Yeats performing the impressive ceremony. The newlyweds, accompanied by Mrs. Birl [sic] Sauls, left for a honeymoon trip to Carlsbad, N.M. following the ceremony. They will also pay a visit to his sister, Mrs. Claude, before returning here to make their home. Mr. and Mrs. Sauls are popular young people of this community and have numerous friends who join in wishing them much success and happiness in married life.”
5/30/1935 – “Mr. and Mrs. Bill Sauls and Mr. and Mrs D. B. Sauls were guests of their parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Sauls, at their home in Hamlin last weekend. Jessie Bill Sauls, a nephew, accompanied them to Spur for a month-long visit.”
7/31/1936 – “Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Sauls and grandson, Jack, went up to Spur and Dickens last week. While up there they attended the Old Settlers’ Reunion at Dickens, and J. H. says it looked like a “world fair.” Mrs. Sauls went on to Lubbock to visit a sister.”
12/25/1936 – “Mr. and Mrs. Claude Gray and son, Joe, of Carlsbad, New Mexico, came down several days ago to visit Mrs. Gray’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Sauls and family. Claude is one of Hamlin’s old timers, in the lumber business there a long time and now a cattleman in New Mexico.
3/23/1937 – From Lubbock Morning Avalanche, “Mrs. J. H. Sauls and son of Hamlin are visiting Mrs. J. J. Smelser, 1630 Fourteenth street this week.”
4/19/1938 – Lubbock Morning Avalanche – “At Colorado – Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Smelser, accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. William Sauls of Shallowater attended a reunion of Mrs. Smelser’s family during the Easter holidays in the home of Mrs. Dan Buchanan in Colorado, Texas. Others attending were Mr. and Mrs. Cephus Brown of Roswell, N. M.; Mr. and Mrs. John Gardner of Robert Lee; Mr. and Mrs. Harry Hall of Stanton; Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Sauls of Hamlin, Mr. and Mrs. A. B. Stickney and sons, Franklin, Billy Joe and Francis; Mrs. Harold [Blank] of Lubbock and Mrs. Buchanan. The occasion was the first reunion of the entire seven sisters and one brother in 22 years.”
4/14/1939 – The following year, the extended family celebrated Easter at the Sauls’. See article below.
July 20, 1939 – From Fort Worth Star-Telegram, “Rancher and Bride Visit Here – Elmo Holcombe, prominent in Texas ranch circles, and his bride of two weeks, who spent Tuesday in Fort Worth visiting Holcombe’s mother, Mrs. B. P. Holcombe, and his brother, H. G. Holcombe of 1129 Travis Avenue. Mrs. Holcombe was the former Miss [Beulah] Sauls, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Sauls of Hamlin. The couple are making their home near Goldthwaite.”
December 27, 1940 – “Mr. and Mrs. W. R. Wright and son of California were guests last week of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Sauls, of the Flat Top community.”
September 4, 1942 – Several newspapers reported on Joe and Lula’s 50th Anniversary.
1/29/1943 – “Jesse Bill Sauls, grandson of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Sauls, left for the army this week.”
3/19/1943 – “Cpl. Jack Sauls, grandson of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Sauls writes his parents from North Africa frequently but only enough to let them know he is well. Jack says, however, that the PX finally got there and they can get candy now.”
9/3/1943 – “Mr. and Mrs. D. B. Sauls of San Antonio, Mr. and Mrs. W. F. Sauls of Crescent, and Mrs. Beulah Holcomb of Crowell visited their parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Sauls last week.”
12/17/1943 – “J. H. Sauls was in this week to tell us that his grandson, Pfc. Jessie B. Sauls had reached England, and was in fine spirits.”
1/12/1945 – “Holiday guests in the home of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Sauls were Mr. and Mrs. Pete Holcomb of Crowell; Mr. and Mrs. D. B. Sauls of San Antonio; Mr. and Mrs. W. F. Sauls of Durmont; Mr. and Mrs. Chic Gribble of Crowell; Don Sauls of Houston; and George Sauls of Hobbs, N. M.”
9/14/19475 – “Weekend guests of J. H. Sauls were D. B. Sauls, San Antonio; Mr. and Mrs. Bill Sauls, Quitaque; Mrs. Walter Ford, Altus, Okla.; G. T. Sauls, Hobbs, New Mexico.Mrs. D. O. Sauls, Hamlin, and Sgt. Jack Sauls, who has just returned from a 31-month tour of duty in Europe.”
Family deaths were detailed in The Hamlin Herald.
Within thirteen months, the newspaper published obituaries for a daughter-in-law, Jonnie (Holmes) Sauls, who was the first wife of son William, and a son-in-law, Albert Bright Pennington, husband of Buelah, both of whom died suddenly. See the articles below.
10/27/1939 – Joe’s brother David Owen Sauls died and The Hamlin Herald had an extensive obituary about his life.
By September 1943, when they advertised for someone to take over the farm, it was evident that Joe and Lula were slowing down and struggling to meet the farm’s demands. Just before Lula died in 1945, they moved in with their daughter, Beulah, in Crowell, Texas. Joe passed away in 1949.
Joseph Henry and Lula Belle (Stickney) Sauls
Joseph Henry “Joe” Sauls was born on 08 Oct 1867 in Arkansas, and died on 11 Mar 1949 in Crowell, Foard, Texas, son of William M. Sauls and Elizabeth C. Bunting. He married Lula Belle Stickney, daughter of James Franklin Stickney and Elvira Tennessee Perry, on 31 Aug 1892 in Hamilton, Texas. She was born on 23 Oct 1876 in Coryell County, Texas and died on 09 Jun 1945 in Stamford, Jones, Texas. They are both buried in Hamlin Memorial Cemetery in Hamlin, Jones County, Texas.
Joseph Henry Sauls and Lula Belle Stickney had the following children:
Buelah Belle Sauls was born on 23 Jul 1893 in Jonesboro, Coryell County, Texas, and died on 29 May 1982 in Crowell, Foard County, Texas. She married (1) Albert Bright Pennington on 19 Dec 1908 in Stonewall, Gillespie, Texas. He was born on 12 Oct 1881 in Round Rock, Williamson County, Texas. He died on 11 Nov 1919 and was buried at Hamlin Memorial Cemetery in Hamlin, Jones County, TX. She married second, Charles Elmo “Pete” Holcombe on 6 Jul 1939. He was born 10 Mar 1891 in Albany, Texas and died 21 Nov 1950. He and Buelah are buried in Crowell Cemetery.
Albert Bright Pennington and Buelah Belle Sauls had the following two children:
Annie Belle Pennington was born on 23 Aug 1909 in Stonewall County, Texas, and she died on 24 May 2003 in Panhandle, Carson, Texas, She married Chester Winfred Henry on 18 Jul 1937 in Crowell, Foard, Texas. He was born on 29 Dec 1907 in Pomona, Howell, Missouri, and he died on 15 Apr 1974 in Pampa, Gray, Texas. They are buried Fairview Cemetery, Pampa, Texas.
Jessie Frank Pennington was born on 13 Nov 1910 in Hamlin, Fisher, Texas, and she died on 12 Oct 1973 in Wichita Falls, Wichita, Texas. She married Robert Gordon Gribble, son of James Thomas Gribble and Georgia Alice Bell, on 23 Jul 1938 in Pampa, Gray, Texas. He was born on 14 Oct 1901 in Crowell, Texas. He died on 30 Jul 1956 in Chillicothe, Hardeman, Texas, They are buried in Crowell Cemetery.
David Burrel Sauls was born on 03 Nov 1895 in Jonesboro, Texas, and he died on 15 Jun 1980 in Stamford, Jones, Texas. He married (1) Lorene Wells about 1925. She was born about 1902 in Texas. They divorced about 1944. He married (2) Leta Edna Smith on 02 Jun 1949. She was born on 26 Aug 1893 in Purcell, McClain, Oklahoma, and died on 17 Nov 1987 in Stamford, Jones, Texas. Burrel and Leta are both buried in Hamlin Memorial Cemetery in Hamlin, Texas.
William Franklin “Bill” Sauls was born on 27 Mar 1897 in Coryell, Texas, and died on 06 Jun 1993 in Quitaque, Briscoe, Texas. He married (1) Jonnie Holmes on 28 May 1917 in Jones, Texas. She was born on 25 Jul 1897 in Tylertown, Walthall, Mississippi. She died on 14 Oct 1918 in Jones, Texas. He married (2) Bessie Ellen Yearly in 1935, daughter of Bradley and Ora Bell (Gilley) Yearly. She was born 14 Jan 1908 in Cedar Hill, Floyd County, Texas and died 1 Oct 1997 in Lockney, Floyd, Texas. Bill and Bessie are buried at Grey Mule Cemetery, Floyd County, Texas.
George Thomas Sauls was born on 18 Nov 1898 in Coke County, Texas, and he died on 28 Jan 1969 in Brady, McCulloch, Texas, and is buried at Rest Haven Cemetery, Brady, Texas. He married (1) Roxie Fay Petty, before May 1920, daughter of Jackson Lee and Sophia (Clatterbuck) Petty. She was born on 22 Jul 1900 in Missouri, and died on 14 Mar 1927 in Hamlin, Jones, Texas, and is buried Hamlin Memorial Cemetery.
George Thomas Sauls and Roxie Fay Petty had the following children:
Jackson Henry Sauls was born on 10 May 1920 in Stonewall County, Texas, and died on 7 Jul 2013 in Lake Tyler East, Smith County, Texas. He married Dorathea Joyzelle Tysinger on 25 Jul 1946 in Crowell, Texas, daughter of William Baxter and Mollye (Calvin) Tysinger. She was born on 13 Mar 1927 in Quanah, Hardeman, Texas and died 12 Mar 1999 in Lake Tyler East, Texas.
Jessie Bill Sauls was born on 26 Mar 1923 in Hamlin, Texas and died on 6 Apr 2005. He married Recie Stone on 20 Jan 1947, daughter of Charles Belford and Maud Lee (McWright) Stone. She was born on 3 May 1926 in Stonewall County and died on 10 Jul 2006 in Hamlin. They are both buried in Hamlin Memorial Cemetery.
Don Sauls was born in 1927 and attended his father’s funeral in 1969, but little else is known of him.
Allyne Sauls was born 10 May 1901 in Jonesboro, Texas, and died 3 May 1979 in Hamlin, Texas and is buried in Rest Haven Memorial Cemetery, Brady, Texas. She married (1) Elwood Ezra Rudge on 25 June 1919 in Ellis County, Texas, the son of Albert Owen Fudge. He was born 11 Oct 1891 in Waxahachie, Texas, and died 16 Feb 1968 in Breckenridge, Texas and is buried in Breckenridge Cemetery. She married (2) William Rodney Rook in 1945 in Oklahoma, son of William Rodney and Mary Catherine (Reagan) Rook. He was born 6 Aug 1900 in Missouri and died 21 Aug 1959 in Brady, Texas. Allyne and William are buried in Rest Haven Cemetery, Brady, Texas.
Allyne and Albert O. Fudge had the following children:
Joe Sauls Fudge was born on 22 Jun 1923 and died on 28 Mar 2011 in Hamlin, Texas. He married Dorothy Nell Jenkins, daughter of Eurey Ervin C. and Lula (Thompson) Jenkins. She was born in 1926 and died on 18 November 2001. They are buried in Hamlin Memorial Cemetery.
Mary Lou Fudge was born 28 Feb 1920 in Spur, Dickens County, Texas and died 23 May 1975 in Ardmore, Carter County, Oklahoma. She married Samuel Rudell Russell son of William Samuel and Mary Georgia (French) Russell. He was born 31 Dec 1916 in Crowell, Texas and died 28 Jun 1994. They are buried in Crowell Cemetery.
This concludes the information on the Stickney / Sauls family.
Forwardly Looking Back 