This family history was written by Tomelane Gaskamp in May 1969. Comments are occasionally made in the present tense. I refer to myself, Tomelane, as I" and to my family (Mom, Dad and three sisters) as we, us and, our. Benjamin Porter: (born 1/18/1795 - died 7/9/1849); married 8/27/1811 to Betsy Ewing. One son, Clark T. Porter was born. He married Elizabeth Hunt l0/13/1845. Betsy Ewing Porter died and Benjamin then married 6/30/1824 to Matilda Wilson (Born 12/23/1803); died 10/12/1890 and is buried at Hix) Benjamin Porter came to Texas from Butler County, Kentucky, He first settled around Clarksville, Texas, then moved with his family to Burleson County in about 1847. The seven children of Benjamin Porter and Matilda Wilson Porter are: 1. Agnes (born 4/27/1825) married R. T. Blacklock. 2. Mary (born 5/28/1827) married William Thorp (These are Mr. Will Thorp's grandparents). 3. Sarah Ann, called Sally, (born 4/17/1829 - died 1/3/1878) married Merryfield F. Phegley (born 4/l/18l8 - died 8/8/1892). One of their children, Tom Phegley, married Sally Skinner, and their daughters, Mattie, married Adrian Jackson. 4. Nancy (born 6/17/183l - died 1905) married Isaac Sparks Theseare Dr. Jesse Sparks' parents. Dr. Jesse Sparks married Patti Lovelace Jackson after the death of her husband, Thomas Edgar Jackson. 5. Martha Angeline (born 12/8/1833 - died 12/30/1924) married 8/27/1855 to Cortus Jackson (born 2/2/35). A daughter was born to this union, but she died at the age of 4 years. When Martha Angeline was pregnant with her second child, Cortus drove a herd of cattle to Mexico, and on the way home he was robbed and killed. Angeline had a son, named Thomas Edgar Jackson (born 5/20/ 8 8 died 5/18/1895) He married Patti Lovelace and they had four sons and three daughters. One of the sons was my father. 6. John Wilson (born 9/18/1839 - died 2/19/1919) (Confederate soldier, having enlisted in 1861); married Elizabeth Duncan (born 10/23/1840 - died 12/10/1866). John Wilson Porter and Elizabeth Duncan Porter had three sons and one daughter. ' I Page 1, PORTERS
One of.' their 'sons was Dr. John Duncan Porter, my mother's father. When Elizabeth died in 1867 John Wilson Porter in 1867married Ellen Gresham (born 10/10/1866 - died 1881). They had three children: (a) Edgar Tom Porter, born 3/12/1868, never married; (b).james Dollar (Born 7/24/1871 - died ) married Elizabeth Webb (This is Belle McClure Arnett's aunt). They had Tom, who died at age 3, then Tommy (girl) who married and had 7 or '8 children; then James Dollar, who died as a small child; then "Doll (girl) who married Clyde Miller and had three daughters: Louise, Lillian (called Polly), and Lorraine; Then (c) Minnie Florence, (born 5/26/1876 - died 6/3/1878) who died at age 2. My mother has a picture of this child, After Ellen Gresham Porter died in 1881, John Wilson Porter in approximately 1884, met and married S. Jennie. McKinney (born 11/3/1844 - died ), who was a 40-year-old spinster. John Wilson Porter was a Country Squire, owned a large home, and was a worker in the Baptist Church. He -was in the legislature in Austin when Hogg was Governor. He received his education in McKinzie Institute, Clarksville, Texas, traveling there by horseback from Burleson County. He died at the age of 29 plus years. See Page #2 [of original 8.5 x 14 copy] for further information regarding descendants of John Wilson Porter and Elizabeth Duncan Porter. 7. Mattie (born 1/18/1842, died ) married John R. Fraim. The community of His was first named Fraimville and was named for this John R. Fraim. Later the Post Office came to Fraimville and it was decided to change the name. Someone suggested the name Hix, which was the nickname of Charlie Porter, son of William Benjamin Porer, who was the elder son of John Wilson Porter. The here named Charlie Porter was the younger brother of Cecil Porter. One of this Matter Porter/Fraim s daughters, Lela, married Col. Ben Delamater. Page 2, PORTERS
JOHN WILSON PORTER and ELIZABETH DUNCAN PORTER had the following children: (born 10/21/1857.died 17/22/l940). 1. William Benjamin (called Uncle Billy by my mother's family) married Alberta Dunn and had the following children: a. Cecil (born 2/17/1879, died 9/27/1968, married Kate Bain. I called this cousin Uncle Cecil, his wife Nannie Kate, and I have known them well all my life. I know their descendants well. Uncle Cecil is buried at Hix. Nannie Kate is still living. b. Jack (born 2/22/1880 - d. 2/16/1938) [ married Frank Phegley misplaced?] I have known this family & descendants all my life also. c. Bessie (born 1/13/1883,died 9/22/1938), married Benjamin Gabriel Jackson (born 2/28/1880 died 2/14/1960) and they had three daughters: 1) Inez (born 8/1/1902 died 11/28/1931) married W. E. Phillips 5/8/l926. No children were born. 2) Jerrine (born 3/19/1904) married Claude Dailey, Sr. They live in Gladewater, Texas. They have one son: Claude Dailey, Jr. (born 8/31/1939) married Patricia Ann Lott and they have three small children. 3) Bennie (born l2/5/1905) married Jim Jones. They live in Gladewater, Texas. They had three sons: 1. James A., Jr. (born 3/28/1935-died 4/ /1943) who died at the age of 8 years of polio. 2. Jerry Ben (born 8/5/1938) married Susan Jean and they live in Boston. 3. William Ross (born 3/23/1944) married Susan Allen and they live in Corpus Christi, Texas. d. Kate married William Bain. I have known Kate all my life as "Little Kate" and still call her that. She lives in Port Arthur, but has a daughter in Houston, often visits here an always calls me for a visit on the telephone. She still owns land at Hix near us. e. Charlie - This is the man for whom Hix was named. f. Lawrence g. Gladys married Homer Martin. Their two children, Homer Martin, Jr. and Gladys we grew up with (we four Jackson girls that is) and knew well. The elder Gladys died when her daughter, Gladys, was born, and she is buried at Hix.. Page 3, PORTERS
h. Angeline, called Angie, married Charlie Black. They had one son, Charlie Black, Jr., whom we called "Puddle". I knew this family well and can remember Angie dying of pneumonia. "Puddle" vas killed in World War II. 2. Dora Jeffa (born 12/14/1859-died ) married J. Byrd Hill and they had the following children: Earl, Clifton, Stanton, Willie Sue Mae, Hazel, Charlie (who lives in Bellaire, Texas, and has visited in my home several times with his wife), Porter and Wynona. 3. John Duncan (born 1/25/1862 - died 6/8/1916)married Laura Catherine Ingram (born 12/9/1871 -died 5/27/1932)on 12/12/1888 at Caldwell. See Page #3 [of original 8.5 x 14 document, below] for further information regarding descendants of John Duncan Porter, M.D., and Laura Catherine Ingram Porter. 4. Charles C. (born 5/161866 died 12/23/1905) married Emma Tyson. Their children were: a. Jenny, who married a Mr. Smith. She still lives in Maysfield, Texas, which is near Cameron. b. Paul (whom is now dead) married Attice Randolph, who is still living at Calvert, Texas. c. John Buren. NOTE that when Elizabeth Duncan Porter died in December, 1866, she left these four children at ages 9, 7, almost 5 (this was Dr. John D. Porter), and 7 months. The next year their father, John Wilson Porter married again (recorded on Page 11 [of the original 8.5 x 11 document]). DR. JOHN DUNCAN PORTER and LAURA CATHERINE INGRAM PORTER had the following children: They were married December 12, 1888. 1. Mable Claire (born 7/28/1890) married Thomas Edgar Jackson (born 4/26/1888 - died 8/31/1948). She lives in Sweeny, Texas. a. Blanche Claire (born 3/16/1922) married Robert R. Mikulastik and they have three sons, Bobby, Tommy and Ricky. They liv in Dallas. Page 4, PORTERS
b. Bess Marie (born 11/15/23).married Harry H. Richardson. They live in Corpus Christi, Texas. c. Tomelane (born 3/22/26) married Herman Gaskamp and they have three children, Patti, Peggy and Roger. They live in Houston. d. Dorothy Jane (born 11/14/27) married James Norman Gillis, and they have two children, James Norman, I (called Jimmy and Leslie Elaine. They live in Lafayette, LA. 2. John Duncan, Jr. (born 2/14/1892) married Neva Miles (born 8/13/1896) and they now live in Austin, Texas. a. Neva Miles (born 11/18/1919) married Norvell F. Jackson and they have four children, Mary Lucille (who is married and has two children), N.F. Jr., Johnny and Bobby. They live in Rockport, Texas. b. John Duncan III (born 12/6/1920) married Jimmie [Barton]. Their one daughter is Mary Louise and they live in Buda, Texas. c. Madge Elise {born 12/6/1920) called Angel lives with parents. d. Jim [Jimmie Jack, born 5/5/1922] married Melba [Miller]; they live in Corpus Christi, Texas. e. Lucille (born 9/28/1923) married Troy Enis. They have three children, all live in Austin, Texas. f. Bill Ed (born 10/4/1924), married Betty [Kennedy] and their home is in Waco, Texas. Their four children are Carol, Billy, Julie and Rob. g. Robert Bryan (born 7/28/1926), called Bob, married Maxine [Ray] and their two sons are Bryan and Dean. They live in Lake Jackson, Texas. h. Tommy Ryan (born 7/28/1926), called Tom, and named for my father Tom Jackson, I believe, died at about the age of 3. 3. Lucille (born 11/14/1893 died 9/11/1908) died the month before she was 15 years old, of peritonitis. 4. Alice Elise (born 9/8/1895 died 10/ /1956) married E.J. "Sib" Stone. Uncle Sib was killed in a tractor accident 7 months after his wife died. a. Jack is married and lives in Annandale, Virginia. b. Joyce Elane (born ) married Thomas Murray. They live in Huntsville, Texas and have three children, Stone, Joyce and. 5. Sadie Marie (born 6/18/1897) married Fabyert Holmes. They lived in Mineral Wells all their married lives. He died 2/14/1952. She died 12/5/1963. Page 5, PORTERS
a. Margaret (born 12/5/1920) married Edwin S. Berngartt. They have two sons, John and Tommy, and live in Silver Spring, Maryland 6. Elizabeth Lane (born 3/27/1899), better knows as E. Lane or Lane. She has taught many years, most of which has been in Mineral Wells. She still lives there and is still teaching. 7. Grace Nowlin (born 5/15/1900) married Benton Holmes (born 8/29/1900 died 1/11/1942). She still lives and teaches in Mineral Wells. a. Laura Lou (born 11/18/29)(died 10/7/68) married Marvin Solum and they had three sons, Skip, Stevie and Paul Marvin and boys live in Paris, Texas 8. Charles Ingram (born 9/9/1905)/ called "Red" married Josephine Maske. They live in West Columbia, Texas. Their three children are: a. Grady Claire (born 8/3/1931) lives.in Houston, Texas. b. Charles Richardson (born 10/11/1934), called Dicky is married and has a little girl. They live in Houston. c. Esther Josephine (born 9/16/1950), called Jody, is 18 this year and graduating from High School in June, 1969. 9. William Harold (born 3/27/1907), called Bill, married but had no children. He died in February, 1956. 10. Lady Catherine (born 4/13/1912), called "Cat," married Mark Weldon. Cat, I believe, is now living in Dallas. Mark Weldon died in January, 1969. They had five children, as follows: a. Mark Anne (born 5/20/1936) married Coy Radney. They live in Dallas and have four children. b. Larry (born 2/6/1938) married and.lives in Mesa, Arizona. c. Charles (born 11/12 /1942. d. Porter (born 11/14/1944). e. Sybil (born 1/9/1947). NOTE: The following is a brief history of the lives of Dr. Porter and his wife, Laura: They married December 12, 1888. Dr. John Duncan Porter married Laura Catherine Ingram when he was 27-years old and she was only 17. He had read and studied with an M.D. and was practicing medicine the Birch Community in Burleson County, in an area at that time called Old High Prairie. Laura's father owned a 1,000 acre farm in that community and Dr. Porter and Laura lived with her parents and Page 6, PORTERS
this was where Mable, John D. Jr., and Lucille were born. The family then moved to Lyons (a few miles away) where Elise was born. At that time they built a new home, which was the only new home my mother (Mable) ever had the privilege of living in. After two or so years in Lyons (during which time Grandfather Ingram had died) the family moved to Gause, Texas, which is in Milam County, but near Hix. Grandmother Ingram moved with them and continued to live with them until her death. Marie was born in Gause. They, then, moved to the Hix community where Elane was born. Dr. Porter then moved to Hutto to practice medicine and it was here that Grace, Charles and Bill were born, and here that Lucille died. They moved to Salina in 1910 where Cat was born. In 1915 they moved to Denton where Dr. Porter died of a heart attack in 1916. John D. and Elise both married while the family lived in Denton. John D. was teaching in Mineral Wells where he met Neva Miles, who was a student at Baylor. Elise had met Sib Stone when they were living in Salina. Mable and Marie were teaching in Deport, Texas, when John D. married. Marie married Faybert Holmes when he returned from World War I service in France. In 1920 Mable and Lane were teaching at Mart, Texas. Grandmother Porter (Laura) and Cat moved to Mart and lived With Mable and Lane. Charles and Bill lived, during that time, with John D. and Neva. Then Grandmother Porter and Cat went to live with Angeline Porter Jackson (who was my mother's great aunt and my father's grandmother) and take care of her (in her old age). E.Lane moved to Caldwell and taught there five years. Grandmother Porter and Cat lived with Angeline Porter Jackson at Hix. Mable married Thomas Edgar Jackson in 1921 and went to live in Caldwell and Hix. John D. and Neva moved to West Texas (after all their children had been born, I think) where they lived several years, then moved to Gonzales, where he became a contractor (and quit teaching). Grace married Bento Holmes in 1927 in Mineral Wells. Charles lived with Mable and Tom after they married, went one year to Blinn College (played football), then went to the University of Houston where he met and married Josephine Maske in 1926(or 1927) They lived, first, in an oil town in East Texas, moved to West Columbia, then Houston, then back to West Columbia, then to Conroe, and back to West Columbia where they still live. Bill lived with John D. and Neva (off and on) until he married. He died in February, 1956, in Del Rio, Texas. Cat lived with Mable and Tom when she graduated from Caldwell High School in 1929. Grandmother Porter went to San Marcos that year and Cat entered Southwest Texas State Teacher s College there for one year. She then went to live with Elise and Sib at Sudan, Texas, near Lubbock. This is where she met and married Mark Weldon in 193(?). Grandmother Porter went to the home of Benjamin Jackson and Bessie Porter Jackson in Page 7, PORTERS
1931 to help nurse their elder daughter, Inez, who was ill with rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease. Inez died and following the funeral Ben Jackson was taking Grandmother Porter home to Caldwell when another car, driving wildly, hit them, knocking the off the highway and down an incline into a river bed. Uncle Ben was thrown clear, but Grandmother Porter was not so lucky. She died about 18 days later in an Austin hospital. This was in 1932 and I remember it well. The car who collided with them was a hit and run and thought by local authorities to probably be Bonnie and Clyde, or other desperadoes, who were in the vicinity at the time. Page 8, PORTERS