WILLIE GARLAND RAULSTON

(Oldest living child of Clarence M. Raulston, Sr.)

Mary Evelyn is holding Sue.  Herbert Raulston is on the right in 1943.

Above:  Mary Evelyn is seated with Sue in 1943 and is pregnant with Jeanie in this picture.  Walter Vickers is standing behind them.

Left to right above:  Clarence, Garland, Linda, James, Jeanie, Nannie Bess, and Mary Evelyn 

Pictured left to right:  Donald Raulston, Linda Raulston (with blonde curly locks), Ollie Meda Raulston, Billy Raulston, and Jeanie Raulston.

Left to right:  Jeanie, Herbert, Sandra, Linda, and Billy Raulston.

Garland at work.

June 15, 2001:  Just a short note to tell you about the storm that hit New Boston last night (June 14, 2001).  It took Garland Raulston's roof off the patio and the garage.  In addition, the brick wall on the end of the house crumbled breaking his windshield and bending the hood on his new truck. It also ripped the fence down on that end of the house.  He lost all his bird houses and two trees. It didn't hurt anything at Linda's (next door)... just a lot of wind.  We're just thankful it hit that end of the house instead of where Garland was getting ready for bed.  

Somewhere on this website, C.M. Raulston, Jr., told a story about meeting someone that knew of the Raulstons (our branch) and said that everyone around those parts knew that there were no better looking women than the Raulstons.  Garland's family proves this out.  Whether they have blue eyes, green eyes, hazel eyes, or almost black eyes, the whole bunch of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren could compete in any beauty contest and win!  It's not just the girls, either! 

Children of Willie Garland and Mary Evelyn Raulston:

Garland and Billy, 2000.

Little Glynn (deceased)

Trey (Children are Whitney, Shelby, and Lauren)

 Kathy (Children are Hunter, Colby, and Taylor Mitchell)

Shelly Raulston

Kristy Raulston m. Marlon Sharp (Children are Sarah, Kaylee, Trent, and Garrett)

Bill Raulston, Jr. m. Cassie (Children are Anna Claire, Luke Patrick, and Ellie)

Bill's children (above), Anna Claire, Ellie, and Luke.  Ellie is celebrating her first birthday on 5 April 2008.

David Eason (one child, Daniel Eason)

James Kerry Eason  

Mary Jean Raulston Lynch

by Paula Raulston Duchesne.  Jeanie was born November 16, 1943, to Willie Garland and Mary Evelyn Raulston at the Clarksville Hospital, Clarksville, Texas.  They lived in Clarksville for a time, then New Boston in some apartments, then they moved to Nash when Jeanie was in the 5th grade.  

Jeanie married Clyde Glynn Lynch on November 14, 1964, at the Kenwood Baptist Church in Texarkana.  Glynn had joined the Navy in 19 58 after he got out of high school.  He had just got out of the Navy when Jeanie met him.  Glynn was in the Navy on an aircraft carrier The Intrepid.  In 1997 or so, Jeanie and Glynn went to New York to celebrate the 50th year anniversary of the ship. They are having another reunion in September, 2001 in Nashville.  Glynn will be going to that reunion as well.  He has 8mm film from his Navy days.  He went to Paris, Rome... all over Europe. 

Jeanie remembers spending a lot of time in Clarksville with her grandparents.  She remembers when Aunt Sue was small and Sue and Imogene used to go to the outhouse to smoke when they were teenagers not realizing that the outhouse looked like a chimney with all the smoke coming out the top (no roof on the outhouse!).  They really thought they were hiding out from their parents!

She also remembers that Aunt Sue made Jeanie stay an extra week in Clarksville one time because she (Sue) wrecked Garland's brand new '57 Chevy.  She was afraid Jeanie would tell, and since the damage was minimal, Aunt Sue decided if she just told her brother, Garland, that they were having such a good time they'd just keep her an extra week, Jeanie would forget to tell her Dad about the wreck.

Jeanie used to come visit Uncle Hub and Aunt Derrelline in Arlington (not nearly as much as Linda did, but she'd visit sometimes), and Sandra and Paula loved it because she could always be counted on to "never say no."  If she took them to the store, she bought them candy and toys.  She always has had a gentle spirit and she's soft-spoken, seeming never to lose her temper.

Jeanie has green eyes that are outlined in a dark blue with strawberry red colored hair.  Her daughter, Kathy, looks just like her, only her hair is light brown.

Jeanie and Glynn's first son was Clyde Glynn Lynch, Jr..  Little Glynn was born September13,1965.  He weighed 3 lbs, 5 ozs. and was two months premature.  He spent quite a bit of time in an incubator as he lost down to 2 lbs. 14 ozs.  Little Glynn could fit into the palm of an adult's hand when he was born.  He recovered from his birth rate and at the age of 18 months he was diagnosed with leukemia.  Jeanie and Glynn brought Little Glynn to Dallas, Texas, every couple of weeks for treatments.  He was a precious little boy with his Mother's gentle spirit and he was always smiling.  He passed away on August 8, 1967 at the age of 23 months.

A letter from Uncle C.M. Raulston dated 30 August 2001:  When I visited with you the very first time you were in Santa Rosa and you were about 3 months old.

I was on temporary duty at Hunters Point Naval Dry Docks - San Francisco reworking the Aft Fire Control System aboard the Intrepid.  That was April, 1944. Your dad was Armament & Gunnery Instructor at the NAS there. We knew I was headed for the "Pacific Theater" but we knew not where. Our parting was stressful but not emotional. Your mother got tearful when she held you up for me to kiss good-bye. That was a scene which was repeated thousands of times daily across this country and it was very difficult for our parents.

I learned recently (Your dad's birthday party Aug. 19, 2001) your husband, Glen, served aboard her when she was moved to the Atlantic Fleet. That Proud Lady had a time of it in the South Pacific. Had her rudder blown away three different times! Good bunch of guys in the gang of Machinist Mates onboard and they rigged a false rudder that enabled her to make her way back to Pearl for a couple of days and nights of rerigging of the false rudder so she could make better headway. Trip from battle station in the Marianas to Pearl was very hazardous until she passed Guam. Max speed with the false rudder, rigged at sea, was about seven knots. The waters North of Guam were free of enemy subs by early 1944. With the rerigged rudder she could do ten to twelve knots, which enabled her to be in drydock six days out of Pearl.

When she was retired from duty she was designated a National Memorial and welded to the dock in Brooklyn Navy Yard so the great grandchildren of those who served so proudly on her decks can come aboard and get a vague idea of what it was like in her glory days.

I did not get to go to sea on her during her three day shake-down cruise when she left drydock. Remind me to tell you that story sometime.

Trey (Clyde Glynn Lynch, III) was born November 10, 1967, in Texarkana, Texas.  He weighed in at 4 lbs., 2 ozs. and was also premature.  Trey graduated from Pleasant Grove High School in 1986 and joined the Navy in November of 1986.  When Trey went into the Navy in 1986 he was stationed at Widbey Island, Washington where he met K.D. Jacobs in 1987.  Trey and K.D. were married in 1988.  They had one daughter, Whitney Nycole Lynch (Jeanie's first grandchild) on November 8, 1988.  Whitney Nycole Lynch was born in Oak Harbor Washington. Whitney's Mom is from Washington State, and when Trey and K.D. divorced, Whitney moved to Washington with her Mother.  They are currently living in Japan where Whitney's step-father is stationed in the Navy.  Jeanie gets to visit Whitney every year (flies into Tokyo and spends a month or so with K.D. and Whitney once or twice a year).  She's gotten to spend time in Washington while visiting Whitney as well.  This summer, Whitney is on an International rollerblading team and is on her way (July 2001) to national competition in Pennsylvania.  Whitney spends her summers with her Dad and her MeMaw (Jeanie), she splits her time, and spends a lot of time in New Boston with her PaPaw (Willie Garland Raulston).  She's also active in hockey, soft ball and basketball. 

Whitney Nycole Lynch, 2007

 Trey and Tina Lynch (Trey's 2nd wife) live in Texarkana, Texas, and Trey has two more children.  Shelby Lynn Lynch was born August 25, 1995, and Lauren Elaine Lynch was born September 12, 1997.  

Trey got out of the Navy in November of 1990.  He works for TU Electric now, but was formerly with Red Simpson, Inc., a major construction power line contractor as a Power Lineman.  I took the above picture off their national website.

Mary Kathryn Lynch Mitchell was born December 26, 1971 in Texarkana, Texas.  She was the largest baby born to Jeanie and Glynn and weighed in at a whopping 6 lbs., 2 oz!  Kathy came into this world immediately letting us know that she was put here to make a statement!  (Her daughter, Taylor, is exactly like her!).  As a child, there was nothing Kathy wouldn't do and there was nothing Kathy was afraid of... Her Aunt Linda says that Kathy would have tangled with the Devil himself and never batted an eye!  Her nickname as a child was "hussy" because she was so mischievous and animated.  Once while Aunt Linda was keeping her, Linda heard a knocking noise and heard her cat making muffled wild noises.  She followed the noise where Kathy had decided to rename the cat "Fluffy" ... the cat was busy running trying to keep up with the pace of the clothes dryer.  When Aunt Linda asked her what she was doing putting the cat in the dryer, Kathy calmly said, "I was trying to make him more fluffy."  The cat was mad and shaken but otherwise unharmed.  The first haircut Kathy gave herself was also at Aunt Linda's.  She went from having long hair to having a "Dorothy Hamel" haircut.  She would take the dog's water and pour it over the Irish Setter's head.

Kathy was active in ballet, tap, jazz, and gymnastics.  She also had private dance lessons.  She loved gymnastics the best.  She and her cousin, Kerry, used to flip all over the backyard at their PaPaw's house in New Boston.  Kathy has won over 120 trophies throughout her childhood in various competitions.  She won the Little Miss Texas competition when she was 12.  She participated in the Miss Cinderella pageant in Denton, Texas, every year, and also went to Nationals in Baton Rouge.  Her competition (dancing) was so strong that she was once asked to perform at a local (Texarkana) doctor's birthday party with her rendition of Boogie Woogie Bugle Boys.

Kathy married Mike Mitchell in 1989 and their first son, Michael Hunter, was born February 13, 1990 in Texarkana, Texas.  Colby Glynn Mitchell was born August 25, 1993, and Taylor Kathryn was born March 26, 1996.  Taylor is the "spitting image" of her Mother and acts just like Kathy did when she was a child.  Taylor claims one of Aunt Linda's horses, Jack, and is adamant about the fact that the horse is all hers.  If someone tries to compete with that, you can hear her yelling from the barn to the house... It seems she may have the same affection for horses that her Aunt Linda has, which, if so, will last a lifetime.  Taylor recently informed us that Jack is a stud horse.  When she was asked what that means, Taylor said, "Stud horse means he's black!"  Hunter is quiet and appears to be well-mannered (either that or he's sneaky!), Colby is almost as mischievous as Taylor, but is a little more discreet about it, and they seem to get along well.  Taylor has only been to two competitions (pageants) thus far.  The first one she won all the awards - Best Personality, Best Dressed, and Beauty.  The last one Mom and MeMaw (Kathy and Jeanie) entered her in, she was in a bad mood and was "acting out."  She still won the Beauty portion of it, but Mom and MeMaw had a bad day.

Billy Garland Raulston 

Billy Garland Raulston was born December 22, 1944, to Willie Garland and Mary Evelyn Raulston in Clarksville, Texas.  He graduated from Hooks High School in 1962.  He came to live with his Aunt Derrelline and Uncle Hub pretty soon after high school to seek employment.  He was an immediate hit with all the young ladies.  He had a hot car and was a "hunk" and never wanted for company!  Paula adored him.  He played too rough (pulled Paula and Sandra by their feet around the house giving them major carpet burns on their backs), but he was fun, we believe that hot car was a Malibu), attracted tons of chicks, and allowed Paula and Sandra to give him a hard time.  While he was out, they'd go through his drawers, reading his love notes (from Phyllis), aggravating, and generally invading his privacy.  Paula remembers when he went off to Vietnam.  She couldn't say goodbye because she was too sad.  Phyllis says that hot car is why she married him because he used to leave it for her to run around in during the week sometimes.  She loved that car. Billy and Phyllis were married July 17th, 1965 in Texarkana, and then they moved to Fort Worth. Phyllis remembers when her Mom and Mary Evelyn came to see them in Fort Worth and saw where they lived in that big old house... they moved Billy and Phyllis to a new apartment that weekend. That house was a scary place over on Berry St.  They moved to an apartment over on Marigold in Fort Worth. The landlady was a fruit cake... Aunt Derrelline and Phyllis both agree on that one!  After Billy got drafted, they moved to Tacoma, Washington until he got sent to Vietnam. Phyllis was about a day or two pregnant (didn't know it of course) when Billy went to Vietnam, then 9 months later Shelly was born (September 29, 1968). Shelly was 5 weeks old the first time Billy got to see his first daughter - when he got to come home. He had gotten to see Phyllis while she was six months pregnant when she met him in Hawaii for R&R.  I remember pictures from that trip!  Phyllis  looked like she had a little basketball in her belly. She was SO skinny except for that basketball she swallowed!  Phyllis became another best friend to Paula and Sandra, and another daughter to Aunt Derrelline.  She was 7 or 8 years older than Paula and Sandra, but she looked their age and she didn't mind hanging out with the young ones.  They grew to love her as "one of us."  Derrelline had Sunday dinners, and without fail either Paula or Phyllis would usually spill their tea. Hub got to where he would say (as he did to Paula's youngest son, Dane, many years later), "Just go ahead and spill it and clean it up so we can get on with lunch."  Phyllis was wild about Billy back then and he was the same with her.  Those were some good times. Billy was drafted into the Army in October of 1966.  He went to Vietnam in January, 1968 and his Army time ended in October 1968.  During their marriage, Billy and Phyllis lived in Arlington, Texarkana, New Boston, Tacoma Washington and Clarksville.  When living in Clarksville, they lived on the Raulston homestead where Phyllis was a "favorite niece" of Uncle C.M.   She's still family to us!

Their first child, Shelly Ann Raulston, was born September 29, 1968.  Their second child, Kristy Shaun Raulston, was born May 17, 1972.  Their third child, Bill Raulston, Jr. (we call him "Last Chance Bill" because he's the ONLY boy in the clan that can carry on this branch of the Raulston name!!!) was born December 24, 1975.

Billy is currently married to Michelle Raulston.  They were wed January 16, 1982, and enjoyed it so much they decided to do it again on December 23, 1998!  They live in DeKalb, Texas.

Shelly Ann Raulston was born September 29, 1968 to Billy Garland and Phyllis Ann Raulston in Texarkana, Texas. [Need a little bit about Shelly here.]  She currently lives in Fort Worth, Texas.

Shelly and her big baby, Chloe.

Kristy Shaun Raulston Sharp was born May 17, 1972, to Billy Garland and Phyllis Ann Raulston in Texarkana, Texas.  I remember Kristy didn't have hair (to speak of) until she was three years old.  She works as a legal assistant two days a week in Texarkana.  She married Marlon Sharp on April 5, 1997.  Marlon sings and plays the guitar and is active in the Texas/Arkansas area performing country and gospel music.  They own a "pig farm" (4000 pigs!) in Lockesburg, Arkansas, where they reside.  Their first daughter, Sarah Elaine, was born June 19, 1998.  Their second daughter, Kaylee Elizabeth, was born November 10, 2000.  Kristy and Marlon had twins (picture below).  The twins were early and were in the hospital in Little Rock for quite a while.  Little Sarah looks exactly like Kristy did when she was a baby.  At the age of three, Sarah laughs like her Aunt Paula and talks non-stop like her cousin Taylor.  She has the same beautiful dark eyes and hair that her Mom has.

Left to right above:  Trent, Garrett, and Luke.  Trent and Garrett are Kristy's twins listed above, and Luke is Bill's son (listed below).

Left to right above:  Kaylee, Sarah holding Ellie, and Anna Claire on the right.  The two on the left are Kristy and Marlon's, and the two in hot pink are Bill and Cassie's.

All of them.  Left to right above:  Luke, Kaylee, Sarah holding Ellie, Anna Claire, Garrett and Trent is on the right.  Christmas Eve 2007.

Pictures are provided by Grandma Phyllis Ann (Raulston) Shiner.  We'll always claim her as a Raulston!

Billy Garland Raulston, Jr., was born December 24, 1975, to Billy Garland and Phyllis Ann Raulston in Texarkana, Texas.  "Little Bill" spent much of his childhood at his PaPaw and MeMaw's farm in New Boston (Garland and Mary Evelyn).  He took right up with the farm activity of Garland, and was there whenever he could be.  [I need a little detailing here...].  Bill married Cassie on June 24, 2000, in Texarkana.  Click here to go to some pictures taken at the wedding.  Their first son, Luke Thomas Raulston, was born 14 December 2001 at 10:50 am.  Weight: 8 lbs 5 oz
Length: 20.  Parents: Cassie and Bill. Delivered by Dr. Wilson in Texarkana.  Billy, Bill, and now Luke Thomas will keep this branch of the family going!  Bill, Cassie, and Luke Thomas live in DeKalb.  Bill is successful in the timber business, and Cassie teaches Kindergarten.

Bill and Cassie two months before they married.