William and Fannie with their five daughters came to Texas in a covered wagon drawn by a yoke of oxen. In the rear of the wagon a pair of saddle horses were led and were used to scout the trails for best routes of travel and to hunt for fresh meat. The eldest of the daughters was nine years old at the time, the youngest was two. An average day's travel behind a yoke of oxen was ten miles. It is reported that the trip from Tennessee took about two months.

In addition to the five girls brought with them from Tennessee, William and Fannie had six children born in Red River County. A total of seven girls and four boys all lived to raise families of their own, an unusual occurrence in that time.

William and Fannie originally settled in the county seat town of Clarksville and leased farm land about four miles north of town in the community of Cherry. They moved to this leased land at Cherry in 1851. They bought a 240 acre tract of land in the community of Dimple in 1854. The purchase price was one dollar per acre. They continued to farm the leased land in Cherry for a number of years after moving to their Dimple farm.

When William bought the home place the main road was a single lane, wagon-rutted dirt trail through the woods. It came out of Kaimichi, Oklahoma, through old Stephensborough (now a forest marked by an occasional clump of trumpet narcissus), entered the Raulston place on the northwest and passed in front of the house to corner just to the east of the house in what is now the horse lot. The road ran south from this corner across the place through the community of Cherry into Clarksville. There were three log cabins located on the land. The one at the corner in the road became the home of William and Fannie. It was a two-room log cabin with a fireplace across the entire south end. The fireplace was used for cooking the year round and for heating in the winter. Later, two large rooms and a large hallway were added to the front of the cabin. These rooms and the hallway were of board and batten construction. At still a later date, the original two rooms of log construction were replaced with board and batten.

This house when completed had about thirteen hundred square feet of living area plus large front and back porches. If this seems small by current standards, we must remember that our forefathers did not build such unnecessary niceties as bathroom, den, game room or study. Also, the farmhouse was used only as a place to eat and sleep and to provide shelter during inclement weather. During Sunday entertaining the women folk held sway in the kitchen while the men folk used the porches and horse lot for spit and whittle activities.

One of the two remaining cabins was located about two hundred feet north of the home cabin and was used for a time as a seed house. The third cabin was located toward the back of the place on the old Cherry road. Being in a wooded area and somewhat isolated, this cabin was used by local boys trying to avoid the sheriff and thus acquired the name of "Robbers Roost". The "Robbers Roost" cabin later became the first home of Uncle North and Aunt Mary Raulston Thompson. The site of this cabin is marked today by a large hole in the ground where the old well was located.

When William and Fannie moved to the farm at Dimple they had six children - all girls. With the aid of his older daughters and one hired man, William set out to do the things necessary to carving a farm out of a wilderness. The first fences were of split rail in a zig-zag pattern. These rails were made from oak timber cleared from the land. Much land had to be cleared to provide the necessary tillable acreage and it was bone tiring work. The trees had to come out by the roots and the only power equipment available was a team of mules. Grandsons of William have told me that the land clearing continued until after they were grown men and William had long since been buried. The last of the old rail fences was cut up to provide fuel for a wood-burning cook stove in the mid 1930s. The presence of the log cabins on the place suggests that there were probably cleared spaces for gardens and small feed patches when William moved in. It is a fact that a two or three acre area in front of the main cabin was cleared prior to William's arrival. This area was put to use immediately as a pasture and is still used as such.

Soon after moving in William planted an eighteen acre fruit orchard. He was a federally licensed distiller and from the fruit he made fruit brandies, wines and hard cider. Under the front room of the house he constructed a large wine cellar, the entrance to which was through the lower part of the front fireplace chimney. The entrance was large enough to accommodate a wagon loaded with products from the still. William kept his surplus cash in the form of gold coin buried in a secret place in the wine cellar. This unusual banking practice led to the traditional buried treasure legend. There were those who believed that this money was still buried in the wine cellar when William died and was never found. It is reported by reliable sources however that William lost his money in an unsuccessful saloon venture in the community of Albion late in his life.

The still was a profitable operation. William sold his alcoholic beverages to saloons in town and in the north county area. He was obligated by law to affix a tax stamp to each container of the beverage and is reported to have increased his margin of profit by neglecting to put the tax stamp on a container here and there. This bending of the law led to at least one horse race. William was in town when he learned that the Federal Liquor Control Agent had just left on his way to the farm to inspect the liquor inventory. William mounted his horse and made the eight to ten mile run in time to dispose of the unstamped containers prior to the imminent arrival of the inspector. The still site is marked today by a depression in the ground across the creek south of the old house.

With the help of a large family and some hired labor, William cultivated a large portion of the two hundred and forty acre tract. The chief money crop was cotton. In those days the land produced over a bale to the acre. Insects were not nearly so prolific then. My father can remember the first boll weevil found on the place. It was taken into town for positive identification. That event marked the beginning of the end of cotton farming in Red River County. Although cotton is still produced there in limited quantity, cattle have replaced it as the major agricultural product.

There were three school houses located on the Raulston place at different times during William's lifetime. The first was located about three hundred yards north of the home cabin. The second one was built at a site near the halfway point in the north property line. That site would be about five hundred yards north-northwest from the home cabin. The third school was located near the northwest corner of the 240 acre tract, just south of the Uncle Jimmie D. Raulston home place. The recitation bench from the first Raulston school sits today on the front porch of the old home.

With the coming of a general store, a cotton gin, and a blacksmith shop to the old Dimple cross roads, a school was built there and the third Raulston school was converted to private use. The first Dimple school was located about two hundred yards south of the Johnson General Store which later became the Nelse Huddleston home place. The last Dimple school was constructed on a site across the road east of the Nelse Huddleston home in 1937. This school was torn down in 1967 and the children in the Dimple community now ride a school bus into Clarksville.

An incident occurring during construction of the third Raulston school offers a clue to the temperament of William Raulston. He was working with some other men on the roof of the school house. A certain Mr. Dale. a very unsociable gentleman, was shuffling about the grounds below making uncomplimentary remarks about folks who would engage in such frivolous activity. When William had his fill of these inflammatory remarks, he bounded· to the ground hatchet in hand. A chase ensued with William pursuing Mr. Dale across a very large pea patch waving his hatchet and loudly yelling threats of imminent doom. Mr. Dale reached the safety of his home on the far side of the pea patch before William caught up to striking range. There was no further interference from Mr. Dale. As a matter of fact, funeral services for some of the Dale children were conducted in this old school house. The children were buried on the Dale place in unmarked graves. These grave sites have long since been lost.

In the middle to late 1800s the Raulston men made an annual trip to Jefferson, Texas, to buy supplies. The necessity for these trips is a mystery. Either these supplies were not available in Clarksville or they were considered to be over priced. This was a journey of some 100 miles by wagon over the old Caddo Trace. The wagons were some­times lined up for five miles from the boat docks.

The following story illustrates the lack of communication in the early times. William had a prize saddle horse stolen from the front pasture. Men in those days could recognize the tracks of their horses just as readily as we today can identify our cars in a crowded parking lot. William tracked his horse a distance of some thirty miles into Bowie County where he found it in a barn lot. As was the custom of the time, he inquired of the lady of the house as to the whereabouts of her husband without revealing the nature of his business. Upon being informed that the Master would return at sundown, William camped in a nearby grove of trees to await further developments. When the man returned, William stated his business and was invited to spend the night. The host was interested in catching the thief because he had traded a good horse for the stolen property. After dinner conversation turned to olden times, points of origin, etc. During this conversation William discovered that his hostess was his younger sister whom he had not seen since she was a young girl back in Tennessee. The name of this family was Cotton. Some of the members of this Cotton family later settled in Red River County. William had another sister who settled southwest of Clarksville. She was married to a Chessir. There was a school teacher at Dimple in the middle 1930s named Miss Faye Chessir. Her father, Mr. Jess Chessir, said that he was related to the Raulstons.

Some time prior to the Civil War a younger brother of William was camped on the north bank of Red River at Bryarly's Ferry waiting for flood waters to recede enough for a safe ferry run. During the night, Indians attacked, killed the parents and took the stock. Three small boys were left at the campsite. These children were brought to the home place at Dimple. They were Frank, Butler and Bill Raulston. Because William had a very large family of his own, he was forced to find homes for these three boys with families in nearby communities.

Frank Ralston married Lucy J. Butler in Red River County on November 2, 1877. They settled on the Arkansas River in North Central Oklahoma. The small town of Ralston, Oklahoma, is named for him. One of Frank's sons, Buck Ralston, came by the home place in the early 1900s. He is reported to have had a problem with the law and was headed for South Texas. He settled near Corpus Christi. The old timers say that many of Frank's descendants were killed in a terrible tornado which blew through the town of Ralston, Oklahoma, in about 1915.

The second boy, Butler, who spelled his name Rolston, settled in Mt. Pleasant, Titus County, Texas, where he became a prominent attorney and Judge. Legend has it that Butler came into the legal profession through his penchant for getting into trouble. The story goes that Butler was in court so often as a defendant that he learned enough about courtroom procedure to become a lawyer. He served many years as Defense Attorney, Prosecutor and Judge. For some amusing stories concerning his courtroom tactics see "History of Titus County", Volume II, by Tralor Russell, The Morrison Company, 1966. My father remembers Butler visiting back home when father was a teenager. He remembers Butler as a fairly large man with a thick beard and heavy mane of grey hair. Descendants of Butler Rolston still live in the Mt. Pleasant area.

The third child left on the banks of Red River by the Indians was one Bill Raulston who grew up to be very much the typical Scotch-Irish Bible totin, switch wielding father of three sons. The three sons were:

    Willie, R. Q., and Elmer. Bill Raulston married Hattie Thompson who was a sister to North Thompson, husband of Mary, daughter of William. Bill Raulston and Hattie Thompson Raulston adopted a fourth son, Burns Giles. This boy was the son of a sister of North Thompson and Hattie Thompson Raulston. Bill Raulston raised his family near the small town of Cumby in Hunt County, Texas. His profession was farmer. His "callin' " was preaching. He returned to the old home place in Red River County, complete with family, each summer to hold a brush-arbor revival meeting which lasted at least a month. Those who are conversant with the practices of early day revivalists such as Cotton Mather, Billy Sunday, etc., will know that the old timers not only believed but very often felt their religion. I am told that Uncle Bill's meetings often became wild measured by today's standards. He was a man of average size with a shock of flaming red hair. He has cousins alive today who can remember his laying on the switch with a heavy hand. Two of his sons, Elmer and R. Q., seem to have been quite inventive in the art of creating disciplinary problems for their father and trouble for themselves. Burns Giles settled in Fort Worth. He and Elmer Raulston, son of Bill, are both deceased.

The Texas & Pacific Railroad first entered Paris, Texas, December 29, 1873. The date of this event is given to establish a time base for the following story. When the railroad was being constructed across Red River County, William Raulston had a contract to furnish the work gang with meat, the most plentiful of which was deer and domesticated hogs which had gone wild. William used his trusty rifle brought with him from Tennessee to shoot the wild game. This rifle was the muzzle loading, single shot variety which did not offer much opportunity for a second shot. On one occasion William did not make that first shot quite good enough and the wounded buck charged him with blood in his eye. William sought refuge in the nearest tree which happened to be a sapling which would not quite support his weight. This resulted in a deadly little game wherein the small tree would slowly bend toward the ground, the buck would charge in and hit William and/or the tree with sufficient force to straighten the tree up. The tree would then slowly bend toward the ground again only to be charged once more by the wounded deer. This procedure was repeated until the deer either gave up in disgust or became weakened from loss of blood and had to abandon the game. It is not known if William pursued the poor creature upon retrieving his rifle. Many stout hearted hunter of today would not. While thus connected with the railroad William obtained a quantity of scrap railroad irons. These were used to line a fireplace and support the hearth for a number of years. Most of this old iron was sold as scrap during the pre-war (World War II) days. A description of these irons (two of which this writer managed to retain) is interesting to the extent that it gives some definition of the first railroad to cross Red River County. The irons are flat, two and one-half inches wide by one-half inch thick. They have holes in the middle, thirty inches apart. The holes are recessed or countersunk at the top and are one-half inch square at the bottom. Each iron is notched at one end and pointed at the opposite. The above would suggest that the railroad was constructed by nailing the irons to the top of heavy timbers with large square spikes.

Great Grandfather, William M. Raulston, was a man of small to medium stature with a stentorian voice which could be heard for a great distance in the quiet country side. He was a man filled with a restless spirit and animated habits. In his later life he rode into town at noon two or three times a week to report the north county news. This earned his the title of "Bayou Bugle" with some of the local wags. His conversation was well spiced with "cuss" words. The following story was related by Mrs. Mittie Dietz Gardner.

When John Arthur Dietz was a small boy he spent a lot of time with "Grandpap" Raulston who had a great fear of storms.  One dark night young Arthur was rolled out of bed to accompany Grandfather to the cellar under the house. Once there, the old man bumped his head with sufficient force to raise a lump but did not utter a word. The boy stared in amazement and said "Grandpap, you didn't cuss!" Grandfather replied, "Hell, Buck, it ain't a time to cuss, there is a storm coming".

Great Grandfather believed in building school houses and doing other things he considered to be of service to his community. He bought and donated to the community the land where the New Haven Church and Cemetery are located. It is still referred to as the Raulston Cemetery by some of the elder non-resident relatives. Although William M. donated the land for the church, he did not make himself a member thereof until almost too late. He was carried from his bed suffering a fatal illness to be baptized in a skiff (small boat) on the front porch of his home.

The following story was passed down by Julia Raulston Aubrey. During the Civil War the Raulston place was used as a way station and supply depot by the Confederate troops. One day a young Lieutenant and an enlisted man stopped at the well to water their horses and refresh themselves. For some reason the young officer ordered the enlisted man to not drink, whereupon great-grandfather slammed his hat to the ground, took a few quick circles around and in a quivering rage informed the young whippersnapper that no man was to be denied a drink at that well.

Another story from Civil War times concerns two intelligence agents who had picked up a shipment of gold in the Houston area and were making their way to the Jefferson Davis headquarters in Missouri when they stopped at the Raulston farm for an overnight rest. Next morning they learned that a battle was raging along the Red north of DeKalb. They then left the gold at the farm and went scouting for a safe route of travel. Some of the more imaginative members of the family generated the story that the gold was hidden on the farm and the two men never returned for it, but more sober informants say that the gold was left in the cellar under the watchful eye of William M. and was later delivered to its destination. 

William M. and Fannie Ousley Raulston and many of their descendants are laid to rest in the New Haven Cemetery. Their grave marker reads:

"William M. Raulston born 1811, died 1890.

Fannie S. Raulston born 1832, died 1886."

These dates of birth are both in error. William was born in 1818 and Fannie was born in 1822.

From the Red River County Census Records:

The typical second or third generation male descendant of William Raulston is a man of medium stature, sandy hair (usually wavy or curly), and quick tempered. He is quite capable of carrying a grudge into eternity, especially one stemming from a dispute over property rights or matters of finance. As a commentary on the temper, it is customary even now in the home community when a spoiled brat throws a temper tantrum to accuse him of having a "Raulston fit". This descendant of William is a professor of some faith in Christianity, usually Protestant, but not an avid church-goer. He is one of the first to offer his services to a project which he considers to be for the common good of his community. He serves on school boards, cemetery associations, and juries. He numbers among his kin alcoholics, thieves, and killers, as well as doctors, lawyers, and musicians. A physical marking peculiar to the Raulston family is known as the "Raulston Thumb". This thumb has a nail twice the width and one-half the length of a normal thumb nail. Some descendants have the "Raulston Thumb" on one hand and a normal thumb on the other.

The following was sent to C. M. Raulston in 1967 by Richard T. Raulston of Camarillo, California:

"Written by John Lawrence Raulston, 1927

Much information furnished by Jane Raulston Hensen

My Great Grandfather, James Raulston, was born in 1778 in the State of North Carolina and later came to the State of Tennessee. James Raulston organized the Third Regiment (Raulstons) W. Tennessee Militia and enlisted November 12, 1814 for service in the war with Great Britain. This regiment composed part of General William Carroll's division and was in service on the expedition to New Orleans. (Information from War Department).

After the war, James Raulston married Jane Simmons (1780-1869) of South Carolina, and 13 children came of this marriage: William, Robert S., Matthew, Sam, Moses, Jim, John S., Pole, Vander, Brice and three girls: Ann, Betsy and Martha. While the children were at home, James Raulston moved to East Tennessee to Sweetens Cove and entered 5,000 acres of land in the name of each of his children. Some of the descendants are still living on this land.

John S. Raulston, my grandfather, was born in W. Tennessee, April 17, 1824. He married Mary Wynne of E. Tennessee and they settled in Sweetens Cove about 35 miles west of Chattanooga, Tennessee. I have heard my grandfather tell about the furniture he and his wife had when they started housekeeping. This consisted of two quilts and a large pot for cooking. They moved to the land they had acquired for a few dollars and he hewed the logs which they used in building a one­room log house. Later he built a large log house which consisted of six large rooms. It's still standing and is used as a residence at the present time.

Eleven children were born to John S. and Mary Raulston: June, born December 17, 1847; Martha, September 4, 1849; Sally, June 7, 1854; Millie, April 25, 1853; Riley, February 17, 1855; Minda, March 12, 1857; Fannie, March 15, 1859; Abraham Lincoln, my father, March 4, 1861; America, June 24, 1865; Mariah, March 14, 1867; Hughie, February 13, 1871.

    John S. Raulston spent his entire life on the old homestead engaging in farming and stock raising. He died November 25, 1906, at the age of 82. Mary Raulston, my grandmother, died October 11, 1871. My great grandmother, Jane Simmons, was born 1780 and died in 1869. My father and mother purchased the old homestead of my grand­father, John S. Raulston, and lived there until my mother's death. In 1909, the family moved to Butler County, Missouri.

Abraham Lincoln Raulston and Martha Caroline Gilliam were married November 12, 1886 and ten children were born from this marriage: Athel Atwood, September 3, 1887; Riley Paul, February 11, 1889; Edith, November 26, 1890; John Lawrence, February 1, 1892; Julia, July 23, 1894; William E., January 1, 1896; Herbert L., June 18, 1898; Leslie B., February 13, 1900; Edward E., July 10, 1903; Charles T., May 27, 1905. My mother died on August 12, 1905 and was buried in Sweetens Cove Cemetery.

My father, Abraham Lincoln Raulston, was born March 4, 1861, (the day of Lincoln's Inaugural speech). This accounts for his name. At the time neither the North nor the South had control of Sweetens Cove and the community around and near S. Pittsburg and Jasper, Tennessee, where my folks lived, but a group known as the Bush Wackers were in control. Upon hearing of the name given my father, it was necessary to hide him for several days in a hollow tree for his safety. Later, after the Union had gained control of the area, three Union soldiers appeared and made him a present of three five-dollar gold pieces."

Author's Note: Col. James Raulston, husband of Jane Simmons, was mentioned earlier in this text as being one of the sons of Matthew Roulstone of Jefferson County, Tennessee. The home that he and Jane built in Sweetens Cove on the outskirts of South Pittsburg, Tennessee, is called Roll-Stone Manor and is presently owned and occupied by one of his grandsons, J. Leonard Raulston. James Raulston was buried in Dorans Cove. In recent years the Tennessee State Historical Society designated the Raulston-Beene Cemetery an historical shrine.

Chapter III

The Children of William and Fannie

In this chapter I will list, as completely and accurately as time and circumstance will allow, the descendants of William M. and Fannie Ousley Raulston. I apologize for the incompleteness of this record and for the inadvertent errors. I have spent a great deal of time, money and work on this facet of the book and have encountered some frustrating and unusual obstacles. Some members of our clan seem to suspect that I am doing this for money, others fear that I will expose some unsavory event in their past. Much of this information came to me in letters from elderly ladies whose motives are pure but deciphering those letters has led, I am sure, to the misplacing of a child here and there. A lot of information came by long distance telephone which has resulted in misspelled first names.

The eleven children of William and Fannie and the descendants of those eleven children are listed in alpha-numeric sequence. Second marriages are listed with the numeral "2" in front of the letter. For example: If your mother is listed as (a) under 2J-l and you want to find your grandmother, look at 2J and find Jimmie D. Raulston m. Josie Heald, or, if you are listed as (a) under IJ-3 (f) (3), great grandparents would be IJ-3, May Raulston m. Walter Vickers.

I implore you parents and grandparents to conserve this record for your descendants. If this book accomplishes anything at all, it will give present and future generations of our families an identity more meaningful than a seven digit number in some obscure computer bank.

A.     Elvina Raulston m. John B. Sport, July 2,1856. 1 child.

A-I Eddie Sport m. Addie Clauson. 6 children.

(a) Cumi Sport m. John Fryar

(b) Eddie Sport, Jr.

(c) Josh Sport

(d) Lannie Sport

(e) Vera Sport

(f) Mina Sport

NOTE 1: Little is known of the descendants of Elvina (Aunt Viney) Sport. One of her grandsons visited back home in 1967. He reported that most of the family had settled in the Corpus Christi area.

NOTE 2 (added 3/9/2008):  In the New Haven Cemetery, there are six infant children of W.E. and L.A. Sport.  I don't know where (or if) they fit in our genealogy, but they obviously had much sorrow.  You can see the actual tombstones of these infants via the New Haven link.

B.     Jane Raulston m. John W. Tuggle, Dec. 2, 1859. 2 children.

       B-1 Myra Tuggle m.               Wilson.

       B-2 Billie Belle Tuggle m.                 Dooley.

B.     Jane Raulston Tuggle m. (2nd) William H. North, June 6,1867.

NOTE: Myra Tuggle Wilson reared a family near Sulphur Springs, Hopkins County, Texas. When my Father and Uncle Jimmie Dee Raulston visited her in the middle to late 1920s, she was quite elderly. When Billie Belle Dooley signed papers selling her interest in the home place in the late 1800s, she lived in Parker County, Texas.

C.     Mahalia L. Raulston m. Charles Ringwald. 9 children.

C-1 Julia Ringwald m. John Edwards. 4 children.

(a) Ostine Edwards m. Dr. Millander Hartgraves

(b) Inez Edwards m. Louis Bennett

(c) Norma Edwards m. Benet Hartgraves

(d) Charles Edwards m. Laura

C-2 Charles Ringwald, Jr. m. Lenore (Lenie) Haltom. 3 children.

(a) Ruth Ringwald (b) Zelma Ringwald (c) Paul Ringwald

C-3 Will Ringwald m. Exie Mitchell. 3 children.

(a) Essie Ringwald (b) Clyde Ringwald (c) Archie Ringwald C-3 Will Ringwald m. (2nd) Ludi Webb. 1 child.

(a) Octavia Ringwald m. Anthony Nolan. 2 children.

                    (1) Will Nolan m.

(2) Andrea Nolan m.

C-4 Albert Ringwald m. Della Whittle. 6 children.

            (a) Idell Ringwald m. Will Hughes

            (b) Vergie Ringwald m.               McNeair

(c) Vera Ringwald m.

(d) Tommy Ringwald m. Helen Vaughn

(e) Coy Ringwald m. Nanie Maud Vaughn

(f) Leroy Ringwald m. Rose Mae Harvey

C-5 Babe Ringwald ill. Ada Hart. 3 children. (a) Norman Ringwald m.

(b) Eva Ringwald

(c) Johnie Ringwald

C-6 Fannie Ringwald m. Dr. C. L. Lunsford. 3 children.

(a) Audrey Ann Lunsford m. Trent Edwards. 4 children.

(1) Lunsford Edwards m. Laverne Coble. 6 children.

a)    Robert Trent Edwards

b)    Johnie Lee Edwards

c)     Oquin Edwards

d)    Roger Edwards m. Lonita Smith

e)     Lyle Nathaniel Edwards

f)     Kevin Marks Edwards

(2) Mary Janelle Edwards m. Wayne Watkins. 1 child.

(4) Orville Edwards m. Gayle Severn. 2 children.

(b) Charles Stephens m. Nettie Jones

(1) Charles Frank Poor m. June Jones. 3 children.

(2) Jerrie Poor m. Chris Green. 2 children.

(3) Zenoba Beth Poor m. Robert McKelvey. 3 children.

(4) Opal Ruth Poor

C-9 Annie Laurie Ringwald m. Terry Bevens. 4 children.

        (a) Doris Bevens m. Robert Eubanks

(b) Lagrand Bevens m. Velma Jackson. 2 children.

(c) Louise Bevens m. Charles Upchurch. 1 child.

(d) Alice Mae Bevens m. Loyd Gilbert

DIETZ

The Dietz name first appeared on record in Nassau, the former duchy of West Germany, in the year 1338 as Count of Nassau. The name is derived from the root form "Diet" meaning "People". From this has arisen Dietsh, Dietze, Dietzel, and Dietzen. Noble families of Dietz abound in the heraldic and other records. We find them owners of vast estates and castles in Franconia, Silesia, Prussia, Bavaria, Esthonia and Switzerland. In addition to being landowners and leaders in government, many members of the Dietz family were very talented in the Arts and Sciences. Johann Christian Dietz invented the melodian and the clove harp. One of the most gifted painters of battle scenes was Feodor Dietz who was born in Germany in the year 1813. Ten coats of arms were awarded to the Dietz families, the most significant of which is a blue shield with gold lions rampant standing on a green triple mount.

The first Dietz in America was George Dietz who arrived on the sailing ship "Thistle" under command of Captain Hansen on October 27, 1738. Jonas Dietz came to Texas from Kentucky in about 1840. He served under Houston during the Texas Revolution and his name is recorded in the archives of the Alamo. He was given a land patent in Red River County. The major portion of this land lies in present day Lamar County. This land patent is on record in the deed records of Lamar County, Paris, Texas. Jonas Dietz had three daughters: Maggie, Hanna and Rebecca, and one son, Richard Logan Dietz.

Richard Logan Dietz served four years in the Confederate Army and married Nancy Adeline Raulston on October 3, 1865. Uncle Logan was a fine carpenter and cabinet maker. At about the time he married Adeline, he made for his mother-in-law a pine kitchen safe. The antique dealer of today will call it a pie safe. On the farm it was used more for potatoes and beans. That old pine safe has presided over daily meals and Sunday gatherings in the old farm kitchen for more than a century. It is now one of the most prized possessions in my home.

D.     Nancy Adeline Raulston m. Richard Logan Dietz October 3, 1865.7 children.

D-1 Fannie Lenore Dietz m. Wilson Hill. 9 children.

                 (a) Gilbert Hill                   (b) Jim Hill                            (c) John Hill

                 (d) Jess Hill                      (e) Claud Hill                       (f) Jack Hill

                 (g) Curtis Hill                 (h) Daisy Hill                           (i) Girl - name not known

D-2 John Arthur Dietz m. Vevelba Ida McCasland. 8 children.

            (a) Nellie Dietz, deceased

            (b) Neva Dietz, deceased

            (c) Mittie Dietz m. Roy Gardner. No children.

(d) William Dietz, deceased

(e) Inez Dietz m. Roy Hurst. 4 children.

                         (1) Geraldine Hurst              (2) Helen Hurst

                         (3) Martha Hurst                 (4) Owedia Hurst

(f) John Arthur Dietz, Jr., never married

(g) Winefred Dietz m. Morris Herndon. 1 child.

        (1) Mary Lou Herndon, deceased

       D-3 Thomas Harrison Dietz m.                          1 son.

D-4 Jepthiah Wood Dietz m. Emily Delilah Saffold. 2 children.

(a) Hazel Elizabeth Dietz m. Roy Earl Kyle. 1 child.

(1) Roy Earl Kyle, Jr., died age 2

(b) Richard Saffold Dietz. Never married.

D-5 Lola Daisy Dietz m. Joel Dennis. 3 children.

D-6 Rebecca Alice Dietz, died age 14

D-7 Edy Cumi Dietz m. John Braddock. 2 children.

(a) Cecil Braddock m. Addie Nailing. 1 child

                         (1) Betty Jo Braddock m.                    1 child adopted.

(b) Wesley Bradock m. Lucille Whittle. No children.

(b) Wesley Bradock m. (2nd) Virginia Harp. No children.

E.     Mary Raulston m. Norfleet Thompson April 9, 1871. 2 children.

E-1 W. Edward Thompson m. Mary E. Beadle. 5 children.

        (a) Vera Thompson m. Hope Nelson. 5 children.

(1) Rosa Lee Nelson m. Archie B. Rogers. 4 children.

(a) Gary A. Rogers m. Elsie M. Tessmer. 3 children.

                                (1) Tommie Archie Rogers

(2) John Kaven Rogers

(3) Nancy Allen Rogers

(b) Richard Dewayne Rogers. Died age 6.

(c) Laroy E. Rogers m. Karen M. Muller. 1 child.

        (1) Karla Marie Rogers

(c) Laroy E. Rogers m. (2nd) Janice Roye Beason. 1 child.

(1) Michelle Lee Rogers

(2) Troy Wayne Beason (step-son)

(d) Valoy Pearl Rogers m. Murrel Ehat. I child.

(1) Brice James Ehat

(d) Valoy Pearl Rogers Ehat m. (2nd) Karl E. Cross. 2 children.

(1) Kimberly Cross (2) Patrica Cross

(2) Wayne P. Nelson m. Ruth Ellen O'Kelley. 5 children.

(a) Tommy Wayne Nelson m. Dorothy Jobe. 3 children.

1) Dorothy Jana Nelson

2) Cheryl Deann Nelson

3) Rae Jean Nelson

(b) Shirley Ruth Nelson m. Donald Bragg. 3 children.

            1) Wendy Gail Bragg

            2) Kenneth Lon Bragg

            3) Kimberley Dawn Bragg

(c) Ellen Sue Nelson m. Kenneth Szelc

(d) Barbara Ann Nelson m. Russ Conroy. 1 child. 1) Michelle Lee Conroy

(e) Naomi Gay Nelson

(3) Viola Pearl Nelson m. Roy Keifer. 3 children.

(a) Ronald Joe Keifer m. Karen Slaughter. 3 children.

(d) Lilly Mae Watson m. Joe Jones. 5 children.