The Bartee News

April 1992
Volume 3, Number 2

In this issue:

Family Profile - Andrew P. Bartee
Letter from the Editor
Marriage Records
Miscellaneous
Pedigrees & FGRs
Queries

Queries

May Bartee Couch sends some information regarding the BARTEE Cemetery which was listed in the BARTEE NEWS, Vol. 2, No. 3, July 1991, pg. 40

From The Virginia Genealogist, June 1962 issue, page 170: “BARTEE Cemetery, situated behind a New Methodist Church in the Lacy Spring Community at the junction of U.S. Highway 231 and Alabama Highway 36, about 2 miles south of Tennessee River in Morgan County.”

The publication stated the full record of this cemetery could be obtained from the Alabama Department of Archives and History in Montgomery, Alabama. I wrote to the above address about ten years ago. They were not able to help me. In fact, they said they had no information on such a cemetery. Does anyone know anything about this cemetery? I would like to have a copy of the complete list of all full names and dates as listed on the tombstones in this cemetery. I will appreciate any information anyone can supply.

Ed. Note: This sounds like something that would be very helpful to those of you with Alabama roots! I’ve heard many times that if you first receive a negative response to an inquiry, send the same inquiry through again at a later date. It is possible that the individual answering your inquiry was having “an off day” and just overlooked what you needed.

If the Alabama Department of Archives and History is still no help, possibly a local historical society, genealogical society, or library may supply the information. The Handy Book gives addresses for possible help:

1. North Alabama Genealogical Society, 1206 Plaza St., SE, Decatur, AL 35603 [Decatur is the county seat of Morgan County]

2. Alabama Archives and History Dept., World War Memorial Building, Montgomery, AL 36104

A copy of one of the many genealogist’s address books can be consulted for addresses of other societies or libraries.

Marriage Records

Submitted by J. L. Cooksey
Source: Marriage records of Tyrell County, North Carolina

Groom: Robert BERTEE
Bride: Lucinda POWERS
Date of Bond: 13 Jul 1820
Bondsman/Witness: S. SPRUILL

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Source: Tyrell County Index to Brides

BARTEE, Lucinda........pg. 128 [Bk/Vol not indicated]

Miscellaneous

Submitted by Linda Mearse
Source: Polk County History [Texas], Vol. III [unfinished]; Haynes; 1970

Emma Haynes died before she had completed Vol. III. The typist completed the portion she had at that time and the unfinished work was placed in the public library in Livingston, Texas.

pg. 11 - 12
Menard’s Chapel - This community is near the location of an old camp ground on Menard’s Creek and on the old road known as The Indian Trace and The Old Spanish-Mexican Road. In 1964 George Oscar RHODEN recalled tales he heard when he was a boy in the 1890’s, about Mexicans burying gold by certain trees and that later generations heard those tales and dug for the precious metal.

Eli RHODEN, John and Jesse BARTEE, Richard RICHARDSON, Byrd GRIFFIN, William CHAMBLESS, and perhaps other families, settled there before 1861. A Missionary Baptist Church [the above mentioned John BARTEE was an ordained Missionary Baptist minister] had been organized (date unknown) and in April, 1854 entertained the Fifth Sunday Meeting (a Baptist county association). This meeting is mentioned in the minutes of the Bethel Baptist Church, located in western Polk County, Vol. 1, p. 24, of a typed copy of the old minutes. In the same volume is this information: D. G. HATCHER and wife, M. J., united with the Bethel Baptist Church by letter from the Mt. Gilead Baptist Church, Polk County, Texas. Date: My. 6, 1876. The church building was located about a mile or two from the Menard’s Chapel Cemetery. In 1936 Mrs. Olivia Griffin MORRISON, daughter of Byrd GRIFFIN, stated that she attended services at the Mt. Gilead Baptist Church.

Menard’s Chapel - The name Menard’s Chapel was applied to a church organized later than Mt. Gilead and located by a cemetery that was probably started by the families named above and now called Menard’s Chapel. A building is maintained (in 1970). The graveyard contains many graves that have never been marked, but they are kept clear of grass, weeds and only a few trees and flowering shrubs are allowed to grow.

pg. 20
Menard’s Chapel Cemetery: Located near east bank of Menard’s Creek in the community by that same name, so called as early as 1886. BARTEE, RICHARDSON, FULGHAM, and Eli RHODEN lived on the land and people were buried there before Eli RHODEN bought the land. RHODEN decided to give 5 acres for a community burial ground. A house was built by it and divine services and school sessions were held in the house. The school was consolidated with others later on, but a group of Baptists still hold services and funerals in this building in 1970. There are many of the more than 500 graves which are unmarked, but people of the community keep them mounded. Many of the graves are for young children. A good fence encloses it and the grass, weeds and brush is kept cleared away. The oldest grave (according to the tombstones) is 18__ and the name is ____________.

v v v

Source: Notes of Emma Haynes towards a history of Polk County, Texas. Notes are stored and easily available to researchers at the Polk County Museum, which is currently adjacent to the public library.

Ms. Haynes sources for the following were not listed.

~Jesse BARTEE lived for a while in the Midway Community.

~Some members of these families [Jesse, Ferdinand, and John BARTEE] may have been buried near their home and made the first graves in the Menard’s Chapel Cemetery.

~Charles and Joseph HOGAN [husband of Jane Florida BARTEE] moved their families on Menard’s Creek south of the Menard’s Chapel Cemetery and built a grist mill and small sawmill on the creek about 1869 and lived there until after 1880.

v v v

Submitted by Jack Mitchell
Source: South Carolina Name Index to Genealogical Records Collected by South Carolina Daughters of the American Revolution; LDS, Family History Library, fiche

Family Profile

John R. Bartee and Descendents

(5th installment)

Andrew P. Bartee

b. 9-28-1891
d. 4-5-1933

Andrew and Delia had five children:

Youngest son, Hubert, suffered an attack of poliomyelitis at age 2 1/2 years. Vernon had smallpox when about 10 - 11 years of age.He looked out a window into sunlight one day during his illness and damaged the eye permanently.

Andrew BARTEE was born to Ciscero C. and Jo Ellen (LAWSON) BARTEE in Van Alstyne, Grayson County, Texas, on September 8, 1891 and was their second child. He was called "Buddie" by family members and friends. When he was 11 years old he was kicked in the face by a mule. This left a deep scar under his left eye and across the bridge of his nose. His parents took him to a doctor in Sherman, Texas after the incident and the wound required 14 stitches.

He was first married to Ruby Augusta DENTON, daughter of Augustus Jerome DENTON and Synthia Evaline (SCHOOLEY) DENTON. They were married in the home of the DENTONs (a large white house at the end of Main St. in Lindsey, Oklahoma) in 1908. Augusta Jerome DENTON was the owner of a brick foundry and built many of the buildings in Lindsay, Pauls Valley, and other cities in that area of Oklahoma, and many of the red brick buildings in those towns are still standing, today, including the bank building in Lindsay. Andrew and Ruby BARTEE had one son:

Jerome Denton BARTEE, b. May 2, 1909

Jerome was born in a bedroom of the DENTON home. Andrew was a farmer at that time. Andrew was high tempered and strong willed. His marriage to Ruby did not last long for that reason and shortly after Jerome was born Andrew and Ruby divorced (they had separated in September, 1909).

Andrew had known Mary Cordelia STOWERS for some years. After his divorce from Ruby, he courted “Delia” and they married in Ardmore, Oklahoma on July 31, 1910. Delia was born October 27, 1890, in Madill, Oklahoma. When Andrew and Delia married, he was still following the occupation of farmer; however, he became dissatisfied with farming and his mother, Jo Ellen, paid his tuition to attend barber's college in Wichita, Kansas. His mother also purchased equipment and a small barber shop for him in Madill. He operated the barber shop for a little over a year then abandoned the barbering professions for good. He sold the shop. When questioned by relatives and friends as to why he was doing this, he said he could not stand to cut the hair of men who were not neat and orderly. This supports various contentions that Andrew was impeccably neat and orderly with his appearance and hygiene. He also had said that the hair and body odors of his barber shop patrons had nauseated him (he had a weak stomach, anyhow) and he said he’d rather go back to farming.

He farmed in Madill until 1921 then announced to Delia that he had been offered a job out in California, and that he was going. He said he would go on out there and get established and would then send for Delia and the children. Delia, knowing she was married to a “gypsy” type of a man, remained in Madill with the children while Andrew went on to California as he had planned, and he sent money to her from time to time, but Delia and the children never had full support from him after he left them. Whenever he did write or send money to her, he asked for them to come out to California, but Delia was 3/16 Choctaw Indian (on her mother’s side) and had lived all of her life in Oklahoma, and, having their 5 children, all under 12 years of age at the time, decided against joining him and told him so. Andrew went from California to St. Louis, Missouri, and at one time, he managed the Marquette, the Jefferson, and the Buckingham hotels in St. Louis.

He again asked Delia to bring the children and move to St. Louis, to join him there, but she again refused him, and, although apart they never divorced. She carried his name to the last. Andrew was, according to Delia, ambitious, intellectual, and studious; in fact, he had taken night courses in several subjects until about 1931, or, about 2 years before his death.

Andrew had had malaria (yellow fever) once and for that reason was rejected for military service during WWI. He did not drink alcoholic beverages, and was a non-smoker. He was a member of the Baptist Church in Madill, Oklahoma. He is also said to have owned and operated a cab stand once in Lawton, Oklahoma, for about a year, and he attended Ardmore Business College (unconfirmed as yet). He returned to Lindsay, Oklahoma in 1928 for a short visit and had a female companion with him named Mamie HARGIS. They visited his brother, Oscar (“Bean”) and Oscar’s wife Vera and returned to St. Louis without seeing Delia and the children.

Andrew was baptized about 1910, at the same time Delia was baptized, at the Baptist church in Madill, Oklahoma. As to his fathering traits, he was considered to be a loving, but very stern and very strict father to his children. He also is stated to have helped with support of his sister Allie and her small son, Edsel, until the time of his death.

On the morning of April 5, 1933, he awoke about the usual time he went to work, but was having severe pains in his chest. He began vomiting. This was in St. Louis, Mo. He called Mamie HARGIS who oversaw the dining room of the hotel he managed at the time. He told Mamie of his pains and vomiting and asked her to get help, which she did. An ambulance arrived and he was rushed to a hospital. Doctors at the hospital told Mamie that Andrew was suffering with hemorrhaging of the esophagus, which had perforated, and they could not stop the bleeding. That evening, at 7:50 p.m., Andrew died. Delia and their children were not notified of his death until July, 1933. Mamie HARGIS wrote to Delia and told her of his death and where he was buried. It is now known that Andrew is buried in an unmarked grave in the Valhalla Cemetery at 7600 St. Charles Rd., St. Louis, Mo. The certificate shows File Register #3227 with Missouri State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, filed April 7, 1933. Information on the death certificate has some incorrect information on it, showing his father to have been Charles, born in Alabama, and mother as Josephine born in Alabama, (His father, though, was Ciscero C., born in Mississippi, and his mother, Jo Ellen was born in Arkansas).

v v v

The Rhoden Family

[Eli RHODEN and Eunice Caroline BARTEE]

Submitted by Linda Mearse
Source: Notes of Emma Haynes towards a history of Polk Co., Texas. Notes are stored and easily available to researchers at the Polk County Museum, which is currently adjacent to the public library.

In July of 1963 Mr. and Mrs. Oscar RHODEN of Livingston were asked to describe the early events and activities of their family, including life at Menard’s Chapel and Big Sandy. In 1854 Eli RHODEN, a widower with two small sons, Joe and Oscar, moved from North Carolina [all census records give Eli RHODEN’s place of birth as South Carolina] to Polk County and bought land near Menard Creek. There he built his home. Although saddened by the death of his son Joe, Eli RHODEN remained in the community and later gave five acres of land for a cemetery and church which was given the name, Menard’s Chapel. [I have found a deed dated 24 July 1893 conveying two acres of land by Mrs. E. C. RHODEN to the Menard’s Chapel Church and School Community for $2.00. This may be what they are referring to or there may have been an earlier transaction.] At one time this community was known as LOWE Town because of the many families of LOWEs living in the area [descendants of John LOWE and Elizabeth BARTEE].

Oscar RHODEN, Sr. who lived from 1846 to 1905, grew up in the Menard community and became a farmer. He first married a Miss MURPHY and they had three children: Ida, called Pol, who married Mr. HARVELL and died in 1962 at the age of 84 years (son, Smokey HARVELL), Emma who married Mr. Gay, and Joe RHODEN.

After the death of his first wife, Oscar RHODEN married Mrs. Frances Wilson HALL who had moved from Meridian, Mississippi with her parents and orphan sons. The older son, Dulah HALL, was a child of Mr. HALL by a previous marriage and the younger son, James HALL, was the Child of Frances Wilson HALL. After the death of Mr. HALL, Frances Wilson HALL raised both boys. She and her parents settled at what is now Camp Ruby. After their marriage the Oscar RHODENs, Sr. lived about a mile from Menard’s Chapel, where Mr. RHODEN was a farmer. Here Oscar RHODEN, Jr. and his brother Willie and his sister Annie were born and grew to adulthood. Annie RHODEN married Eugene HOUGHTON. They attended school in the church three or four months a year when the weather was good. They also attended church services in the Chapel. There were few social events other than an occasional candy pulling.

Oscar RHODEN Jr. married Viola VESTAL (sister of Lawrence VESTAL, Sr. of Livingston) in 1906 and settled on the old WILSON home place two miles from the Sunflower Church. He later worked for the Knox Lumber Company at Soda and for the Carter Lumber Company. They raised ten children and although none live in Polk County at this time, Daisy owns a home in Livingston where the Oscar RHODENs are living. In addition to Daisy the other children are: Frances, Devere, Avaline, George, Dollie, Willis, Dorothy, Lela and Lester. Lester was killed very tragically several years ago and his wife and son now live in Livingston. Mrs. RHODEN is a Bible student.

The RHODEN farm near Sunflower is on the Old Spanish (called Mexican) Trace which extended from Drew’s Landing through Menard’s Chapel, Sunflower, Peach Tree Village and on to Nacogdoches. The farm once had low places where water accumulated to form ponds and there are signs that people dug for gold which had been buried.

In addition to Oscar RHODEN, Sr., Eli RHODEN had other children for after his arrival in Polk County he met and married Eunice BARTEE. [Probably were really married in South Carolina. Eunice (Unity) is with her parents in S.C. for the 1850 census. The 1860 Tyler Co., Tx. census shows Eli and Eunice married, their children ages 6 and 5 born in S.C., 3 and 10 months born in Texas; Eli’s children from previous marriage, ages 15 and 13 born in S.C. The 1870 census shows them in Polk Co.] They became the parents of ten children: Those who lived in Polk County for many years were: Dick, Tom, Sam, Charley, Charlise, Annie, Jennie and Savanna.

Dick RHODEN married Mary MOYE of Dollardsville and they had six boys. The later lived in Magnolia and Livingston before moving to Houston. They were of the Baptist faith and both are buried in Forest Hill Cemetery at Livingston.

Tom RHODEN married Catherine DAVIS of Big Sandy community and was a farmer. Sam RHODEN married Bell GRAY and they had a daughter who married Mark HATHAWAY of Hathaway Farms near Soda in 1963. Charley RHODEN married Lucindy CHAMBLESS, a sister of Clara CHAMBLESS and an account of this family is given with the CHAMBLESS family.

The descendants of Eli RHODEN feel sure that he is buried in the Menard’s Chapel Cemetery because a grave beside the one of his second wife[*] has been kept mounded all the years. He gave the land for this cemetery and church which was for the community and not just for one denomination. However, most of the people of this community are Baptist. This church building was the center of community life for about 90 years.

In 1903 this church was a member of the Polk County Missionary Baptist Association and J. J. Dillon was the church clerk. In 1904 the membership was 34 and in 1926 it was 35 with Tom R. Lilley as pastor.

*Dates on marker of Mrs. Eunice Caroline RHODEN are given as born Dec. 22, 1813, died July 24, 1901. The 1813 must have been an error as all records indicate around 1836 for her birth.]

Letter from the Editor

Hope you were not getting too anxious waiting for this newsletter! I know you expected the January issue to be a little late, but you didn’t know how badly we timed our vacation and Melanie’s birthday for this issue. We spent the last full week of March in Fort Davis and Big Bend. Our vacation was timed badly as far as the newsletter was concerned, but timed perfectly with the weather. Everything was just beautiful and we had a wonderful time.

While we were at Big Bend, Melanie turned four. Over night she found she could run faster, jump farther, and fortunately for Daddy’s back, could hike farther! I tried to convince her that celebrating her birthday at Big Bend was very special and better than having a party, but no such luck, and so I came home to baking cupcakes for Mother’s Day Out and planning a party her friends could attend. Yesterday was the big event and the “Never Ending Birthday” has finally come to a close. We are really starting to understand why parents all over the world groan when the words birthday party are mentioned!

Jack Mitchell and his wife were visiting Texas during the early part of March and came by for a visit. We really enjoyed meeting them, and Jack and I had a wonderful time digging through each others BARTEE data! I hope the rest of you will come see us too when you’re in our neck of the woods.

Thanks to the computerized I.G.I. there is plenty of information for this issue and the next, but I’m starting to have a little difficulty finding new BARTEE info. I would like for everyone to start thinking about how you would like the newsletter to continue when “the well starts to run dry.” I think we should always continue the newsletter, even if only once or twice a year, because there will always be something new turning up.

My two suggestions are: 1) decrease the quarterly issues to once or twice a year and decrease the subscription accordingly, or 2) decrease to two or three issues a year, subscription of $12 - $15, and use extra $’s to obtain info for the newsletter. There have been many references in the newsletter to items, such as the BARTEE Cemetery referred to in this issue, wills, deeds, etc. that should contain further information for us. However, not knowing for certain if “this is one of my BARTEEs” makes us a little reluctant individually to spend the time and dollars necessary to obtain these items. Pooling some dollars for this research would kill two birds with one stone, solving the problem of what to do with the newsletter when the time comes and cure our curiosity about some of those BARTEEs that are “probably not my BARTEE”.

If you have any other suggestions drop me a line. I’ll print those suggestions in the July issue and everyone can cast their vote when they renew their subscription. Remember this is just planning for the future, I will let you know when “the well” is “dry enough” that a change needs to be made.

Until next time, Happy Ancestor Hunting!

Pedigrees & FGRs

Newsletter pg. 46. This was a chart submitted by Callie Faye Millikin (James W. Bartee of Houston Co., TX)