Person Page - 465

     Lillie Belle Becker was the daughter of John Rufus Becker and Annie Mae (--?--). She married (--?--) Rawls.¹

     He married Lillie Belle Becker, daughter of John Rufus Becker and Annie Mae (--?--).¹

     Irene Merchant was the daughter of J.R. Merchant and Frances Carroll. She married (--?--) Derbin.¹

     (Son) Merchant was the son of J.R. Merchant and Frances Carroll.

     He married Irene Merchant, daughter of J.R. Merchant and Frances Carroll.¹

     He married Irene Merchant, daughter of J.R. Merchant and Frances Carroll.¹

     He married Bertha Lee Watkins, daughter of William Watkins and Maggie Valentine Carroll.¹ Parker died circa 1964 at New Waverly, Walker, Texas, United States.

     He married Annie Mae Carroll, daughter of Willie Lee Carroll and Minnie Lola Laskie.¹

     He married Gussie Lee Carroll, daughter of Willie Lee Carroll and Minnie Lola Laskie.¹

     Mary was born circa 1874 at Barnwell, South Carolina, United States.¹ She was the daughter of Michael James Becker and Frances Carroll. She married (--?--) Levin, circa 1900 at Montgomery, Texas, United States.¹

     He married Nancy Caroline Windham.¹

     She married Andrew Jackson Johnson.¹

     Benjamin was born on 11 November 1901 at Livingston, Polk, Texas, United States.¹ He was the son of Joseph W. Willmon and Mary Ann Carroll. He married Dessie Irene Elswick, in 1923 at Sinton, San Patricio, Texas, United States.¹ Benjamin died on 22 March 1990 at Victoria, Victoria, Texas, United States, at age 88. His body was buried at Memorial Gardens Cemetery.Victoria, Texas, United States.

     Dessie was born on 29 May 1906 at Baxter, Arkansas, United States. She married Benjamin Franklin Willmon, son of Joseph W. Willmon and Mary Ann Carroll, in 1923 at Sinton, San Patricio, Texas, United States.¹ Dessie died on 13 September 1962 at Victoria, Victoria, Texas, United States, at age 56. Her body was buried at Memorial Gardens Cemetery.Victoria, Texas, United States.

     Mary was born on 26 October 1872 at Barnwell, South Carolina, United States.¹ She was the daughter of Edward Walton Carroll and Mary Ann Elizabeth Neville. She married Joseph W. Willmon, on 17 February 1895. Mary died on 15 February 1966 at Austin, Travis, Texas, United States, at age 93. Her body was buried at Austin Park Cemetery, Travis, Texas, United States.
     Biography of Mary Ann Carroll:
Also found listed as Mary Magdalene Carroll.

     Edward was born on 21 December 1848 at Barnwell, South Carolina, United States.¹ He was the son of Burton Carroll and Mary Ann Jowers. He married Mary Ann Elizabeth Neville.² Edward died on 31 August 1932 at Montgomery, Texas, United States, at age 83.
     Biography of Edward Walton Carroll:
The following article concerning Edward Walton Carroll was published in "THE HERALD" Vol. 12, #3, Fall, 1989 of the Montgomery County, (Texas) Genelogical and Historical Society.

     ************************************
     
EDWARD WALTON CARROLL

Written & submitted by Jessie Lee Gunter, 101 Carroll Road, Willis, TX 77378.      

     My grandfather, Edward Walton Carroll, born 21 Dec 1848, died 1932 came to Texas in the early 1870s [Ed. Note: Based on the dates of Edward's last deeds in Barnwell Co. and the place of birth of his children from Census records, it would appear that Edward and his family moved to Texas in late 1875] from Marion County, South Carolina, Barnwell District, [Ed. Note: other information indicates they came from Barnwell Co., SC] with his wife, Mary Ann Elizabeth Neville Carroll, his son, Wilson Carroll and daughter, Mary Carroll. They came to Galveston by ship.

     E. W. Carroll's father, Burton Carroll, was born near Dublin, Ireland in 1788. He and a brother came to the U. S. A. as young men. They landed in Charleston, South Carolina. [Ed. Note: Burton Carrol was born 1808 in South Carolina. Burton's father is believed to have been born in Ireland. We are not sure what to make of the two brothers story.]

     When Burton Carroll volunteered to fight in the Civil War on the Rebel side, they told him he was too old, but he persuaded them to let him join and "tend the horses." As it was, he ended up putting together ammunition, and did some fighting. [Ed. Note: It is very likely that he worked in some capacity in the Arsenal in Augusta Georgia with his son, Daniel Carroll, who was working for the Confederate Army in Augusta Arsenal during the war.] He survived the war, but was murdered in 1894 at the age of 106. Be had worked all week on the railroad, and was walking home with his paycheck. [Burton is buried in Macedonia Cemetery, Suwannee County, Florida. The dates on his tombstone read July 16, 1808 - Sept. 9, 1893. No records have been found concerning his death.]

     E. W. Carroll lived near Huntsville when he first came to Texas. He then bought 313 acres in Center Hill Community in Montgomery County, Texas. It is now part of "Green Valley Ranch." He sent his older children to "Tabb Springs" School, located on the border of his property at Tabb Springs which now feeds a large lake on Green Valley Ranch. E. W. Carroll was on the Tabb Springs School Board in 1885.

     Later, E. W. Carroll built a one-room school house near the location of Center Hill Baptist Church, between his home and the church. Miss Ella McIntire was the teacher. One cold morning she told my Dad, Reg Carroll, and Irvin Ansley to go to the woods and get a sack full of pine knots and put them all in the pot-bellied stove.

     Dad said, "Miss Ella, if we do that we'll burn the school house down."

     She said, "I don't care, I froze all day yesterday, and I'm not going to freeze all day today."

     So, Dad filled the stove, and it burned the school house to the ground. Those days you did what your teacher told you to do.

     Grandpa E. W. Carroll had a saw mill, grist mill, blacksmith shop and a commissary in 'Front of the Center Hill Baptist Church in the late 80's and early 90's. He bought a hundred acre tract of land from the Tomlinsons located on Carroll Road at F. M. 1097 East for the hard wood timber to fire his sawmill with. He paid 75 cents an acre for it.

     Grandpa bought his supplies for his commissary from "Henke and Pillot" in Houston, and from the first "Foleys." He went to Houston in ox wagons to haul his supplies. He said the mud was belly deep to the oxen on Main Street. Some of the supplies he bought were "side-meat" used to boil vegetables in. Bacon was 14 cents per pound; calico was 10 cents a yard; ladies shoes $2.00 per pair; men's brogans $1.50 pair. 1 bushel of corn was 55 cents; 20 pounds of "Paris Green" was $10.60. It was used to poison cotton for boll weevils. Flour for starch was 1.5 pounds for' $1.00; one steer hide was $12.00. There was a shoe shop near the Edward's place where shoes were made. But coffee was 50 cents per pound.

     E. W. Carroll's doctor bills for the Year of 1877 to Dr. J. D. Read was a total of $8.00 - a "house call" was $1.00. It was paid in full January 1878 to J. D. Cunningham for Dr. Read.

     Grandpa, E. W. Carroll, and Grandma had 13 children, two sets of twins.

     Four died as children. They are buried in the Richard Williams Cemetery:
Ida, Annie, Kate and Sam. The nine who survived were Wilson, Mary, Tobitha,
Levi, Frank, Gertrude, Edward, Reg and Clara.

     Grandpa sent Wilson and Mary Carroll to Willis to college. He was very concerned that his children got an education.

     He cut the lumber for the now existing Center Hill Baptist Church, but it had to be planed in Willis. He furnished a wagon and team to haul it to be planed. The church was built around 1906.

     Grandpa and his brothers and sister lived in Marion County, South Carolina when Gen. Sherman made his "March to the Sea" during the Civil War. The Yankees were stealing and destroying as they traveled. They marched the road in front of Grandpa's house for 3 days and 3 nights. When they stopped to take Grandpa's "live-stock," he had his horse "hidden in the Swamp." line Yankee Captain asked Grandpa if he had any live stock.

     Grandpa said, "Yes, I have an old horse."

     The Captain said, "Where is it?"

     Grandpa said, "I have him hidden.

     The Captain said, "You'll have to show us where

     Grandpa said, "No."

     The Yankee said, I guess you know, Son, if You don't tell us where he is, we'll kill you."

     Grandpa said, ''Well., you'll just have to kill me, because I have to have the horse to raise food for my brothers and sister."

     The Yankee said, "He is a spunky little devil isn't he?"

     When asked what they had to eat, Grandpa said, "We've lived on parched corn for 3 weeks."

     Then they searched and found no other food the Yankee Captain sent some of his men back up on the hill to an adjoining plantation and stole another ham, and gave it to Grandpa. He said they cooked it in the wash pot, and it smelled so good they ate some of it before it cooked enough, and they all got sick.

     Grandpa was a proud man, took great pride in being truthful, taught us to be honest, and to associate with nice people. He believed in being a good neighbor, and was a very hard working man. He always had time to sit down with us children and visit with us. He was proud to be a Baptist as was his father, Burton Carroll. They were forever grateful to have "religious freedom."

     Grandpa sold off some of his land, but the remaining 160 acres are now part of the "Green Valley Ranch" in the Center Hill Community 7 miles East of Willis on F.M. 1097.

     Concluded

     *****************************.

     Mary was born on 24 March 1851 at South Carolina, United States.¹ She married Edward Walton Carroll, son of Burton Carroll and Mary Ann Jowers.² She died on 30 November 1918 at Montgomery, Texas, United States, at age 67.

     Warren was born on 24 May 1900 at Willis, Montgomery, Texas, United States.¹ He was the son of Joseph W. Willmon and Mary Ann Carroll. He married Donna Watson.¹ He married Ada Lucille Newsom.¹ Warren died in January 1980 at age 79.

     She married Warren Lee Willmon, son of Joseph W. Willmon and Mary Ann Carroll.¹

     Joseph was born on 26 August 1874 at Malvern, Hot Spring, Arkansas, United States.¹ He married Mary Ann Carroll, daughter of Edward Walton Carroll and Mary Ann Elizabeth Neville, on 17 February 1895. Joseph died on 13 January 1968 at Austin, Travis, Texas, United States, at age 93. His body was buried on 16 February 1968 at Austin Park Cemetery, Travis, Texas, United States.

     Bertha was born on 19 December 1903 at Livingston, Polk, Texas, United States.¹ She was the daughter of Joseph W. Willmon and Mary Ann Carroll. She married Joe Tanner, on 23 December 1925.¹

     Norwood was born on 13 September 1906 at Huntsville, Walker, Texas, United States.¹ He was the son of Joseph W. Willmon and Mary Ann Carroll. He married Ora Lee Martin, on 23 December 1925.¹ Norwood died circa 1990.

     Bitha was born on 12 April 1908 at Willis, Montgomery, Texas, United States.¹ She was the daughter of Joseph W. Willmon and Mary Ann Carroll. She married Jim Walden.¹ Bitha died in October 1987 at Austin, Travis, Texas, United States, at age 79.