Our Earliest Ancestors

Researching genealogy is like investigating a criminal case and putting together a puzzle – you look for evidence and clues, and then you try to put the picture together. After you travel a few generations back in time, finding new pieces of the puzzle becomes more difficult. One thing you have to keep reminding yourself to do is to keep the verifiable evidence in one pile and all of the other clues in another.

I have collected a great deal of evidence over the past thirty plus years. My pile of clues, however, is a mountain compared to the evidence. The reason that I made you aware of this is that the information I about to share with you about our earliest ancestors comes from the evidence pile. Even though I believe that I know who came before some of the ones below, I am going to wait until I can find more evidence to move them over to the other pile.

I will begin by providing you with an overview of the four people who are my grandparents and at least two of them will probably be your ancestors too.

The Myers Family

James Henry (JH) Myers was born on September 6, 1881 somewhere in Bosque County, Texas. He died on February 13, 1953 in Cleburne, Texas. I knew him, saw him the day he had a stroke at house. I attended his funeral. His father was John W. Myers (b. 1846 in Stoddard County, Missouri / d. in 1886 in Bosque County, Texas). His mother was Mahala Caroline Kellison (b. 1839 in Tennessee / d. 1881 in Arkansas). He was just a few months old when his mother died and was about 5 years old when his father died. He was raised by his older sister Samantha Lee Myers Womack.

Alberta “Bertie” Harless was born on August 18, 1887 somewhere around Birmingham, Alabama. She died on February 5, 1979 in Fort Worth, Texas. She lived next door to us and I saw her almost every day for many years. I attended her funeral. Her father was George Washington Harless (b. October 3, 1864 in Eden, St. Clair Co., Alabama / d. April 6, 1923 in Hubbard, Texas). Her mother was Mary Adelaide Royal (b. August 18, 1864 in Alabama / d. October 17, 1942 in Texarkana, Arkansas). I remember her mother visiting one time.

James Henry Myers married Alberta Harless on May 31, 1905.

The Ward Family

Sidney Berry Ward, Sr. was born on October 3, 1891 in Smith County, Texas. He died on May 27, 1976 in Cleburne, Texas. I was in the hospital room when he took his last breath. He lived in Cleburne and we regularly went to his house on Sundays during my childhood days. I attended his funeral. His father was Thomas Andrew Ward (b. December 1866 in Lee County, Mississippi / d. abt. 1924 in One Creek, Oklahoma). His mother was Susan Leona Stone (b. October 4, 1874 in Troupe, Smith Co., Texas / d. October 19, 1954 in Keene, Texas). We would also visit her on Sundays sometimes. She had a fish pond in the front yard and we loved to watch the gold colored fish in it. I attended her funeral at the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Keene.

Fannie Edna Graham was born July 15, 1891 in Chireno, Texas. She died on July 10, 1982 in Cleburne, Texas. My mother (Gladys Myers) was with her when she died. Mother called me to come and get her that night. Mother was sitting by her bed when I arrived at the hospital and she told me how much she loved her mother. I attended her funeral. Her father was James Zolocoffer Graham (b. September 21, 1865 in Choctaw County, Alabama / d. January 12, 1952 in Denning, Texas). Her mother was Martha Jane (Jennie) Walton (b. December 29, 1866 in Mississippi / d. July 28, 1912 in Keene, Texas). She loved her mother very much.

Sidney Berry Ward, Sr. married Fannie Edna Graham on the third floor of Johnson County Courthouse in Cleburne, Texas on September 8, 1913. The courthouse was still under construction at that time. A local paper publish an announcement about the wedding (I have a copy somewhere in my files) in which the reporter said something like – “Mr. Ward broke the third floor of the courthouse right by giving his bride a big kiss.”

Our Earliest Ancestors

The earliest ancestors (according to my evidence not clues) of the Myers-Ward Families are:

Myers-Harless Families

Peter Henry Myers born in 1799 in Nicholas, Kentucky and died in 1871 in Dallas County, Missouri. The name of his wife is unknown.

Nathan Lawson (Kellison line) was born on August 3, 1796 in Tennessee and died in 1858 in Tennessee. The name of his wife is unknown.

Philip Harless born in 1716 in Bavaria, Germany and died in 1772 (4 years before the United States became a nation). His wife was Anna Margaretha Preiss who was born in 1718 and died in 1784. They were married on February 17, 1738 in Offenbach, Germany.

Wilson Young Royal was born on February 4, 1827 in Dooly, Georgia and died in 1919 in Hamilton, Texas. His wife was Almira (Elmira) White born on October 27, 1827 in Georgia.

Ward-Graham Families

George J. Ward was born January 20, 1815 in Stepney, London, England and died in 1903 in Lenton, Stutsman, North Dakota. His wife Lucinda Ward was born in 1822 in South Carolina and died November 8, 1903 in Lenton, Stutsman, North Dakota.

William Stone was born in 1740 in Londonderry, Londonderry, Ireland and died January 9 1812 in Williamson, Tennessee. His wife Jane Rowland was born in 1745 in Londonderry, Londonderry, Ireland and died in 1828 in Williamson, Tennessee.

John "Reverend" Graham, Sr. was born September 20, 1694 in Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland and died December 11, 1774 in Woodbury, Litchfield, Connecticut. His wife Love Sanborn was born August 30, 1702 in Kingston, Rockingham, New Hampshire and died March 1, 1725 in Stafford Springs, Tolland, Connecticut.

John C. Walton was born September 15, 1777 in Edgefield County, South Carolina and died May 5, 1850 in Newton County, Mississippi. His wife Sarah Elizabeth McMillin was born in 1783 in South Carolina and died November 1, 1862 in Union, Neshoba County, Mississippi.

Please share any additional information you might have or your thoughts about this blog here or on our Facebook Page.

James (Jim) Myers