James Sturgeon Garner, the first son of Elija P Garner and Rebecca C Jones, was born in Talladega County Alabama on Dec 18, 1849. Elija and Rebecca had three more sons, George Washington, 1853, Andrew Jackson, 1854, and John Elija, 1859, before Elija died in the Civil War in Sept of 1862. Widow Rebecca remarried William Henry Anders in 1865, and James and his siblings remained with them until reaching adulthood.
James Sturgeon married Sarah Irene "Sallie" Howard on Jan 20, 1870 at Harpersville, Shelby County, Alabama, L. Vandiver officiating. He was twenty years old, and Sarah about two years older. The "official" Alabama marriage records note 1869 incorrectly for some unknown reason. Sarah's mother was Irena Elizabeth Jones, and appears to have been related to Elija's wife, Rebecca, making James and Sarah possible cousins, but is unconfirmed to date. After their marriage, they lived with Sarah's parents in Hillsboro, Shelby County, Alabama, for a period of time and James worked the family farm with his in-laws. Their first child, Lucy Elizabeth was born there in 1871.
By 1880, James and Sarah had moved to Alexandria, Calhoun County, AL, where James continued to farm. Their family had grown to six, with now Lucy, Nancy D "Nannie", 1874, Frank Howard, 1877, and newborn Sarah "Sadie" Lavonia, noted as age five months in the census of that year. The next two offspring were James George, 1883, also born in Calhoun County, near Jacksonville, and finally William Jackson, born in 1886 in Trussville, Jefferson County, just north of Birmingham. Family records note their move to Trussville in Aug of 1883. Birmingham and Trussville were in a boom at that time with the growing steel industry, Birmingham later noted as the "Detroit of the South". As James had carpenter skills, he may have stopped farming and been drawn to that area for better employment. Oldest daughter Nancy would also marry John Walter Davis Jr. in 1891 in Jefferson County, also likely Trussville.
In 1892, the Garner family, including Nancy and her husband, and other Howard in-laws, departed Jefferson County and moved by wagon to Archer County, Texas, just south of Wichita Falls, the trip likely taking several weeks. Sarah's older brother, William James Howard, had moved to Texas many years before, had been a town marshal, and was now living in Wichita County. His presence there likely influenced the Garners and other Howards to also move to that part of Texas. James and Sarah are not found in the 1900 census, but before 1910, they had moved from Archer County to Clay County. James is known to have built at least one house in Charlie, Texas, still standing today, and years later back in the Garner family. Various records noted him at age sixty-one as both a carpenter and a mail carrier, and in 1920, at age seventy-one, still working, now in Petrolia, Clay County, as a "wagon hand" in the "freighting" business. He appears to have never actually retired and worked all his active life.
In 1922 he suffered a stroke which left him partially paralyzed and shortly afterwards was moved into his daughter, Lucy Garner Davis' home in Wichita Falls. He died there on Aug 20, 1925, his death noted in his obituary as an eventual result of the stroke. That obituary also noted him as a "pioneer citizen of Charlie". At his death, he and Sarah had twenty-one grandchildren and fourteen great grandchildren.
Sarah would survive him by seven years, dying in Wichita County on Feb 3, 1932. They are buried together in the Charlie Texas Cemetery.
Allan Garner Rev: Nov. 2, 2020
James Sturgeon married Sarah Irene "Sallie" Howard on Jan 20, 1870 at Harpersville, Shelby County, Alabama, L. Vandiver officiating. He was twenty years old, and Sarah about two years older. The "official" Alabama marriage records note 1869 incorrectly for some unknown reason. Sarah's mother was Irena Elizabeth Jones, and appears to have been related to Elija's wife, Rebecca, making James and Sarah possible cousins, but is unconfirmed to date. After their marriage, they lived with Sarah's parents in Hillsboro, Shelby County, Alabama, for a period of time and James worked the family farm with his in-laws. Their first child, Lucy Elizabeth was born there in 1871.
By 1880, James and Sarah had moved to Alexandria, Calhoun County, AL, where James continued to farm. Their family had grown to six, with now Lucy, Nancy D "Nannie", 1874, Frank Howard, 1877, and newborn Sarah "Sadie" Lavonia, noted as age five months in the census of that year. The next two offspring were James George, 1883, also born in Calhoun County, near Jacksonville, and finally William Jackson, born in 1886 in Trussville, Jefferson County, just north of Birmingham. Family records note their move to Trussville in Aug of 1883. Birmingham and Trussville were in a boom at that time with the growing steel industry, Birmingham later noted as the "Detroit of the South". As James had carpenter skills, he may have stopped farming and been drawn to that area for better employment. Oldest daughter Nancy would also marry John Walter Davis Jr. in 1891 in Jefferson County, also likely Trussville.
In 1892, the Garner family, including Nancy and her husband, and other Howard in-laws, departed Jefferson County and moved by wagon to Archer County, Texas, just south of Wichita Falls, the trip likely taking several weeks. Sarah's older brother, William James Howard, had moved to Texas many years before, had been a town marshal, and was now living in Wichita County. His presence there likely influenced the Garners and other Howards to also move to that part of Texas. James and Sarah are not found in the 1900 census, but before 1910, they had moved from Archer County to Clay County. James is known to have built at least one house in Charlie, Texas, still standing today, and years later back in the Garner family. Various records noted him at age sixty-one as both a carpenter and a mail carrier, and in 1920, at age seventy-one, still working, now in Petrolia, Clay County, as a "wagon hand" in the "freighting" business. He appears to have never actually retired and worked all his active life.
In 1922 he suffered a stroke which left him partially paralyzed and shortly afterwards was moved into his daughter, Lucy Garner Davis' home in Wichita Falls. He died there on Aug 20, 1925, his death noted in his obituary as an eventual result of the stroke. That obituary also noted him as a "pioneer citizen of Charlie". At his death, he and Sarah had twenty-one grandchildren and fourteen great grandchildren.
Sarah would survive him by seven years, dying in Wichita County on Feb 3, 1932. They are buried together in the Charlie Texas Cemetery.
Allan Garner Rev: Nov. 2, 2020
James Sturgeon Garner, the first son of Elija P Garner and Rebecca C Jones, was born in Talladega County Alabama on Dec 18, 1849. Elija and Rebecca had three more sons, George Washington, 1853, Andrew Jackson, 1854, and John Elija, 1859, before Elija died in the Civil War in Sept of 1862. Widow Rebecca remarried William Henry Anders in 1865, and James and his siblings remained with them until reaching adulthood.
James Sturgeon married Sarah Irene "Sallie" Howard on Jan 20, 1870 at Harpersville, Shelby County, Alabama, L. Vandiver officiating. He was twenty years old, and Sarah about two years older. The "official" Alabama marriage records note 1869 incorrectly for some unknown reason. Sarah's mother was Irena Elizabeth Jones, and appears to have been related to Elija's wife, Rebecca, making James and Sarah possible cousins, but is unconfirmed to date. After their marriage, they lived with Sarah's parents in Hillsboro, Shelby County, Alabama, for a period of time and James worked the family farm with his in-laws. Their first child, Lucy Elizabeth was born there in 1871.
By 1880, James and Sarah had moved to Alexandria, Calhoun County, AL, where James continued to farm. Their family had grown to six, with now Lucy, Nancy D "Nannie", 1874, Frank Howard, 1877, and newborn Sarah "Sadie" Lavonia, noted as age five months in the census of that year. The next two offspring were James George, 1883, also born in Calhoun County, near Jacksonville, and finally William Jackson, born in 1886 in Trussville, Jefferson County, just north of Birmingham. Family records note their move to Trussville in Aug of 1883. Birmingham and Trussville were in a boom at that time with the growing steel industry, Birmingham later noted as the "Detroit of the South". As James had carpenter skills, he may have stopped farming and been drawn to that area for better employment. Oldest daughter Nancy would also marry John Walter Davis Jr. in 1891 in Jefferson County, also likely Trussville.
In 1892, the Garner family, including Nancy and her husband, and other Howard in-laws, departed Jefferson County and moved by wagon to Archer County, Texas, just south of Wichita Falls, the trip likely taking several weeks. Sarah's older brother, William James Howard, had moved to Texas many years before, had been a town marshal, and was now living in Wichita County. His presence there likely influenced the Garners and other Howards to also move to that part of Texas. James and Sarah are not found in the 1900 census, but before 1910, they had moved from Archer County to Clay County. James is known to have built at least one house in Charlie, Texas, still standing today, and years later back in the Garner family. Various records noted him at age sixty-one as both a carpenter and a mail carrier, and in 1920, at age seventy-one, still working, now in Petrolia, Clay County, as a "wagon hand" in the "freighting" business. He appears to have never actually retired and worked all his active life.
In 1922 he suffered a stroke which left him partially paralyzed and shortly afterwards was moved into his daughter, Lucy Garner Davis' home in Wichita Falls. He died there on Aug 20, 1925, his death noted in his obituary as an eventual result of the stroke. That obituary also noted him as a "pioneer citizen of Charlie". At his death, he and Sarah had twenty-one grandchildren and fourteen great grandchildren.
Sarah would survive him by seven years, dying in Wichita County on Feb 3, 1932. They are buried together in the Charlie Texas Cemetery.
Allan Garner Rev: Nov. 2, 2020
James Sturgeon married Sarah Irene "Sallie" Howard on Jan 20, 1870 at Harpersville, Shelby County, Alabama, L. Vandiver officiating. He was twenty years old, and Sarah about two years older. The "official" Alabama marriage records note 1869 incorrectly for some unknown reason. Sarah's mother was Irena Elizabeth Jones, and appears to have been related to Elija's wife, Rebecca, making James and Sarah possible cousins, but is unconfirmed to date. After their marriage, they lived with Sarah's parents in Hillsboro, Shelby County, Alabama, for a period of time and James worked the family farm with his in-laws. Their first child, Lucy Elizabeth was born there in 1871.
By 1880, James and Sarah had moved to Alexandria, Calhoun County, AL, where James continued to farm. Their family had grown to six, with now Lucy, Nancy D "Nannie", 1874, Frank Howard, 1877, and newborn Sarah "Sadie" Lavonia, noted as age five months in the census of that year. The next two offspring were James George, 1883, also born in Calhoun County, near Jacksonville, and finally William Jackson, born in 1886 in Trussville, Jefferson County, just north of Birmingham. Family records note their move to Trussville in Aug of 1883. Birmingham and Trussville were in a boom at that time with the growing steel industry, Birmingham later noted as the "Detroit of the South". As James had carpenter skills, he may have stopped farming and been drawn to that area for better employment. Oldest daughter Nancy would also marry John Walter Davis Jr. in 1891 in Jefferson County, also likely Trussville.
In 1892, the Garner family, including Nancy and her husband, and other Howard in-laws, departed Jefferson County and moved by wagon to Archer County, Texas, just south of Wichita Falls, the trip likely taking several weeks. Sarah's older brother, William James Howard, had moved to Texas many years before, had been a town marshal, and was now living in Wichita County. His presence there likely influenced the Garners and other Howards to also move to that part of Texas. James and Sarah are not found in the 1900 census, but before 1910, they had moved from Archer County to Clay County. James is known to have built at least one house in Charlie, Texas, still standing today, and years later back in the Garner family. Various records noted him at age sixty-one as both a carpenter and a mail carrier, and in 1920, at age seventy-one, still working, now in Petrolia, Clay County, as a "wagon hand" in the "freighting" business. He appears to have never actually retired and worked all his active life.
In 1922 he suffered a stroke which left him partially paralyzed and shortly afterwards was moved into his daughter, Lucy Garner Davis' home in Wichita Falls. He died there on Aug 20, 1925, his death noted in his obituary as an eventual result of the stroke. That obituary also noted him as a "pioneer citizen of Charlie". At his death, he and Sarah had twenty-one grandchildren and fourteen great grandchildren.
Sarah would survive him by seven years, dying in Wichita County on Feb 3, 1932. They are buried together in the Charlie Texas Cemetery.
Allan Garner Rev: Nov. 2, 2020
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