Samuel Eckford Jaynes was born in Pickens County, Alabama, on November 19, 1880, the son of George Washington Jaynes (1836-1926) and Frances Lorena Henderson (1855-1920). George Washington Jaynes was the sons of Job Jaynes (1820-1915).

The family name changed when Job Janes changed the spelling of the last name because the mailman kept getting the Janes' and the Jones', who lived down the road from him, mixed up. Job is the son of Philip Janes (1802-1848), and the grandson of Burrell Janes (1765-1855). During the Civil War, Job was a private in Company K, 41st Regt., Alabama Infantry: On May 4, 1862, he was captured and held prisoner in several camps in Tennessee, Ohio, Kentucky and Illinois before his parole on June 2, 1865.

Samuel married Letha Gibson on January 10, 1902. Letha is the daughter of William Etherdge Gibson (1846-1899) and Sarah Jane Stevens (1848-1911). Letha's brothers did not approve of her choice of a husband, so Samuel had to carry a rifle around with him for the first year of marriage. Samuel had little schooling but he loved to read, and knew a great deal about American and Texan history.

In the 1920s he worked on the railroad with his brother, Lewis Eckford. In the 1930s, when Siegfried Street was the main highway going to Goliad, Samuel operated a gasoline station in front of his home at 908 Siegfried. Some of the first airplanes to land in Victoria, landed in a pasture that ran along the side of his home (which became Valkyrie Street) to refuel their airplanes. After the pilots had something to eat, they would offer rides to those who could afford it.

In the 1940s, Samuel hired on to help build the 'new' jail house on Constitution Street. He fell off a ladder and hurt his back causing him to walk stooped over for the rest of his life.

On February 7, 1954, he was crossing Highway 59 in front of Ramsey's in Victoria and was killed by a hit and run driver. The driver was later caught and sentenced.


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Samuel and Letha had nine children: George Samuel (1902-1969), Sarah Lorena (1907), Birdie "Beadie" Mae (1920-2000), Ethel Florence (1913-1914), Simon Eckford (1915-1981), Lillie "Wadie" Lavada (1917-1996), Wallace Theodore (1921-1976), Preston Lee (1923-1925), and Letha "Baby Lee" (1926).

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George married Aldia "Ida" Hubert and had five children: Shirley Ann, Jeanette Lucille, George Wallace, Clair Marie and Darrell "Sonny" Lee. Sarah married William "Bill" Carroll and had two children, William Virgil and Esther Evelyn.

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Birdie "Beadie" Mae married Floyd "Pied" Clark Evins. They had no children. Floyd was a deputy in the Victoria County Sheriff's Department and died in an auto accident in 1968. Beadie worked for many years at Sears and was known for her kindness. Pied and Beadie taught Sunday School at First Baptist Church of Victoria.

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Simon Eckford "S.E." married Delores Vogt and had one son, Mark. Lillie "Wadie" Lavada married Edgar "Buster" Sproles and had one son, Don. Wallace married Frances Rigby (1925-1998) and had two children, Terry Lee and Jo Ann. Letha "Baby Lee" married Arlin James McCurley and had two children, Nancy Kay and Arlin James, Jr (1951-1996).

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Letha "Lottie" passed away on September 20, 1974, and is buried beside Samuel in Evergreen Cemetery off of Vine Street in Victoria.

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Children:
1. George Samuel Jaynes - b. 08 Feb 1903
2. Sarah Lorena Jaynes - b. 08 Jan 1907
3. Birdie Mae Jaynes - b. 27 Sep 1910
4. Ethel Florence Jaynes - b. 01 Oct 1913
5. Simon Eckford Jaynes - b. 15 Apr 1915
6. Lillie Lavada Jaynes - b. 15 Nov 1917
7. Wallace Theodore Jaynes - b. 8 Mar 1921
8. Preston Jaynes - b. 05 Sep 1923
9. Letha E Jaynes - b. ~1926