A historical family, poetry, and cell phones

A relative who lives near Houston, Texas, wrote several months ago that the water pipes in the ceiling of her home froze during unusually cold weather, and that all her family history papers were destroyed. She also wanted any Dillard info which I might have collected, but when the pandemic hit, life became very complicated. One item which I will mail is a four paragraph poem which my Aunt Minnie Burton had written, but not dated. She was a school teacher, never married, and came to live with my family when my sisters and I were very young. She was the daughter of Sarah Jane (Dillard) and Squire Newton Burton, and after her death he married Victoria Vaughan and they had several children. The Hot Springs newspaper column “Kaleidoscope” was edited by Nina Tillery who accepted original work, 35 lines or less. She wrote on 2-212004: “Thank you for permitting me to read the lovely poem by Minnie. It would be suitable for my column, but I try not to use poems written by deceased poets. The poem does display sadness, but also the beautiful love of a man for his wife and son. Minnie must have been a very astute person. Most poets are very tender hearted and observant. Thanks” She lived to be 86 years of age, and died from an unexpected heart attack.

Tennie Magby was printed in the Hot Spring County Historical Society in July 1974 with They Came From Holland. She wrote of her father, William Besky Hunt, who was born soon after the Civil War in Hot Spring County. Tennie was born in 1895. Her mother was Millie Ellen Sheets who married at age 15. She talked of a happy family with four boys and three girls who lived to be grown. Gus Diffee was Tennie’s teacher at Point Cedar School, and other schooling was at Beaton School. She stated that Beskey was for Beskey Lambert who went through the Civil War with Grandpa Hunt. After the last battle was over, Lambert was seen riding away, and never returned. Was he killed for his horse, which was a fine one? Grandfather George Washington Hunt was born in Georgia, he married Mary Lambert and they had 13 children. Mary was born in Laclede, Missouri. Grandfather Eli Sheets used to farm in the Caddo River bottoms at the Shouse Ford, which is covered by Lake DeGray now. They raised four girls and three boys: Thomas taught school at Mt. Zion, then to Ft. Smith, to Little Rock, and then to Memphis, Tenn. Uncle William to Oklahoma after he ran a store on Oaklawn Street in Hot Springs. Uncle Eli, Jr. farmed and owned and ran a store at Beaton in HSC. The Sheets were dutch from Holland. Grandmother Elixa Phillips (wife of Eli Sheets, Sr.) was the daughter of John Phillips who was born in Ireland.

From other sources we learn that the children of Tennessee and Walter Magby were Lucille (Hermes L. Angermiller), Willis David Magby died at age 95 (wife Eunice Meeks Cogburn Magby), William “Glenn” did not marry and died from heart attack in 1968. Arlie Clinton, not married, died during WWII in 1944 and is buried in Manila Cemetery in the Phillippines. Horace Estel m. Ruth Hall died in 2000. Freddy Winfred lived only few months. Doris L m. Thomas Hart, Sr, died with a brain tumor and is buried in North Little Rock. Berry Sharon died in 1941. Millie Jane m. _____ Rayburn and Glen Louis Hulsey d. age 69. Paul m. Sue Yarbrough, he died. Many of the above are buried in the Philippi

Cemetery, near Point Cedar.

There are other Magby families, and some more information which I will pass on to Sue Magby. I gave some pertinent infor to Renee Marrall Westfall who thought the original spelling was Magybee. This should be obtained. I do not remember what my information included.

“Junior” Nichols telephoned recently and asked if Gordon “Jimmy” Powell were still alive. He died in 2021. Jimmy was 90 years old on 25 July 2019; wife Rosie 85 on 23 July. Their children were to arrive the last week in July: Jeff Jones from Gallipolis, Ohio, Gordon, Jr, from Venice, Florida, and Dr. Becky Stanard from Vella Rica, Georgia. Rosie’s family took her north with them.

Just when I thought things could not become worse, they did! Several weeks ago AT&T mailed two cell phones (one for my sister Charline) which we were to take to the AT&T office to set them up. There never seemed to be time to do that, but it was also bad to be without cell phone service for almost a week. Maybe my substitute caregiver for this week and I can do that. My regular caregiver is on vacation at Lake DeGray in the Point Cedar area.