Bertis Lee Clark

Bertis married Juanita V. Spurlock about 1932. Juanita was born on 10 Jun 1914 in Browndell, Jasper County, Texas; died on 24 Jan 2009 in Houston, Harris County, Texas; was buried on 29 Jan 2009 in Memorial Park Cemetery, Jasper, Jasper County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. James Jerry Clark was born on 14 Feb 1935 in Pineland, Sabine County, Texas; died on 10 Feb 2019 in Spring Hill, Hernando County, Florida.
2. Living

Notes:

Notes for JAMES ANDERSON CLARK

By: Larry Wayne Crocker, Great Grandson

When I was little my great grandfathers house outside of Pineland, Sabine County, Texas did not have running water. There was a dug well outside the back door (off of the kitchen), we used a bucket and rope to get the water out. The well casing was made stones. The outhouse was down by the pond and my great grandfather used old newspapers and magazines as tolit paper, although my mother always brought some from home whenever we went up. The heat during the winter came from a kerosene burning heater in the living room. The front of the house and front porch sat on the ground and the back of the house was about three feet from the ground. His son, Bertis Lee Clark lived just down the highway from him, you could see Uncle Lee's house from my grandfathers yard. I remember that he had sweet gum trees that we would pull the sap off of and chew it like gum. The first thing that he wanted done when we would visit would be for my mother to bake him a peach cobbler. On the front porch was a bucket of water and a dipper along with his straight razer and an old mirror for shaving. I still have the mirror and straight razer in my possession. My great grandfather bought this house and about 11 acres in the fall of 1945 at the age of 62, paying $600.00. Before moving in my great grandfather had the house wired for electricity, this being a first for him. However, there was not enough money for indoor plumbing and would not be until I was in high school in the mid 1960's. The old house was left to my great aunt Alif, great grandpa's youngest daughter and she still owns it today.

In 1936 my great grandfather was a sharecropper and lived in a small house about a half mile north of Yellow Bayou on what is now Texas Farm Road 1414. This place was about 4 miles outside of Burkeville. This is the house that my Cousins Marvin Dean Simmons and Betty Jean Simmons were born. This is where they all lived with my great aunt Alif along with my Aunt Edna Earl Crocker and my father Johnie Crocker, Jr. until the fall of 1940 when the man that owned the property sold it. It was sold to a great uncle of Marvin & Betty's without my great grandfathers knowledge. This forced my great grandfather and his extended family to move about 5 miles away and move by wagon as they had no car or truck. The new place was owned by a man by the name of Ramsey. Both the Ramsey house as well as the old one had no electricity or running water, much less a indoor bath room. At one time during World War II, my grandmother Sophronia along with my aunts, Patsy, Geraldine and Maxine moved into the house with everyone else while my step grandfather Raymond Woods worked in Beaumont in the shipyard. He would ride the bus from Beaumont on Fridays and then return to Beaumont on the bus for work on Monday, a little over a 100 mile trip.

Texas Death Certificate transcription

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/J6DK-BFM
Name: James Anderson Clark
Death Date: 24 Feb 1971
Death Place: Beaumont, Jefferson, Texas
Gender: Male
Race:
Death Age: 87 years
Estimated Birth Date: 1884
Birth Date:
Birthplace:
Marital Status:
Spouse's Name:
Father's Name: Andrew Clark
Father's Birthplace:
Mother's Name: Alif Erwin
Mother's Birthplace:
Occupation:
Place of Residence:
Cemetery:
Burial Place:
Burial Date:
Additional Relatives:
Film Number: 2223074
Digital Film Number: 4169364
Image Number: 320
Reference Number: 314
Collection: Texas, Deaths, 1890-1976

(Research):
Census Information:

1900 Sabine County, Texas Census;
District 69; Precinct 7
Page 117A; HH 180-180
Name Rel Sex Mon. Year Age M/S/W Yrs #C #CL B F M Occ R W S O/R
Clark, A Head M Jul 1839 60 Wd TX SC KY Fmr Y Y Y O
Anderson J. Son M Apr 1883 17 S TX TX TX FL Y N Y
Lee R. Son M Apr 1885 15 S TX TX TX FL Y N Y

1910 Sabine County, Texas Census
HH 104-106; Page 92A; Precinct 1; Dist. 131; Hemphill & Yellow Pine
Road 7
Name Relation Sex Age #yrsM #Children #Children alive Born Fath Moth Occupation
Clark, James A. Head M 27 7 TX TX TX Farmer
Frances E. wife F 30 7 4 4 TX TX TX
Sophrona E. dau F 6 TX TX TX
Clarence A. son M 3 TX TX TX
James E. son M 1 6/12 TX TX TX

1920 Sabine County, Texas Census
HH 530-530; Precinct 2; Dist. 169; Pineland-Brookeland Hwy
Name Relation Own/Rent Age Born Fath Moth Occupation
Clark, James Head R 36 TX TX TX Farmer
Edna wife 39 TX TX TX
Saphronea dau 15 TX TX TX
Clarence son 14 TX TX TX
Hamp son 13 TX TX TX
Jim Jr son 12 TX TX TX
Lee son 9 TX TX TX
Alif dau 4 3/12 TX TX TX

1930 Newton County, Texas Census
HH 55-55; Page 36B, Sheet 3B; Precinct 2
Name Relation Home Radio Farm Sex age age School R/W Self Father Mother
Clark, Jim A Head R Y M 47 20 N Y TX TX TX
Clark, Edna F Wife F 50 23 N Y TX TX TX
Crocker, Fronia E Dau F 26 17 N Y TX TX TX
Clark, Alif M Dau F 14 Y Y TX TX TX
Crocker, Edna E Gdau F 7 Y TX TX TX
Crocker, Johnie Jr Gson M 6 Y TX TX TX
Crocker, Eugene Gson M 4 9/12 N TX TX TX
Crocker, Frances B Gdau F 2 11/12 N TX TX TX

(Transcriptions courtesy of Larry Crocker)

James married Francis Edna Ener on 7 May 1903 in Sabine County, Texas. Francis (daughter of James Cornelius Ener and Mary Elizabeth Travis) was born on 12 May 1879 in Sabine County, Texas; died on 25 Oct 1949 in Sabine County, Texas; was buried in Woods Cemetery, Newton County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/J6XP-DGC
Name: Edna Clark
Death Date: 25 Oct 1949
Death Place: Pineland, Sabine, Texas
Gender: Female
Race: White
Death Age: 71 years 5 months 13 days
Estimated Birth Date:
Birth Date: 12 May 1879
Birthplace: Texas
Marital Status: Married
Spouse's Name:
Father's Name: James Monroe Enor
Father's Birthplace: Texas
Mother's Name: Elizabeth Travis
Mother's Birthplace: Texas
Occupation: Housewife
Place of Residence: Pineland, Sabine, Texas
Cemetery: Woods Cemetery
Burial Place: Newton Co., Texas
Burial Date: 27 Oct 1949
Additional Relatives:
Film Number: 2223524
Digital Film Number: 4031960
Image Number: 02217
Reference Number: cn50133
Collection: Texas, Deaths, 1890-1976

Notes:

Married:
Marriage information from Sabine County Marriages 1875-1900; 1900-1910 and Prior to 1875 by Blanche Toole as well as Sabine County, Texas Marriages 1880-1930 Volume 1 by Julia Iles Freeman and shows JamesAnderson Clark and Edna Ener

Marriage Information: Sabine County, Texas Marriage Records Volume B Page 167

(Courtesy of Larry Crocker)

Notes:

Larry Crocker writes that Andrew was listed on the Sabine County Voter Registration list for 1867-1869. It was indicated he lived in Sabine County for 28 years and that he was a native Texan. (Yellowed Pages, Vol. XXIII, No. 4, Winter, 1993). He was a private in Captain R.P. Sibley's Company F, 11th Texas Infantry, having enlisted February 19, 1862.

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/JXFR-VZ7
Name: Andrew Clark
Death Date: 23 Aug 1913
Death Place: Yellowpine, Sabine, Texas
Gender: Male
Race:
Death Age: 74 years
Estimated Birth Date:
Birth Date: 1839
Birthplace: Texas
Marital Status: Widowed
Spouse's Name:
Father's Name: William Clark
Father's Birthplace: Mississippi
Mother's Name: Mahaley Graham
Mother's Birthplace: Kentucky
Occupation: Farmer
Place of Residence:
Cemetery:
Burial Place:
Burial Date:
Additional Relatives:
Film Number: 2050996
Digital Film Number: 4165776
Image Number: 1547
Reference Number: 19015
Collection: Texas, Deaths, 1890-1976

(Research):
Census Information:

1870 Census
Texas, Sabine County, Sabine Town Beat 3
Page 16A
HH 460-460
Clark, Andrew 31 M Farmer $1000 $500 Tx
Clark, William A. H. 3 M Tx
Clark, Mahala 60 F Ky

1880 Census
Texas, Sabine County, JP 2, Dist. 84
Page 211C
HH 60-66
Clark, Andrew M 40 Farmer Tx Ky (sic) Ky
Clark, William Henry 12 S Tx Tx Tx

1900 Census
Texas, Sabine, Dist 69, Pr. 7
Page 117A
HH 180-180
Clark, A Hd M Jul 1839 60 Wd Tx Sc Ky Farmer
Clark, Anderson J Son M Apr 1883 17 S Tx Tx Tx Farm Labor
Clark, Lee R Son M Apr 1885 15 S Tx Tx Tx Farm Laborer

1910 Census
Texas, Sabine County, Pct 2, Dist 132
Page 113B
HH 123-123
Clark, Andrew Hd M 71 Wd Tx Sc Ky Farmer
Williams, Maston Son-in-law 29 M 10 Tx Tx Tx Laborer Odd Jobs
Williams, Sarah Dtr F 28 M 10 5/5 Tx Tx Tx Farm Laborer
Williams, Ellen J G/D F 9 Tx Tx Tx
Williams, Elbert G/S M 7 Tx Tx Tx
Williams, James A G/S M 5 Tx Tx Tx
Williams, Lee G/S M 2 Tx Tx Tx
Williams, Ethel E. G/D F 5/12 Tx Tx Tx

(Transcriptions courtesy of Larry Crocker)

Andrew married Allif Jane Erwin on 24 Sep 1880 in Newton County, Texas. Allif was born about 1857 in Jasper County, Texas; died in Oct 1885. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

John W. Clark shows her as a daughter of _____ ERWIN and Mary Jane MARSHAL.

Notes:

Married:
Record of this marriage may be found in a book at the Family History Library under Library of Congress
reference number 976.4 A1 No. 188
From the book Newton County, Texas Marriage Records 1846-1899 by Frances Terry Ingmire; Marriage Book
Volume VII; Andrew Clark and Aliff S. Irwin August 12, 1880
(Courtesy Larry Crocker)

John W. Clark indicates the marriage was certified by John W. Jones, and is recorded in Volume G of the Newton County courthouse marriage books

Notes:

He was instead shown as James Monroe Enor [Ener] on the death certificate of daughter Edna Ener Clark.

James married Mary Elizabeth Travis. Mary (daughter of James Cannon Travis and Sophronia Pauline White) was born on 25 Mar 1851 in Texas; died on 17 Dec 1924. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Not listed on the 1860 Sabine County census extract. Why?

Notes:

One of his descendants, Elaine Wells, emailed in November 2012 that "I have visited the Dickey-Clark Cemetery in Sabine County Texas. I do not personally have a photo of the headstone for William Clark, but there is a photo on Ancestry.Com which shows the exact date of birth as May 1, 1790. Date of death July 4, 1856. It also showed that William Clark served as a Pvt. in the Mississippi Militia in the war of 1812. I was present at the ceremony when the Historical Marker was dedicated. " In January 2020, Elaine emailed "I have submitted my DNA to Ancestry and it shows my DNA directly related to William Clark. It shows his father was William Barnett Clark, born 09Oct1966 in Orange Co., Virginia, died in 1835 in Amite Co., MS. His wife was Frances Ragsdale. Born 1764 in Lunenburg Co., VA. His father was John James Clark, born 19Fe1741 in Clark's Mountain, Orange Co., VA and died 28Oct1831 in Bedfore, Orange Co., VA. Ancestry shows his wife was Mary Towles, but there was no other information about her. It shows that I have shared DNA with all those listed, except Mary Towles."

When John William Clark of Oklahoma City published his 1971 book, SOME DESCENDANTS OF WILLIAM CLARK OF SABINE COUNTY, TEXAS he was conducting research to prove a theory that William Clark born about 1790 in South Carolina was related to or descended from Elijah Clark, father of John Clark, Governor of Georgia 1819-1823. He wrote in the preface to his book that "Several clues have pointed the way to research this angle as follows: Elijah Clark went from South Carolina to Georgia in early days following the Revolutionary War as a General. His son John became Governor of Georgia. John's sons went to Miss., such as Elijah, Gibson, Etc. One of John's grandsons became a political figure in Texas. A William Barnett Clark was granted a Georgia passport by the governor, signed by the Solictor General Elijah Clark to proceed across the western country to Miss. in search of land. Our William names a son William Barnett in later years after he was in Sabine Co., Texas."

The author, also noted that there were three William Clarks in Sabine County, Texas at the same time, "however our William Clark was the only one that remained there until he died."

He listed the following facts about our William Clark in the preface of his book:
a) Born ca 1790 in South Carolina
b) Fought in the War of 1812
c) he was married in Mississippi, Amite County, to Elizabeth Isaacs 16 Mar 1812 and again to Mahala Graham ca 1836 in Sabine County
d) Received a land grant from the Mexican Government in Zavalla's Colony in June 1835
d) has a total of about 21 children by two wives, many of these descendants still living in East Texas
f) the only one of the three William Clarks living in Sabine county before 1850 that remained in that county and died there
g) the only land owned by William Clark south of Hemphill, TX was land bought by William and not granted to him as original owner
h)All paper of William Clark were signed by an "X" and witnessed by someone else
i) William was listed on the census records of Sabine County in 1835 and 1850, and second wife Mahala was listed in 1860, 1870 and 1880. This and the wills indicate he died prior to 1860.

The author also stated that other two William Clark's who were associated with Sabine County were:

---William F Clark (William Fain Clark). This William F. Clark received a land grant from the Mexican Government south of Hemphill on the Sandy Creek. This was later conveyed to Joseph Sullivan, and he evidently moved away since he is not shown in subsequent census records. Obediah S. Smith bought this land later and lived on it for years.


---William Clark Jr., a political leader in the Sabine District, born in either Va, Ga, or N.C. on 14 April 1798, and a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence and a representative from the Sabine and Nacogdoches District who married Martha Wall. They were the parents of Margaret, Francis, Sarah Jane and William, and this family moved from Hemphill to Nacogdoches County prior to 1860. There he ran a hotel and land business, and on the 1870 census of Nacogdoches, he can be found with his daughter, Sara Jane GRIFFITH, the wife of Dr. L. E. GRIFFITH, who one practiced medicine in Hemphill. William Clark Jr died 3 Jun 1871 in Nacogdoches and has a monument erected in his honor in the Oak Grove Cemetery in Nacogdoches.

On page 1 of his book, John Clark writes that "The first record found of him (William) shows him as a private in Captain John Lowry's Company of Militia, Mississippi Territory Regiment of Infantry, commanded by Lieut. Col. George H. Nixon. He served in the war from 19 October 1813 to 28 Feb 1814. he was given travel pay to travel 300 miles from Tom Bigby River or Camp in northeastern Mississippi to Amite County, Miss."

White and Toole, in SABINE COUNTY HISTORICAL SKETCHES AND GENEALOGICAL RECORDS wrote of William:

"He served in the War of 1812, from Mississippi, and married Elizabeth Isaacs of Amite County, Mississippi March 16, 1812. They moved to Coahuila, Texas long before the days of the Republic and received a land grant from Lorenzo de Zavala on the waters of the Palo Gacho consisting of one league. His wife died in childbirth in the Run-away-scrape in 1836. According to legend, while William Clark's ox wagon was stuck in the mud at Sandy Creek, and he was trying to extricate it, he met his second wife, Mahala Graham. They were married in 1837, and settled on Big Sandy, and with the children of his first wife there were 21 children." SABINE COUNTY HISTORICAL SKETCHES AND GENEALOGICAL RECORDS

On April 16, 2009, Dr. Gary Clark (drgclarke@msn.com) emailed that "There is a record of probated wills of Edgefield County, Vol. II, p. 98. David Clark and wife Amy willed their plantation to their children: William, Sarah, Edward, David, James and Mary; May 3, 1813. He requested that they all live on the plantation, if possible.

The list of children in this list is limited to six. I would like to know should anyone else determine that David and Amy are William's parents. Another volume on Edgefield County references William purchased property there in April,1783; and David served on a petite jury in 1788."

Land Grant recorded in the General Land Office in Austin as JAV11, Title Jul 2, 1835, Book 22, p. 653. Signed by George Antonio Nixon, Comisionad

Joel Clark emailed, in November 2012, that "Someone posted info about a census in Amite county Mississippi that suggested that this William Clark (my 4th great grandfather) was a Junior. They mentioned 2 separate households and 1 William Clark was married to an Elizabeth. This would lend thought to William Clark's dad being William Clark Senior."

(Research):


Census Listings:

1850 Census
Texas, Sabine County, Sabine District
Enumerated 28 and 29 Apr 1850
135-135
William Clark 61 M Farmer 1000 SC
Mahala Clark 38 F Ky
Nelson Clark 17 M Tx
Mariah Clark 12 F Tx
Andrew Clark 10 M Tx
Harison Clark 9 M Tx
Margaret Clark 7 F Tx
William Clark 4 m Tx
136-136
Powell and Sarah Fullen (born SC and Va, with dtr born in KY)
137-137
Elijah Clark 37 M Farmer 600 Miss
Jane Clark 28 F SC
Louis Clark 11 M Tx
Elias Clark 7 M Tx
Paschal Clark 5 M Tx
John Clark 4 M Tx

William married Mahala Louise Graham on 21 Dec 1836 in Coahuila and Texas, Republic of Mexico. Mahala was born on 17 Jan 1811 in Kentucky; died on 30 Jun 1887 in Sabine County, Texas; was buried in Clark-Dickey Cemetery, Sabine County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Barbara Yancey Dore shows her as a son of John H. GRAHAM and Polly LOWE.

(Research):
Census Information:

1860 Census
Texas, Sabine County, Sandy Beat No. 7, PO Fairmount
Enumerated 17 July 1860
Page 41
301-301
Mahala L Clark 45 F Farmer 2400 654 Ky
Andrew Clark 20 M Tx
Harrison Clark 19 M Tx
Margaret Clark 17 F Tx
William B Clark 15 M Tx
301-301
William Clark 27 M Farmer 250 250 Tx
Nancy Clark 26 F Miss
Margaret Clark 7 F Tx
Martha G Clark 4 F Tx
Mary A Clark 3 F Tx
William H Clark 3/12 M Tx
302-302
Franklin Clark 33 M Farmer 500 500 Tx
Martha Clark 27 F Ga
George W Clark 8 M Tx
John H Clark 5 M Tx
Joseph F Clark 3 M Tx

1870 Census
Texas, Sabine County, Beat No. 3, PO Sabine Town
Enumerated 30 July 1870
Page 19 Stamped 16
460-460
Clark, William 25 M W Farmer 600 500 Tx
Clark, Millissa 30 F W Keeping House Alabama
Clark, George 5 m W Tx
Clark, Isabella 3 F W Tx
461-461
Clark, Andrew 31 M W Farmer 4000 500 Tx
William H A 3 M W Tx
Clark, Mahala 60 F W Ky

Notes:

Married:
John W. Clark and Barbara Yancey Dore also show a son, Anderson, who died at age 12.

Notes:

An article published in the October 15 issue of "The Sabine County Reporter" indicated that James and his brother, William Trehane Ener, immigrated from Cornwall to America in the spring of 1835. William settled in Grant County, Wisconsin, and James was in Jefferson County, Texas by 4 April 1836. He joined Capt. O. M. Wheeler's Company K, 2nd Regiment, Texas Mounted Volunteers during the U.S. Mexican War. After returning to Sabine County, he and his wife, Mary Ann Gomer, established a large successful farm on the south side of the Housen Bayou near her parents. He was murdered one block south of the Sabine County Courthouse on 27 November 1869 by a disgruntled sharecropper. He was the second person to be buried in the Ener cemetery.

John and Helene Ennor (ennor@cfu.net) emailed : "We are looking for information on James T Enner. He was born in England about 1810 and at some point ended up in Sabine Co. We think this might be where he married Mary Ann Gomer on 10/5/1847. He was murdered in Sabine on 11/27/1869. What we would like to know is who James T Enners parents are and any details on his murder. If you have info we would appreciate hearing from you."

A later email from James Ennor indicated that James was shot by a man named Lyles.

James married Mary Ann Gomer on 5 Oct 1847 in Sabine County, Texas. Mary (daughter of James Frederick Gomer and Anna M. B. ???) was born on 17 Nov 1828 in Giles County, Tennessee; died on 12 Sep 1897. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

He was known by his middle name, Cannon. He may have been married previously to an Elizabeth, also from Mississippi.

According to the MINUTES 1858-1890 FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH HEMPHILL, TEXAS, (James) Cannon and Sophronia (White) Travis were among the 11 founding members of the church. Sophronia was admitted by voucher on September 7, 1857 from W. C. Southwell, Missionary East Texas, as was her husband, Cannon Travis. Fellowship was withdrawn from Cannon Travis on November 10, 1860, and restored September 24, 1864. In June 1884, "charges having been preferred against Bro. Cannon Travis for unchristian conduct & said charges as alleged being Sustained, it was ordered that the Church withdraw fellowship from him & it is further ordered that his name be erased from the Church Book."

Note: Children's names and birthdates are based on a transcription of the 1870 census. The actual 1870 and 1880 census microfilm's should be carefully checked. The 1880 extract seems to have several glaring discrencies in names and dates. Blanche Toole speculates that perhaps the census taker knew Cannon and his family, and completed the information from (faulty) memory instead of by actually interviewing the family. Also, Charlie White lists a child named Jann White, born ca 1868 per the 1870 census who is not listed on either transcription of the census. Perhaps this is Martha Jane White.

Military Service Co. D 1 Tex HV Arty CSA (Courtesy of Tony Pickett)

Was shown on the muster roll of Captain J.M. Burroughs Company of the Sabine County Volunteer Infantry, CSA, and was enlisted at Hemphill, Texas by Drury Field for 3 months duty on January 15, 1863.

Jules Hurst writes that "I understand that Cannon died in Texas of cancer of the eye."

James married Sophronia Pauline White on 5 Dec 1850 in St. Helena Parish, Louisiana. Sophronia (daughter of Edward White and Elizabeth Strickland) was born in Nov 1833 in Amite County, Mississippi; died on 15 Jun 1915 in Hemphill, Sabine County, Texas; was buried in Hemphill City Cemetery, Hemphill, Sabine County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Sophronia was born during an auspicious month. On November 13, 1833, between midnight and dawn, thousands of meteors showered the sky over North America. To the native peoples of the land, it appeared that the stars were falling out of the heavens. Some thought it was the judgment day. Others called it "The Night the Stars Fell".

A young girl who was a slave at the time of the event said "Somebody in the quarters started yellin' in the middle of the night to come out and to look up at the sky. We went outside and there they was a fallin' everywhere! Big stars coming down real close to the groun' and just before they hit the ground they would burn up! We was all scared. Some O'the folks was screamin' and some was prayin' we all made so much noise, the white folk came out to see what was happenin'. They looked up and then they got scared too."

The celestial phenomenon called "the most impressive and awesome display ever recorded" was, in fact, the Leonids meteor shower seen in one of its most impressive years. Viewers witnessed 50,000 to 150,000 meteors per hour, only equaled by the November 17, 1966 display, when the Leonid shower brought 150,000 meteors per hour. Debris from the comet Temple-Tuttle that orbits the sun every 33 years causes the shower.

She was born and raised in Amite County, Mississippi, and can be found on the 1850 census with her parents. Sometime after that, the family moved to Sabine County, Texas.

After her husband's death, she lived with her oldest son, William Hardy Travis. She can be found living with he and his wife, Grace Ener, at the time of the 1900 and 1910 Sabine County census.