James Andrew "Andy" Crocker

Notes:

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/J6QW-P5D
Name: James Andrew Crocker
Event Date: 05 Apr 1975
Event Place: Harris, Texas
Gender: Male
Race (Original):
Age (Formatted): 23 years
Birth Year (Estimated): 1952
Birth Date:
Birthplace:
Marital Status:
Spouse's Name:
Father's Name: Johnnie Crocker Jr.
Father's Birthplace:
Mother's Name: Kathryn Cherry
Mother's Birthplace:
Occupation: Switchman Railroad
Cause of Death: Shotgun would of left chest
Residence Place:
Cemetery (Original):
Burial Place:
Burial Date:
Informant's Name (Original): Mrs. J. A. Crocker
GS Film number: 2243826
Digital Folder Number: 4167849
Image Number: 1531
Reference ID: 52380
Collection: James Andrew Crocker, "Texas, Deaths, 1890-1976"

James married Living [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

At the time of the 1940 census, he and his oldest sister, Edna Earl, were living with their maternal grandparents, James and Frances Clark, in Newton County, Texas.


Larry Crocker writes that: "My dad was born on a cotton farm just outside of Warton, Wharton County, Texas. His name at birth was Johnie Junior Crocker. The family made one crop there and then moved back to Pineland where my grandfather Johnie Willis Crocker went to work for the saw mill in Pineland. They lived in a company owned house in Pineland until In 1928 when my grandparents separated and my grandmother and the kids moved in with my great grandfather and great grandmother, James Anderson Clark and Frances Edna Ener, and their children then living at home, Jimmy, Dixie, Lee and Alif. In October of 1929 they moved to Simmonsville in Newton County, Texas.

In 1934 my grandmother, Sophronia Elizabeth Clark married Raymond W. Woods and my dad went to live with them. They moved several times and in 1940 my dad went back to live with my great grandparents until he joined the Army Air Corp in 1941and was sent to San Antonio for his training. Upon joining the service he was told that his name could not be Johnie Junior, but Johnie Crocker, Jr. He tells that the reason that he joined the service was because he had whipped his grandfather, James Anderson Clark's mule Kit (Marvin Dean Simmons mentions Kit in his book "As Remembered") and his grandfather said that he was going to whip him just like he had whipped the mule, therefore he ran away and joined the service. After finishing in San Antonio he was sent to Las Vegas Nevada and this is where he was when the Jap's bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. He eventually ended up in the Philippines where he flew on C47's & C46's helping to evacuate the field wounded back to station hospitals. In 1945 he was sent back to the states and finally wound up back in San Antonio where he was eventually discharged into the Army Reserves.

Upon leaving San Antonio he went to Voth, Texas (just outside of Beaumont) where my grandmother and step grandfather then lived. He was later called back into the service during the Korean Conflict and during this time we lived in Joplin, Missouri for a while and also in Little Rock, Arkansas, both at bases where he was stationed. I have a copy of his discharge after Korea, it was filed in Jefferson County, Texas. The 1947 Beaumont, Jefferson County, City Directory shows my dad living at 2065 North Lawrence Way and working as a salesman for the Dr. Pepper Bottling Company. This was the home of his sister, Frances Reeves and her husband Elmo Reeves. The 1949 City Directory shows my dad as John Crocker, Jr. an office secretary (at the Teamsters Union) and living at 2065 North Lawrence Way. This must have been a hold over from the 1948 City Directory, of which I do not have a copy, since he and my mom married on August 30, 1947. My mom is shown as living at 2274 St. Helena, our home in Multimax Village. This is the first place that I remember as a small child. The directory shows that she was a typist for Stone & Webster Engineering Corporation. The 1950 City Directory shows my dad as a "Driver" and him and my mom still living at 2274 St. Helena. At this time my dad was a truck driver for Younger Brothers of Nederland, Texas and according to his Report of Separation From The Armed Services Of The United States of record in the office of the County Clerk of Jefferson County, Texas he was a Gas Delivery Man. The separation report shows that he was a Corporal and was appointed to this position on August 1, 1948. It shows that he was called back from inactive duty on October 14, 1950 from Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas and was released from active duty on August 6, 1951 from Camp Crowder, Missouri. The report shows his total time in the service as being 10 years 6 months and 2 days. The date of birth shown on the separation report is November 24, 1922, which is in error. A copy of the separation report is in his scrapbook and a certified copy is in my hard copy file. The 1960 City Directory shows my dad as an operator for Texas US Chemical Company and his home address as 4430 El Paso.

ACTIVITY DURING WWII MEDICAL TECHNICIAN 409. SERVED AS A TECHNICIAN FOURTH GRADE WITH THE 801ST MEDICAL AIR EVACUATION SQUADRON WITH THE ARMY AIR FORCE. PICKED UP WOUNDED FROM THE FIELD HOSPITALS IN C-47 AND C-46 AIRCRAFT. SERVED FROM FEBRUARY 4, 1941 UNTIL JANUARY 3, 1946. RECEIVED AN ARMY AIR FORCE CREW MEMBER BADGE, 3 OVERSEAS LAPEL BUTTONS, DISTINGUISHED UNIT BADGE WITH ONE OAK LEAF CLUSTER, ONE SERVICE STRIPE, VICTORY RIBBON, AMERICAN THEATRE CAMPAIGN MEDAL, AMERICAN DEFENSE MEDAL, ASIATIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH SEVEN BRONZE STARS, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, PHILIPPINE LIBERATION RIBBON, AND 3 OVERSEAS SERVICE BARS. BATTLES AND CAMPAIGNS INCLUDE WESTERN PACIFIC; AIR COMBAT BORNEO; BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO, NEW GUINEA; SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES; LUZON; RYUKYUS.

From the Beaumont Enterprise, 26 April 2006

Johnie Crocker, Jr.

Johnie Crocker, Jr., fondly and lovingly known as Pops, Papaw and Uncle Boe, departed this life on April 23, 2006 in Beaumont, Texas, he was born November 24, 1923 to Johnie Willis Crocker and Sophronia Elizabeth Clark in Wharton County, Texas and was a Fourth Generation Texan. Johnie lived in Burkeville, Texas, during his school years and attended Burkeville schools. He married the former Kathryn Jane Cherry, daughter of Charlie B. Cherry and Nettie Jewel Williams, August 30, 1947 in Beaumont, Texas.

Johnie made his profession of faith and was saved in about 1936 at the age of 13. It was in a small place called Simmonsville, Texas, with a one-room schoolhouse and a one-room Baptist Church, which were one and the same. He was baptized in Little Cow Creek nearby. The church had a preacher who came about every 4th Sunday. Johnie was saved in a 5th Sunday meeting. It was like a revival with a dinner on the grounds. Johnie has been a Baptist ever since. Johnie was a member of West End Baptist Church in Beaumont.

Johnie served as a Medical Technician with the 801st Medical Air Evacuation Squadron with the 5th Army Air Corps during World War II from 1941 to 1946 stationed on Leyte Island in the Philippines. Johnie also served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps during the Korean Conflict from 1950 to 1951. He retired from Ameripol Synpol, formerly Texas U.S. Chemical Company in Port Neches, Texas in 1983 as General Shift Foreman with 31 ? years of service. The saddest day of Johnie's life was April 5th, 1975, when his son "Andy" died at the age of 23.

For the next 15 years after his retirement Johnie traveled all across the United States and Canada with his wife in their motor homes. Visitation for family and friends will be at the funeral home on Wednesday, April 26th, 2006 from 5:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. Services will be held at Forest Lawn Funeral Home in Beaumont with Rev. Robert Carter and Rev. Parks Walker officiating at 10:00 A.M., Thursday, April 27th, 2006 with burial in Forest Lawn Memorial Park.

Johnie was preceded in death by his parents, Step-father Raymond Windol Woods, Step-mother Lillie Mae Cunningham Crocker, Mother-In-Law Nettie Jewel Williams and Father-In-Law Charlie B. Cherry, Grandfather James Anderson "Jim" Clark and Grandmother Frances Edna Ener (both of who helped raise him) his son James Andrew "Andy" Crocker, Brother In-Laws, Elmo Leo Reeves, Raymond Edward Buck, Allen Dempsy "Al" Barnard, Clayton Eugene Conner, Vertis Howard "Doll" Conner, James Wesley "Jimmy" Gorrell and Joseph Jessie Geer, Sr., and Nephews Michael Ray Buck, Ronald Craig Gorrell and Robert Edward Geer.

Johnie is survived by his wife of 58 years, Kathryn Jane Cherry Crocker, sons, Larry Wayne Crocker and his wife Dorothy Therese Jorden, Johnie Dale Crocker, Sr. and his wife Judy Diane Nusom. Grandchildren, Jamie Lynn Crocker, Jennifer LeAnn Crocker, Stacie Ann Crocker and her husband Michael John "Mike" Brumley, Sr., Johnie Dale "JD" Crocker, Jr. and his wife Fallon Christina Locke and Sara Amanda Crocker and her husband Roderick Louis "Rod" Tate. Great Grandchildren Samuel Ethan Brumley, Jacob Vaughn Brumley, Michael John Brumley, Jr., Leo Alexander Brumley, Alyssa Diane Crocker, Johnie Matthew "JC" Crocker and Charles Andrew "Andy" Crocker Polasek, Step-Great Grandson Kenneth Tate. Sisters, Edna Earl Crocker Buck, Frances Belle Crocker Reeves, Patricia Elizabeth Woods Barnard, Geraldine Woods Conner, Maxine Woods Conner and Joyce Lyrlene Crocker Geer. Brothers Elton Eugene Crocker and his wife Patricia Ann Platt and James Harold Crocker and wife Nina Beth Poindexter. Sisters-in-law, Mildred Agnes Cherry and her husband Dalton Davis, Nelwyn Elaine Cherry and her husband John Edward Rutledge, Mae Alice Rosalee Cherry Gorrell and Brother-In-Law Charles Leon Cherry and his wife Nancy Cobb. Aunts, Fannie Arlo Crocker Arwell and Mary Alif Clark Cotten. He is also survived by 31 Nieces and Nephews, 31 Great Nieces and Nephews and 10 Great Great Nieces and Nephews and numerous cousins and friends all of whom will miss him and love him always. Pallbearers will be Danny Conner, Jamie Conner, David Crocker, Kenneth Crocker, Mark Gorrell, Terry Gorrell, Dwight "D.D." Rutledge, and Kenneth "Kenny" Rutledge. Honorary pallbearers are Michael John "Mike" Brumley, Sr., Roderick "Rod" Tate, Kenneth Tate, Raymond Allen "Pete" Barnard, Donnie Reeves, Jimmy Reeves, Danny Fontenot, and Matthew "Matt" Cobb.

The family wishes to thank Southern Care Hospice for all their loving care in our time of need. Those wishing to make charitable donations may make them to the Southern Care Hospice 3965 Phelan Blvd. Suite 108 Beaumont, TX 77707, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research Grand Central Station P.O. Box 4777 New York, NY 10163, or a charity of your choice. 4955 Pine Street Beaumont, TX 77703 (409) 892-5912"

(Research):

Census Information:

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

(Courtesy of Larry Crocker)

Johnie married Living [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Larry Crocker writes that : "Texas Death Records indicate that my Grandfather died in Nacogdoches County, Texas while the SSDI records indicate that his last benefit was payed in Houston, Harris County, Texas. He had lived with his son Harold in Houston until he went to live in a nursing home in Hemphill, Sabine County, Texas. Texas Death Records and his tombstone spell his name Johnnie while SSDI records spell it Johnie which is correct. His Application for his Social Secutity has his name shown as Johnny Willis Crocker, however, he signed the application Johnie Crocker. The application is dated December 7, 1936 and shows his father as John Crocker and mother as Belle Warner. It gives his place of employment as Temple Lumber Company in Pineland Texas and shows that he was born on November 1, 1902 in Bronson, Sabine County, Texas. His death certificate from the State of Texas spells his name as Johnnie, in addition, the death certificate on his father, Mack, was signed by him as the informant and spells his name as Johnnie and that is the way he signed it. Johnie is shown as a boarder living with his father in the 1930 Sabine County, Texas Census and is shown as being age 26 and married at 19. The marital status box is scratched out, as is the age married box, however, you can still read the age married box but not the marital status box. In 1930 he was probably already divorced."

In her annotated transcription of the Martin Cemetery, Kay Parker McCary shows his parents as John M. "Mack" Crocker and Isabelle "Belle" AdeliaWarner.

(Research):

Census Listings:

Johnie was not present, likely already divorced. His wife and four children, however, are listed below.
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

Johnie married Sophronia "Phronia" Elizabeth Clark on 21 Dec 1921 in Sabine County, Texas. Sophronia (daughter of James Anderson Clark and Francis Edna Ener) was born on 21 Mar 1904 in Sabine County, Texas; died on 27 Mar 1975 in Jasper County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/J63H-TFP
Name: Phronia Elizabeth Woods
Death Date: 27 Mar 1975
Death Place: Jasper, Texas
Gender: Female
Race:
Death Age: 71 years
Estimated Birth Date: 1904
Birth Date:
Birthplace:
Marital Status:
Spouse's Name:
Father's Name: James A. Clark
Father's Birthplace:
Mother's Name: Frances Edna Ener
Mother's Birthplace:
Occupation:
Place of Residence:
Cemetery:
Burial Place:
Burial Date:
Additional Relatives:
Film Number: 2243828
Digital Film Number: 4167851
Image Number: 100
Reference Number: 61179
Collection: Texas, Deaths, 1890-1976

Notes:

Married:
Sabine County, Texas Marriage Records Volume D Page 203

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)