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Ernest Jackson Boyett

Male 1906 - 1985  (78 years)


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  • Name Ernest Jackson Boyett  [1, 2, 3, 4
    Born 19 Dec 1906  Sabine County, Texas Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 2, 3, 4
    Gender Male 
    Died 3 Aug 1985  Travis County, Texas Find all individuals with events at this location  [2, 3, 5
    Buried Junction Cemetery, Junction, Kimble County, Texas Find all individuals with events at this location  [3
    Notes 
    • According to the SSDI, his last residence was Telegraph, Texas, Martha White found information from research prepared by the City of Austin Historic Landmark Commission that indicated Ernest J. Boyett purchased the town of Telegraph, Texas in Kimble County in 1944, and apparently held it until 1963. He was listed as a rancher and owned land in Kimble County in the vicinity of his mentor, former Texas Governor Coke Stevenson. His sister-in-law, Mary Bolt, operated the Telegraph Post Office from 1947 to 1950.

      Obituary from the Austin American Statesman, August 4, 1985
      (Courtesy of Martha White)

      Ernest J. Boyett

      Ernest J. Boyett, 78, of Telegraph, Texas died Saturday.

      Survived by his wife, France Boyett; one son and daughter-in-law, Jackson and Barbara Boyett of Austin; one step-son Ben Lindsey and wife Carol of Waco; one grandson, Matthew Lindsey of Waco; three sisters, Anne White of Austin, Willie B. Smith of Austin and Evelyn Furman of Fresno, California; several nieces and nephews.

      Funeral arrangements are pending at the Aubrey Fife Funeral Home in Junction, Texas.

      Local arrangements were handled by Wilke-Amey-Clay Funeral Home.

      News story of the funeral of Ernest Boyett, Austin American Statesman, August 5, 1985
      (Courtesy of Martha White)

      Services Scheduled Tuesday for aide to former governor

      Services for Ernest J. Boyett, an executive secretary to former Gov. Coke Stevenson and a former sergeant-at-arms in the state House of Representatives, will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday at the First Baptist Church at Junction.

      Boyett, a resident of Telegraph in Kimble County, died Saturday at the age of 78.

      Born in Sabine County, he became a deputy sheriff in Kimble County and city manager in Junction.

      In 1935, he moved to Austin and became the first full-time sergeant-at-arms in the House of Representatives under Stevenson, who was speaker. When Stevenson became governor in 1941, Boyett became his executive secretary, a position he held until 1946.

      He served as acting sergeant-at-arms in the House of Representatives at the start of every session since 1935.

      Boyett is survived by a son Jackson Boyett of Austin; a step-son, Ben Lindsey of Waco; and three sisters.

      Bio from FindAGrave (courtesy of Martha Ann White)

      One of 9 children born to Robert Edgar and Clarissa Abi Conn Boyett in East Texas. He moved to Junction, Texas where his only brother, Aaron Patrick Boyett, resided. His first marriage was to Sylvia Bolt and ended at her death in 1974. Ernest remarried on November 26, 1975 to Mrs. Frances Lindsey of Austin to whom he was married until his death. Mr. Boyett lived in Kimble County on his ranch that adjoined the of ranch of Coke Stevenson (Texas's World War II Governor). Boyett was the Mayor of Telegraph, Texas and in fact Boyett created Telegraph, Texas and got it on the map, literally. Telegraph consisted of Mr. Boyett's house, the Pink House, the General Store he owned and had a population high of 6! Mr. Boyett served as Governor Stevenson's Executive Secretary. Ernest was connected to a famous bit of Texas history - he was working for Gov. Stephenson when Stevenson ran for election to the United States Senate against President Lyndon B. Johnson. Gov. Stevenson was winning until Box 13 in Duvall County was found and the votes therein narrowly gave the election win to LJB. In addition, Boyett was Sargeant-of-Arms for the Texas House of Representatives. Finally, Mr. Boyett was the Public Relations Director for the Lone Star Book Depository a position he held for many years and until his death. Ernest was preceded in death by both parents, all but three of his siblings, and his first wife Sylia Bolt Boyett.

      After he died there was a resolution from in the Texas Legislature honoring his years of service. This resolution can be viwed here:

      http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth146021/m1/94/
    Person ID I36169  Strong Family Tree
    Last Modified 17 Aug 2014 

    Father Robert Edgar Boyett,   b. 14 Dec 1870, Arkansas Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 30 Apr 1927, Rosevine, Sabine County, Texas Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 56 years) 
    Mother Clarissa L. Abi Conn,   b. 22 Jul 1877, Sabine County, Texas Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 7 Mar 1935, Junction, Kimble County, Texas Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 57 years) 
    Married 19 Dec 1893  Sabine County, Texas Find all individuals with events at this location  [6, 7, 8
    • In her annotated transcription of the Gravel Hill Cemetery, Kay Parker McCary shows that they were also the parents of Wyatt BOYETT (1905-1906). This is a possiblity, as he would fit in the gap between their children Willie Orma (b. 1903) and Ernest Jackson (b. 1906). The 1910 census enumeration shows that Clarissa was the mother of six children in total, only five still living. Her living children were Emma (already married to Leonard Cordray), Aaron, Willie O., Ernest, and Vida. Robert Goodrich, born and died in 1902 was known to be deceased. Therefore, unless the census was in error, she could not have also been the mother of Wyatt. Additionally, in March 2013 Clarissa's granddaughter, Martha White emailed that "Sadly, there was once a page from the family bible but it was long ago lost and was in bad shape. I know that no one ever said Grandmother had anything but 9 children. My Mother [Annie Lora Boyett White] being her 9th and last child. Two did die very young, Robert Goodrich [and later] Oren Washington. I do not remember seeing a Wyatt on the bible list. An additional child...say Wyatt...would have given Grandmother 10 children in her life and to my knowledge that is just incorrect. Also, in the past decades there were trips by my Uncle Ernest to east Texas and his wife photographed graves -- he never mentioned a Wyatt or brought back a picture of that grave. Years and years ago I did do a family tree, when Ernest Sr., Aunt Willie were still living...they all looked at it and never mentioned a Wyatt. So I do believe that is an error. Aunt Willie also helped a woman out of CA who was writing a book, and she never mentioned a Wyatt either." It is likely that Wyatt Boyett, attributed by Kay Parker McCary to Robert Edgar and Clarissa Boyett was more likely a son of John Oliver Boyett and Mattie Conn, and therefore not a sibling, but rather a double first cousin to the children born to Robert and Clarissa.
    Family ID F11213  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Sylvia Bolt,   b. 4 Oct 1910, Texas Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 28 Oct 1974, Junction, Kimble County, Texas Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 64 years) 
    Married Y  [3
    Children 
     1. Rev. Ernest Jackson Boyett, Jr.,   b. 5 Jul 1947, Austin, Travis County, Texas Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 29 Nov 2011, Travis County, Texas Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 64 years)
    Last Modified 22 Mar 2013 
    Family ID F3710  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBorn - 19 Dec 1906 - Sabine County, Texas Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDied - 3 Aug 1985 - Travis County, Texas Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 
    Pin Legend  : Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  • Documents
    Boyett, Ernest Jackson
    Boyett, Ernest Jackson
    Senate Resolution 11, In Memory of Ernest Boyett
    Journal of the Senate of the State of Texas, Second Called Session of the 69th Legislature, Volume 4
    http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth146021/m1/94/

  • Sources 
    1. [S481] 1910 United States Federal Census [Ancestry.com database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2006, (For details on the contents of the film numbers, visit the following NARA web page. Original data: United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Thirteenth Census of the United States, 1910. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1910. T624, 1,178 rolls. This database is an index to the head of households enumerated in the 1910 United States Federal Census, the Thirteenth Census of the United States. In addition, each indexed name is linked to actual images of the 1910 Federal Census. The information recorded in the census includes: name, relationship to head of family, age at last birthday, sex, color or race, whether single, married, widowed, or divorced, birthplace, birthplace of father and mother, and more.), Texas, Sabine County, JP 1 Enumerated 3 May 1910 SD 2 ED 131 Sheet 14B 238-240 (Reliability: 3).

    2. [S333] Ancestry.com - U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-Current [database online], (Ancestry.com. Social Security Death Index [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2011. Original data: Social Security Administration. Social Security Death Index, Master File. Social Security Administration. The Social Security Administration Death Master File contains information on millions of deceased individuals with United States social security numbers whose deaths were reported to the Social Security Administration. Birth years for the individuals listed range from 1875 to last year. Information in these records includes name, birth date, death date, and last known residence.).

    3. [S873] Find A Grave [database online]; http://www.findagrave.com/, (Thousands of contributors submit new listings, updates, corrections, photographs and virtual flowers every hour to the FIND A GRAVE website. When it comes to administrating, building and maintaining the site, Find A Grave is largely operated by its founder, Jim Tipton.), # 8085190 (Reliability: 3).

    4. [S1299] 1940 United States Federal Census [Ancestry.com. database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012, (Original data: United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1940. T627, 4,643 rolls.), Census Place: Austin, Travis, Texas; Roll: T627_4148; Page: 15A; Enumeration District: 227-10. (Reliability: 3).

    5. [S334] Rootsweb, Texas Death Records, 1964 thru 1998.

    6. [S327] Dore, Barbara Yancey (RootsLady@rootslady.com) "Southeast Texas Regional Gedcom Project" http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=bydore_1, (Dore, Barbara Yancey "Southeast Texas Regional Gedcom Project"; http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=bydore_1 ; Updated Tue Feb 24 22:17:40 2004 This Gedcom contains many regionally located but sometimes unconnected Southeast Texas persons. Some of the information has been collected during Barbara's past 35 years of family research. Many undocumented families in the area are included. ALWAYS verify!!).

    7. [S607] McCary, Kay P. "Gravel Hill Cemetery, Sabine County, Texas" Cemetery Index ; http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~txsabine/burials/.

    8. [S33] FamilySearch.org, Texas Deaths, 1890-1976, (http://search.labs.familysearch.org/recordsearch/).