Joshua Timothy Lee

Notes:

In her letter of 12 September 1999 to Melinda Strong, Jo Ann Lee Gartig wrote:

"Tim began his working life as a teamster, age 17 (where on the Jasper County 1880 Federal census he was boarding with Newton B. Jones) in the logging camps of Jasper County, along the Neches River between Kirbyville and Buna. A few years later he was engineer of the Texas Tram, a logging train which ran through the Neches River "bottom" near Buna and Ten Acre Lake. He went to San Antonio to earn $50 so that he could marry. At age 27, on October 6, 1886, Tim married Emily Ann Westbrook. The marriage took place at Tram Town, Jasper County. Two sons were born in Tram Town and both died in infancy. The couple took each infant in turn to be buried at Farr's Chapel, Farrsville, Newton County, Texas. Emily Ann's family lived at Farrsville.

On October 10, 1896, (at) age 37, Tim Lee was ordained by the Council of the South East Texas Free Will Baptist Association as a Free Will Baptist Minister. He was Minister of Erin Free Will Baptist Church, Erin Community, Jasper County. Throughout the years of his ministry, he was a circuit minister and one of the several churches that he traveled to preach in was Farr's Chapel.

At age 38, the family moved to Kirbyville, Jasper County and built their "dog-trot" home. This was one of the first homes built in Kirbyville when Mr. Kirby was marking off lots for homesites. The seventh child, Lela Lanine was the first born in the new house...(and) the remaining children were all born in this home.

Tim went to work for Mr. Kirby, owner of Kirby Lumber Company, as a timber evaluator. He was called a "log scaler" and measured amount of timber with a log scaling stick. For a while he was engineer for a log train and worked at night reparing engines in the engine shop. Tim worked for Kirby for many years until the lumber company burned in 1917. Then he went to work for Trout Creek Lumber Company as a night watchman at age 58. This lumber mill was located behind the old Kirbyville school building and near Tim's house. In October, 1927, age 67, Tim attended the 38th annual session of South East Texas Free Will Baptist Association at the Friendship Church near Roganville. He also attended the 39th annual session at Cairo Springs and in 1930 he attended the session at North Zulch, Madison County, Texas.

In 1931, Tim was 71 years old and still employed as a night watchman at the Trout Creek Lumber Mill in Kirbyville. He died of pneumonia, April 16, 1931 at home. Services were held at the family home and Tim was buried in Kirbyville Cemetery.

Chester Lee recounted to his daughter that "The old pendulum clock the family owned was won by Tim. A Kirbyville store owner offered the clock as a prize to the man who paid up his bill. Poppa owed 50 cents and paid up."

Joshua married Emily Ann Westbrook on 6 Oct 1886 in Tram Town, Jasper County, Texas. Emily (daughter of William Westbrook and Emily Huffman) was born on 11 Feb 1865 in Jasper County, Texas; died on 18 Jan 1933 in Kirbyville, Jasper County, Texas; was buried in Kirbyville City Cemetery, Kirbyville, Jasper County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

From FindAGrave: Husband of Grace Mattox, father of Martha Jane Lee. Long Leaf Lumber Co., Weirgate, TX Served in WWI with Co.V, 315th Engineers, Pvt. 1st Class, Memorial created by Jo Ann Lee Gartig



(Research):

Census Listings:

1930 Census
Texas, Newton County, JP 7, Wiergate Town
Enumerated ______________ 1930
ED 176-8 SD 19 Sheets 15B and 16A
309-330
Lee, Emmett C Head M W 39 M 32 Tx Ga Tx Mill Superintendent Lumber Co
Lee, Grace E Wf F W 27 M 20 Tx Tx Tx
Lee, Martha J Dtr F W 1 5/12 S Tx Tx Tx

Emmet married Grace Elizabeth Mattox on 19 May 1923. Grace was born on 18 Jan 1903 in Texas; died in Oct 2001 in Galveston County, Texas; was buried in Newton City Cemetery, Newton, Newton County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Lee Edward Harris. Lee was born on 7 Apr 1891; died on 11 Apr 1963; was buried in Kirbyville City Cemetery, Kirbyville, Jasper County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Never married.

Family/Spouse: Eva Gates. Eva was born before 1912. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

(Research):

Census Listings:

1930 Census
Texas, Jefferson County, Port Arthur, JP 2
Enumerated 11 Apr 1930
ED 123-46 SD 27 Sheet 13A Stamped 13
279-295
Lee, Herbert Head M W 31 M 24 Tx Ga Tx Machinist Oil Refinery
Lee, Gladys Wife F W 25 M 18 La La La
Lee, Virginia Dtr F W 3/12 S Tx Tx Tx
Lee, Chester Thomas Brother M W 25 S Tx Ga Tx Stenographer Oil Refinery

Herbert married Gladys Bodin on 30 Jun 1923. Gladys was born about 1905 in Louisiana; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Annie married Leslie Robert Messer on 29 Jul 1925. Leslie was born before 1901; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Marlin married Inez Salter before 1923 in Jasper County, Texas. Inez was born before 1905. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Marlin married Gervase Conlee after 1924. Gervase was born on 4 Oct 1902 in Texas; died on 16 Sep 1982 in Beaumont, Jefferson County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

In Jo Ann's letter dated 12 September 1999, she wrote that "My father Chester T. Lee and my mother Susie opened a Western Auto Association Store in Jasper about 1940. He was the president of the Jasper Chamber of Commerce in the 40s. He was on the Jasper School Board from 1946 till 1959, serving as president during the last 3 years of his term. He also served on the Jasper City Council for many years, and was a member of the First United Methodist Church. Both Chester and Susie are buried in the Jasper Memorial Cemetery. Also my brother Tom is buried there."

Family/Spouse: Susie Louise Reynolds. Susie was born before 1921; was buried in Memorial Park Cemetery, Jasper, Jasper County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Wilmer married Living [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

She was shared a double marker with Thomas J. BOWSER (1924-2000), who also has a memorial at FindAGrave.

Family/Spouse: Living. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

He married Darnell Bennett, and they had three children: Linda, Bobby, and Ann.

Family/Spouse: Living. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Living married Living [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]