My Family Tree is Full of Nuts

William Clifford Chesser

Born 22 July, 1895 in Bells, Fannin County, Texas.

Married  04 November 1917, in Cornith, Harmon County, OK

Died 25 May 1960 in Altus, Jackson County, OK

Father was Joseph Chesser and his mother was Narcissa Paron Whitaker

Wife of William Clifford Chesser

Julia Paril Rebecca Ince. Julia was born 26 September 1898 in Derden, Hill County, TX, died 02 February 1982 in Tulsa, Tulsa County, OK. Julia’s father was John Calvert Ince and her mother was Selah Catherine Eslick.

Children of William Clifford Chesser and Julia Paril Rebecca Ince are:

Clifford William Chesser,Male, who was born 15 February 1919 in McQueen Community, Harmon County, OK. Clifford married in Cordell, OK to Dorothy Jean Lackey, and he died 21 July 1980 in Muskogee, OK.

Julia Marie Chesser, Female, born 17 July 1920 in McQueen Community, Harmon County, OK. She was Married 21 November 1984 in Vernon, Texas. Her spouses were John Edgeworth,  Dee Moon.

Lee Roy Chesser, Male, was born 12 September 1922 in McQueen Community, Harmon County, OK. He was married 15 March 1946 in Quinlin, Texas to Betty Ruth House.

Bonnie Katherine Chesser, Female, Born 30 August 1924 in Eldorado, Jackson County, OK. He married 12 June 1942 in Altus, Jackson County, OK and died 31 December 1996 in Altus, Jackson County, OK.  Her two spouses were Ray Southern, Robert Parks.

Cecil Ray Chesser, Male, was born 07 May, 1926 in Eldorado, Jackson County, OK.  Married 23 June 1946 in Quana, Texas to Lowetta Mae Cross.

Loyd Jr. Chesser, Male, was born 8 May 1930 in Southwest of Duke, Jackson County, OK and Married 8 May 1953 in Ponca City, OK to Margarete McEuin.

Stella Mae Chesser, Female , was born 04 September 1933 in Southwest of Duke, Jackson County, OK and married 04 June, 1953 in Abliline, Taylor County, TX. Spouses were Floyd Allen Marin, Clifford Henery Leader.

Born:        27 December 1855, Marshall County, TN

Married:  12 January 1874, Marshall County, TN

Died:          17 December 1927, Norman, Cleveland, OK

Father:     Samuel Beshett or Beckett Chesser

Mother:   Martha Nickles, or Nichols

Wife of Joseph Chesser     

Narcissa Paron Whitaker              Marshall County,TN

Born:            August 1856

Died              1904     at the family’s farm in Texas.

Father:        Francis M. Whitaker

Mother:       Caroline M. Hall  

CHILDREN:

Morgan Chesser, Male,  born August 1878  in Tennessee.

Benjamin Chesser, Male, born February 1880 in Tennessee.

Lee A. Chesser, Male, born July 1881 in Tennessee, his spouse was Nancy.

Oder Chesser, Female, born March 1885 in Tennessee

Ona Chesser, Female, born May 1886 in Tennessee

Birdie Chesser, Female, born  April 1888

Lois Chesser, Female born August 1890 in Tennessee

William Clifford Chesser, Male, born 22 July 1895 in Bells, Fanning County, Tx. He married 4 November 1917 in Cornith, Harmon County, Ok to Julia Paril Rebeca Ince. He died 25 May 1960 in Altus, Jackson County, OK.

Perry Morris Chesser, Male, born 14 November 1897 , died January 1973, his spouse was Minnie.

Miscellaneous information on Hepsey Prosser Epps .

This story was told to a family member, in 1981.

Hepsey Prosser was “just a baby” when James Norris Epps married her. She was either just past 14 or not quite 14 years old.  James Epps was about 10 years older than Hepsey.

He kept her pregnant “He killed her by keeping her pregnant all the time.” 

They married 20 December 1860, and the first child was born 1861, a girl named Ella. The next child, Elizabeth “Bettie” was born 2 October 1863, the third child, Hepsey was born 22 March 1865 and died 20 November 1892.

Hepsey Prosser the mother was pregnant with the fourth child when she died in 1866 or 1867 . Both Hepsey and the child died.

Please feel free to do so.  We only ask that if you have something that is a correction to what we have or something to add to this site to contact me at

SadieMaesAttic@aol.com       I welcome all post. You are welcome to use any of this research. Others have helped me and I am willing to give back.

Chris

1842

The year of 1842 was a very eventful year for the 60 year old Larry Epps. He made a decision to divest himself of some of his property. In February 7, 1842 Larry sold a slave girl named Caroline to his son-in-law John Ray the husband of his daughter Hepsey. The sale price was $150.00. Larry also sold land on the previous date to John Ray for $133.00 . It was 79 3/4 acres situated on the waters of Cane Creek and near land of William Ellison and included Larry’s spinning cabins and other unnamed improvements. Both of these transactions with a relative netted Larry $283.00 early in the year of 1842.

Larry set up a deed of trust for $1.00 to James R. Heister dated June 7, 1842. He was indebted to a William Harris for $137.28n and it was due a short time later in October 1842. He secured the trust deed with two parcels of land. One was the tract he got originally from Adam House in December 9,n1819 and was about 70 x 118 poles in size. He also included 12 head of cattle, 20 heards of sheep, and 2 beds with this land tract. The other tract he obtained from Mary Blackmore and was near Bryant and Polston land on the east, by Woodruff on the north, by Mrs. Greer on the West, and by WIlliam Armstrong on the south. The combined acreage of these two tracts is 80 acres.

On November 10,1842 Larry sold 50 acres to his neighbor William H. Stephenson for $250.00. This land was on the waters of Cane Creek and was north of land owned by George Hall. The 1842 net profit from property sales to Larry after taking care of his debt to William Harris would amount to about $396.00.

1843

Larry sold 33 acres to John Painter and Henry Wiggs of Rutherford County, Tennessee for $100.00 in April 11,1843. John Painter may have been an in-law since Larry’s daughter Hepsey married William Painter. This land was on the waters of Cane Creek and near the land of Jarmin Small, Hearrison Steveson.

1844

Larry brought 79 1/2 acres for $134.00 from his son-in-law John Ray on February 10, 1844. This land on waters of Cane Creek is bound by Henry Bryants, David Armstrong’s and tennessee Small’s land and measures about 60 by 120 poles or about 79 1/2 acres. This appears to be the same land that or at least part of the same land he sold to John Ray in 1942.

1847

On the 4th of December 1847 Larry Epps age 65 bought 63 acres for $189.00 from Mary  Blackmore. Her land was part of a grant to the heirs of Andrew Greer by N.C. covering 2140 acres. The land was on the east fork of Cane Creek and was adjacent to land of Thomas Cummins and a Stephenson (about 55 poles wide and 183 poles long.) Larry Epps immediately sold half or 31 1/2 acres of the 63 acres he got from Mary Blackmore to his elder son James in December 1847 for $151.00.  This made his cost for the 31 1/2 acres he retained to be $38.00  James Craton was 39 years old at this time.

1855

Larry age 73 is still in the land game. On March 27,1855 he paid John Landress $213.50 for 79 acres of land near E.T. Thomas, R.J. Small and David Armstrong. The land transaction was recorded by the country court clerk on July 29, 1856.

1864

On December 1, 1864 William Epps sold his interest in 79 acres gained as an heir of Sarg Epps deceased to J.C. Epps and his heirs for $80.00. The land is in District number 9 and is described as near that of E.T. Thomas, David Armstrong, and R.J. Smith (maybe Small?) The transaction is witnessed by Lawrence Epps and A.S. Small. These witnesses also appear before the county court clerk on November 1, 1869. Since this is 90% probable the same land owned by larry Epps then the Sarg Epps deceased is probably him. Is this William Pleasant the son of Pleasant M. Epps, brother of J.C. Epps.

1871

On January 7, 1871 James C. Epps Sr. made a trust deed with William Moffett secured by 79 acres of land he owned to settle his indebtedness of $200.00 to his brother-in-law A.P. Clift which was due on Janaury 1871. Moffett gave James the $200.00 he needed to settle his debt and the trust agreement gave him until January 6 1873 to settle up with Moffett or otherwise put his land up for auction at the courthouse to cover his indebtedness to Moffett through the trust agreement. His sons John Norris and James Jr. were witnesses to this agreement.

James Polk Epps  ( the above pic is NOT James..)

J.P Epps was born in Bedford County, Tennessee, a son of Peter Irby Epps and Abigail (Allen) Epps. His mother died when he was five years of age. From early youth he lived near Rienzi, Miss.  James Enlisted in Forrest’s Cavalry at sixteen years of age, and served the last two years of the war. Later he worked on the farm and clerked in stores at Booneville, Mississippi and Bethel Springs, Tennessee. He engaged in merchandising at the latter place, and did a prosperous business for more than thirty years. In the spring of 1910 he moved to Corinth, Mississippi where he died December 31, 1910, aged sixty-four years. He was a member of the Presyterian Church at Bethel Springs, Tennessee. A wife and five children survive him.

• Lawrence Epps died intestate about 20 June 1861. The court ordered the sale of his land to pay off his debts. A family law suit followed in 1867 It was not until ten years after his death that the sale of the land was completed.
•  On Oct 17and 18, 1861 James C Epps administrator of his father’s estate sold his personal property. The accounting of the price of each article sold and who purchased it was recorded by the Lincoln County Clerk J T Grossman in Jan. 24 1867. Most of the purchases were on credit with a twelve month period for payment. The sum of the sale amounted to $100 exactly. The largest purchase was made by Hugh M Epps when he paid $38.80 for three hogs. Details on this sale can be seen under Buck’s Corner.
•  Court appointed Charles C. McKinney August 1867 for minor heirs of Estate of Lawrence Epps.
•  Court amended bill of J. C. Epps vs Hugh M. Epps et al Feb 1 1868
•  April 29, 1871 the following deposed: T. M. Blakemore, E. T. Thomas, James Jr. Epps, James Craton Epps Sr., Hugh M. Epps
•  May 5, 1871 continuation of depositions: Lawrence Epps son of James Epps Sr.
•  May 19, 1871 continuation of depositions: James Armstrong, Isham Sorrell, Joseph Cole, James Epps, E. T. Thomas
•  June 1,1871 continuation of depositions: Ex county clerk D. J. Whitington testified that in his experience the fee of $15 asked for by J C Epps for services as administrator is acceptable.  
•      September 28, 1871 the land was sold by order of the court. The buyer was John Norris Epps. He is the son of James Craton Epps Sr. who is the administrator of his father Lawrence Epps estate. John paid $1310.09. He took out two notes that are due at 1 and 2 years from the sale date. The securitors of this debt are James Craton Epps his father, James Epps his brother, Daniel Franklin Moore and Alexander P. Clift his brother-in-laws.
•  On February 5, 1873 John Norris and his first wife Sarah Cole Epps transferred the land  to James F Renfrow in exchange for assumption of the debt on the land

The following is the earliest document preserved in the archives of Lincoln County regarding the Epps family law suit over settling the estate of Lawrence Epps. As the various documents published hear are read a window in time is opened into many of the private conversations that occurred between Epps relatives and also their interaction with neighbors. The depositions help us understand some of the hardships that occurred for this family shortly after the end of the Civil War. Many clues for future family historical research are found in these documents.  In transcribing these ancient hand written documents an effort is made not to edit it but to preserve the original spelling, grammar, capitalization, and punctuation used by court reporters. Chris Wheeler copied the original records in Lincoln County and shared them with the transcriber Lawrence W Epps.

Jas. C. Epps Adm. and Guard ad Litem  Pro Connfesso vs   Hugh M Epps et al         

Chancery Court Tenn.  August  1867       

In this cause it appearing that the minor Defendants to wit Margaret Ann, Mary Panter. Mary and Sarah Pruitt children of Larry Pruitt dec. and a child, name unknown, of John Panter dec., have no regular Guardian, it is ordered by the Court That Charles C. McKinney be appointed Guardian ad Litum to answer for the same—

And further appearing that publication had been made in the “Lincoln County News” a news paper published in the Town of Fayetteville for four weeks in succession preceding the present Term of Court requiring the non resident Defendants, Wm Panter, Gilbert Epps, Elizabeth Cole, John Cole, Malinda Panter, Larry Panter, Mahala Causley, Wesley Causly and Nancy Panter to please answer on _?_ to Complainant bill at the present term of the Court, and having failed so to do within the finish _?_ days of the term, it is then fore ordered adjudged and decreed that said bill be taken for confessed And set for hearing expart, as to them

The document below gives the complaint of James C. Epps the administrator of his father Lawrence’s estate who died intestate. The court had order that the land of Lawrence Epps deceased should be sold to settle the debts against his estate. James pointed out that the farm was in such poor condition that it could not even be rented much less sold for reasonable value. Therefore James C Epps moved onto the land and began to restore it to good farming condition at considerable out of pocket expense. It was his desire to recover this expense from the sale of the land before the remainder was divided between the heirs. The court was to ascertain proof of his expenses so an equitable settlement could be made between all heirs.

Filed February 1st 1868 before R. Farquhason Clerk & Master Chancery Court of Lincoln County
To The Honorable John P. Steele Chancellor and presiding at Fayetteville, Lincoln County, Tennessee.
The amended Bill of James C. Epps to a Bill heretofore filed The Honorable Court

Your Complainant James C. Epps a citizen of Lincoln County, Tennessee would show unto your Honor. That Lawrence Epps, late of said County and State, departed this life about the month of June 1861, Intestate, leaving him surviving no widow, but the following children and grandchildren–Hu M. who resides in Lincoln County, Tennessee, Margaret J. who intermarried with Thos. Cummings, who died before intestate, she residing in said County of Lincoln, but not made a Defendant, Gilbert, who resides in Mississippi, James C. your Complainant, Hepsey, who married William Panter, she having died about 15 year ago, leaving following children–Elizabeth who intermarried with John Cole, Malinda who intermarried with ______ name not known, John who died leaving one child, a minor, whose name is unknown, Larry, Mahala who intermarried with Wesley Causby, Nancy, Margaret, a minor and Mary Painter, a minor, all residing in Arkansas, Mahala who intermarried with James Pruitt, she having died about 30 years ago, leaving two children, to wit, Mary who intermarried with B. F. Harkins, who resides in Lincoln County, Tennessee, and Larry, who died in 1865, leaving two children Mary and Sarah Pruitt, minors, residing in Bedford County, Tennessee and have no regular guardian, known to Complainant.
Pleasant Epps, who died about 15 years ago, leaving one child, Wm. Epps of full age, residing in said County of Lincoln, but he is not made a Defendant. Intestate had another son who removed to Texas and has not been heard from in 15 years, and supposed to be dead–he left no children surviving.
The foregoing are the only children and grandchildren and heirs at law of said intestate, known to Complainant.
Complainant would now show unto your Honor, as shown in Bill of which this is an amendment That he was duly qualified as Admr. of intestate as set forth in said original Bill.
Your Complainant would show That said Bill was filed for the sale of a tract of land. The boundaries of which Tract of land are minutly set forth in said original Bill and for the payment of debts of intestate, and for a distribution of the remainder of the proceeds of said lands to the several heirs entitled to the same.
In addition to the facts set forth in said Original Bill, Complainant would show unto your Honor. That in the year 1864 your Complainant as admr. of said intestate endeavored to rent said Tract of Land, but owning to the unsettled state of the County he failed to rent the same. That in the year 1865 the said Tract of Land being very much abused. The fences destroyed, and the dwelling and out houses being in a dilapidated condition. Complainant moved on said place, and has remained on the same up to the present time.
Complainant would now show unto your Honor. That he has made valuable improvements on said place. That at great trouble and expense he has built a kitchen, repaired the dwelling houses and stables and has repaired and rebuilt fences that were destroyed during the late war. in fact Complainant has, out of his own means and labor, placed said Tract of Land in good farming condition, which before was in a situation that rendered it entirely useless.
Complainant would show unto your Honor that his expenditures, improvements and labor on said place would amount to between Three Hundred and Four Hundred Dollars.
The premises considered Complainant prays that all the foregoing children, grandchildren and husbands of living female consorts be made parties, except said Margaret J. Cummings and Wm. Epps. That publication be made for the nonresident Defendants, and all necessary process used to bring all the resident Defendants before the Court. That they be required to answer J C, that guardian ad Litem be appointed to answer for the minor Defendants who are without regular guardians as far as Complainant knows. And at the hearing of the cause may it please your Honor to order that proof be taken to ascertain the amount and value of improvements placed on said Tract of Land by Complainant and Complainant prays that the same be allowed to him whatever amount the court may deem. And for such other and further relief as the nature of the case may require and as in duty bounds your Complainant will ever pray
Bright and Bright
Solicitor for Complainant Read the rest of this entry »