He knew it had been a while since he heard from his sister. But while hooking up the wagon for a trip over to the next county for supplies for the winter, he realized it had been over a year since he saw her last. That was when she wed the guy from two counties over and moved away from the family farm. He decided to take the time on this trip to drop by for a visit. As he drove up to the property where they were said to have moved, he was unimpressed with the condition of the property. He thought to himself that he should say something to his sister about the work ethics of that new husband of hers. By the time he reached the cabin he knew there was nobody about. Although the door was ajar, he could see that someone had painted some lettering on the weathered wood. He climbed down from the wagon for a closer look. And there on the door were just three letters . . .

Although the above story is "historical fiction", there is a similar story in the family history of many who now call Texas "home." And there will be a 2005 reunion of descendants of many of those who may very well have put just such a sign on their front door as they left their kith 'n kin behind . . .

2005 Reunion

Our related and/or connected G.T.T. lines include . . .

Allen, Antony, Beale, Bryan, Calvert, Christian, Coffee, Connell, Criswell, Davis, Deen, Fears, Fergeson, Gill, Grant, Hall, Hamilton, Henry, Kyle, LeMire*, Nink, Northern, Porter, Roberts, Sharp, Snyder, Stewart, Waring, Wulfgen

*Lamar, Lamane, Lamier, LaMire et al

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Saturday, October 15, 2005 Rockdale, Milam County, Texas TO: Gone To Texas Kith 'n Kin WHAT: Gone To Texas Reunion WHEN: Saturday, October 15, 2005 WHERE: Rockdale Christian Church Educational Building, Rockdale Road @ Sager Road, Rockdale, Milam County, Texas. For those of you that have attended before, this location is where we have gathered for the last two years. From West Cameron Avenue (aka Hwy. 79) on the west side of downtown Rockdale turn north at the traffic signal by Dollar General Store onto Meadow Drive. After the 4-way stop at Murray Ave. (just past hospital on your left), go one block north then take dog-leg to your right and immediately turn back left onto Rockdale Road. Follow this road to its intersection with Sager Road. This is once again the weekend of the 3-day Rockdale Fair & Rodeo (3rd weekend in October every year). For those of you requiring overnight accomodations, click HERE. SILENT AUCTION: This feature has become a popular part of our annual gatherings. *GENEALOGY TID-BITS FROM VICKIE: It seems that since this annual gathering was restarted in the autumn of 1998, the majority of the people attending this annual gathering in Milam Co. during October -- which is Family History Month -- have been descendants of Edgar & Berta Mary (Sharp) Henry. Since that first year we find that we are branching out a little on that particular side of the family tree by inviting some of Berta (Sharp) Henry & Sam Sharp's kin through their paternal grandmother, Mahala. Mahala and her sister, Matilda, were two of the children of pre-Republic of Texas residents, Elisha & Patsy (Gill) Roberts. Mahala had two children with her first husband, John Sharp -- Sam Houston Sharp & Margaret Sharp. Following John's death, Mahala married Joshua James Hall, and they also had two children -- Berta & Horace. Horace Hall is the ancestor of the new cousins planning to join us this year. Elisha is mentioned in the text on the Texas Centennial Marker that was placed in 1936 near the place of his & Patsy's burial in San Augustine Co.: Elisha Roberts erected a cotton gin in San Augustine County, 1825 ... alcalde, 1831 ... delegate to second convention of Texas, 1833 ... born in Tennessee, 1774 ... died Oct. 3, 1844 ... his wife, Martha Gill Roberts, born 1781, died Dec. 18, 1845. His name is also on the marker placed near the site of their home in San Augustine County: Site of the Home of Elisha Roberts (1774~1844) early influential citizen important figure in the Fredonian Rebellion, alcalde of San Augustine in 1831, a haven of hospitality to travelers. Elisha is mentioned on a DAR marker that is placed along the path of the El Camino Real: Marker #6 ... San Augustine Co. TX ... V. N. Zivley's Field Notes (abstracted) ... Near the old Elisha Roberts Tavern said to have been built about 1827 ... 4.3 miles East of the junction of St. Hwy. 21 and St. Hwy. 147 ... 4.7 miles East of the Sabine County line ... on the North side of St. Hwy. 21. Mahala's daughter, Margaret Sharp, married James Madison Hall, who was the son of Mahala's 2nd husband, Joshua James Hall. Margaret's husband kept a daily record of his life & the happenings around him in Houston Co. & Liberty Co. from 1860 until his death in 1866. One of the things he writes about is the marriage of our Sam & Nellie Sharp: 11 Jul 1861. Today I am engaged as salesman in the store with pretty active trade. Be it remembered & known that Samuel H. Sharp and Miss Mary Alexandrien Lamier, were united together in the bonds of wedlock, and I rather expect at night there was some very sharp shooting took place, this however is only a surmise. Capt. Wrigley & Ed. Jones came in from their camp to attend said wedding where all passed off pleasantly & agreeably to all in attendance. weather clear & warm.- Two of Sam & Nellie's children were Berta Mary (who married Edgar Henry) & her brother, Sam, Jr. (who married Edgar's twin sister, Emma). Nellie -- aka Mary Alexandrien -- is the Mary A. Sharp mentioned in the following text from the Texas Historical Marker that in 1998 was placed near the site of her burial in Houston Co. TX: Joshua James Hall (1790-1871) gave a portion of his land on this site about a mile from his homestead to be used as a burial ground. Hall Cemetery was already in use when freedmen French Taylor (1842-1937), Bob Denby, and Alf Warfield petitioned Hall for permission to bury their dead in the graveyard. Hall agreed, and the cemetery was used by both Anglo and African American settlers. The earliest marked grave is that of Mary A. Sharp (1843-1876). Hall Cemetery had several owners during the 20th century. A 1997 count revealed 29 marked and more than 105 unmarked graves. Descendants of early settlers continue to care for and maintain the land. Mahala's sister, Matilda, is mentioned in the early history of Milam Co. long before Rockdale came along in 1874, & hence before Josephine & Wm. P. Henry visited Josephine's sister in Rockdale in 1876. Matilda first married John Connell, who arrived in Texas in 1826 with Sterling C. Robertson. He died at Viesca, Milam Co., in 1834. In 1835 Matilda married Samuel Tabor Allen. He was active in pre-Republic of Texas politics. He was a delegate from Milam (Viesca) to the Consultation of 1835, & also represented Milam in the House of Representatives of the 1st Congress, 1836-1837. Samuel was killed by Kickapoo Indians in 1838 -- shortly before the birth of his & Matilda's daughter. In 1847 Matilda married Samuel's widowed brother, Thomas J. Allen. In 1850 she donated 120 acres of the family estate to Bell County (created & organized from Milam in 1850) as the site for the new county seat, which soon became known as Belton. Matilda is mentioned as "the widow Allen" in a series of sketches written by Sam Locklin, longtime Milam Co. resident, in 1940. She died in 1879 at the home of her daughter, Mrs. John T. Coffee, in Georgetown. Matilda is also mentioned in the text on the Texas Historical Marker placed at the Bell County Courthouse in 1970. Vickie (Pounders) Everhart was born and raised in Milam County, Texas, but now lives near Dallas. Vickie can be reached via email at either of the following Gmail addresses: Vickie.Everhart@gmail.com Rockdale.Texas@gmail.com