|
The largest family by far both in numbers and in land owned was the SADLER FAMILY. Three Sadler brothers and a sister bought
and in 1878 in what is called the Negro Colony located some 5 miles N.E. of Valley Mills. The patriarch of the family was
JAMES B. SADLER (called Rev. Jim) who organized the Cumberland Presbyterian Church on his land) which church still exists
and is honored with an historical marker. JAMES B. SADLER bought from H. E. Conger et al 545 acres of land on December
19, 1878 at a price of $1445. His children were: U. G. (Grant) who married Lizzie Standifer and they had one daughter, Beatrice;
John K. who married Frankie Revis, Green who married Fannie King, Howard who married Frances Lewis, (who according to descriptions
furnished by several of the older ones who knew her, had blue eyes, a fair complexion, and straight hair), Baker (Bake) who
married Lula Sadler, Minnie who married Ed. Steele, Thulie who married Jeff Snell, Delia who married Joe Wright and Lula who
married Sanders Kenner. (Irene Dabbs is a daughter).
HOWARD SADLER, a brother of Rev. Jim married Frances Lewis and their children were : Isaiah (Ike) who married Emmaline
Odie and their children were William, Ollie, Isaiah Jr., Almeda, Gladys, Claudine, Dorothy and Frances; Jimmy who first married
Texana Odie and later to Margaret Sinty; Woodson first married Betty Sinty and their children were Geneva, Jimmie, Marjorie
and Charley and his second marriage was to Laura Thomas and their children were Hazel, Laura, Dewitt and Woodson Jr. Howard
bought 270 acres also on Dec. 19, 1878 at a price of $687.04.
ARCH SADLER, another brother of Rev. Jim, married Elizabeth ?and their children were Frances (who married Mose Johnson),
Arizona, America, Martha, Timothy, Charlie and Logan. LOGAN SADLER, a son of Arch Sadler married Nancy Sinty, whose father
was Mack Sinty and their children were Vassie, Melvin (Boots), John Bunyan, Fannie, Louise, Esther, Ed and Jack.
GRUNDY SADLER first married Arizona Sadler and their children were Lonzo, Jettie B., Minnie, Willie D. Worthy and Gene.
His second marriage was to Sallie Sedberry and they had no children. However, Sallie Sedberry had a son by a previous marriage,
Herbert Allen, who was the father of Jack Allen who lives here now. No one interviewed seems to know Grundy Sadler's father's
name.
MACK SINTY, also a preacher, settled in the colony at the same time as Rev. Jim, Howard and Arch Sadler and bought 64 acres
of land from Mary A. Conger, et al on December 19, 1878 at a cost of $245.00. He was married to Sarah ? and their children
were OLIVER (who first married Valera Belle Sadler and his second marriage was to Fannie Revis); Mary married Ed Edwards;
Henry married Bessie Snell; Nancy married Logan Sadler and Betty married Woodson Sadler.
HODGE SADLER was an old timer but no one interviewed seemed to know much about this family. Hodge was the father of Robert,
L. B. (Candy) Sadler, and Pearl. Hodge was a brother of Aunt Mary Brown.
The McLENNAN family were freed slaves of the family for which McLennan County is named and were highly respected.
Aunt Cindy McLennan lived to be well over 100 years of age when she died here in Valley Mills. No one living seems to know
her husband's first name. Her son JOHN HENRY McLENNAN was married to Matilda Sadler who was a sister of Alf and Alex Sadler.
Their children were Lizzie, Thulia, Emma, E. R. (Tony), Jr, Johnnie (Shine) (who married Lucy Wortham and whose children are
J. L. and Hershel).
Tony married Geneva Sadler, a daughter of Woodson Sadler and their children are Valera Bell, Maud, W. D., Van, E. R. Jr.,
Billy, Gladys, Raydell and Marva. Tony is now 85 and worked on the Santa Fe Railroad from 1908 until his retirement. A
daughter of Aunt Cindy's and a sister of John Henry, Lizzie, married J. L. Downing.
BUD WORTHAM married Lizzie Allen and their children were Eula, Ida, Jerry, Lowry, Lucy, Arnie, John Louis and Manuel. They
were an old family and once lived on the old Lowry H. Scrutchfield place later owned by S. L. Patterson. After Bud Wortham's
death, Aunt Lizzie, as she was affectionately called, married GEORGE KENNEDY who was highly respected by everyone and they
had no children. Aunt Lizzie died in 1967 at the age of 93.
[Source: "Valley Mills Tribune," September
5, 1975]
|
