The Guice’s came to America from Europe, either France or Germany. Benjamin Jeremiah Howard Guice (b. 10/23/1830, d.10/03/1914) left home at the age of fourteen and temporarily settled in Arkansas. He married Caston Dania Haltom (b. 07/02/1834, d. 12/01/1906). They are both buried in the Guiceland Cemetery. While in Arkansas, they had three of their nine children: John Joseph (Dock), Josephine Peninnah and Benjamin Randolph. In 1865, when J. J. (Dock) was six years old, the family moved to what is now known as Guiceland. Guiceland is located about 4 and ½ miles north of Grapeland on Highway 287. B. J. H. Guice donated land out of his farm for a cemetery which is called the Guiceland Cemetery and the name of the school of the area was called Guiceland School. This school was later consolidated into another district and the school was called Old Union. Those who have “kin” buried in the cemetery, and those who attended school there, still meet once a year for a time of reunion and remembrance. In 1893, the Crockett Courier stated, “B. J. H. Guice has bought a seventy acre block just above Mr. Will Selkirk’s residence and will move his family to Grapeland just as soon as he could build, for the purposes of educating his children.” This is in the section of town where the Grapeland City Cemetery is located. B. J. H. Guice donated an easement through his property for a road to the cemetery all the way from the railroad to the cemetery. This road is still in use today. As the sons of B. J. H. Guice grew to manhood, they became part of the business community of Grapeland. J. J. (Dock) Guice was in the grocery business on the north corner of block 2. He later was in the restaurant business at the present day location of Walling’s Drug Store. In the 1930s and 40s, Derother Guice (son of J. J.) ran a restaurant on Main Street, the City Cafe, where one of the best hamburgers in town could be bought for only five cents. The Guice men were very inventive and made numerous improvements in plowing equipment. B. R. Guice developed a cultivator that he patented and sold to the Kelly Plow Co. The Blount and Guice Cultivator Works in 1901 made and sold some 200 side and V-harrow cultivators. This cultivator was said to work as well in new land as in old. This cultivator, of course, was made to be drawn by horses and mules. A. B. Guice and B. R. Guice were in business together as general blacksmiths and machinists. They did all kinds of blacksmith and woodwork, stocked a full supply of piping’s, fittings, and engine oil cups. They also sold buggies and harnesses and specialized in horseshoeing. B. R. Guice and sons were also in the drug business for a time. In 1923, A. B. (Bert) Guice visited St. Louis, Missouri, and came home to update his blacksmith shop by adding a drive-in filling station for cars similar to those he had seen in the city. His new filling station was full-service – oil, gas, water, tires and repairs. (Where else would you take a T-model for repair other than a blacksmith shop?) A. B. Guice also had the Metz Car Agency and sold Metzcars. In naming their children, the Guice family believed in giving them plenty of names and then discarding them in favor of a nickname. The children of Benjamin Jeremiah Howard and Caston Dania Guice are as follows: 1. John Joseph (Dock) Guice (June 5, 1859-Feb. 12, 1944) married Maggie Florence Campbell (Feb. 24, 1870-Jan. 4, 1929). They had ten children: a. Maude Otis married Graton Streetman; b. Luna married Ecto Finch; c. Ethyl married William Waddell; d. Derother married Jewel Bridges; E. Joseph Nathan married Lillian Hanson; f. John married twice – his second wife was Sara Blanchard; g. Dottie Mae (died at the age of 13; h. Woodard Bexter (died at one month) I. Ommie Lee (died at age five); Maggie Leota (died at age six months). 2. Martha (Jo) Jorilla (Dec. 7, 1866-April 21, 1949) married Jeff Keen. They had six children: a. Byron married Almeda; b. Elmo married Mattie Tyre; c. Ben married Pearl Harmon; d. Robert (Rob) married Norma; E. Carrie married Hiram Smith; f. Lennie married Bill Howard. 3. Benjamin Randolph (Ben) Guice (July 31, 1863-March 16, 1952) married Alice Pelham (Aug. 8, 1867-Feb. 22, 1941). They had three children: a. Lila married Elwin Smith. Their children are Arwina, Harold, and Betty. (See Smith History); b. Howard Randolph married first Bessie Brown and second Addie Turner. He had two children, Alva Glen and Argie Lee; c. Arthur married Anna Smith and had one son, Billy. 4. Martha Jorilla Guice was born Dec. 7, 1866 and died April 21, 1949. 5. Cue Della (Que) (April 30, 1869-July 8, 1947) married Samuel (Sam) Warren Duitch (1869-1966). They had six children: a. Calvin married Lorene Coyle. Calvin was a Tex. Corporal in the Army Air Force in World War II; b. Adela; c. Ellis; d. Bailey (1906-1930) was a teacher. Cue Della and Sam Duitch also had an infant son who died at birth and Chiester B. who died as a small child. 6. Robert Clay Guice (April 15, 1872-May 1, 1886) 7. Albertus B. (Bert) Guice (Dec. 10, 1874-July 2, 1955) married Pearl Collins (Nov. 8, 1881-Aug. 28, 1973). They had three children: a. Albertus B. Jr., D.D.S.; b. Lonnie Mae married T. H. Hollingsworth; c. Caston married Charlie Stockton. 8. Mae Junia (Darlie) (Apr 1, 1877-Aug. 14, 1938) married Edgar Bean (July 1, 1873-JUly 12, 1956). They had one daughter, Madge who married Thomas Dauphin, and one son, Varna Milton (March 3, 1910-March 21, 1927). 9. William Guice died at age of one day.