Julius Luther Ward

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Julius Luther Ward Family History

J.L. Ward Family

Julius L. Ward (born February 7, 1857; died May 6, 1926), married Sarah Cornelius Fowler (born March 28, 1859; died May 29, 1928) on the third of September, 1876 in Sugar Valley, Gordon County, Georgia, where they were both born. They are buried in marked graves in the City Cemetery, Stanton, and Martin County, Texas. Julius was the son of Thornton McLean Ward (born September 28, 1826; died May 29, 1902) and Martha Jane King (born July 22, 1827; died October 27, 1910). This family was related to William Ward, of Macon, Georgia, who organized and brought three companies of the Georgia Battalion to aid in the Goliad Campaign of 1836. Thornton M. Ward erected a log cabin by means of a “house rising” in 1854. It had four rooms and an attic and was the first house built in the Snake Creek section after the Cherokee Land Lottery. This plot of 160 acres lay at the foot of Horn’s Mountain. It was here that Jane Ward braved the hardships of the Civil War period. She lost two or three children to fever and nursed her husband on his return from battle. It was in this log structure (still standing in the 1960’s) that “Thorntie”, as Jane called him, was recovering from an injury, when Gen. Sherman marched through. The Union soldiers took his gold watch, the chickens, cows, all stock and destroyed the vegetable garden. He survived Sherman but the bone wound never healed and it had to be dressed daily the remainder of his life, as well as leaving him crippled. Sarah Fowler was the daughter of M. Bumpas Fowler (born August 9, 1827 in N.C.; died November 17, 1862) and Indiana P. Hunt (born February 4, 1834, N.C.; died September 28, 1910). Bumpas died at home while on leave from the Confederate Army, following aftermath of measles. Both are buried near Sugar Valley in a cemetery which is now as part of Chattahoochee National Forest (in “The Pocket”). Before the war, M.B. Fowler was a successful tobacco grower and nurseryman and operated a tobacco plug press. After the birth of their seventh child, Julius and Sarah moved from Georgia toDecatur, Alabama, where he worked for the L&M Railroad in the “Round House”. After two years, the workers went on strike for higher wages. Since J.L. had two sisters who had come to Texas, he thought it would be a profitable move for him to make. The family arrived in Texas about 1895. They located first at Oakwood where they had a river bottom farm. The crops were abundant but malaria overcame them. Except for quinine and providential care they would have all died. The next move was to HoustonCounty; first to the Jim Hill place at Daly where they stayed only one year; then to Hays Spring where they lived several years and were neighbors to the Billy Brown family. Finally, they moved to Grapeland to the “Shaw place”. Before the last move that took them to west Texas, they had seen two of their daughters marry and remain in the area and two of their sons select girls fromHouston County to take with them. Also, a son entered service in World War I. A few older residents remember the water tank that stood beside the railroad track. It was used to fill the tank car for the steam locomotives and was located in front of Kennedy’s building. While living in Grapeland, J.L Ward helped with the construction of it. “The train is stopping to get water” was an audible observation often repeated. J.L. Ward was very devoted to his Masonic work and influenced his family to have a high regard for it. He was an active member of the Grapeland Lodge when living in the area. His sons, Luther and Frank, became Masons and his daughter, Ada, became a member of Eastern Star. Children: C. Edward (born April 8, 1878; died October 13, 1878). Thornton Luther (born August 20, 1879; died September 13, 1952), married Annie Clark (born December 10, 1878; died August 1970) on October 11, 1899. Ada Viola (born January 24, 1882; died February 21, 1947), married Daniel B. Pennington (born November 9, 1873; died December 9, 1960) on January 8, 1908. Infant (born May 10, 1884, died 1884). Lula Jane (born July 23, 1885; died March 21, 1957), married (1) Ed Bridges (born April 29, 1884; died July 18, 1903), (2) James H. Pennington (born January 21, 1869; died August 12, 1929). Nancy Ella (born October 17, 1887; died August 2, 1959), married W. Dennis Grimes. Louis Frank (born July 26, 1890; died April 11, 1977), married Virgie Kennedy. William Henry (born September 6, 1893; died October 10, 1920, W.W.I. He was never married. James Walter (born August 18, 1896; died November 3, 1934). He was never married. Iva Myrtle (born October 26, 1898; died February 28, 1926), married Frank Stoeger. Jessie Alma (born August 22, 1901; living), married Tom Glynn. Ada Ward and D.B. Pennington had six children: Mary Etta, Dan Ward, Jack Walter, Hugh Allen, Ava June, and Wade Lewis. All graduated fromGrapeland High School. Janie Ward and Ed Bridges had no children. He lived only a short while after they married, having been thrown by a horse and receiving internal injuries before the ceremony. Janie Ward and Jim Pennington had three children: James Odell, Pattie and Mary Belle.

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