Woodell-Royall Family
Woodell-Royall Family History
Alexander Moore Woodell and Lucy May Royall Woodell were married February 8, 1908 in Grapeland by Bro. Cameron, pastor of the Methodist Church. Mr. Woodell was the son of George McDaniel Woodell and Harriet Frances Haney Woodell. Both were of Scotch-Irish descent. The Woodells came from Arkansas to Jasper County, Texas before 1881. George McDaniel Woodell and his wife came from Jasper County to Hays Spring before 1890. His wife was born in Shelby County, Texas. She was one of four orphan sisters. It is not known who their parents were. One of the sisters, Martha, married Mose Spence, Sr.; Mary married John Spence; Joe (a woman) married David C. Poe. The four sisters and their husbands are buried in the Hays Spring Cemetery. In 1886, an epidemic of a severe type of pneumonia took a number of lives; George McDaniel Woodell was one of these. His age was 27. His wife died in 1903 of ‘slow fever’ at the age of 43. There were only two children: Alexander Moore (Zander) and 011ie Anne. 011ie Ann married George C. Shipper of Salmon. There were five children: Pauline Woodell married Peter Papadis; George C. Shipper Jr., married twice but had no children; Aletha Grace married C.J. Hallam; Lucy Margaruite; Mary Louise married Duke, then Batcheller. Mary Louise Duke had one child; David, Pauline Woodell and Peter Papadis had four children: Patricia Ann, Peter Woodell, James Michael, and Paul Theodore. Alexander Moore and Lucy May Royall Woodell had five children: Zelda Frances; Royal! Alexander married Rene D’Avy; Kathleen married James Parks Looney; Lucy May married John W. Blalock; Gene McDaniel married Dixie Martin. Royall and Rena Woodell were parents of two children: Betty Jean married Robert Query (children- Sharon, Kenny, Jamie, David); Thomas Wayne married Maxine Hall (son Nathaniel Etienne). Children of Kathleen and James Parks Looney: James Woodell married Virginia Mae Hendricks (children-Donna Kathleen and Daryl James) Frank Maxfield married Lynda Carol Oliver (children-Christopher Parks, Leslie Carol, and Kristin Leigh). Children of Lucy May and John W. Blalock: John Woodell (Joe) married Susan Forester (daughter-Tracy); Kenneth Jay married Sally Powell (son-David Travis); Barry Lee. John Parks Royall and Rhoda Jane Murchison Royall were parents of nine children: 1. Nettie died at the age of six. 2. Murdoch Andrew married Sue Nell Barnes. One daughter, Annie Jane married Paul Potts. 3. Maggie Pearl married Dr. Dewitt Coker, children: Rutherford married Bonita Smith. Ettie Sue married K.G. McDonald, then I.C. Snead. 4. Mable married Lehman Smiley. Children: Edward E. married Libby, Joseph Royall married Mary Fincher. He became president of the University of Texas in 1961. 5. John Weldon married Anna Mae Millican. Children: J.W. Royal, Jr., Nancy, Aylett. 6. Lucy Mae married Alexander Moore Woodell. 7. Charles Murchison married Jessie Mae Jones. One son, Charles Merle. 8. Fannie Mason (Frances) married W.E. Keeland. Two daughters: Mary Jane married Oran Dooley Dawson; Frances Theresa married Robert C. Overstreet. 9. Lorena Darsey married James Marvin Gilbert. Three daughters: Jeanette married Ellis S. Baker; Marilyn married Irby Ames; Peggy married Jack Woolley. The Royall’s came from England to Virginia, and then by ox wagon to Texas about 1853. They settled in Athens. Some moved to Palestine, Dallas and Grapeland. Rhoda Jane Murchison was a daughter of Murdoch Killough Murchison and Evaline Gossett, daughter of A.E. Gossett, founder of Crockett. The Murchison’s came from Scotland about 1775. Some of them came to Houston County in the early 1830s. The Gossetts left France for England finally came to America. Elijah Gossett came to Houston County in 1833. In Arkansas on the way to Texas they saw the ‘Falling of the stars.’ Murdoch Killough Murchison and Evaline Gossett were parents of five children: Sallie married Frank Faris; Rhoda married John Parks Royall; Margaret married John Goolsby; Jehu married Minnie Harris. He died. She married Murdoch Baker. He had been married to Mittie Royall who died. Nettie died when a small child. Murdoch Killough Murchison and Elizabeth Driskell were parents of four children: Lorena married George E. Darsey, Sr.; Fannie Bell married Starley Napoleon Boykin; Minnie Witt married James Ross Richards; Murdoch D. married Stella Hollingsworth. John Royal! And Lucy A. Walton was parents of seven children: John Parks Royal! Married Rhoda Jane Murchison; Nathaniel R. Sr. (Tucker) married Annie Evans. He established the Royall National Bank inPalestine. William married Julia Milling; Lucy married a Mr. Neff; Mitt married Murdoch Baker; Joe married Emmie; Mary A. married Thomas Murchison, a brother to Murdoch Killough Murchison.