Biographical Sketch of Simpson Augustus Organ

SIMPSON AUGUSTUS ORGAN
submitted by Shirley D. Webb

Simpson Augustus "Gus" Organ married Priscilla Angeline WILSON about 1870. Both descended from Wilson County, TN, pioneers whose descendants came to Collin and Grayson Counties in Texas. Gus's grandfather, Simpson ORGAN, and several of his great-uncles, came to Tennessee about 1810 from Halifax County, Virginia, where they had grown up as part of the large family of Samuel and Sarah (SIMPSON) ORGAN.

Angeline was the daughter of David C. WILSON and Mary Ann (POTEET) WILSON. David's great grandfather, Major David Carroll WILSON, was a prominent Tennessean and is said to be the one for whom Wilson County was name. Angeline's parents are buried in Hackberry Cemetery near Van Alstyne, Texas. Also buried there is her sister, Amanda WILSON DOUGLAS who married Elijah Houston DOUGLAS, Gus's second
cousin.

Gus ORGAN's father, Ewing Wilson ORGAN, was born in Lebanon, Wilson County, TN, 31 Mar 1824. He married Sophia IRBY 3 May 1848. She was the daughter of Joseph IRBY, another pioneer who came to Wilson County, TN, in the early days. Her mother was Sarah HAULSEY. Ewing Wilson ORGAN was probably named for his uncle, Ewing Wilson, brother of his mother, Sina Wilson ORGAN. Sina married Simpson ORGAN 4 Oct 1813 in Wilson County. He served as Coroner for the county at one time but went to Wayne County, Illinois, where he and his family lived until his death in 1843. Gus and his brother, Joseph, were born in Illinois but returned to Tenn. with their mother, Sophia, in the late 1850's, to live with Joseph IRBY, their grandfather.

Gus's great grandfather, Samuel ORGAN, was a landowner of Halifax County, Virginia. A tradition of the family was that the occupation of Carpenter was handed down through many generations. Samuel's father might have been the John ORGAN who is found on the militia list for Amelia County, VA, in 1754. His occupation was that of Carpenter.

Gus and his brother, Joseph Haulsey ORGAN, lived in Fannin County, Texas, for several years. Joseph was born in 1853 in Wayne County, Illinois, and married Anna Elizabeth NULL in 1872. They had six children: Sarah Jane b. abt 1873; Irby B. b. 1876; Frank b. 1880; Laura B. b. 1882; Joe b. 1888 and Dora b. 1890.

Before marrying Angeline WILSON, Gus ORGAN lived near his cousin, Mary Gill DOUGLAS, in Collin County, Texas. He was too young to serve in the Civil War but many of his cousins did, such as Raleigh W. ORGAN, William P. ORGAN and Moses L. ORGAN who served in Tennessee, and John Gill DOUGLAS, Elijah H. DOUGLAS and Hamilton DOUGLAS, Jr., who served in Texas.

Gus and Angeline had three sons: Ewing Wilson ORGAN b. 8 Jul 1872 d. 17 Nov 1951. He married Eula SPARKS in 1898; Edwin ORGAN b. 23 Jan 1874 and married Lela JOLLY 18 Nov 1896; and Lewis Augustus ORGAN b. in October 1882.

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