Transcribed by
Cathryn Jex Millburn
JAMES FRANKLIN ERSKINE
James Franklin Erskine, b April 9, 1857 at Stranger, Falls County, Texas,
died there February 19, 1918 and buried in Stranger Cemetery - was a son of
William Richards and Mary Elizabeth (Garrett) Erskine, and a grandson of Hugh
and Jane (Richards) Erskine, natives of South Carolina, and Thomas McKissick and
Margaret Minerva (Reed) Garrett, natives of Giles County, Tennessee. The
Garretts came to The Republic of Texas in the Fall of 1840, and the Erskines
came to the State of Texas in December 1853.
James Franklin Erskine (called "Frank") was reared and lived all his life
in the community of his birth. His only full brother was Thomas Jasper Erskine,
b March 1860 at Stranger, d December 16, 1943 at Tucumcari, Quay County, New
Mexico, who married at Stranger on November 25, 1891 to Mary Lena Hayes, b March
21, 1874, d June 24,1948 - a daughter of J. S. Hayes.
Frank was a farmer and stockman, operating land he inherited plus many
acres that he purchased.
On December 19, 1877 in Falls County, Texas he was married to Florence
Midora Cox, b January 17, 1860 in Kentucky, d October 20, 1941 at Stranger and
buried by her husband - a daughter of William David and Mary Florence (Gassaway)
Cox, natives of Kentucky, who settled near the Durango Community in Falls County
prior to the Civil War.
The land for the Methodist-Presbyterian Union Church at Stranger, and
Union Academy School, which met in the church building, was deeded by the father
of Frank and Thomas, acting as their guardian, in 1869. When the Presbyterians
moved their membership to the Cumberland Presbyterian Church at Fairview in
1889, Frank served as a Deacon, and later as an Elder, until 1912 when the
congregation returned to Stranger where they and the Methodist Congregation
built the present-day building.
Frank and "Dora" Erskine were the parents of eleven children - rearing
nine to adulthood, in addition to rearing several grandchildren:
William David Erskine, b October 15, 1879 at Stranger, d October 1, 1958
in Marlin, Texas and buried in Hillcrest Cemetery there - married first in 1901
to Hattie Lavinia McInnis, b September 3, 1876 in Mississippi, d March 4, 1905.
They had Norman Neal Erskine and Lila Midora Erskine. "Will" was married second
on December 17, 1917 to Itha M. Tarter, and they had four children: Emma Juanita
Erskine, William Patrick Erskine, Aris Franklin Erskine, and John Travis
Erskine.
Jasper Stovall Erskine (called "Stokes"), b October 15, 1881 at Stranger,
d June 1, 1944 and buried in Stranger Cemetery - married first in 1905 to Sarah
Katherine Dillard, b January 15, 1887, d September 2, 1972 - a daughter of
William Moses and Georgia (Fairbairn) Dillard. They had: James William Erskine,
Robert Reed Erskine, Stovall Dillard Erskine who died young, and John Conrad
Erskine. "Stokes" married second ca 1921 to Carrie Mayflower Hardegree, b May
10, 1888, d February 24, 1953 and buried in Stranger Cemetery, and they had
Dorothy May Erskine, Jasper Kenneth Erskine, and Bernadine Erskine.
Claude Gentry Erskine, b January 20, 1886 at Stranger, d January 8, 1949
and buried in Stranger Cemetery - married December 22, 1910 at Blue Ridge to
Pauline Jane Harlan, b September 30, 1891 at Blue Ridge, d September 27, 1975 at
Victoria and buried by her husband - a daughter of Charles and Cynthia Tallulah
(Varnado) Harlan. They had: Zill Harlan Erskine, Claude Crockett Erskine, Vivian
Pauline (Erskine) Boone, Charles Franklin Erskine; and Milton Wayne Erskine, b
April 4, 1922, d July 29, 1943 while serving in the Coast Artillery Battalion of
the U.S. Army during World War II, and buried in Stranger Cemetery.
Mabel Agnes Erskine, b October 4, 1888 at Stranger, d March 19, 1973 -
married in 1917 to Buford Morgan Watts, and they had: Buford Erskine Watts, b
June 30, 1918 at Stranger, d March 1945 while in the South Pacific with the U.S.
Marines during World War II - being killed in action, and buried in Waite
Cemetery at Reagan; Frapk Selwyn Watts, Leona Evelyn (Watts) Jones, Leslie
Barnett Watts, Marjorie Louise (Watts) Stanford, James Earl Watts, and Julian
David Watts.
Richard Franklin Erskine, b March 30, 1891 at Stranger, d September 15,
1947 and buried in Stranger Cemetery - married Clyde Petteway, b July 26, 1895
in Robertson County, Texas, d March 17, 1956 and buried by her husband at
Stranger - a daughter of Mark Ingatius and Lena Mae (Causey) Petteway. "Dick"
served in the U.S. Army during World War I as a Private, 130th Field Artillery,
35th Division, and was gassed by the Germans, who used nitrogen gas as a weapon.
Their children were: Herbert Sewall Erskine, Norma Doris (Erskine) Jenson, and
twins, Richard Wayne Erskine and Wanda Jane (Erskine) White.
Hettie Mary Erskine, b September 15, 1893 at Stranger, d September 15,
1980 and buried in Stranger Cemetery - married first to William Thornton Poole,
b April 11, 1874, d January 23, 1948 and buried at Stranger; and married second
to Virgil Downs. She had no issue by either marriage.
Carl McKissick Cavitt Erskine, b December 3, 1897 at Stranger, d November
23, 1980 at Stranger married October 8, 1922 at Blue Ridge to Mary Theresa
Harlan, b May 5, 1903 at Blue Ridge, residing in Marlin, Texas in 1986 - a
daughter of Charles and Cynthia Tallulah (Varnado) Harlan. They had: Betty Jean
(Erskine) Sprott, Lula Florence (Erskine) Tragis, Donald Armhid Erskine, and
Carl Thomas Erskine.
Lycurgus Reeves Erskine (called "Curg"), b October 26, 1899 at Stranger,
d October 20, 1983 and buried in Calvary Cemetery at Marlin, Texas (with a
memorial stone in the family plot at Stranger) - married at Teague, Texas on
April 2, 1955 to Mrs. Willie Mae (Sparks) Criswell, and had no issue. "Curg"
served in the U.S. Army during World War II, but was not sent overseas.
The James Franklin Erskine family still have many descendants in Falls
County, Texas, with their ancestors being among the early settlers of Falls
County. Some of the original land of their ancestors is still in the family, and
is eligible for the Texas Heritage Land program.
Copyright permission granted to Theresa Carhart and her volunteers for printing
the bios of these Falls County Families to this web page.
"Families of Falls County", compiled and edited by the Falls County Historical
Commission, page 136, columns 1 & 2, page 137, columns 1 & 2.
Member of the Falls County Historical Commission