Eleventh Generation
Family of Benjamin Joshua Sturkie (71) & Margaret Alta Elizabeth Roberts

128. John Ira Sturkie.27 Born on 17 Dec 1859 in Lexington, SC. John Ira died in Proctor, Comanche County, TX on 10 Apr 1939; he was 79.40 Buried in Baggett Creek Cemetery; Comanche Co, TX. Occupation: Farmer and storekeeper. Religion: Baptist.

John Ira's Death Certificate states that he had lived in Proctor for 57 years before his death. In such a case, then he must have moved to Proctor in 1878. He did not marry Mary Eliz until 1882 so he must have lived with his parents for four years prior to marrying.41 If the family story is true--that the family moved first to Cleburne in Johnson county and stayed there two years before moving to Erath County--then the family arrived in Texas around the year 1876.

John Ira was County Comissioner for several terms in Comanche County.42

How John Ira Eloped with Mary Eliza Cook

John Ira rode out to west Texas where Grampa (John Franklin) Cook owned 50 to 60,000 acres and worked as a cow hand before he married Mary Eliza. Grampa Cook told John Ira that he couldn't marry Mary. Mary was always used to plenty and all John Ira had was the bushtailed pony he rode. They decided to wait a month and ask again. Grampa Cook said his word was final and refused to consent to their marriage. John Ira collected his pay preparing to leave for Dublin and decided to steal his bride to be. He borrowed a new wagon and got his brother Lloyd Olen to go and drive the team. It took four days to drive back to West Texas. John Ira stopped a mile from the Cook ranch house. Mary was expecting him. He walked the mile to the house waiting till Grampa Cook went to bed. Mary had her hogback trunk packed. At ten p.m. he would turn the knob on the door and walk in removing is shoes so as not to make a sound. He carried the trunk to where he had left his shoes. Neighbor Austin, a Carmelite preacher, at Bell Plains was a judge there. They got there just after sun up. They got the marriage license, were married and left for Dublin and then moved to Proctor, TX.

In Proctor, Texas, they bought an old log house (16 x 16) for 15 dollars and moved it log by log to rebuild it as a new house with a shingle roof , a gallery in front and a lean-to on the north side for a kitchen. The house had a rock chimney. They slept on a trundle bed. {Sent WD to Leon with a meal sack to get white sand for the kitchen floor. He had to dig it out of the bank. It took two trips to cover the lean-to floor. They would keep the floor a week or two until it got dirty and took it ouside after scooping it up and sent WD for new sand. Used a group of dogwood switches for a broom.43

From Kathleen E. Sturkie Powell: We always loved to go to Grandpa's. There was so much to do there--we always had fun. He had a blacksmith shop and a sorghum mill. We used to play in both of those.

On 9 Jan 1882 when John Ira was 22, he married Mary Elizabeth Cook, daughter of John Benjamin Franklin Cook & Elizabeth Hart, in Belle Plain, Callahan Co, TX.44 Born on 25 Jan 1862 in Pensacola, Florida. Mary Elizabeth died in Proctor; Comanche CO, TX on 23 Dec 1935; she was 73.45

They had the following children:
256 i. William Dudley (1882-1971)
257 ii. Myrtle Lydia (1889-)
258 iii. Lloyd Olen (1892-1986)
259 iv. Mildred Melissa (1906-)
260 v. Dawn Margaret (1897-1986)
261 vi. Vesta (1884-)
262 vii. Mollie (1886-1970)

129. Lloyd Olen Sturkie. Born on 23 Sep 1856 in Beaver Pond, Lexington, SC. Lloyd Olen died in Antioch Com; Comanche CO, TX on 1 Oct 1903; he was 47. Buried in Antioch Cemetery; Comanche CO, TX.46

Marriet Rebecca Hannah - June 3, 1883 - Comn CO Marriages, Vol C pg. 12

Listed 1910 census & 1911 newspaper; alive at 65

On 3 Jun 1883 when Lloyd Olen was 26, he married Rebecca Frances Hannah, daughter of William Jaspar Hannah & Susanna Shaw, in Brown CO, TX. Born on 13 Feb 1861 in Dallas CO, AR. Rebecca Frances died in Comanche County, TX in 1920; she was 58.

They had the following children:
263 i. Carrie Jessie (1884-)
264 ii. Addie Margaret (1885-)
265 iii. Florence (1890-)

130. Louisa Sturkie. Born in 1858 in Beaver Pond; Lexington, SC.

131. Florence Zeriah Sturkie. Born on 17 May 1861 in Mississippi.47,28 Florence Zeriah died in Los Angeles on 31 Jul 1948; she was 87.

Florence age 58 is living alone in 1920. She has a son "Olen" age 16 living with her. It appears she is running a boarding house..or hotel. She is a cook and has a list of boarders under her name as Head of Household.48

On 12 May 1887 when Florence Zeriah was 25, she married Ernest Fleetwood Stanton49, in Erath Co, TX.50 Born in Mississippi.

They had the following children:
266 i. Emmette O. (1903-1965)
267 ii. Henry E. (1892-1956)
268 iii. Cora (1898-1949)
269 iv. Paul Otis (1894-1969)
270 v. Olen (~1904-)

132. Viston C. Sturkie. Born on 5 Apr 1863 in Mississippi. Viston C. died in Dublin, TX on 12 Apr 1881; he was 18. Buried in Cottonwood Bapt. Church Dublin, TX.51,31

133. Margaret Alta Elizabeth, Jr. Sturkie.52 Born on 9 May 1865 in Mississippi. Margaret Alta Elizabeth, Jr. died on 29 Jul 1895; she was 30. Buried in Proctor; Comanche CO, TX.

On 29 Jul 1880 when Margaret Alta Elizabeth, Jr. was 15, she married William Josiah Cawthon Dudley Cook, son of John Benjamin Franklin Cook & Lucinda Hutchinson, in Erath Co, TX.53 Born on 22 Aug 1856. William Josiah Cawthon Dudley died in Shep, Taylor Co, TX on 18 Aug 1939; he was 82.

They had the following children:
271 i. Florida Viola (1881-)
272 ii. Benjamin Josiah (1882-1965)
273 iii. Callie Inez (1883-1974)
274 iv. Olen Charles (Twin) (1886-1886)
275 v. Charles Olen (Twin) (1886-1940)
276 vi. Effie Cord (1891-1965)
277 vii. Ira Dudley (1889-1969)
278 viii. Lydia Victoria (1893-1979)

134. Lydia Victoria Sturkie. Born on 30 Nov 1877 in Erath Co, TX. Lydia Victoria died in Fresno, CA on 7 Mar 1968; she was 90.47 Buried in Belmont Memorial Park.54 Occupation: Housewife. Religion: Member of Full Gospel Tabernacle.

On 20 Sep 1896 when Lydia Victoria was 18, she married Thomas M. McCarley, son of Thomas Samuel McCarley & Frances M. Turney, in Erath Co, TX. Born on 5 Jan 1877 in Prairie Co, Arkansas.55 Thomas M. died in Fresno, CA on 25 Sep 1952; he was 75.56

They had the following children:
279 i. Jasper Hubert (1897-1971)
280 ii. Cecil M. (1899-1982)
281 iii. Charles L. (1901-)
282 iv. Tyron
283 v. Glaydes O. (1907-)

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