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Note: state of Georgia according to the marriage license obtained from CobbCounty 28 June 1994.
CENSUS: William is next found in the 1880 Georgia Census, EnumeratedDistrict 34, Page 21, Reel No. 141. William Joseph (age 22) and Lena(age 21) Lee are living in Lemons District, Cobb County. It is notedon the census that William and Lena were married that year. William'soccupation is working on the farm and Lena keeps the house. Williamand Lena are living next door to William's father, Nathaniel Lee.Nathaniel is now married to Martha. It is believed that William'smother died some time in 1873. (This needs to be researched further.)
CENSUS: 1900, Garland Township (Texarkana), Miller County, Arkansas,Reel No. 68, Enumerated District 120, Sheet 8, Line 74. William andLena have been married 20 years and have had 10 children of which only8 are living in 1900. William is a farmer who rents his farm. It isnoted on the census that Lena can't read or write. William and Lenalist the following children:
George W., age 19, born Jan 1881 in GA, farm laborer; Ibbe B., 18, Oct1883 in GA, farm helper; Lillie R., 15, March 1885 in GA, at school;Oscar, 12, Oct 1887 in AR, at school; Lucius, 10, Sept 1888 in AR, atschool; Thomas J, 8, Sept 1891 in AR; Earnest, 5, Nov 1895 in AR;Sallie, 3, Feb 1897 in AR.
According to the birthdates and birthplaces of the children in thiscensus, it appears that William and Lena moved to Hope, Arkansasbetween 1885 and 1887. But according to other sources, Oscar was bornin Georgia in 1887 and Lucius was born in Hope, Arkansas in 1891. Thebirthdates for Lucius, Thomas, Earnest, and Sallie are listedincorrectly on this census. It should also be noted that I haveobtained a tax receipt record for W. J. Lee from the year 1890 issuedby Hempstead County, Arkansas. This would mean that they had leftGeorgia in 1887/1888 and were living in Hope, Arkansas, in 1890. Thevalue of his personal property in 1890 is $60 and the amount of hiscurrency listed is $1.72.
I have learned from Marilyn Henley (wife of Arthur Henley, who is agrandson of Ibbie Bell Lee) that William Lee's sisters and theirhusbands also moved to Hope, Arkansas. But as of this date, I don'tknow if they moved at the same time that William moved. Dollie C. Leewas married to Jessie L. Moon and Mittie Lee's husband was Dora Allen.
William and Lena Lee must have moved to Texarkana some time betweenApril, 1896 and February 1898. My grandfather Earnest Edward Lee wasborn 15 April 1896 in Hope, Arkansas, and Sallie May Lee was born 2February 1898 in Texarkana, Arkansas. Dollie and Jessie Moon alsomoved to Texarkana, but I don't know when they moved. Mittie and DoraAllen stayed in Hope, Arkansas.
CENSUS: William and Lena are still in Texarkana in 1910 but this timethey are listed in the Texas Census, Precinct 1, Bowie Co., ED 1,Sheet 6a. William is 54, married for 31 years, and is still listed asa farmer who rents. Lena is 53 and a mother of 11 children with 7 ofthose children still living. The four children that have died by thisdate are listed below.
George W. Lee, who was the oldest son, died in 1910 from tuberculosis.The cause of death was told to me by Dora Henley, oldest daughter ofIbbie Bell Lee, in an interview 8 Nov 1994. His exact death date isnot known at this time. His tombstone lists his death date as 1910.(Maybe a death certificate needs to be obtained.)
There is a girl named Katy that was supposedly born between IbbieBell, 1883, and Lillie, 1886. But no other information has beenobtained on Katy. Evidently she was born in Georgia as Ibbie Bell andLillie were born in Georgia. It is assumed that Katy died as aninfant in Georgia. (More research needs to be done on Katy.)
The third child that has died as of 1910 is Lillie R. Lee. Lilliedied 19 July 1907 according to her tombstone found in Harmony GroveCemetery in Texarkana, AR. Lillie may have died from complicationsfrom childbirth. Lillie died 15 days after her daughter Lena was bornon 4 July 1907. Her daughter Lena then died 8 Sept 1907. This infowas found on the daughter's tombstone that is next to Lillie's gravein Harmony Grove Cemetery.
The fourth child that William and Lena lost was a baby boy. He isalso buried in Harmony Grove Cemetery, Texarkana, AR. Although themarker is broken in half and a little hard to read, a picture wasobtained on 7 July 1994. The marker shows that an infant son of W. J.and L. A. Lee was born 22 Sept 1900 and died 30 Oct 1900. On thebottom of the marker it reads: "Buded on earth to bloom in heaven."
The following are the children listed on the 1910 Census that areliving with William and Lena: Lucius, 20, farm laborer Tommie, 18,farm laborer Earnest, 16, farm laborer Sallie, 12 Arizona, 8
Ibbie B. and James L. Henley are living next door to William and Lena.Ibbie is their oldest daughter who has been married to James for twoyears. Ibbie is 28 and born in Georgia. James is 29, born inMississippi, and a farmer who rents. They have one daughter Dora L.who is one year and two months old and born in Texas.
William Joseph Lee is next found listed in the 1915-1916 TexarkanaCity Directory on page 266. W. Joseph is a farmer who resides at1825 W. 5th. Also listed "boarding" at this address is Arizona;Ernest, laborer; Sallie; and Thomas, laborer.
CENSUS: In 1920, William and Lena are still in Precinct One, BowieCo., TX, ED 3, Sheet 13. William is 63 and still renting. He listshis occupation as a tie contractor for the railroad "working on ownaccount." Lena is 62 with no occupation. The following people areliving with them on 416 Leila Street:
Earnest, son, 23, blower, glass works Sally, daughter, 21, nooccupation Arizona, daughter, 18, no occupation Earl, grandson, 11, nooccupation Lorena, granddaughter, 15, no occupation Ed Sigler, roomer,35, blower, glass factory.
It is not known who Ed Sigler was. According to Dora Henley(interview 10 Nov 1994) Ed may have been living with William and Lenabecause Ed worked at the glass factory where Earnest worked. But shereally didn't remember Ed living with them.
The grandchildren, Earl and Lorena, are the children of Cosey Nall andGeorge W. Lee, the oldest son of William and Lena. George died in1910 and Cosey died in 1913. Cosey's death date was obtained from hertombstone, but I'm not sure if it is correct. William Joseph filed anapplication for guardianship for Lorena Lillie and Emma Joseph Lee on30 December 1912. This application states that "parents of saidminors are both deceased." Their estate consisted of one insurancepolicy of one thousand dollars in the Mcabees, one lot and house inTexarkana of the value of five hundred dollars, and personal propertyof the value of one hundred dollars. William Joseph was madetemporary guardian on that date and then appointed permanent guardianon 21 April 1913.
On 8 May 1913, the Gate City Lodge No. 25 of the Independent Order ofOdd Fellows filed a petition that states "...the father of saidminors, George Lee, was a member of said lodge and order at the timeof his death and that he had an insurance policy upon his life in saidorder and it is therefore interested in said estate." The petitionersfurther state "...that said W. J. Lee who has been appointed guardianof the persons and of the estate of said minors is not a proper personto be guardian of the persons and estates of said children and is notso situated in life as to give them the care, education and trainingto which they should be entitled and which would bring them up underproper care and environment and develop them in accordance with thebest interests of said minors and of their estates."
The petitioners also state "that they are ready and prepared to takecharge of said children and educate and maintain them in its Home,where they will receive the best of care attention and training, withproper educational facilities, until they each arrive at the age ofeighteen years,..." William Joseph was summoned to appear in courtagain on Friday the 26th day of June, 1913. Evidently, the judgecould not find any reason why Lorena L. and Earl J. Lee could not livewith William Joseph. There is another Guardian's Bond and Oath signedby W. J. Lee on 27 June 1913 and approved by Lee Tidwell, CountyJudge, 28 June 1913.
Then on 15 September 1920, Lorena files an application in BowieCounty, Texas, to revoke the letter of guardianship of Joe Lee and tohave O. C. Lee appointed as guardian. The petitioner states "that theestate left by her mother for the benifit of she and her brother hasbeen used by her said guardian for their support and maintenance; thatshe has now reached the age of descretion and the age when the lawpermits her to select her own guardian; that she is not happy at thehome of her presant guardian; that the treatment she received from thedaughters of her guardian is not pleasant and congenial, that she isdiscriminated against and not treated as one of the family and forthis reason she desires to select another guardian, at whose home shewill be more pleasantly situated." Lorena wanted the Court to"appoint her Uncle O. C. Lee as the guardian of her person; That thesaid O. C. Lee is in every respect qualified to be and act as herguardian." **
One month later on 15 October 1920, the Court ordered that "W. J. Leebe and and he is hereby removed from the guardianship of said LorenaLillie Lee's person and estate." William Joseph was ordered to"deliver all the property of every kind belonging to the estate of herthe said Lorena Lillie Lee at Texarkana, Texas, on the 15th day ofOctober, A.D. 1920 to O. C. Lee who has been appointed theguardian..." **
One other paper of interest was filed in the probate records. Aletter dated 19 October 1920 was written by H. H. Taylor, Attorney atLaw, Texarkana, Texas, to the County Clerk in Boston, Texas, which isthe Bowie County seat. It reads:
"My Dear Sir and Friend:-Will you pleasesend me a certified copy ofthe jusdment or decree of the Court removing Old man lee from theguaddianship of Lorena Lillie Lee. In the decree the Court orders theformer guardoan to turn over to the ward all of her personal property.These people have refused to turn over the young ladies cloths. Iwant this decreee to show them the order of the Court. The number ofthe case is 1125. The young lady wants to start to school and willappreciate it if you will send this certified copy on the first trainif possible." **
**All quoted material was typed directly from the files, including allmisspellings and punctuation errors.
It seems that William Joseph Lee had several different occupationsduring his lifetime. When his family was young, he cleared land inTexarkana. The 1900 and 1910 census listed him as a farmer and in the1920 census as a railroad tie contractor. Virginia (Lee) Petty,oldest daughter of Earnest Edward Lee, had told me that William Josephhad owned a grocery store. Dora Henley (interview 10 Nov 1994) addedthat William's grocery store was located on 3rd Street, across fromthe present library. This building was rented by William, but it isno longer there. Dora said that William also owned a restaurant near7th Street and the present ballpark. Dora lived with William and Lenaso she could work for William in the restaurant. Dora thinks she wasin her 20's or maybe in her early 30's. This must have been in thelate 1920's as Dora was born in 1909.
William Joseph Lee died 10 January 1931. His newspaper obituaryreads:
"W. J. Lee, 75, a resident of Texarkana for more than 30 years, diedat 8:30 a.m. Saturday at the family home on South State Line avenue.Mr. Lee is survived by his wife, three daughters, Mrs. J. L. Henleyand Mrs. J. D. Hughes, of Texarkana, and Miss Arazona Lee, of WichitaFalls; three sons, L. C. of Texarkana, Thomas, of Wichita Falls, andE. E. Lee of El Dorado, Kan.; six sisters, two brothers and 16grandchildren. Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday at theHarmony Baptist church with Rev. W. C. Bennett, pastor of the RoseHill Baptist church and Rev. Temple, pastor of the South State LineBaptist church, officiating. Active pallbearers: A. J. Braswell, DanDennington; Arthur Gordon, Fletcher Eren, Paul Capper, and HenryRiggins. Honorary pallbearers: Mack Murry, J. Patterson, Tom Eliott,W. J. Schwartz, W. Taylor, and Charles Cigainerio."
Dora Henley (interview 8 Nov 1994) stated that "Grandpa Will" had diedfrom several things--pneumonia, heart and kidney trouble. (I havesent for his death certificate on 14 Nov 1994.)
Note: William and Lena were married 28 January 1880 in Cobb County in the
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