Jordan Family
By Frances Jordan Jerrie

Joseph Jordan, the progenitor, was born on July 27, 1818, in South Carolina. Family legend says that he arrived in Texas on the same day that his future bride was born on July 10, 1840. Joseph Jordan married Violet Danzey Logan, the daughter of James Henderson Logan and Elizabeth James Danzey, on May 5, 1858, and they had four sons. Two of their sons died young. Joseph died on August 17, 1867, and Violet died on February 15, 1872, both were buried in the old *Texana Cemetery which now lies beneath Lake Texana. Their two remaining sons, John Henderson Jordan and Joseph Lawson Jordan, were reared by a maternal uncle, Robert Logan. John Henderson Logan reared his family in the Beaumont area.

Joseph Lawson Jordan was born on January 22, 1861, and married Lorena Ophelia Matthews on March 3, 1882. They reared their family on a farm near Deming's Bridge. Joseph and Lorena Jordan's children were: Darrell Pelton, born on January 7, 1883; his twin brother, Cecil, who married Dessie Fitzgerald; Alice, who married Willie K. Keller; Viola, who married James S. Williams; Theresa, who married Ed Robertson; Joseph, Jr. who never married; Estelle who married Arthur Queen and later Henry Royal; and Elmer Leroy, who died at the age of two.

Historic Matagorda County, Volume II, pages 284-85

*Newer information received indicates that the graves are not under Lake Texana, but on private property in the area.
 

Long-Time Texans Married 70 Years

Descendants of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph L. Jordan can look back on a family history that developed in Texas back before its independence in 1836.

Both past the age of 90, Mr. and Mrs. Jordan will celebrate their seventieth wedding anniversary March 3.

Until they came to stay with a daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. K. B. White, 1412 Cordell, the Jordans lived 52 years on their Matagorda County ranch near Blessing.

They were married in a Jackson County farmhouse.

When I went to school many Houston girls were sent to Victoria to learn their A B C's," Mrs. Jordan, 90, said. "The South's biggest city wasn't always so big."

She dates her family history in Texas from 1851, when her family arrived in Galveston by boat from Morgan City. Mr. Jordan, 91, said his mother was born in Texas the day his father landed at Indianola about 1834.

The Jordans number their direct descendants at about 35, including six living sons and daughters and six great-great-grandchildren.

An open house for the elderly couple will be held at Mrs. White's home from 2 to 5 p. m., March 3.

Mr. and Mrs. Jordan's sons and daughters are Mrs. J. J. Domme, Corrigan; Mrs. White; Mrs. W. K. Keller, Midfield; Mrs. Thomas B. Pattinson, Huntington Park, Cal.; D. P. Jordan, Palacios, and J. L. Jordan, Blessing

Houston Chronicle, February, 1957

[Note: both Mr. Jordan passed away on February 20th, just before the March 3rd anniversary and Mrs. Jordan passed away April 30th.]
 

Graveside Rites Are Set Thursday - Joseph Lawson Jordan

Joseph Lawson Jordan of Houston, father of Mrs. W. K. Keller of Midfield, died in Houston Tuesday. Services will be held at 10 a. m. at the Green Funeral Home in Houston. The body will be taken overland to Hawley Cemetery, where Masonic services will be held at graveside at 2 p. m. Thursday.

Among the survivors is a daughter Mrs. Keller of Midfield.

Daily Tribune, February, 1957

Graveside Services For Joseph L. Jordan Held At Hawley

Joseph Lawson Jordan, son of Violet Danzy Logan and Joseph Jordan, was born in Jackson County, Texas, January 22, 1861. He was married to Miss Lorena Matthews also of Jackson County on March 3, 1882, in a quiet ceremony at the home of her aunt Mrs. Robert Bolling, at the Bolling Ranch in Jackson County. In eleven more days the couple would have celebrated their Diamond Wedding Anniversary.

Mr. and Mrs. Jordan made their home in Matagorda County until 1942, when they moved to Houston to live with their daughter Mrs. K. B. White. Mr. Jordan passed away February 20, 1957 after an illness of many months.

Surviving him are his wife, Mrs. Lorena Jordan, who is very ill at home and is unable to know of her husband's death; five daughters and one son. The daughters are Mrs. W. K. Keller of Midfield; Mrs. Thos. B. Pattinson, Bell, Calif.; Mrs. K. B. White and Mrs. H. O. Royal of Houston; one son, Joseph L. Jordan also of Houston.

Seventeen grand children, 27 great grandchildren, 13 great great grandchildren survive and most of them were present at the funeral rites.

One of their twin sons, Darrell Jordan, died in Palacios, May 19, 1956, the other, Cecil Jordan, died 13 years ago in Texas City, another son died in infancy.

Mr. Jordan had been a member of the Methodist church for 60 years and was a life member of the Blue Lodge No. 411 A. F. and A. M. of Blessing, who conducted burial rites at the Hawley Cemetery Thursday, at 2 p. m. after religious services were held in Houston at Sam H. Green Chapel, conducted by Rev. J. C. Wilson and Rev. J. C. Collins.

Pall bearers were J. B. Starritt, Jesse Roberts, Bowen Robertson, F. Van Ness, Herbert Van Ness and R. E. Evans.

Palacios Beacon, date unknown
 

Mrs. Jordan Rites Will Be At Hawley

Mrs. Lorene O. Jordan, 95, mother of Mrs. W. K. Keller of Midfield, died .at 1:30 a.m. Tuesday in Houston.

Graveside services will be held at 2:30 p.m. Thursday at  Hawley Cemetery with Rev. Doughty of Houston officiating.

She is survived by four daughters, Mrs. W. K. Keller of Midfield, Mrs. Thomas B. Pattinson of California, Mrs. K. B. White of Houston, Mrs. H. O. Royal of Houston; one son, Joe Jordan of Houston.

THE DAILY TRIBUNE, Wednesday, May 1, 1957

Darrell Pelton Jordan Family
By Frances Jordan Jerrie

On August 8, 1907, tall and brown-eyed Darrell Pelton Jordan married fair, blue-eyed, Katie Izetta Garnett, thus uniting two pioneer Texas families. Darrell was the oldest son of Joseph Lawson Jordan and Lorena Ophelia Matthews, and was born on January 17, 1883, at Deming's Bridge, Texas. Katie Izetta was the eldest daughter of Gerard Banks Garrett and Mattie Lorena Gentry, and was born on January 12, 1891, in DeWitt County, Texas. The early years of their marriage were spent near Midfield where four of their five daughters were born. In 1924 the family moved to Palacios where another daughter was born. Darrell Pelton Jordan was a carpenter by trade. He died on May 19, 1956, and Katyie Izetta Jordan died on November 20, 1959.

Darrell and Katie's children were: Ruth Lorena, who married Harley Viets and had two children, and married second Benjamin Blackburn and had five children: Rosie, who married L. S. Reid and had one child; Susie Marie, who married Edwin L. Simons and had five children; and Annie Frances, who married first Earl Henry Thompson, who died in World War II in Germany on March 16, 1945, and had two sons, Earl Henry, Jr. and Michael Lee, and later married L. C. Jerrie and lived in Maringouin, Louisiana.

Historic Matagorda County, Volume II, pages 284-85
 

Cornelia Mary Bolling

Died. Thursday, 9:30 a. m. at the home of  J. W. Bolling, in Palacios, Mrs. Cornelia Mary Bolling, age 82 years, 7 months and 16 days.

Cornelia Mary, daughter of John and Emily Garrett, was born in St. Mary's Parish, La., March 5, 1844, and came to Jackson County, Texas, at the age of eight years. She was married to Lieut. R. R. Bolling in 1866, with whom she lived happily until June 5, 1894, when he departed this life. After his death Mrs. Bolling made her home with her nephew, J. W. Bolling, and family. She was crippled from a fall 17 years ago, and was an invalid the last two years of her life, yet she was patient and sweet always, with those who so tenderly cared for her. And all of her life was filled with deeds of helpfulness to those with whom she was associated. She was the last member of her father's family, two sisters and two brothers having preceded her to the grave; but a number of nephews and nieces survive her, among whom is Mrs. J. L. Jordan of Blessing, who was raised in her home and was more like her own daughter.

Services were conducted at 4:30 Thursday afternoon in the home, by Rev. Gillespie, and the body was taken to Edna Friday morning where services were held in the Episcopal Church of which she was a lifelong member, conducted by Rev. McCutcheon of Victoria; after which interment took place in the family cemetery on the Lavaca River, the body being laid beside that of her beloved husband. "Aunt Nellie," as she was tenderly called by all who knew her, will be missed greatly, but we know she is happy in that home where there is no suffering or sorrow.

Matagorda County Tribune, October 29, 1925
 

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