THOMAS JEFFERSON ELDER
PICTURE OF THOMAS JEFFERSON ELDER, NANCY(VINSON) ELDER, AND OTHER VINSON RELATIVES
Transcribed by Cathryn Jex Millburn
Thomas Jefferson Elder, b March 10, 1847 in Giles County, Tennessee, d August 8, 1929 in Falls County, Texas and buried in Calvary Cemetery at Marlin, Texas - was the fifth child of David and Matilda Elder, both b 1818 in Virginia. His brothers and sisters were: James H. Elder b 1840, George W. Elder b 1842, Mary Elder b 1844, William Elder b 1846 and d before 1860, Lucy Elder b 1849, and John David Elder b March 10, 1851, d September 23, 1926 in Marlin who married Mary Elizabeth Hughey, b December 2, 1864, d August 19, 1906.
On September 9, 1869 in Tennessee, Thomas Jefferson Elder married Nancy Jane Vinson, b August 20, 1849 in Tennessee, d January 10, 1929 and buried in Calvary Cemetery in Marlin - a daughter of Elisha Louis and Lucy Ann (Davis) Vinson of Tennessee.
In 1889, Thomas and Nancy moved to Stranger, Falls County, Texas with nine of their ten children along with members of the Vinson and McKnight families. They settled in an area near the McCoys and Garretts, where they had a big orchard and farm produce. Their children were:
William F. Elder, b September 7, 1870, d August 5, 1915.
John Lee Elder, b December 30, 1871, d September 4, 1956 - married Mrs. Laura Josephine (Rochelle) Jackson, b January 1864 in Tennessee.
Elisha Vinson Elder, b April 2, 1874, d June 8, 1958 - married Frances Fairbairn, and buried in Kosse Cemetery in Limestone County, Texas.
Rosa Jane Elder, b February 1, 1876, d February 28, 1953 - married Joseph D. Kerr.
Mary Elizabeth Elder, b October 10, 1877, d October 3, 1976 - married Richard B. Swinnea, and both buried in Stranger Cemetery in Falls County, Texas.
Lucy Ann Elder, b November 9, 1879, d March 11, 1951 - married first to Robert Morgan who died in 1928; and married second on March 30, 1931 to Henry Clay Vann, b December 28, 1872, d January 1, 1970.
Lillie May Elder, b February 19, 1883, d February 4, 1969 - married David Harry Smith and had nine children.
Sarah Tennessee Elder, b October 10, 1885, d March 4, 1936 - married William Caldwell Smith, b April 12, 1880, d February 4, 1958, and had five children.
Robert William Elder, b September 22, 1888 in Tennessee, d June 16, 1919 -married Ida Earlene Lee of Kosse, Limestone County, Texas, b July 2, 1910.
Gladys E. Elder, b June 29, 1892 at Stranger, Falls County, Texas, d February 15, 1976 - married first ca 1910 to Ira Keeling, and had two daughters. She married second to Henry Melburn Capps, b July 30, 1898, d August 2, 1975, and buried in Stranger Cemetery.
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 133, column 2, page 134, column 1.
Member of the Falls County Historical Commission
This book is out of print, and very few copies are available.
