Typed by: Jan Shelfer


FRAZIER, ALEXANDER

Surnames: FRAZIER, COOL, REED, WILLIS, DEWITT, STUTTS, YATES

Alexander Frazier, b. 1842 in Washington County, Pennsylvania, d. October 4, 1919 near McClanahan, Falls County, Texas and buried in Calvary Cemetery in Marlin-was the eighth of nine children of Alexander and Sarah (Cool) Frazier, a farmer and merchant. The mother died in 1855, and the father in 1884.

After his mother's death, Alexander and an older brother, David Frazier, immigrated to Texas before 1860-settling in Robertson County. In 1861, Alexander enlisted in the Confederate States Army, serving in Captain Brook's Company, Second Regiment, Texas Infantry, through the Civil War. He saw action in the Battles of Shiloh, Farmington, Inka, Chickasaw Bayou, and Vicksburg. Only eight of his company of 100 men returned after the war.

In 1866, in Brazos County, Texas, Alexander Frazier was married first to Mary J. Reed, died in 1879 and buried in the Stranger Cemetery at Stranger, Falls County, Texas-a native of Pennsylvania, and daughter of Hugh and Mary (Willis) Reed. After her mother's death, Mary's father brought his daughter to Brazos County, Texas in 1857.

After their marriage, Alexander and Mary moved to Falls County, where their four children were born:

Charles Edward Frazier, Julian Frazier, Lee Frazier, and Mary J. Frazier. In 1880, Alexander Frazier was married second in Falls County, Texas to Alta Elzera DeWitt, 1860 in Choctaw Corner, Clarke County, Alabama, d. 1885 and buried in Stranger Cemetery-a daughter of James Lee DeWitt, Sr., b. 1833 in Wilcox County, Alabama, and his wife, Mary (Stutts) DeWitt, b. 1837 in Wilcox County, Alabama. After 1870, Alta had come to Falls County with her brother, James Lee DeWitt, Jr., and possibly, relatives of her mother, who settled in Limestone County, Texas. Alta's paternal grandfather was Lewis L. DeWitt, b. 1805 in South Carolina-a Baptist minister, who married twice and had twenty children.

Alexander and Alta Frazier had one of three children to survive infancy:

Fannie Frazier, b. June 18, 1885, d. January 9, 1972 in Marlin, Texas and buried in Calvary Cemetery in Marlin, Texas-married William E. Yates, b. January 27, 1884 in Reagan, Falls County, Texas, d. September 11, 1941 in Marlin, Falls County, Texas and buried in Calvary Cemetery in Marlin.

Alta Elzera (DeWitt) Frazier died after the birth of her daughter, Fannie, and Alexander Frazier continued to reside on his 143-acre farm near McClanahan, which he had purchased in 1885.

The descendants of William E. and Fannie (Frazier) Yates still live in Falls County, Texas.

Copyright Permission granted to Theresa Carhart for printing these bio of these Falls County Families to this Web page.
"Families of Falls County," compiled and edited by the Falls County Historical Commission, page 164, column 1.

Member of Falls County Historical Commission