Submitted by: Edith Peters Stone
LILES, EPHRAIM MONROE
EPHRAIM M. LILES
Surnames: LILES, DIXON, SCOTT, HAYES, HUDSON, BELL, TURNER, HIGH, WOOLEY, SESSIONS, BALDRIDGE & ADAMS
Ephraim Monroe Liles was born on April 17, 1815 in Georgia, son of Sherrod Cassius Liles and Rebecca Smith Liles. They moved to Alabama and there he married Dorcas Ward, born 1830, of Covington County, Alabama. To this union were born five children: namely, Vincent, John, Forman, Wade Hampton, and Amanda. Dorcas died and was buried near Andalusia, Alabama.
After Dorcas' death, Ephraim married Charity Dixon, born 1836, and to this union wee born seven children: namely; Rebecca, Cynthia, Lucinda, Annie, Augusta, Ephraim, Jr., and Missouri.
In their area of Alabama during the Civil War when they heard that the Union troops were approaching, they hid some of their livestock in the woods, sending the older sons to look after them. Some of the younger children were sent to a secret cave on the Conecah River with food supplies. But the soldiers passed them by.
In about 1875, Ephraim Liles, his wife, and twelve children came to Texas. They took a boat at Mobile, Alabama for Galveston, Texas. From Galveston they traveled to Marlin by wagons and walking most of the way, except for the drivers, for the wagons were loaded with supplies and other necessities that they were able to bring with them.
They crossed the Brazos River west of Marlin at a ferry and settled in the western part of Falls County between Durango and Live Oak. Here the family lived, farmed, the children married, and continued to live in this general area.
Ephraim Liles died in 1901 and Charity Liles died in 1893. Both were buried at Union Cemetery near Durango.
Vincent (Vincie) Liles, born August 29, 1849 in Alabama, was married to Sam S. Gott, who a was a member of the 8th Texas Cavalry during the Civil War. They had one son who died when he was very young. Sam Gott had two sons by a previous marriage.
They lived on a farm south of Lott near New Salem. After his death, Vincie moved into Lott. She died April 11, 1937 and was buried at Union Cemetery near her father.
John Liles was born in 1852 in Alabama. He married Tabitha Scott and they lived ner the Union School, where they raised their family of several children. John and Tabitha Liles were buried at Union Cemetery.
Forman Liles was born in 1852. He was well known as an expert swimmer and diver, both in Alabama and Texas. He never married, and died while still a young man.
Wade Hampton Liles, born March 23, 1854, died June 19, 1949, was married at Clifton, Texas on August 11, 1878 to Susan Missouri Hayes, born July 1, 1855, died October 21, 1948. They lived on a farm a few miles south of Durango where they raised their family. Their sons were: John V. (1881 - 1951) who moved to Arizona and farmed large acres of irrigated land; Thomas W. (1883 - 1955); Wade E. (1885 - 1964); William Sherrod (1887 - 1941); and Loyd (1889 - 1910). A daughter, Beulah Patterson (1896 - 1986), was a math teacher at the University of Texas at El Paso for many years.
Amanda Liles Williams, born 1856, had a daughter, Lena Williams Hudson. Amanda became blind in later years and lived to be quite old.
Rebecca (Becky) Liles (160 - 1949) was married to Tom G. Peters. They had several children. (See Peters - Liles.)
Cynthia Liles, born August 31, 1861 and died August 24, 1890, married Robert A. Bell. She was buried at Union Cemetery.
Lucinda (Lou) Liles (1862 - 1950) married Thad Turner (1860 - 1934) of Durango where they lived. They had three sons: William (Willie), Fred, and Millard. A daughter, Annie, died when about six years old. Thad, Lou, and Annie Turner were buried at Union Cemetery.
Annie Liles (1865 - 1896) married Columbus Z. High (1861 - 1936) on August 18, 1884. Their children were Hillery, Josephine, Mary, Roy, and Cleo (Clete) Curry. They were buried at Union Cemetery.
Lillis Augusta Liles (1867 - 1950) married Noble High. Their children were: W.P., Wilmer C., Eula, Joe and Jim.
Ephraim M. Liles, Jr. (1870 - 1951) married Susan Agnes Bell (1874 - 1918). They made their south of Chilton. They had two sons: Henry Sherrod and Clarence. After Agnes' death, Ephraim married her widowed sister, Buna Bell Wooley (1876 - 1957). They were buried at Union Cemetery.
Missouri Liles (1873 - 1962) married William W. (Bill) Sessions. They lived at Chilton and in their later years moved to Big Spring, Texas where they were buried. They had four children: Nora Lee Benton Baldridge, William Maneard Sessions, Mary Jane Adams, and Ethel Sessions.
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