Written and submitted by
Edith
Rebecca (Peters) Stone
William A. Peters
Cover Page About Peters Family History
PETERS - BIRKES
Surnames:
PETERS, BIRKES, ATKINS, McCREARY, SHORE, LILES, ENGLISH, CHUMLEY, HAMILTON,
COVINGTON, BOWERS, PORTER, DICKSON, POTTINGER, MOORE, PARNELL, JORDAN,
POTTINGER, MOORE, PARNELL, JORDAN, SHIELDS, SANDERS, ABBOTT, PICKENS, SWINDALL,
ADAMS, WALKER, BOWEN, NEWMAN, GREEN, SIMONTON, GOODMAN & McKELREY.
William A. Peters was born in 1830 in Tennessee. As a young man he went
to Illinois, where he married Mary (Polly) Birkes, born 1833, daughter of Rial
Birkes and Sarah Buckles Birkes. They came to Texas before the Civil War and
settled in Robertson County, on the east side of the Brazos River near Fort
Sullivan, but Gause in Milam County was their nearest town. It is not known
whether their oldest child, a daughter-Eliza, was born in Texas or Illinois. Two
sons were born in Texas: William Riley Peters in 1857 and Thomas Gott Peters in
1859. They returned to Illinois, Mt. Pulaski, Logan County, where their next
seven children were born: Sarah 1861, George Levi 1862, John F. 1864, Emily
Elizabeth 1866, twins-Samuel Miller and James Andrew 1868, and Mary Etta 1871.
Again the family made their return to Texas in oxen drawn wagons. In
Oklahoma, Indian Territory, their last child-a daughter, Nancy Cordelia-was born
in 1873. But in the same year 1873, their oldest daughter, Eliza died and was
buried in Oklahoma.
The family came on to Texas, spending one year in Denton County, and on
to Falls County, where they settled near Durango, and spent the remainder of
their days. All their children grew up, married and lived in the west Falls
County area around Durango, Busby and Lott. It is told that they traded a yoke
of oxen for their first one hundred acres of land in Falls County. William
Peters had the first cotton gin in that area, which was a one stand gin and
cotton press, screw type, that was turned by a mule.
William A. Peters died in 1880 and was buried at Union Cemetery. Mary
(Polly) Birkes Peters died in Lott in 1911, and was buried at Union by her
husband.
William Riley (Bud) Peters, 1857 - 1930, married Serene Atkins, 1861 -
1943. They had two sons: Oliver (Ollie) 1880 - 1900, and William Albert (Al)
1882 - 1941, who was married to Virginia McCreary. Their one daughter, Clover
Virginia, married David Preston Shore, Sr., and their two children are Shirley
Clover (Parker) and David Preston Shore, Jr. (DDS). Al and Virginia Peters and
Clover and David P. Shore are buried at Clover Hill Cemetery, Lott. W. R. (Bud)
and Serene Peters and son, Ollie, are buried at Union Cemetery.
Thomas Gott (Tom) Peters, 1859 - 1942, married Rebecca (Becky) Liles,
1860 - 1949, the daughter of Ephraim Liles and Charity Dixon Liles. She was born
in Alabama and came to Texas with her family in the mid 1870's. Tom and Becky
were married on August 2, 1879. They lived in the Busby community where they
raised their family and sent them to school. After their children were grown
they moved to Lott and lived there the rest of their lives. Both were buried at
Clover Hill Cemetery.
Their children were Laura, 1880 - 1958, Sarah Etta (Sally), 1883 - 1931;
John, 1885 - 1961; Sammy, 1886, who died at about six months; Tom Liles, 1889 -
1976; Mattie, 1892, who died young, and Riley, 1895 - 1973. (See Peters - Liles
for more details).
Sarah, 1861 - 1917, was born in Illinois, died in Texas and buried at
Union Cemetery. She was married to John P. English. They were the parents of two
sons, Will and Jim, and five daughters: Mabel (Wright), Lillie Jane, Elizabeth,
Maude (Clark), and Etta (Jackson). Mabel English Wright and husband have two
sons still living: Dee Wright of Chilton and Roy Wright of Temple.
George Levi (Lee) Peters, was born in Illinois on June 8, 1861, died at
Lott on October 18, 1919, and was buried at Clover Hill Cemetery. Lee was
married to Zora Chumley, born January 1, 1861, died May 13, 1910, who also was
buried at Clover Hill. Their children were: Irl C. Peters, February 2, 1889 -
April 29, 1967; Bennie Fay; Emilie Ola; Glena Artye; and Ida Belle (Lewis). Two
of their children died while still very young, Russell Garner, 1901 - 1904, and
Serena, 1904 - 1905. They were buried in the family plot at Clover Hill
Cemetery.
John F. Peter, born 1864 in Illinois, died in 1940 at Lott, and was
buried at Clover Hill. He was married to Joella Hamilton and they had one son,
Will. He and his wife, Frankie, had no children, and spent most of their married
life in Waco where they were buried. There were five daughters. Virgie married
W. W. Covington of Reagan. They lived in Beaumont and had three children: Mary
Ella (Taylor), Walter Walker, Jr., and Baker. They were later divorced. She
moved to Austin and was buried there. Lela Peters never married. She was a
teacher in Waco for many years, and was buried near her parents at Clover Hill.
Mary was a teacher, married Daniel (Bud) Bowers, and they had one daughter,
Doris. They were divorced when their daughter was quite young. Mary Bowers was
buried at Waco. Pauline Peters married Gerald Simons of Beaumont. They had one
son, Jerry. She was buried at Beaumont. Johnnie Peters married T. A. Casey. They
had no children. She was buried at Austin. John and Joella Peters had one
daughter who was born and died on January 4, 1885, and was buried at Union
Cemetery.
Emily Elizabeth, born February 24, 1866 in Illinois, died on December 12,
1918 during the Influenza epidemic. Em, as she was called, was married to
Francis Oliver Porter, 1858 - 1929. They lived in Lott and were buried at Clover
Hill. They had three children. Dee C. Porter, 1882 - 1966, married Mattie L.
Dickson, 1884 - 1973, and they had two daughters, Leona and Lucy. Mary Elizabeth
(Mamie) Porter married G. D. Pottinger. They had no children, but raised three
nephews: Knowles, Claude, and Bill Pottinger, after the early death of their
parents. Dee and Mattie Porter and Dale and Mamie Pottinger were also buried at
Lott. John Albert Porter married Bonnie Belle Moore. He was a pharmacist at
Albany, Texas where they lived for many years, and where they were buried.
Samuel Miller Peters and James Andrew Peters were twins born in
September, 1868 in Illinois. Sam married Ida Armstrong, born 1873. They had
twins, Jimmy and Mamie, who died in infancy and are buried at Union Cemetery.
Their son, Ed Wesley, 1888 - 1950, was married to Elizabeth (Bessie) Parnell.
They had five sons: Sam Ed, L. J. (Bud), Wilson, R. B., and a son who died in
infancy. Sam and Ida Peters were buried at Union Cemetery. Ed and Bessie Peters
were buried at Clover Hill Cemetery. Andy Peters was first married to Rosa
Jordan. She died at the birth of their daughter, Addie, who was raised by her
mother's parents and later married John Shields. Andy was next married to Sallie
Sanders in 1900. They had three sons. Eldon married but had no children. Ben
married Tempe Abbott of Ben Hur. They had one daughter, Doris Elaine. After the
death of Tempe, Ben remarried, but they had no children. Raymond Andrew was
married and had a son, J. R. who lives in Baytown. After the death of Sallie,
Andy married Ellie Pickens of Hillsboro, Texas. Following her death he married
Ida Swindall in 1934. He preceded her in death and was buried next to his third
wife at Ridge Park Cemetery in Hillsboro.
Mary Etta was born in 1871 in Illinois, died in Lott in 1913, and was
buried at Clover Hill Cemetery. She was married to John G. Adams who was born in
Louisiana in 1858. They had no children, and after her death he returned to
Louisiana where he died and was buried.
The youngest child, a daughter, Nancy Cordelia, was born in 1873 in
Indian Territory. She was married to Charles A. Hamilton. They lived between
Lott and Busby and were buried at Carolina Cemetery. They were the parents of
two sons, Elmer and Zenas, and four daughters, Serene, Nettie, Emily and Ava.
Elmer (Red) was first married to Ima Walker. They had one daughter, Geraldine
(Mrs. Clyde Bowen). After their divorce, her married Tonie Newman. Zenas married
Myrtle Green and they had one son, Charlie. Serene married Will Green and they
had three daughters, Margie, Jewel, and Billie. Nettie Married Harvery Simonton
and they had one daughter, Betty Jo. Emily married Amon Goodman and they had one
daughter, Pat. Ava married Robert McKelrey. They had one son, Jerry. Ama is the
only child of Charlie and Delia Hamilton, still living and she lives in
Arkansas.
The sons and daughters of Will and Polly Peters grew up in western Falls
County, married and raised their families. The daughters were housewives and
mothers; the sons were farmers, stockmen, carpenters and farm and owners.
W. R. (Bud) Peters was a large landowner and founder of the Lott State Bank
where he was president for many years. Most of the Peter's were Church of Christ
members.
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