JAMES RICHARD SWINNEA
James Richard
Swinnea, b November 7, 1841 in Giles County, Tennessee, d March 18, 1925 at
Stranger, Falls County, Texas and buried in Stranger Cemetery - was a son of
John Swinnea, b ca 1819 in Tennessee, and his wife, Rebecca (Phegan) Swinnea, b
ca 1821 in North Carolina, d after 1880 at Stranger.
J. R. Swinnea
married about 1863 in Tennessee to Susan C. Holloway, b March 20, 1849 in
Tennessee, d June 20, 1922 at Stranger and buried in Stranger Cemetery -a
daughter of Richard Louis Holloway, b 1820, d after 1871 and buried in Blue
Ridge Cemetery in Falls County, Texas, and his wife, Martha Holloway, b July 13,
1826 in Tennessee, d March 15, 1874 at Blue Ridge and buried there by her
husband.
James Richard
Swinnea served in the Civil War in the Confederate States Army after his
marriage, coming to Falls County, Texas ca 1869 with his family, three brothers,
and his father and mother-in-law. J. R. and Susan settled in the Stranger
Community, where they purchased the built by Thomas Henry Garrett. The
family lived in that place the rest of their lives, were members of the
Methodist-Presbyterian Union Church - being of the Methodist denomination, and
reared six children:
Anna May
Swinnea, b November 2, 1864 in Tennessee, d April 4, 1952 and buried in Stranger
Cemetery - married Isaac Smith, b July 22, 1862 in Falls County, Texas, d
January 13, 1942 and buried in Blue Ridge Cemetery - a son of Robert and Lutetia
(Millican) Smith.
Ida Lee Swinnea,
b May 7, 1867 in Tennessee, d March 24, 1940 at Stranger and buried in the
Stranger Cemetery - resided in her parents' all her life. "Miss Ida,"
suffered a broken back at a young age, and is remembered with affection by
Joydelle (Garrett) Wolfram who was given a "treat break" by Miss Ida and her
sister, Miss Lilly, on her way from school. They always had a glass of
milk, and freshbaked cookies - still warm from the oven - as she reached their
home, which was one-half mile from school, and one-half mile from her home.
Thomas S.
Swinnea, b February 14, 1870 at Stranger, Falls County, Texas, d November 17,
1921 and buried in Stranger Cemetery - married Julia I. Varnado, b November 21,
1873 in Mississippi, d July 20, 1892 and buried in Stranger Cemetery -a daughter
of Cornelius Willington and Mary Elizabeth (Ratcliff) Varnado who settled in the
Stranger Community. Thomas S. Swinnea married second to Eula Mae Parrott.
Richard Biles
Swinnea, b December 27, 1871 in Texas, d February 11, 1920 and buried in
Stranger Cemetery - married Mary Elizabeth ("Bettie") Elder, b October 10, 1877
in Tennessee, d October 3, 1976 in Marlin and buried in Stranger Cemetery - a
daughter of Thomas Jefferson and Nancy Jane (Vinson) Elder.
Lillie E.
Swinnea, b October 1876 at Stranger, d 1949 and buried in the Stranger Cemetery.
Miss Lillie
was never married, and shared the of their parents with her sister, Miss
Ida.
Floyd Edwin
Swinnea, b April 1887 at Stranger married Mary Ellen Fannin, b August 18, 1898
at Stranger, d May 25, 1986 at Kerrville, Texas and buried there -a daughter of
Warren Oscar and Sarah (Varnado) Fannin who had moved from Copiah County,
Mississippi to Stranger, Falls County, Texas. They had four children: Lola
Margaret Swinnea who married J. C. Maxwell and resides in Hobbs, New Mexico,
Beulah Swinnea, and twins, Floyd and Florence Swinnea.
Copyright Permission granted to Theresa Carhart for
printing the biographies of these Falls County Families to this Web page.
"Families of Falls County", Compiled and Edited by the Falls County Historical
Commission, page 441 column 2 and page 442 column 1.
Member of Falls County Historical Commission.
