Grayson County TXGenWeb

Richard Bethel Goff
My Great-Grandfather

Richard Bethel Goff, son of Thomas Goff Jr. and Miss Allen, was born November 25, 1827 in Pulaski, Giles County Tennessee. He lived
in Giles County and Lawrence County Tennessee till about the mid 1850's and at that time he had moved to Lawrence County Alabama. On February 1, 1858 he married Precheta Anna Holmes, daughter of William P. Holmes and Katherine (Kate) Corley-Holmes, in Moulton, Lawrence County, Alabama. Precheta was born December 12, 1841 in Courtland, Lawrence County Alabama and died during child birth
to their only child, Willie T. Goff, on May 26, 1859. Willie T. Goff died on July 29, 1859 and is buried with his mother in Courtland Cemetery in Courtland, Lawrence County, Alabama. In this family plot is also buried William P. and Katherine Holmes along with another daughter of theirs, Mary E. Holmes.

Richard Bethel Goff stayed with the Holmes family till he married Harriet Amanda Milam on August 21, 1861 in Moulton, Lawrence County Alabama. Harriet was born in 1843 in Moulton, Lawrence County Alabama and was the daughter of Almon Gwinn Milam and Martha Vaughn-Milam. Richard and Harriet's children that were born in Lawrence County Alabama were Katherine (Kate), Alletha, Charlie Crow, Leonidas (Lonnie) and George Allman.

Left to right : Amanda "Aletha" Goff-Watson, Katherine "Kate" Goff-Cockburn, Ernest White Goff, George Allman Goff.

In the early part of the 1870's they moved to the area of Bells, Grayson County Texas area, where the remaining children, William Ira, Ernest White, and Robert Bethel (Rob) were born.

Richard Bethel Goff & Harriet Amanda Milam Goff

All of this time Richard Bethel Goff was still considered part of the Holmes's family, as per in Katherine Holmes when she referred to Richard Bethel as her "beloved son-in-law" and willed to Richard Bethel and his children all of her estate. William P. Holmes had died in 1880 and Katherine Holmes died in 1886.

Controversy arose over the settlement of Katherine Holmes estate, as newspaper reports at that time, saying that Richard Bethel Goff presented a paper to Judge Foster for probate, purporting to be the last will and testament of Katherine Holmes. The will was written by J. T. Young and witnessed by A. J. Shelton and left all her property to Richard Bethel and his children. There was a long and bitter contest over the will, the newspaper not stating by whom, but assumed to be from relatives of the Holmes. There were many rumors about the amount of the estate and the authenticity of the will presented by Richard Bethel. More than one will was said to be found in an old barrel of papers later.

The court case over the will lasted two days before a jury and the jury ruled in favor of Richard Bethel and his children. The value of the estate was given as $3,500, in addition to $1,800 cash, along with a request that "Aunt" Ann, the long and faithful family servant, be cared for the rest of her life. The court costs were $1,200 and from the Moulton Advertiser "Dick (Richard Bethel) says he has enough money left to pay his way back to Texas".

Other excerpts from the Moulton Advertiser are . . .
"The wrangle over the property demonstrates one thing, the great folly of scrapping together a little stuff for relatives to fuss over after you are dead and gone".
"If Katie (Katherine) could come back to this world and could hear the wrangling and see them pulling at her little effects, she would no doubt jump in to the crowd with a red hot poker".
"Two women and a man were seen walking thru the garden, and yard, of the late Katherine Holmes, one evening last week. The man
had a hoe and the women carried spikes, but the pot of gold eagles, supposed to be buried on the place, were not found.

Richard Bethel and Harriet Amanda lived in the Grayson County, Texas area till the early part of 1900 and moved to Woodville Indian Territory (Oklahoma) till his death on December 1, 1907. He was buried in Cherry Mound Cemetery, Grayson County Texas. Harriet Amanda then moved in with her daughter Katherine (Kate) Goff-Cockburn till her death in 1914 and is also buried at Cherry Mounds Cemetery.

An article appeared in the Woodville, Oklahoma area newspaper, upon Richard Bethel's death as a tribute to "Uncle Bethel" is as follows:

"Dear Sir
It is with a feeling of sadness that I write you today, as our friend R. B., or as he was familiarly known to his many friends as "Uncle Bethel" Goff, died this morning at 3 o'clock, after a short illness. Uncle Bethel had lived more than his allotted time of three score years and ten being 80 years old. And during his long life he had made many warm friends, for to know "Uncle Bethel" was to love him. This writer has known him for about four years and numbered him among his dearest friends. He leaves a wife and six children and a number of relatives, and a host of friends to mourn his loss. To his bereaved family we would offer this consolation that they are not like one
who mourns without hope, for we know that he has gone on before, and that we shall meet him in that better world if we will only do as he did - follow our blessed Redeemer; for "Uncle Bethel" had been a consistent follower of the meek and lowly Nazarene for a number
of years. May we, his friends and relatives, resolve to so live that when our life?s work is ended our friends can say of us that we have gone on before and that they can meet us in a land where sorrow is not known and death never comes?
A Friend"

George Allman Goff
My Grandfather

George Allman Goff was born in Moulton, Lawrence County Alabama on April 25, 1873 and on September 23, 1902, in Bells, Grayson County Texas. He married Nannie Arvin, who was born June 19, 1883 in Bells, Grayson County Texas. Nannie was the daughter of Joseph C. Arvin and Parmelia (Amelia) Thed(f)ord.

Children born to them in Woodville, Indian Territory (Oklahoma) and Oklahoma were Dick, an infant daughter, Julie, Joe Bethel, Gladys Aletha (Jane) and George Allman/Albert.

They moved to Woodville, Indian Territory (Oklahoma), shortly before statehood, and lived in the area for the remaining years of their lives. George Allman was a farmer and also worked for the State of Oklahoma, operating a mule drawn grader between Woodville and Kingston for many years. With the impoundments of Lake Texoma, they moved to the area of the present town of McBride, Oklahoma. They owned different land around this area but established their final home there, in the 1930's, till George died on June 2, 1949 , and laid to rest in Cherry Mound, Grayson County Texas. Nannie lived there till her health, at age 97, forced her to move to Las Cruces, New Mexico, to live with her daughter.

Both were members of the Church of Christ and raised Nannie's youngest sister, after her parents death. They ran a boarding house in "Old Woodville" for railroad men, lawyers and school teachers for many years. After George's death, Nannie continued her "caring for all" in taking care of another brother during his terminal illness. She always had an outstanding garden and picked "wild" blackberries
till my dad forced her to quit at the age of 95. Never did a visitor leave without having a meal prepared by Nannie. She was known to make the finest "buns" (rolls) for miles around and many people would come by to visit with her and get them. Nannie truly enjoyed having friends and relatives to come by and take her fishing. If you went fishing with her, you better have minnows, and be prepared to stay all day, even if the fish weren't biting. I remember being at her home, it was very special to her, at the time she was leaving for Las Cruces, New Mexico and her words to me were, "You better come and visit me out there, as I know I will never get to come back home again". Nannie did go back home at the age of 100 years, 3 months and some odd days as she was laid to rest at Cherry Mound Cemetery on September 3, 1983, not far from where she was born.