THOMAS RICHARD TAYLOR
Sunday, July 19, 1835 (Lunenburg County, Virginia) - Tuesday, April 25, 1899 (Sherman, Grayson Co., Texas)

 

In 1843 the Taylor family moved to West Virginia.  Thomas was living in Rutherford County, Tennessee at the age of 15 in 1850 with his parents and brothers. (1850 Rutherford Co., Tennessee census)  About 1854 Thomas moved to Grayson Co., Texas; his trip from Tennessee took 12 weeks.
Thomas enlisted at Sherman in December 1861 at the age of 26.  He was mustered in at Ft. Washita on Saturday, December 28, 1861, to  serve with Co. B. of the 22^nd Texas Cavalry.  (“Texas, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1854.”  (Database, FamilySearch.com”)

Thomas married Ellen Parley Lewis (Sunday, June 10, 1855, Texas – Friday, March 9. 1917) in Sherman, Texas, on Monday, July 31, 1873, near Pilot Point, Denton Co., Texas;  

Fathe nuptials being read by C.E. Burns, minister.   Ellen was born in Pilot Grove in June 1855, the daughter of William Lewis (born South Carolina) and Sarah Clements Lewis (born Arkansas).  (Texas Death Certificate 7765)  She lived her entire life in Grayson County, Texas.  Mrs. Taylor was survived by her sons, W.H., M.B. Taylor, T.J. and J.G. Taylor as well as three daughters, Mrs. Ellen Beall, Mrs. Sallie Garrett, and Mrs. Lou Fowler.  (The Sherman Daily Democrat, Saturday, March 10, 1917, pg.4)

Over the period of 21 years, Thomas R. Taylor purchased 5 tracts of land:
April 15, 1872 - 27.5 acres from Elizabeth Bell (Grayson County Land Records, Vol. X, page 233)
February 1, 1878 - 113.25 acres from Miles G. Taylor & Isaac B. Taylor, his brothers (Grayson County Land Records, Vol. 39, page 170)
January 1, 1886 - 1 acres from Wesley Parker and wife (Grayson County Land Records, Vol. 66, page 460)
October 27, 1887 - 28.5 acres from Samuel & John Lambert (Grayson County Land Records, Vol. 74, page 431)
May 5, 1893 - 4.5 acres from P.J. Gaskill & wife (Grayson County Land Records, Vol. 102, page 549)

According to the 1880 U.S. Census Thomas, his wife, and oldest two children had moved to Precinct 1, Grayson County, Texas.

CHILDREN OF THOMAS RICHARD TAYLOR & ELLEN PARLEY LEWIS TAYLOR
William Henry “Bud” Taylor, born in August 17, 1874 in Grayson Co., Texas – died December 5, 1933 in Grayson County, Texas. He never married and is buried in the Taylor Family Cemetery.

Ellen Harrison Taylor, born in Saturday, September 4, 1876, Grayson Co., Texas; died in Tuesday, October 8, 1935 in Grayson Co., Texas. She married Lawrence Hunter Beall on Wednesday, January 25, 1893, in Grayson Co., Texas. Lawrence Hunter Beall was born Friday, April 29, 1870, in Montague Co., Texas and died Saturday, June 15, 1960 in Grayson Co., Texas. Ellen and Lawrence had nine children.  Both are buried in the Shannon Cemetery, Grayson Co., Texas.

Miles Britton “Judge” Taylor, born on Sunday, June 19, 1881 in Grayson Co., Texas and died Saturday, September 2, 1933, in Bryan Co., Oklahoma.  He married Mary Etta Sims on Wednesday, March 23, 1904, in Grayson Co., Texas. 

Infant Son Taylor, born in 1882 and died in 1883. He is buried in the Taylor Family Cemetery, Grayson Co., Texas.

Sallie Francis Taylor, born Wednesday, August 26, 1885, Grayson Co., Texas; and died Friday, November 27, 1953, in Bryan Co., Oklahoma.  

Thomas Jefferson Taylor, born December 31, 1887, Grayson County, Texas, and died January 30, 1966, in Elk City, Beckham Co., Oklahoma.  

John Guyton “Guide” Taylor, born Wednesday, October 21, 1891, Grayson Co., Texas. He died Tuesday, June 24, 1952, In Mayes Co., Oklahoma.  He is buried in Fairview Cemetery, Pryor, Mayes Co., Oklahoma. He married Cynthia M. “Kiddie” Beecham on Wednesday, August 20, 1919, in Grayson Co., Texas. Cynthia M. Beecham was born Friday, July 16, 1897, in Catahoula, St. Martin Parish, Louisiana and died Saturday, April 28, 1984, in Mayes Co., Oklahoma. Her first husband was Willie James Arnold (1879-1966), whom she married on Tueday, December 10, 1912, in Fannin Co., Texas. John Guyton Taylor and Cynthia M. Beecham Arnold had one child.

Lou Evie Taylor & Ray Victor Fowler

Lou Evie Taylor, born Sunday, Friday, August 31, 1894, in Grayson Co., Texas and died Tuesday, June 9, 1970 in Tarrant Co., Texas.  She married Ray Victor Fowler on Sunday, November 23, 1913, in Grayson Co., Texas. Ray Victor Fowler was born Monday, August 3, 1891, in Sherman, Grayson Co., Texas. He died Tuesday, May 8, 1979, in Tarrant Co., Texas. Both are buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery, Ft. Worth, Tarrant Co., Texas. They had seven children.

Mrs. Taylor's land is located in the Shannon community.
Indicated by the red arrow at the top of the map

After her husband's death on February 20, 1907, Ellen Taylor sold an easement to The Texas Company.  (Grayson County Land Records, Vol. 177/page 89)

Ellen died at her home, 5 miles east of Sherman, of La Grippe, also known as “influenza", in the afternoon of Friday, March 9, 1917; funeral services were held at her late residence on Saturday afternoon, followed by interment in the family cemetery near her home.   Rev. J.H. Baxter of the Christian church, which the deceased had been a long-time member of, conducted the services.

Both Thomas R. and Ellen Parley Lewis Taylor are buried in the Taylor Family Cemetery, as well as their 1-year-old infant born August 1882 and died September 1883.