FHWC: Henderson County, Tx - Meet Jack

It was 1923 or 1924 when Grandma's family moved to Henderson County from Lawn, Tx. Grandma was about 20 years old, and she and her brothers, Kit and Tommie, sister Dora, and baby niece Oletha were all living with George and Rebecca. This is where Grandma met the love of her life.

Meet "Jack" Parmer
Rufus Amery Parmer, better known as Jack, was born and raised on a farm in Henderson County, Texas. He came from a large family, who had migrated to Texas from Barbour County, Alabama in the 1850s and 1860s.

Granddaddy's paternal line
According to oral family history, his great-grandmother, Mary Ledbetter Tindel, wife of John Tindel (or Tindell), was full blood Indian. April has researched this claim extensively, and surely knows more of the facts behind this legend.

John and Mary Tindel played a huge role in the development of the Henderson County town of Fincastle, and established the first school there. But by the time Granddaddy was born, the town began to dwindle when the railroad tracks were laid through other towns in the county.

Green Clifton Parmer with granddaughters

John and Mary's daughter Lydia Frances Tindel married Jacob Henry Parmer in the late 1840s, probably in Barbour County, Alabama where their first 6 children were born. Jacob Henry Parmer was the son of Benjamin Parmer Sr., a Georgia native who had migrated near Creek Indian territory in Pike County, Alabama in the 1820s (the area was formed into Barbour County in 1832).

Lydia Tindell Parmer gave birth to Green Clifton Parmer, Granddaddy's father, on July 26, 1860 in Barbour County, Alabama, just before Jacob and Lydia moved their family to join Lydia's parents and Jacob's brother Zachariah Wesley Parmer in Henderson County, Tx. (Zachariah was married to Lydia's sister, Mary Jane Tindel.)

Granddaddy's maternal line
Granddaddy's mother, Martha Fransina "Synie" Greer, was born in Henderson County on May 17, 1866, to Civil war veteran John Alford Grier and Martha Elizabeth Perkins Crumpler Grier.

Four years after burying Jacob Parmer in the Fincastle Cemetery, Synie and Green were married on November 20, 1884 at "Home" according to the marriage page from Synie's bible. They had seven children: Henry Alford, Nora Elinor, Lyta Pearl, Nathan Napolean, George Browning, Rufus Amery, and Joe Matterson.

Granddaddy was a twin, born December 17, 1901, two years after the death of his grandmother, Lydia. Jack and Joe Parmer were the youngest of Green and Synie's nine childen. Granddaddy might have been born first if the order in which Synie listed their names in her bible is any indication of their birth order.

Left to right, George, Nathan, and Green Parmer pausing from their work for a photo-op c. 1910

Jack (front) and Joe (back).

I remember Granddaddy telling my sister and I about his school days, though I don't remember any specifics, just that he said he got in trouble a lot.

The Nowell family may have rented a farm neighboring Granddaddy's brother, Nathan's farm. The census taker visited George Nowell's household immediately after Nathan Parmer's in 1930, anyway.

Granddaddy and Grandma's brother, Kit, were about the same age, and probably became good friends. As the story goes, Granddaddy had been out hunting with Grandma's brother, and when they returned, upon seeing Grandma, he told Grandma's brother that he was going to marry her.

Now, I've already mentioned how Grandma knew she was going to marry Granddaddy in "Grandma was a witch". And she was right. They were married on September 16, 1924, supposedly in Tyler, Smith County, Texas.

I couldn't find their names in the marriage book at the library. Either it was misread by the transcriber (happens a LOT with these two), or maybe they got married somewhere else.

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Again, anyone related to or researching this line, I'd be happy to share the full size, unaltered scanned images of these photos and documents. Just let me know what you need in the comments.

Sources

• Lydia's bible, family records page, scans received from Gary Wright.


• Synie's bible, family records and marriages pages, scanned images received from Gary Wright.


• Grandma's bible, marriages page, scanned images received from Gina.


• Effie's bible, wife's genealogy page, scanned images.


• Conversations with Gina, Nancy, Donna and April.


• Kathryn Brown, "FINCASTLE, TX," Handbook of Texas Online (http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hrf10), accessed February 08, 2013. Published by the Texas State Historical Association.


• Linda Sybert Hudson, "HENDERSON COUNTY," Handbook of Texas Online (http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hch13), accessed February 08, 2013. Published by the Texas State Historical Association.


• "The Palmers and Parmers of North Carolina, Alabama and Mississippi" by John T. Palmer, pgs 12-18, scanned pages received from Gary Wright.


• "United States Census, 1860," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MHDH-CVK : accessed 08 Feb 2013), Jacob H Parmer, , Barbour, Alabama; citing p. 167, family 1309; NARA microfilm publication M653, FHL microfilm 803001.


• "United States Census, 1870," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MXLB-PR2 : accessed 08 Feb 2013), Green C Parmer in household of Jacob H Parmer, Texas, United States; citing p. 7, family 38, NARA microfilm publication M593, FHL microfilm 0553090.


• "United States Census, 1870," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MXLB-R3M : accessed 08 Feb 2013), John A Grear in household of John A Grear, Texas, United States; citing p. 32, family 229, NARA microfilm publication M593, FHL microfilm 0553090.


• "United States Census, 1880," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MFNV-1J9 : accessed 08 Feb 2013), Jacob N Parner, Fincastle, Henderson, Texas, United States; citing sheet 184B, family 0, NARA microfilm publication T9-1310.


• "United States Census, 1900," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/M3GP-L32 : accessed 08 Feb 2013), Green C Parmer, ED 60 Justice Precinct 5, Henderson, Texas, United States; citing sheet 11B, family 197, NARA microfilm publication T623, FHL microfilm 1241644.


• "Texas, Births and Christenings, 1840-1981," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F6G2-PR2 : accessed 08 Feb 2013), Rufus Amery Parmer, 17 Dec 1901.


• "United States Census, 1910," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MK1L-WJT : accessed 08 Feb 2013), Green C Parmer, Justice Precinct 5, Henderson, Texas; citing sheet 6A, family 102, NARA microfilm publication T624, FHL microfilm 1375576.


• "United States Census, 1920," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MHYC-8Z9 : accessed 08 Feb 2013), Green C Parmer, , Henderson, Texas; citing enumeration district (ED) , sheet 21B, family 447, NARA microfilm publication T625, FHL microfilm 1821818.


• "Texas, Deaths, 1890-1976," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/JXQQ-39D : accessed 08 Feb 2013), Francis Sina Parmer, 03 Jan 1928; citing reference certificate # 2600, State Registrar Office, Austin, Texas.