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(July 30, 2003)
Robert and his wife Savannah were
first time settlers of our Corinth community. They owned a farm,
cleared a pathway for a road, lived out of their two wagons until a house
could be built. The crops were the most important for their living,
they cleared, cleaned the planted cotton, corn and vegetable gardens to be
harvested before the winter. Robert and Savannah and their children
with faith in God, hard workers, with respect for others had a good living
each year they developed their hand into more productive yields of produce.
They were noted for their expertise of fruit orchards, the word passed on
by the senior residents. Robert and Will Raines families started half
the peach and pear orchards in Leon County, with their seedlings they gave
to the people. Robert and Savannah proper of Christian, family,
neighborly service. He had knowledge of farming, ranching, shoeing
horses of the cotton gin operation and he the community dentist. He
was an important gentleman of Corinth, Brushy, Buffalo, Flo, and
surrounding communities.
Robert and Savannah led productive
lives. They had high standards of life paved the way for a Raines
legend of our Leon County. Robert and Savannah are buried at the
Buffalo Cemetery. Their children with the same dedication have
provided great wealth in many ways. The Robert Lee Raines Family as
long time residents of Corinth, Brushy and Buffalo areas brought advanced
wealth and opportunity of ranching. Bob a respected business leader
of the cattle and hog field helped with the promotional sales market and
trade profession. Bob and his wife Addie (Woodard) Raines lived to be
80 years old. They are buried at the Buffalo Cemetery. Their
children were role models, have been prominent of bringing success and
bright promise to Leon County, as well as other places.
Their daughter Lillian married James
Elgin. They were homesteaders of Corinth, Buffalo and were
influential of land, housing, ranching, farming, and business development
and they were devoted Christians and helped with the establishment of
churches, served in many positions of God's ministry of the Buffalo
Methodist Church. They gave support of funds and of their time of
neighboring church missions. They as community people served on many
committees of better equality of productive life for all age groups.
After Lillian lost James, she carries on with generous service of
Christian, community, neighborly, and county commitments.
Lillian and James daughter Margie who
is married to Flo's Leon Moore brings bright promise. She is a
loving, caring daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, and excellent
homemaker, gardener, cow girl, and she with dedication of Christian,
family, community growth and development, and of the preservation of
historical heritage. She carries on the Raines legacy on to her
children and for future generations.
Robert Lee's son, Robert Bartley
married Alyne Cameron. They as well established citizens of Buffalo,
Leon County were special of all prosperity. They gave to their
community in Christianity, promotional, educational, business and missions
of service to the people and their children. Bobbie and Sandra with
love of people and their community provided success of opportunity and
development.
Robert Lee's son, Harvey married
Sybil Davis of Leon County. They ad dedicated citizens were
outstanding of Christianity he a preacher and she with him of the mission
field and they as school teachers provided riches of the educational system
and their children Lee and Joyce as responsible caring adults have brought
advancement of community, county, status.
Robert Lee's son Anion (Pete) married
Doris Daughtery of Mt. Pleasant. They with great pride as
homesteaders, loving parents of Charles and Lynda. They gave
generously of all beneficial needs of church, community, county,
neighborhood opportunity and Pete outstanding of business management has
provided a lot of wealth of established programs to benefit all age groups
of an equal basis Pete was influential of the Buffalo AARP being one of the
most successful organizations of our Leon County as well as other counties.
He with expertise of management, helped to organize AARP to be a senior
citizen foundation to earn the respect of government and local authorities.
Will Raines, the son of Robert Henry
and Savannah Raines married Evalena Bilderback. They as outstanding
citizens of our Corinth, Brushy, Flo Communities are the best assets for
all of Leon County providing a lot of wealth of moral, Christian, family
standards, they with pride helped to build Leon County into a populated
flourishing county.
Will and Evalena lived their lives in
Leon County. They as God loving, built churches, taught Sunday
School, and organized Missionary programs.
(August 13, 2003)
We want to recognize a family that
was vital to the establishment of our Brushy, Corinth, Buffalo, Flo
communities, and all of Leon county since the year 1880. Also through
the ancestors with the same pride and dedication have been role models of
improved development and property all through our history.
The Robert Henry
Raines family of Butler, Alabama came to our Corinth Community in 1880.
He and his wife Savannah traveled by wagon, with all their possessions.
I am told they had a milk cow and two wagons. One to travel in and
the other was a supply wagon with their food. The trip by the San
Antonio Road took weeks. They traveled as far as they could through
the day, and tried to find a creek branch for their night's lodging.
Savannah had water for cooking and
washing clothes. Robert would get squirrels, rabbits, and fish to add
to their food supply. They faced hardships of cold, wet, hot weather,
Indians, and wild beasts on their journey. For their new home, in
Leon County, they with the promise of much farmland at a reasonable price
gave thanks to God on their arrival.
They immediately went to work,
clearing and cleaning their land. They used their oxen to plow with
and planted cotton, corn, and gardens on every plot of their land.
After the first year, they had a fruit orchard.
It is well known by our elderly
citizens, the Robert Raines family had great success raising fruit trees.
Always with a bountiful supply of fruit, especially peaches, pears, and
apples, it is told. Robert and Will Raines provided many households
with fruit trees to be planted. They went house to house by wagons
and buggies delivering trees and produce.
Robert and Savannah were a team of
farming ranching. Robert with trades of shoeing horses and of the
Cotton Gin business, he helped to build the first Buffalo Cotton Gin.
He was the supervisor of the managements of the Gin. With his
expertise of this operation, he helped with the establishment of other
Cotton Gins of Leon County and surrounding communities.
Robert and Savannah were the parents
of six sons and three daughters. Johnnie, Willis, Will, Warren, Asa,
Robert Lee, Margaret, Savannah Ethel, and Lovelle all contributed great
wealth and success to our county.
The Robert Lee Raines family (Bob)
the son of Robert and Savannah lived most of his life in Leon County.
He married Addie Mae Woodard, the first daughter of the first important
settlers Bart and Maggie (Allbritton) Woodard who owned much land of our
Sand Lake, Flo Community. Bob and Addie May lived most of their
married life in our Corinth, Brushy Communities.
Bob was a farmer, rancher during the
depression he started buying livestock from the farmers of Leon County and
surrounding counties. He shipped cattle and hogs to the Fort Worth
Stock Market and he made a good living at this.
After auction sales took over in Leon
and surrounding counties Bob continued buying and selling cattle and hogs
for many years until he was 78. He loved mixing and being among the
people and the handling of the livestock.
Bob and Addie were the parents of
Robert, Lillian, Pete, and Harvey. As they were youngsters they
helped their parents with all chores of the country life. They grew
into caring, dependable adults who through our present have provided moral
Christian family values for our Leon County and other places since the
1800's.
Lillian married James Elgin of Leon
County. They made their home in the Corinth, Buffalo communities.
James was an employee with The Buffalo Texas Highway Department for many
years. Lillian was a loving wife, immaculate homemaker and she worked
at public jobs. They both helped to establish churches, where they
were actively involved of many Missions of the Christian Community
Ministry.
(Sept 3, 2003)
Ollie Mabiel, the daughter of Will
and Evalena (Bilderback) Raines performed well in the farming, ranching,
and household chores when growing up in our Corinth Community. she
with interest of all needlework, was a well learned student of her mother
and other ladies of the Raines, Bilderback families. Ollie has
wonderful hands as a seamstress. She makes beautiful handwork and she
is especially recognized for her quilt making. Ollie in her 90'2 is a
resident of the Buffalo Nursing Home, made quilts for special occasions on
her own sewing machine.
Ollie married Lee Kilgore and they
made their home in Buffalo. Lee was an excellent carpenter, Ollie an
immaculate homemaker always busy of her daily chores, keeping her house
sparkling. She decorated with her crafts and every spare moment she
had her hands were busy of reading the Bible, quilting and of needle,
sewing machine work.
Ollie owned and operated an
upholstery shop in Buffalo. She pleased many of our Leon County
people and out of town customers with her excellent work. Ollie and
Lee were proud parents of Bob Willie, he like his parents was actively
involved of Christian, family and community programs of moral character and
other community and Bob Willie's children are important in beneficial needs
of all citizens on an equal basis.
The Bob Willie family makes regular
visits and they all give support of the Buffalo Brushy Corinth and Flo
Community. Will and Evalena's daughter Ruby Rachel, ambitious,
energetic, always busy of the duties at home, she picking cotton. By
the time she was six she was cooking complete meals and was an excellent
seamstress by twelve. She learned from every book she got her hands
on. At school she was a favorite young lady. As she grew older
she with love of people found it pleasing to be completely involved in
Church Community and County activities. She with ease as a spokes
woman and she a fast learner of all tasks laid in front of her, helped with
the establishment of organized projects that produced important opportunity
for our citizens.
Ruby married Buddie Parrish of Flo.
He was the son of Pioneer settlers, George and Francis (Boykin) Parrish who
were outstanding leaders of farm and ranch and development of building
churches. The George Enoch Parrish families helped with the
foundation of the Flo church, and the Trinity Baptist association of Flo,
Leon County.
Ruby and Buddie lived in Flo, they
were fine farmers owned livestock and they were operators of the Flo Store
for a long time. They served in all missions of God's ministry of the
Flo church. They as teacher of Sunday school, Bible teaching and Ruby
an excellent singer of gospel music, was an inspiration of her singing and
as a teacher of music for the youngsters. She helped to organize The
Home Economics, the mattress, the canning, and Family Mission programs of
Flo. She and Buddie committed educational benefits to Flo. They
gave support of voluntary projects and Ruby was a cook of the Flo Lone Star
school lunchroom and Buddie was a bus driver.
Later Ruby and Buddie moved to
Buffalo. They managed the Dairy King for twenty years and Ruby was a
beautician in Buffalo for many years. Ruby cooked wholesome meals
everyday. It delighted her to have company at meal times and she
prepared many dishes, delivering them to relatives and friends. When
Ruby attended reunions, cemetery memorial services, churches and community
affairs for food preparation, it was always well known for food
preparation. It was well known she prepared enough food for an army.
Ruby and Buddie were proud parents of
A. P., Parthena and Glenna. They taught their children to love, obey
God, to work and to be close knitted with family.
(Sept. 10, 2003)
We want to continue with Robert Henry
Raines family and his descendants who have been vital of our Leon County
success since our early Pioneer Days. Ruby Rachel Raines, the
daughter of Will and Evalena Raines and the grand-daughter of Robert Henry,
born in 1914, lived her entire life in our Corinth Flo, Buffalo communities
serving in all aspects of growth opportunity. She married our Flo,
Buddie Parrish. They were homesteaders essential of God's Ministry
and all other development programs and they with heritage of established
homelands, churches, schools, business and genealogy, ancestry, history
were an inspiration all their lives.
There children carrying on with the
same pride and determination of advanced opportunity and wealth of Leon
County and surrounding counties, have served in all ways of high standard
status of life, personal and citizenship profit.
Ruby and Buddie's son Allen Pierce
(A.P.), daughters Parthena and Glenna were all born and raised in Flo,
attended Flo church, Flo school, and they were also hard workers helping
their parents out on the farm. They also helped out with the running
of the Flo store. They had many relatives and family members of Flo
which were like one big family.
The Raines, Parrish legacy of close
knitted relationships, gave assistance wherever they were needed.
Later the family moved to Buffalo. They carried with them the same
legacy as in Flo.
A. P. married Martha Robertson of
Fairfield. They lived in Palestine, owned a lovely place were a team
of giving tender care and beauty to their Palestine home place and to their
Flo home land. They were also active members of the Westwood Baptist
Church of Palestine.
When Martha lost A. P. she stayed
busy with church, family and community work.
Ruby and Buddie's daughter Parthena
lived her entire life in Flo and Buffalo. She has always been a
people person serving our community in every way. She has enjoyed
success, and has been a Christian since her teenage years. She has
belonged to God's Ministry in Flo and Buffalo Methodist church all of her
life. She was just like her mother she had a special gift for gospel
singing. It was an inspiration to the Flo church family.
As a young lady she blessed her
church families with her singing. She and her sister Glenna, who also
with the special gift of gospel singing sang for funerals, weddings,
memorial services, and other special occasions.
Parthena was a nurse and an
administrator for the Buffalo Clinic where her husband Dr. VanWey worked.
She with him provided our Leon County citizens with advanced medical care.
They both worked at the Buffalo Leon County Hospital that was in operation
from 1965 until the 1980's, this being a prosperous time for the medical
field in Buffalo, Leon County.
She with her Parthena's Shopping
Center, The South Fork Land and Housing Development, The Bridal, Wedding
Shop, Parthena's Bed and Breakfast, has provided great business provisions.
She with influential leadership of the beauty pageant field has brought
success and recognition to Buffalo, Leon County. With a leading force
of young ladies in our county being winners, Leon County has reaped
productivity in this field.
Parthena has served on several
committees for her Buffalo Community to be an outstanding township.
Parthena owns a beautiful home with property in Buffalo. She is a
loving mother, grandmother and gives special attention to their needs.
Her Bed and Breakfast is a place for entertainment of family togetherness.
She and Dr. VanWey and her children have provided political achievement for
Leon County. Parthena brings much success of the republican status of
local political accomplishments.
Ruby and Buddie's daughter Glenna as
a young lady worked beside her parents doing many chores of farming and the
country life and she like her mother is at ease with people. She
always sang gospel music with her mother and sister Parthena. By the
time she started to school she was leading songs for the teachers and
others.
(Sept 17, 2003)
Glenna (Parrish) Ellenburg, the
daughter of Buddie and Ruby (Raines) Parrish and the granddaughter of Will
Raines was born and raised in the Flo area. She was a joy to her
parents and worked at all farming, ranching and household chores that was
laid in front of her. She attending church all of her life, becoming
a Christian at a young age. She was very active in the church
specially with her gospel singing. Her talent has been a blessing to
God and to many people. She always gives a helping hand to her
family, friends and community. She is an inspiration.
Glenna an honor student of the Flo,
Buffalo schools was a favorite of teachers and she an excellent athlete
especially of basketball. She helped to win many trophies and ribbons
for her school. Glenna married Joseph Ellenburg, they live in
Palestine are wonderful assets as homesteaders, citizens who strive for
success and prosperity. As workers of public duties have provided
success of the business field they are dedicated members of the Palestine
Westwood Baptist church serving as Christian leaders. They are loving
parents of Joseph and grandparents of Emily. They provide tender
loving care and support in everyway. Joseph an outstanding young man
with Christian moral, family values leads a busy active life. He's a
loving husband, dad, and a talented leader of gospel music. He with
the Harmony Boy's performs at many churches and other places serving God
with his musical talents. Joseph being asked to perform at different
churches and being asked if he had a preference of churches, his reply is
its no what's over the door, it's what's in the heart that matters.
Glenna and her son are a close
knitted family and work on ancestry heritage to be preserved and carried on
from one generation to another.
Brother Bill Raines the son of
Willard and Evalena was born and raised in Corinth and Flo communities has
always been a favorite of our Flo people. Bill losing his dad at a
young age and his mother who was very ill and told him he was and orphan.
(Sept. 24, 2003)
Brother Bill told he was an orphan
boy. All the widow ladies of Flo had to raise him. His daily
routine would be to go to the ladies homes, he would go to a different one
for each meal. They kept an extra plate for him and often times after
the noon meal they would tell him to go to bed for an evening nap.
On special occasions they prepared
him goody bags of tea cakes and baked sweet potatoes. Aunt Nett
Woodard gave him oranges and apples on Christmas and granny Bell Lathrop
took him fishing, where they would catch perch. They then would take
them back to the house and fry them and eat them. This was a huge
treat.
Brother Bill attended Flo schools,
were he was an average student, excellent athlete and popular with he
girls. One time he received a tongue-lashing. At times he was
supposed to be with one girl and others would be getting his attention at
church and at parties.
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