Levi Tidwell came to Bowie County with some of his children between 1850 and 1860.  He was living with his daughter, Lavicy Tidwell Alexander in 1860.  At that time Levi was 82 and gave his birth place as Georgia.  The family must have traveled by wagon train from Holmes County, Mississippi.  Levi Tidwell is the oldest Tidwell that we know of that came to Bowie County.  He was born in 1774, the son of Robert and Mary Tidwell from Fairfield District, South Carolina.  Robert Tidwell's father was Francis Tidwell.  Levi Tidwell died on February 18, 1869 and was buried in the Old Union Cemetery.  He was 95 years old.

Levi Tidwell's wife was named Ann and she did not come to Texas with him.  We think she died in Mississippi.  We have the names of ten children:
 1. William Riley Tidwell, born 1806 in Dicken Co., Tennessee, married Mary "Polly" Gillespy
 2. William born 1808 in Tennessee married Sarah D. ____ in Mississippi
 3. Richard born 1803 in Tennessee
 4. Joseph born 1818 in Tennessee, married Elizabeth Caroline Gillispe
 5. Nancy born 1819 in Tennessee
 6. Sarah born 1821 in Tennessee
 7. Lavicy born 1824 in Holmes County, Mississippi, married Lewis Alexander
 8. Martin born 1827 in Mississippi, married (1) Nancy E (2) Martha J
 9. Berry Russell born in Mississippi in 1829, married Matilda Alexander
10. Temperance died in 1843

Riley Tidwell and Joseph Tidwell are also buried at the Old Union Cemetery, in marked graves.  We have no idea how many of their children may be buried there in graves that no longer have any markers.  The wife of Joseph was buried at Sand Hill Cemetery because the roads were too bad at the time she died.  She died of "Quincey".