John Rankin, and his wife Bennie Mae Rankin live out by the Rankin, Shelton cemetery. The Rankin family took care of the cemetery, taking the upkeep upon themselves while my grandfather was growing up. His father Robert Rankin had a small house right next door to the cemetery. Robert Rankin was my grandfather's father who had settled in Hughes Springs from North Carolina. Robert Rankin's father was one of the largest plantation owners in North Carolina before the civil war, and the family still has his last will and testament where he gave slaves away. It's very strange when you read it. Before my grandfather's death he said the one thing he found sad about Hughes Springs was the way people didn't care what happened to one another any more. He said he could remember a time when someone was out of work or their family was sick, and all the neighbors would help you out until you got back on your feet. It really did sadden him. But so did naming the Rankin Cemetery the Shelton Rankin Cemetery putting his families name second! Funny how things get turned around just because you know the right people. Robert Rankin was one of the first settlers in Hughes Springs with his wife.

Robert Benjamin Rankin was born on 15 of November 1870 and died on 5 July, in Cass County, Texas. He was buried in the Shelton-Rankin Cemetery.

Robert (Ben), was the oldest son of James Alexander and Sarah Elizabeth Cloniger Rankin. His father died three months before Ben's 11th birthday, so he became the man of the house and assumed adult responsibilities at a very young age. He lived his entire life within a few miles of where he was born. He was 31 years old before he got married. On the 25 of December, 1901, he married Minerva Anne Morgan, ten years younger than he was. In the next 21 years, they parented 11 children, 6 boys and 5 girls, all of whom lived to maturity except the oldest.

Minerva Anne Morgan was born 29 of December 1880 near Alma, Crawford County, Arkansas, daughter of James Thomas and Margrett Catherine Delaney Morgan. She died on 24 July 1958 in Linden, Cass County Texas, and was buried in the Shelton-Rankin Cemetery.

On 12 February 1902, one and a half months after he married, Ben bought the family farm from his mother, sister Zoe and her husband, and brother Sam. His mother made her home with Ben and his family until her death in 1923.

Ben and his family lived in the house in which he'd grown up until 1915, when he rebuilt on the same site. Part of the land was sold off over the years, but the plot where the house stood remained in his possession until around 1950.

Looking back, it seems incredible to think of a four-room house accommodating a family consisting of a husband, his mother, his wife and 10 children. Of course, all the children weren't there all the time. The oldest child died, and by the time the last ones were born, some of the older ones were married or had left home otherwise.

It was a big square house facing South with a porch across both the front and the back. there was a double fireplace that opened into two of the adjoining rooms. (I am told that Uncle Sam built the fireplaces.) the front fireplace room doubled as papa's and mama's bedroom and the living room. the other two bedrooms were shared, one by grandma Rankin and the girls, and the other by the boys. there was one big closet in the house. the toilet was out back, and the water was drawn by hand from the well in the back yard and carried into the house in buckets. the cooking was done on a big wood cook stove. the kitchen boasted a very large dining table, with benches on the sides for the children. Mama made most of the clothes worn by the family on a treadle sewing machine. they raised most of their food and canned, preserved or dried enough to last through the winter months.

The main cash crop was cotton, of course, but they also raised corn, peas, cane, peanuts, and other things. They always had a big garden and a fruit orchard. The plowing was done with horse-drawn plows. Until the late 1920's, transportation was limited to a horse-drawn wagon or horseback...unless you made a trip by train. In the late 1920's, Papa bought a new car. By then, part of the children had married or left home, so it was Ruth who was first one to drive the new car.

the children all attended Sardis School up through the 8th grade, then transferred to Hughes Springs for high school. Many of the Sardis teachers boarded with them, and papa served on the school board in 1918 and feel sure there were other tenures.

Papa helped build and establish the Gardner's Chapel Methodist Church. He was a charter member, served as Steward, and remained a member until its dissolution in the 1940's, there were not enough members left to support Gardener's Chapel Church, so the church was dissolved, the building sold, and the money turned over to the Methodist General Conference.

Robert Rankin was a honest, truthful, kindhearted man whom you never heard even raise his voice. He was a true Christian whose daily life was his witness.

Here is a list of his children;
James Lester Rankin
Born 11 Jan 1903, died 8 Feb 1905(of burns), Cass County, Texas. Buried Shelton-Rankin Cemetery, Cass County Texas.

Robert Jewel Rankin ( called Joe in later years) born 6 Feb. 1904, Cass County Texas. Married Purnie Orland Smith, and later Oley Lee Kirby. Died 24 Mar. 1973, Whitter, Orange County , California. Buried Rose Hill Memorial Park, Whittier, California.

Ola Marteen Rankin Born 19 Aug. 1905, Cass County Texas. Married Ennis Walker Smith, 25 Nov, 1923., Cass County Texas. died 9 Jan, 1990, Shreveport , Caddo Parish, Louisiana, Buried Smith memorial cemetery, Springhill, Louisiana.

Claude Lee Rankin Born 22 sept, 1907, Cass County Texas. Married Georgia e. Ryan 3 mar, 1932, Cass County Texas. died 6 aug, 1976, Las Vegas, Clark County, Nevada. Buried Woodlawn Cemetery Vegas, Nevada.

Bernice Ofelia Rankin Born 1 Nov, 1909, Cass County Texas. Married Fonnie C. Taylor 25 Dec, 1928, Cass County Texas. Presently (1994) lives in Pinole, California.

Maggie Ruth Rankin born 4 Nov, 1911 Cass County Texas. Married Chester L. Bullington 15 Nov, 1929 in Cass County Texas. Died 10 April 1992 in Shreveport Louisiana, Caddo parish. Buried Laurel Land cemetery, Dallas Texas.

John Brasher Rankin born 29 Sept, 1913, Cass County Texas. Married Bennie Mae Stacy 18 Oct 1932, Cass County Texas. Presently lives in Hughes Springs Texas (1994).

Ina Rhea Rankin born 12 October 1915, Cass County Texas. Married Willard James Lawlis 20 May 1940 Gregg County Texas. Then married Windel C. Kirkland, Cass County Texas. Presently lives in Atlanta Texas.

William Floy (Doc) Rankin Born 12 October 1917 Cass County Texas. Married Dorothy Lucille Whitten 19 June 1939 Cass County Texas. presently lives in Atlanta Texas.

Nona Jenkins Rankin born 20 May 1921 in Cass County Texas. Married William Arnold Henslee 23 Dec 1939 in Cass County Texas. Presently lives in Atlanta Texas.

Lennis Morgan (Bill) Rankin born 6 June 1923 Cass County Texas. Married Audrey Wynona cook 6 Jan 1943 Cass County Texas. Died 1 Sept, 1989 in Linden Texas Cass County Texas. Buried in the Shelton-Rankin Cemetery. He was at one time Cass County sheriff.

Well that's all the children that lived in the little house right next to the Shelton-Rankin Cemetery.

John Rankin was my grandfather and he was a song writer. He wrote the first Wildflowers of Texas song. In December of 1936 John bought 36 acres of land from his father. He cut pine trees, hauled them to the sawmill, then used the lumber to build a house on his land. Both of his daughters were born in their house across from the Shelton-Rankin cemetery. In 1938 he moved his family to Henderson Nevada to work as a carpenter. Then moved back to Hughes Springs a short time after that buying 47 more acres from his father, in March of 1944. In 1946 he sold 47 acres to two of his brother's and then moved to San Diego California, and worked as a carpenter. In 1972 he retired and him and his wife moved back to Hughes Springs Texas.