The John Marion Barnett Family - Family Histories

     John Marion (Dug) Barnett was a widely known rancher and stock farmer of Novice, who came to West Texas in 1879 and settled about two and one-half miles east of the present home on the Barnett estate which is one-half mile east of Novice. He bought 160 head of cattle on reaching Novice. Range cattle were hard to fatten and for some years Dug worked as a cowhand. He worked for Bill Dunn in Taylor County in 1882; with J. C. Dibrell, a pioneer cattleman of Coleman County, in 1884; and in 1891, he drove a herd of 2000 head of cattle to White Deer pasture for Bill Hughes and Jake Rathmell.

     Dug was born near Corsicana on the fifth of June 1862, the son of John Elbert (a veteran of the Civil War) and Catherine (Limey) Barnett. Dug was left an orphan at an early age and was reared by the paternal grandmother until her death, then being reared by his uncle, Ephriam Barnett, who came with him, along with Dug's sister, Ella (see Jacob Rathmell), to Coleman County in 1879 and settled on Rough Creek. It took three months to make the trip in a covered wagon with three yoke of oxen from Navarro County to Coleman County. Dug's Uncle Ephriam died in 1892 and is buried at Silver Valley.

     Dug married Sarah Elizabeth Weaver, March 31, 1893, a native of Collin County, born to William and Mary Weaver (see William Mack Weaver) on March 14, 1874. They settled on 160 acres of land in Novice where Dug built a three room house for his bride. They were active participants in the community life of Novice and were members of the Church of Christ. Five children were born to Dug and Sallie: Mary, (see Joseph Franklin Leathers), John Dugan (see John Dugan Barnett), Matt Payne, Weaver (see Weaver Barnett), and Kathleen (see Kathleen Barnett Bailey). Matt Payne died in May of 1915 at age 17, buried in Rough Creek. Dug Barnett died in 1950 in Ballinger; Sallie in 1951 in Ballinger; both buried in Rough Creek Cemetery.

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John Marion and Sarah Barnett, 1893