Pioneers of Ellis County George W. Whitefield Contributed by Jean Caddel   George W. Whitefield was the son of John J. Whitefield, a native of North Carolina.  John moved to Tennessee where he married Emilia Matilda Harper, daughter of George Harper. She was born Feb. 16, 1819 and died July 21, 1902 in Ellis County. The Whitefields came to Ellis County in 1859, settling four miles west of Waxahachie and later buying land eight miles south, where they lived until his death July 21, 1902. Their son, John T., stayed with  his mother on the homestead until she broke up housekeeping in 1884 and lived with her children. John J. Whitefield is buried in the old High Springs Cemetery and Emilia is buried at Bethel Cemetery near Boz.  They had twelve children, nine known:  George W.; Josiah B. (d. 1862\, Randolph Co. Ark CSA); K. B. (b. ca 1843); John T., Elizabeth (b. ca 1848, married O. W. Crockett); Martha (b. ca 1851 m. Charles Walker); Franklin P. (b. March 10, 1853, d. March 26, 1872 (bur. by his father in High Springs Cemetery); Matilda F. (b. ca 1845, married William Stroud) and Tennessee (b. ca 1857, m. a Mr. Taylor.) George W. Whitefield was b, March  3, 1838 in Tennessee and served in the CSA, Parson's Brigade, Co. A., under Capts. W. W. Parkes, William Lee and W. W. Peevy.  He married Eliza C. Brack about 1864-65.  They lived on land which had been given Eliza by her parents, which included Matchett or Brack Springs, as it was called by the family.  Eliza died Nov. 20, 1932.  Both are buried in Bethel Cemetery near Boz.  George and Eliza's children: James M. (b. 1866, d. Nov. 22, 1874); Lucy E., (b. ca 1868); John William (b. 1872) and B. F. (b. ca 1876). John William lived on his parents' home place and married Lula McPherson.  Their children: J. W. Whitefield (a Methodist minister); Rhoda Mae (m. Charles Maxwell); Myrtle (m/1 Mr. Barton; m/2 Trace Morris); a son (died at birth) and Alice Margaret (m. Irvin Bedford).  John W. was a partner in Clayton's store on Greathouse road and was the last Whitefield to live on the homeplace.  He died June 10, 1960. Anna Whitefield (1855-1911) and Dicy Whitefield (1855-1922) were slaves who refused to leave the family after the war.  The Whitefields loved them as their family and reserved two places in the family plot for them.  However, at that time it was not allowed, so they are buried just outside the fence of Bethel Cemetery as near as possible to the Whitefield plot.  In 1880 Ann and Dicy were living with John T. and his mother on the old homeplace. References: Information from Alice Medford, granddaughter of George W. Whitefield 1850-60-70-80  Ellis County Census Records Tombstone Inscriptions in Bethel and High Springs Cemteries Survey of Whitefield Land P. C. Sims Land Abstract   Copyright © 2003-2016, Ellis County TXGenWeb. All Rights Reserved. This page was last modified: Thursday, 01-Jul-2021 13:30:16 MDT