Yoakum County Genealogy

My Great Uncle, John C. Pruitt, died in Denver City, Texas, on May 12, 1986. He was the youngest brother of my Grandfather, Joseph "Joe" Pruitt and was a veteran of World War I. He also worked as a rodeo clown and was a member of Odd Fellows. He married Meekie Olivia Burnett in Lovington, NM, on July 13, 1964.

My Great Grandfather was Joseph Jackson Pruitt III, known as "J.J." He was born 3 Dec 1855 in Mississippi and died in Arlington TX., on 1 Mar 1940. He married Lucy May Wilkins (1855 MS-1919 MS) who was his first cousin, after his first wife, Lucy's sister Jennie, died. They farmed near New Albany, Mississippi, before moving to Texas. Eventually Lucy and JJ split, she went back to Mississippi, and he married Jeannine Edwards in 1911.

My Grandfather, Joseph "Joe" Pruitt, was the first born of JJ's and Lucy's children (6 Jun 1887 in New Albany, MS). Then there were Laura (b. 1889 MS), Emma (b. 1892 TX) , Giles W. (b. 1895 TX) and John C., the youngest child. John C. Pruitt was born July 6th, 1897 in Henderson County, Texas, where the family lived for many years. It is said that he was named for his grandfather's brother, John Calvin Pruitt, who was one of 3 CSA soldiers from Mississippi who were killed in the battle of Antietam or Sharpsburg, MD. Below are some photos of the Pruitts. These were taken in the 1920's and 1930's. Also below are the obituaries for John C. Pruitt from the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal for May 1986 and for Meekie Pruitt from the same paper on July 19, 1990.