LIFE AFTER ELIZABETH

CA 1881 LENA WAS SENT TO LIVE WITH A FAMILY NAMED HOWELL THAT LIVED IN WILLS POINT, VAN ZANDT CO., TX. THEY WERE SAID TO BE FAMILY AND WAS HER AUNT AND UNCLE. THE MAN'S NAME WAS JOHN, THE WIFE'S NAME MATTIE AND SHE HAD A DAUGHTER NAMED BESSIE FROM ANOTHER MARRIAGE. (John Howell was married 3 times, Elizabeth Proctor Spencer, Sarah E Trimble (Trimble I think is a married name) and Mattie A. He married Elizabeth probably in Alabama and they came to Van Zandt County before 1860. Elizabeth died in 1875, buried in Cedar Grove Cemetery in Kaufman County. John married Sarah E Trimble in 1875. She dies after 1880. He is married to Mattie by 1900. 1910 Mattie's daughter, Bessie is living with them. Bessie was the daughter of Walter Benjamin Thompson. I think Mattie and Walter divorced. Bessie married Ben D Shannon and had a son, Howell, in 1912. She committed suicide by mercury poisoning in 1939)

ACCORDING TO LENA'S FAMILY SHE HAD SAID SHE CAME TO TEXAS WHEN SHE WAS 7 YEARS OLD. SHE SAID SHE REMEMBERED COMING OVER A RISE AND SEEING THE TENTS IN FORT WORTH.

ACCORDING TO LENA'S FAMILY SHE HAD BEEN TAKEN IN BY A HOWELL FAMILY THAT LIVED IN FT. WORTH AND HE THE 1ST WATER COMMISS-IONER AND WAS TO HAVE BEEN IN THE BANKING PROFESSION. SHE WAS SAID TO BEEN A DEBUTANTE AND IN THE PAPERS QUITE OFTEN. HOWEVER, THE FAMILY WITH A WIFE MATTIE AND STEP DAUGHTER BESSIE, APPEARS TO HAVE MOVED DIRECTLY TO VAN ZANDT COUNTY WHEN THEY CAME TO TEXAS AND HE WAS ALWAYS LISTED AS A FARMER.

SUSIE LIVED IN BOSQUE COUNTY WITH A FARM FAMILY WITH A NAME SIMILAR TO KIMBRELL (CAMPBELL, KIMBELL). SHE WAS PRETTY MUCH TREATED LIKE A SLAVE.