Family of John Stanford Draper

On May 11, 1840, John Draper and Talitha/Tabatha Davis were married in Butts County, Georgia. John Stanford Draper was born the following year on May 5th. A brother, Nehemiah was born in 1843 and a sister, Elizabeth was born in 1846. At this time, they were living in Barbour County, Alabama.

John Stanford Draper and Margaret Ann Reed were married on April 10, 1862, he was near 20 years old when the Civil War began. Their first child, John Thomas was born in 1863 and the following year they had another son, William Walter. The Civil War was still going on between the Confederates and the Union soldiers. John Stanford was wounded, but not seriously in the war. He was shot in the hand causing one finger to overlap another finger.

A soldier, a Mr. Thomas that John Stanford had met during the Civil War, told him of a place in Texas. A place far from all the devastation that the war had caused. A beautiful place in Cass County, that he could bring his children and wife to live. By this time John Stanford and Margaret Ann had a daughter, Donie Isabella born in 1866. In 1868, Charles “Chart” Stanford was born and another son, Elijah Samuel born in 1869, before they left Barbour County, Alabama in 1870.

So, it was decided, they would leave behind all the devastation of their homeland and come to Texas for a new beginning. They sold their land and what possessions that they wouldn’t need to bring to Texas with them. A team of oxen and a covered wagon were bought, for it would take months to get to Texas. Mr. Thomas had promised John Stanford that he could move into one of his houses and sharecrop until he could get on his feet. So, they loaded the wagon with their clothes, food, and some keepsakes, and the last good-byes were said. They were on their way to Texas!!!

After many weeks of travel, the great Mississippi River was yet to be crossed, a ferry carried them across. About half-ways across, the ferry sprang a leak and all the heavy things had to be tossed overboard. Finally reaching the other side to land again, they continued on their way to Texas. It had been about three months since they had left their home and families, they had finally reached Cass County, Texas. John Stanford Draper and his family made 9 crops on shares for approximately 2 years. Around 1872, he began to buy land in the Antioch Community for 50 cents an acre. He was a very good farmer and manager of his money. Three more children, Mary Elizabeth, Margaret Caroline, and James Clifton were born into this family after they settled in Cass County. As each one of John Stanford and Margaret Ann’s children were married, they were given a parcel of land as a gift.

John Thomas Draper married Florence Burkhalter and they had 11 children, William Walter Draper married Annie Elizabeth Eargle, and they had 5 children, Donie Isabella Draper married Joseph M. Brown and they had 7 children. Charles “Chart” Stanford Draper married Martha “Mattie” Jane Permelia Trimble and they had 8 children, Elijah Samuel Draper married Margaret Ann Heldt and they had 6 children, Mary Elizabeth “Molly” Draper married James Frank Rousavall, and they had 7 children. Margaret “Maggie” Caroline Draper married William “Billy” Jackson Waters and they had 2 children, James Clifton “Cliff Draper married Willie May Dean and they had 2 children and he married Berthie Moore Irwin after Willie May died, but no children were born to this union.

Charles “Chart” Stanford Draper and Martha “Mattie” Jane Permelia Trimble were married on December 8,1893. Chart and Mattie Draper had 8 children, Hattie V. Draper married Johnnie Daniel Waters and they had one daughter, Navada. Idalia Draper married Bob Patterson and they had 5 children, Leon, Clifford, Bobbie Jo, Mary Francis, and Winfred. Claude Singleton Draper married Susie Angeline Griffin and they had 7 children, Ruth, Kathryn, W.T., Joe, David, Bonny, and Linda. Berta Iduma Draper married Francis Newton Waters and they had one daughter, Gloria. Coy Seifer Draper married Vera N, Baker and they had 2 children, Bonnie, and Billy. Onie Lee Draper married Lillian P. Young and they had one daughter, Willodean. Milam B. Draper married Katie Elinor Waters and they had 3 children, Delorias, LaRue and Benny. Elton “Red” Draper married Thelma Pauline Finley and they had one daughter, Martha Lynn. Pauline Finley Draper was a teacher, now retired, in the Queen City School District. Johnnie, Newton, and Elinor Waters were half brothers and sisters that married Draper brother and sisters.Billy Draper, son of Coy and Vera Draper, became the 12th President of Point Loma College, he also served on the General Board of the Church of the Nazarene, he pastored churches in Texas and Oklahoma. Willodean, daughter of Lillian and Onie Draper Young, was also a teacher, now retired, in the Longview area school district. Betty, the wife of Joe Draper is also a school teacher in the Atlanta School District.

Chart Draper was a good business man, he made his family a good living, farming his own land. Several times he sold their house and land to make a profit. They lived in the Blaylock, Antioch, and Piney Grove communities and also at Linden. They moved to Cove, Arkansas one time because his health was failing him, and he thought being near the mountains would help. But within two years, they moved back to the Antioch Community, Chart’s health continued to deteriorate from that point on!!

Chart Draper died in 1925 at the age of 57 and was buried at the Antioch Cemetery near his father and mother, John Stanford, and Margaret Ann Draper. Most of Chart and Mattie’s children grew up in the Antioch community, even after they married they made their homes in the surrounding areas. Mattie Draper lived until August, 1960 and she, too, is buried at the Antioch Cemetery.