James Henry Brown

The following bio was taken from page 127 of the book entitled "Rusk County History" compiled and edited and used with permission of the Rusk County Historical Commission.

Transcribed by Shirley Koym

Submitted by Gloria Briley Mayfield, Rusk County TX Coordinator

James Henry Brown was born in Yallabusha County, Mississippi (often called Yellowbush) April 22, 1842 and died October 29, 1914 at the age of seventy-two years in Henderson, Texas. In his early childhood he moved with his parents to Natchitoches, Louisiana, and after their deaths in 1850, he was brought to Rusk County and grew up in the home of his uncle, Taylor Brown. His brothers and one sister, according to family history, were placed in the homes of other relatives.

When the Civil War began, James Henry joined the Confederate Army, enlisting in Company C under Captain M. M. Boggess and was with this company when it was reorganized and mustered into the Arkansas-Missouri regiment. He remained with this group until the end of the war.

After his return to Rusk County, he married Elizabeth Tabitha Truitt on December 11, 1867 at Old London. She was the daughter of George W. Truitt and Jane Yarborough Truitt. She was born October 31, 1846 in Alabama and died January 25, 1912 at the age of sixty-six in Rusk County, Texas.

Both James Henry (Jim) and Elizabeth were very active in the Methodist Church and in the upkeep of the Pleasant Hill Cemetery. Jim was on the first committee which was formed to take care of the cemetery and assisted in building the tabernacle on the church grounds.

Jim was a farmer and owned a home and a farm in the Old Fountainhead Community. He was well-known, highly-respected, and well-liked man. He was also a Mason belonging to the old Rocky Mount Lodge.

Both of the Browns as well as many of their relatives are buried in the Pleasant Hill Cemetery.

Jim and Elizabeth were the parents of six children. Their daughter, Kate, married Green A. Turner. Their children were: Addie May, Lorene, Allan Brown, Kathryn and a son who died. Their daughter, Nora, married Forest Elliott. They had four children: James Weekly, born September 11, 1890, married Mamie Brown, and died August 3, 1973. Sidney Ernest (1892-1918), John Lee (1895-1912) and Forest Brown Elliott married Laura Henry. The first of their two children was Forest Brown Elliott, Jr. who married Mary Louise Mason. The following are sons and daughters-in-law: Forest Brown Elliott III, Johnnie Sue Simmons, John Paul Elliott, Stephen Wayne Elliott, Michael Anthony Elliott, Kenneth Elliott, Jerry Mason Elliott, Karen Ann Russ, Jason Bryan Elliott, Allison Lee Elliott, Carroll Scott Elliott, Debbie Annette Bouis, Aaron Elliott. The second child of Laura and Forest was Maxine, who married Charles R. Thompson. Their daughter is Gail Thompson who married, first, Mr. Lawless and two children were born to them. They are Shannon Lee Lawless and Jason Todd Lawless. Gail married, second, Robert Rainey and they have one son, Lance Scott Rainey. Maxine and Charles Thompson’s second child is Karen Thompson Luce, who married Billy Luce and has one child, Brandon Luce.

Nora Elliott’s husband Forest, died before their son, Forest Brown Elliott, Jr. was born, and she and her four boys lived with her parents while the children were young.

The last four children of Jim and Elizabeth Brown were: Lizzie, who married Sam Gaut; Lillian, who married Milton McDavid and died very early; James Truitt, who married Lottie Todd and had eight children (see their story); and Bertha Octavie, who remained single.

Bertha, always called "Aunt Bert," was the favorite of all the nieces and nephews. She was a gifted millinery designer, a talented seamstress, and a well-loved person who was known and admired by many Henderson residents for her creative talents. She was never married but lived with her sister, Nora Elliott and helped bring up the four Elliott sons.

Submitted by Margaret Brown