GRANVALL EARL CHILDRESS

The following bio was taken from page 148 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

Granvall Earl Childress was born March 29, 1919 in Millerton, Oklahoma, to Alonza Earl and Magdalene Careener Childress. He lived mostly in Van Zandt, Texas until he joined the Army in 1938. He was stationed at Pearl Harbor when it was bombed. After his discharge from service in 1945, he was married to Louine Lewis at Houston, Texas July 28, 1945. They have one son, Timothy Weldon Childress, born April 21, 1955. Timothy married Darlene K. Stevens of Tucson, Arizona November 28, 1975. To this union was born a baby girl, Belinda Dianne, February 6, 1981.

Earl, as Mr. Childress prefers to be called, was self-employed for about thirty years in Houston. In October of 1976 he and Louine moved to their farm in Rusk County, and have been in reaching since. At present he is retired and living on his farm in Good Springs Community, Rusk County. Timothy, Darlene, and Belinda reside near Tatum, Rusk County, and he is employed by TUGCO.

The modern surname of Childress is originally English and it has had many variations in the spelling from Childers – Childrey - Childris – Childres – and Childress.

Mr. Childress’ ancestors came from England, France, Germany and from the Cherokee Indian lines. He claims kin to Edward, the third of England, George Washington, the pioneer, Peter Rucker, a French Huguenot whose ship was wrecked on the James River in 1690 and he swam ashore to start his life in America. The immigrant James Cowherd (Coward) of Germany, an ancestor, arrived in the James River area of April 4, 1688. Abraham Childers, Earl’s great (eight times removed) grandfather arrived in Henrico County, Virginia about 1630 and settled on Turkey Island near the Curles.

Mr. Childress’s line direct to Abraham Childress is as follows: Alonza Earl Childress, born at Van, Texas March 20, 1886, died at Houston, Texas October 31, 1959; James Warren Childres born October 8, 1853 in Henry County, Missouri, died at Van, Texas October 6, 1904; George Washington Childers, born December 25, 1814 in Bedford County, Virginia and died October 17, 1818 at Van, Texas; John Royal Childers, born Amherst County, Virginia 1773 and died Adair County, Kentucky, 1859; Ben Childers, born Albermarle County, Virginia and died Amherst County, Virginia, 1775; Thomas Childers, born Henrico County, Virginia and died about November 15, 1734 (date of will); Phillomon Childers, born Henrico County, Virginia and died about May 6, 1717 (date of will); Abraham Childers, born in England and died in Henrico County, Virginia about December 6, 1693 and his will was recorded June 1, 1698, and his wife was executrix.

Mr. Childress’s mother was Magdalene Careener Burnett who was born in Winston County, Alabama, July 30, 1888 and died in Houston, Texas February 17, 1975. She came to Texas as a child and rode in a train that used coal, and with all the windows open she said they were black from the soot blowing on them. Magdalene’s great-grandmother was a Cherokee Indian.

Submitted by Mrs. G. E. Childress