WILLIAM JESSE FEARS

 The following bio was taken from page 197 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

 This particular Fears family can be traced back to the immigrant William Fears and his wife Frances Sadler.  They settled around Halifax County, Virginia in the 1740’s.  Their son, William Fears married Ann Bulger and was a Revolutionary War soldier.  He drew land in Georgia for his service and died in Greene County, Georgia about 1836.  One of William and Ann’s great great grandsons, William Thomas Fears of Hampton, Henry County, Georgia, married Frances Elizabeth Fears of Jasper County, Georgia.   Their son, William Jesse Fears, was born July 20, 1853. 

William Thomas Fears served in the Civil War and then lived in Jasper County, Georgia until 1871 when he moved his family to Magnolia (Columbia County), Arkansas.  Frances Elizabeth died in 1874 and William Thomas died in 1888.  The same year William Thomas died, their son, William Jesse Fears, was ordained a minister in the Christian (Disciples of Christ) Church.  His first marriage was to Ella E. Zachry in 1873 and they had six children.  Then, on April 1, 1906, he married Jessie Arlee Thomas.  She was the daughter of Ezekiel Thomas and Vander Artimissie Clark, natives of Franklin County, Georgia and pioneer settlers of Longview (Gregg County), Texas. 

Reverend and Mrs. Fears spent part of the first year of their marriage in Indian Territory, now Oklahoma, doing missionary work.  They returned to Longview, Texas, where William Thomas Oren was born February 13, 1907.  Then they lived for several years in Timpson where they had two more children.  Gracie Loucille was born June 29, 1908, and Bettye Frances was born November 3, 1911.  Gracie Loucille died in 1910. 

In 1912 the family moved to the Woodglenn Community in Rusk County.  This part of Rusk County was a farming, cattle, and saw milling district.  Reverend Fears helped to build a church near the old Woodglenn School, which thrived for several years.  While in this community, the Fears had two additional children:  Allyene Elizabeth, February 5, 1916, and Winston J., July 9, 1921.  Oren, Frances, and Allyene attended the Woodglenn School. 

After thirteen years, the family moved to Tatum.  Reverend Fears was then preaching in the Crystal Farms and Dirgin areas.  He continued his ministry until his death on January 18, 1926.  He was buried in the Tatum Cemetery. 

Mrs. Fears continued to live in Tatum where Frances and Allyene attended the Tatum schools.  The youngest child, Winston J., died on March 11, 1927, and was also buried in the Tatum Cemetery. 

In 1933, Mrs. Fears, Frances and Allyene moved from Tatum to Longview.  Mrs. Fears married William Robert Jones in 1937.  He died in 1961 and Mrs. (Fears) Jones died September 6, 1966, at the age of eighty-six.  She is buried in the Tatum Cemetery next to Rev. W. J. Fears and their son Winston.

Oren Fears married Veda Davidson and the couple now live in Corpus Christi, Texas.  They have two children, four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.  Allyene Fears first married W. H. Cook and from that marriage has two children and two grandchildren.  She is now married to A. (Pete) Davidson, a brother to Veda Davidson.  Frances Fears married Dallas F. Butter, and they have one child and three grandchildren.  Allyene and Frances both live in Longview, Texas. 

Submitted by Mrs. Frances Fears Butter and Mrs. Virginia Butter Fields