John William Florey of Rusk Co. Cemeteries of TX

John William Florey was married to Mary Susan Hatcher (daughter of Benjamin Hatcher and Maria) on November 1, 1855 in Shelby County, Alabama by Elijah Burchfield, JP. Mary Susan Hatcher was born on July 2, 1835 in Alabama. She died on February 8, 1874 in Overton, Rusk County, Texas. She was buried in the Florey Family Cemetery North of Overton, Texas. John William Florey and Mary Susan Hatcher had the following children:

Spencer was born in Harpersville, Shelby County, Alabama, September 3, 1856. He moved to the Overton, Rusk County, Texas area in 1864 with his family. He went back to Harpersville about 1878-1880 to live and work on his uncle's farm for a short while. At this time he courted and married Theodosia Florey (daughter of Henry Edward Florey and Francis A. "Fannie" Lawler) and was living with his in-laws in 1880 according to the 1880 Federal Census. He moved back to Rusk County where he engaged in farming with his Dad, moved into Overton about 1914, but still operated a cotton gin out on the farm. Spencer was a large land owner, raised cattle and horses, and was a financier. Spencer was the executor of his father's will, and it is said that he had quite a stash, but used it wisely and beneficially for his brothers and sisters.
Theodosia died in 1922. He was one of the original stockholders in the First State Bank and was a director for many years. He died August 10, 1946 having been one of the outstanding citizens of the county.

William was born in Harpersville, Shelby County, Alabama, March 26, 1858. On his way to Texas from Alabama, they lived in Mansfield, Louisiana. He commented in his Family Bible that he could not walk fifty feet without stepping over a dead Yankee after the Battle of Mansfield in The War Between the States. In Overton, Texas, he helped on the farm and helped Spencer until he moved to Mt. Pleasant, Titus County, Texas in 1908. He married Maud Motley (daughter of James Wilson Motley and Anna Eliza Henderson) in 1890 (one of the pioneer families of Overton) and they had five children. She died in 1902 of tuberculosis. The children did not move to Mt. Pleasant with their father until 1914 when William married "Miss Abbie" Batte Schwab of Mt. Pleasant. William and his brother, Spencer, were two of the original three developers of Dellwood Park in Mt. Pleasant which was at the height of its popularity until about 1911. They built a 70 room hotel with its own electric power plant and a two-story pavilion along with a swimming pool. The park was known for waters with 'curative powers'. Park facilities included a bowling alley and a ballroom. The streetcar line, built to serve the park from the downtown area, was about one and one-eighth miles long. At first the car was motor driven, but the motor "retired" after a year and was replaced by mules. William's younger brother Wilford came from Overton to help his brothers operate the streetcar. The hotel was ahead of its time and finally the building burned in 1929 after spending some years as a boy's school, apartment house and a vacant building. William and his brothers, Ben and Tull, started a general merchandise store in 1911. It went well for a while until they started selling "on the credit". People would not pay them and they had to shut it down. William was also in the dairy and fruit business. He served as City Alderman for six years. He read without glasses until his death in 1956 at 98 years of age.

Robert Simeon Florey was born on January 4, 1860 in Harpersville, Shelby County, Alabama. He died on April 5, 1890 in Overton, Rusk County, Texas. He was buried in the Florey Family Cemetery North of Overton, Texas. Robert Simeon Florey was married to Emma L. Jones on January 21, 1885 in Smith County, Texas. Emma L. Jones was born on April 18, 1862. She died on July 20, 1885 in Overton, Rusk County, Texas. She was buried in the Florey Family Cemetery north of Overton.

Abb was born March 20, 1862 in Mansfield, Louisiana. He was named for the plantation owner, Albert Jordan, where his dad worked as "overseer". As a young man, he had an itch to move West and get out of Overton. He married Ella Mae Batchelor of Jamestown, Texas, December 24, 1885, and they moved to Midlothian, Ellis County, Texas. They had five children and moved all over the western part of Ellis County. He had a mercantile store and several cotton gins in Venus, Texas. Ella died in 1901 and he married again in 1902 to Carrie Castleman of Venus, Johnson County, Texas. They had four children, three of whom were born in Ellis County; the fourth was born in Andrews County. Abb and family moved about 1908 to Andrews County where the grass was "thigh high". He built a two-story, 10 room house. One particularly large room was used for church services, social gatherings and also served as a school classroom. Carrie Florey taught all the grades in school. Abb finally got a Post Office, and the settlement was called Florey, Texas. An unpublished list of Texas Post Offices says that the fourth postmaster was Carrie Florey. Florey, Texas is still on some maps today. Tall grass turned to dust after seven years of drought, and he finally gave up ranching and moved to Brownwood, Brown County, Texas in 1920. In Brownwood, he was in the floor sanding business and had several apartment houses. Carrie died in 1936. Abb was active in business until two years before his death on July 11, 1954. He was using gasoline to clean a floor, and a gas hot water heater ignited the fumes and burned him badly. Abb married again in 1950 to Gertrude Allman (trophy). He and Carrie are buried in the Brownwood Cemetery on the Brady Highway. Ella Mae is buried in Midlothian, Texas and has a beautiful monument that her granddaughter Joyce Florey Page had restored in 1999.

Sarah Catherine Florey was born on November 19, 1866 in Overton, Rusk County, Texas. She died on March 30, 1951 in Tyler, Smith County, Texas. She was buried in Rose Hill Cemetery, Tyler, Smith County, Texas. Kate Florey married Dr. Jonas "Joe" Hines Holland and moved shortly thereafter from Overton to Tyler. They had two children and bought a fine home at 318 South Fannin Street. They reared John Dupree Florey's daughter, Geraldine. She even took the last name of Holland for a while. John Dupree's other child, John William Florey also lived with them for a while. Life was not easy for a country doctor trying to keep up appearances. As did some of the other doctors, Dr. Holland had quite a good business selling "prescription" medication, especially those that contained alcohol--Smith County was a "dry" county! They took in boarders for years, having them enter and leave by the back door so they would not be seen by Tyler society. Dr. Holland and Kate developed over the years a strange relationship; they would not talk to each other, but they would communicate through their daughter, Josie Belle. Dr. Holland died in 1932 and Kate and her daughter lived there until Kate died. Josie Belle continued to live in the house until about 1975 when she sold it to Jack Pollard who subsequently restored it to its original grandeur.

John Dupree Florey was born in Overton, Texas, November 23, 1871. He was an extensive land owner and a superlative salesman for the Gladiola Flour Company for many years. He was a very gregarious person and would "take a nip" of "moonshine" whiskey using the slightest excuse. Mary Elizabeth "Mamie" Palmer, his wife, died in 1907 leaving him with six children (five girls). Two younger ones were ferried between relatives and the youngest, Geraldine, as previously noted, went to live permanently with Kate Florey Holland. John later married Ida Scott Day who was mother to June Day who was married to Harry Florey. Younger generation Floreys remember John playing "42" and being able to know what dominoes every other player had in their hand. John died February 11, 1943 and is buried in the Overton City Cemetery.

John William Florey was married to Louisa C. Wilson (daughter of (unknown) Wilson and Mary A.) on September 13, 1874 in Overton, Rusk County, Texas--by the Reverend L. S. Morris. Louisa C. Wilson was born in 1853 in Texas. She died in 1894 in Overton, Rusk County, Texas. She was buried in the Florey Family Cemetery north of Overton. John William Florey and Louisa C. Wilson had the following children:

Tully Roland Florey was named for two preachers that his father respected. As a child, he helped on the farm and later as a young man helped his brother Spencer in the cotton gin. Their dad died in 1904 leaving Tull with 160 acres of land and $500. He married Alma Alford (daughter of James Wooten "Jim" Alford and Janie Elizabeth Gammill) of Overton later that same year on June 2, 1904. In 1910 they moved to Mt. Pleasant, Titus County, Texas to seek their fortune with his brothers, William and Ben. They opened a general merchandise store and it failed in a few years due to too much "selling on the credit". After that debacle, Tully started his own feed and grocery store. Guess what---cash and carry! He was very successful and stayed in the store over 20 years, buying real estate and building rental properties. He retired from the store in 1938 and devoted his time to his real estate interests. In the mean time his son, Tully Roland Florey, Jr., opened his law practice in 1928 and joined his father in investments. Tull, Sr. was connected with the municipal government, serving as Alderman for several terms. He died from cancer, June 29, 1943. His dear wife, Alma Alford Florey died from cancer, January 6, 1971, and both are buried in the Masonic Cemetery in Mt. Pleasant, Titus County,Texas.

Clara helped raise the younger children when her mother died in 1894. When she went to visit her brother, Abb against her father's wishes (and leaving him to tend to those children himself), he must have been a little miffed. His will, dated 1902, left her only $500. In 1905 Clara married Ben Bradford who was a fox hunter. Raising dogs and fox hunting were not typically your best way to make a living in those days! They made do by living off of Ben's family's money and later on by bumming off of her brothers and sisters. They had three children. Richard married Rose. They later divorced. Richard, Jr. went to live with his mother and later became a movie and television actor. Chris was, more or less, a listless bum, and later contracted tuberculosis and died in Tyler, Texas. Lena Kathryn married Frank Schopper (a Yankee and was proud of it). They carried Clara with them everywhere they went. They were a delightful trio. Clara was engaging, vivacious, and a wonderful yarn-spinner. Frequently Clara would go visit relatives. Lena and Schopper would take her to a relative's house and drop her off for a short stay. The children would love to see her come (do not know about the parents!); she would tell tall tales, she knew fascinating games and would entertain by taking out her false teeth and making funny expressions with her mouth. Most importantly she kept the families connected to one another. She died in a car wreck in Ft. Worth when she was 92 while riding as a passenger with her grandson, Jerry Schopper. Clara, Ben, Chris and Richard are buried in the Overton City Cemetery.

Ben was born in 1880 in Overton. He married Bertie Hill (daughter of J. B. Hill) and lived in Overton for a while. They later moved to Mt. Pleasant in 1910 where he was a partner with his brothers, Tully Florey and William Florey, in the Mercantile business. They then moved to Whitehouse, Texas where he died of tuberculosis in 1921.
His dad had gotten mad at Ben when he wanted to go fight a war and get off the farm. He joined the Rough Riders in the Spanish-American War. This evidently was on John William's mind in 1902 when he made out his will and left Ben with $500 and no land. It is said by his nephew, Tully Roland Florey, Jr., that Ben could read a newspaper and could recite it back, word for word. Ben and Bertie are buried at Overton.

Leota was probably the favorite child of John William Florey. She inherited 301 acres of land and $500 upon the death of J.W. in 1904. She married Walter D. Tucker. She held onto the land, and in the early 1930s--the East Texas Oil field! Leota, who had cooked and scrubbed and scrounged and lived in a tent during the drilling of the first two dry holes on Daisy Bradford's farm, told J. Malcolm Crim when Daisy Bradford #3 came in, "I'll never wring out another dishrag in my life!" In other words, Leota and her husband worked and owned an interest in the first discovery well in the East Texas Oilfield!! The old story goes that H.L.Hunt (later the richest man in the world) came into a bank in Overton and needed $5,000. R.A. Motley, the bank president, turned him down. Leota overheard this and she loaned H. L. Hunt the money at 8% interest. When he wanted to pay her back in a few weeks, she adamantly refused, stating that the note was not yet due, and she wanted the interest by the month, and she would let him know when to pay the principal. Her picture hangs in the East Texas Oil Museum in Kilgore. She helped many family members along financially, especially Clara. Walter and Leota moved to Tyler where he died in 1942 and she in 1956. She was blind in her later years and wore those dark green glasses which contrasted with her fiery red hair. They are buried in Rose Hill Cemetery in Tyler.

Harry was born December 31, 1887 in Overton, Rusk County, Texas. He married June Day (a pioneer family of Overton), and they had two children, Harry Day and Dorothy. Harry owned a cotton gin and a sawmill. He was left, in J. W.'s will, 250 acres of land and $500. He subsequently acquired more land, including the old homeplace, over 1,000 acres in total. Harry died April 7, 1966. Robert Gildersleeve, his grandson, now owns the old homeplace where the Florey Family Cemetery is located.

As a teenager in the summer months, Wilford would go to Mount Pleasant to help his older brothers, William and Spencer, with their Dellwood Park Development. He was the official street car driver. He stayed with his older brother Tull, and when the train came in with passengers who wanted to go to the Park, he would go to the train depot at any hour and load them on the trolley and take them to the Hotel.
Wilford married Bernice Tucker, sister to Leota's husband, Walter D. Tucker. He acquired a large amount of farm land; he owned and operated a general merchandise store in Overton and served as mayor, city council member, school trustee, and member of the Hospital Board. It was said of Wilford's bird hunting prowess that if he happened to miss a bird with a shot, he would make sure he got two with his next. After the discovery of the East Texas Oilfield, he retired from business to look after his interests. Wilford died on December 15, 1976, and Bernice died on July 10, 1984. They are buried in the Overton City Cemetery.

John William Florey was almost seventy years old when Bradford came along. He was born February 18, 1893. He was named for Dr. Bradford (Clara's father-in-law). His mother died the year after his birth. He was ten years old when his father died. Bradford inherited 460 acres of land and $500. Included is the home place containing 270 acres of land, which he later sold to his brother Harry. 190 acres of the land was earmarked to be sold off to pay for his upbringing. Clara was the one that John William leaned on to rear those younger siblings.
Bradford married Hettie Flanakin from Spring Hill, Louisiana. They had two children. Bradford evidently had run though his inheritance and went to work in the oil fields in Louisiana, Texas, and California. Occasionally, he would tap Leota, Wilford, or Tull for seed money for a new adventure. After Frances (his daughter) died, he divorced Hettie and married Hettie's aunt, Kate Permenter. They left Maricopa, California to open a beer joint in Wichita Falls, Texas. Kate died, and her sons from a previous marriage took everything. In the meantime Bradford had contracted tuberculosis. He was in and out of hospitals until his death on May 28, 1959. He died in Las Cruces, New Mexico. He is buried in the Overton City Cemetery next to his daughter, Frances.