PERRY W. PIRTLE

 The following bio was taken from page 345 of the book entitled “Rusk County History” compiled and edited and used with permission of the Rusk County Historical Commission.

 Transcribed by Claudia Schuster

 Submitted by Gloria Briley Mayfield, Cemeteries of TX

 Perry W. Pirtle, son of Jacob Pirtle, came from White County, Tennessee to Texas in 1858 with his wife, Emily S.A. Pollard and their three children – Mary (1852), Thursa Ann (1854), and Nancy (1857).  They settled in Nacogdoches County, where Perry enlisted in Company G, 17^th Texas Regiment of the Confederate Army.  He received a Confederate Pension #19154 for his service and was discharged in May of 1865.  Seven children were born in Texas: Cadina (1860), Dona (1862), Obediah (1865), Edward Pollard (1867), A.L. (1868), Permelia (1870), and Jacob (1871).

The Pirtles were farmers who owned and operated their own syrup mill.  They became well known for their syrup making.

 Their son, Edward Pollard, married Mary Lou Wilson (1870), daughter of William Benjamin Wilson and Sarah Jane Fuller, of Nacogdoches County in January of 1890.  To this union eight children were born: Arthur Perry (1891), Wesley Wortham (1892), Bonnie Opal (1894), Bertie Lee (1896), Gladys (1898), Bettie May (1901), Bebe (1904), and Lucille Vallie (1908).

 Edward moved his family to Rusk County near Minden, Texas in 1901 to farm in order to continue his family’s traditional occupation.  Four of Edward’s children died at an early age, these being Bonnie, Gladys, Bebe, and Lucille.  The other four children reared families in Rusk County.

 The eldest child, Arthur, married Fairy Lillar Lee in July of 1917 and they had four children: Margie Elizabeth, Hawood Lee, Martha Ann, and Hyla Opal.

Wesley married Lela Swinney in October of 1921 and they had two children, Cecil W. and Billy.

 Bertie married Oye Ritter Maxwell in July of 1919 and they had three children: Sherwood Oye, Thomas Everitt, and Vivian Maxine.

 Bettie married A.D. Mabry in March of 1918 and they had six children: Nathon, A.D. Jr., Norris, Dwain, Bettie Jean, and Delorise.

 In March of 1929, Mary Lou Ann died.  Edward then married Laura Bobo in 1931.  Laura died in July of 1933 with no children being born to this union.  Edward then married Lillie Campbell Hudman in September 1937.  He died in May of 1952 with no children being born to this union.

 The descendants of Edward Pirtle continue to play a vital role in the history of Rusk County.

Submitted by Margie Hudman