JOHN PRUITT

The following bio was taken from page 352 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 Coordinator

John Pruitt (March 20, 1803-August 4, 1894) moved to Laneville from Alabama with his second wife, Lucy, and seven of his ten children.  When they moved here in 1852, John Pruitt’s son-in-law, A.P. Gallaway, bought 4428 acres of the William Williams survey for $9,000.00.  The purchase took place on July 14, 1852.  Ten days later A.P. sold half of this acreage to John Pruitt for $4,5000.00.  Both of the men had already purchased some land next to this.  John Pruitt had sent some slaves ahead with a builder to construct a home and have it ready.

 John Pruitt married his first wife, Martha Hart, (June 6, 1808- May 20, 1842), November 22, 1827 in Alabama.  They had ten children, Martha (January 23, 1829-June 18, 1896), married a man by the name of Hodges and they lived in Alabama.  Mary, (August 15, 1831-May 20, 1896) married Amos Ponder Gallaway.  Margaret, (September 24, 1832-September 30, 1911), married Benjamin Franklin Walker.  James Pruitt, born May 12, 1834, died May 20, 1834.  Elizabeth (Bettie), (April 11, 1835-June 9, 1916) married James T Irwin.  Francis (January 17, 1836-?), married a man named Sims and lived in Alabama.  Cathrine, (January 6, 1838-April 1871) married Robinson Hendon Gallaway.  Nancy (Nannie), (April 2, 1839-?), married her sister’s husband after her death, Robinson Hendon Gallaway.  John M., (November 2, 1840-June 6, 1868), married Edith Richardson.  Lucy M., (March 30, 1842-June 6, 1868), married Patrick Henry Talley.  John Pruitt married Lucy M. Walker, (August 22, 1798-March 21, 1868), on August 23, 1843.  Lucy M. Walker was a widow and also the sister of John Pruitt’s first wife, Martha Hart.

 Patrick Henry Talley, (November 28, 1831-December 18, 1898), moved to Laneville and married Lucy M. Pruitt.  He bought 738 acres of land from her daddy for $500.00 on February 11, 1867.  He was a farmer.  Lucy died when she was only twenty-six years old and her husband never remarried.  They had three daughters, Kate, (September 16, 1863-June 19, 1948), married John F. Lowe, (July 10, 1861-November 5, 1947).  Mary Elizabeth, (July 9, 1867-November 20, 1957), married Millie B. Walker, (September 7, 1863-August 12, 1956)).  Martha, (July 21, 1865-April 17, 1906), married William Haden Walker, (September 6, 1860-January 30, 1940).

 William Haden Walker, married Martha Talley.  Martha inherited 242 acres from her daddy, and she and her husband, who was a farmer, settled on the land.  They had ten children before Martha (Mattie) died.  Ernest J., (December 1, 1888-August 6, 1967), married Annie Belle Johnson, (May 19, 1892—November 3, 1978).  Ola, (July 26, 1891), married Hunley Maples.  Mamie, (November 8, 1893), married Curtis Gilbreath.  Twin brothers, Ewell (August 17, 1895-December 2, 1975),  married Opal Singletary (June 28, 1903-August 30, 1978), and W. Eugene, (August 17, 1895-November 2, 1898).  Buelow H. was born August 31, 1896 and died August 12, 1898.  E. Curtis, born April 17, 1898, died February 27, 1903.  Elsie, (December 17, 1900), married Raymond Jones.  Olivia, (September 16, 1905) married Alfred Hall Waldrop.  Bee Talley Walker, (August 3, 1893-October 17, 1974), married Mildred Johnson, (March 5, 1892).

 Bee Talley Walker married Mildred Johnson on November 12, 1912.  From what he inherited from his daddy and bought from his brothers and sisters, the couple settled on 125 acres of land which Bee farmed.  They had four children.  William H., (October 15, 1913-October 17, 1970), married Louise Lowe, (August 26, 1918).  Kathryn, (October 12, 1916), married Pete (R.A.) Harris, (February 1, 1909).  Jerry Miah, (December 12, 1919- June 20, 1944) was killed in action on Biak Island in World War II.  John Hansel, (October 1, 1926), married Patsy Melton, (May 13, 1934.

 Hansel Walker married Patsy Melton on October 31, 1952.  They settled on some of the Walker land that he had bought before they were married and farmed it.  They had two children: John Dewayne, (July 10, 1954), who married Davolyn Lorraine Dodd (July 17, 1960), and Glenda Cheryl, (December 24, 1967).

 Dewayne Walker married Davolyn Dodd on June 16, 1979.  We live in my grandparents’ house that was built in the early 1920’s and it is still sitting on some of the land that has been in the family since 1852.  Dewayne has a few cows and works at H & W Feed Store.  We have twin boys, John Talley and James Duane, born August 8, 1980. 

 Submitted by DeWayne Walker