RUFUS YOUNG

The following bio was taken from page 466 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, Rusk County TX Coordinator

Rufus Young, a Civil War veteran, came from Georgia. His wife was Rebecca Knight. Rebecca had three brothers and one sister. The brothers were Bill, Bob, and Sam. The sister was named Fletcher.

Rufus Young was away in the Civil War between the births of two of their eight children. The family joined several other families in a wagon train and came to Texas, arriving December 4, 1883. They settled in the New Hope Community north of Henderson in Rusk County. The two-room log cabin was built high on a hill and was later encompassed by Arch and Mittie Young’s home.

The two freed slaves, who had been with the family all their lives, at their request came with the Young family.

Ella was known for her mischievous antics, always involving her brother George. The stories of these activities, along with her famous ghost stories, kept the children of the family entertained many evenings. Miss Ella was a hard worker who possessed great self-control and taught it to her daughters.

Rufus and Rebecca’s children are: Fannie, who married Bill Hurst and stayed in Georgia and never saw her family again; Will, who married Ella; Sara Ella Elizabeth who married Joseph Franklin Duncan (See their story elsewhere); George, who was born April, 1868 and married Nancy Minor; John, who remained unmarried; Maggie married John Roper; Kate, who married Corney Dorsey; Arch E., who was born March 4, 1883 and died September 6, 1961 married Mattie Allen.

Submitted by Cecil Williams