Shelby Orr

The following bio was taken from page 330 of the book entitled "Rusk County History" compiled and edited and used with permission of the Rusk County Historical Commission.

Transcribed and Submitted by Gloria Briley Mayfield

Elihu Orr, a Baptist minister, married Jane (?). Their children were Jefferson, Madison, Anderson, John, Robert, William and Mary.

 My great-great-grandfather, William Orr, born July 4, 1813, in South Carolina, married Teresa Lee, March 5, 1835 in St. Clair County, Alabama. They lived in Shelby County, moved to Etowah County, Alabama, then to Lincoln County, Tennessee, near Flintville, where they both died and were buried in Gum Springs Cemetery. Their children were: Frances, who died young: Mary Jane, who married John Lewis Harris; Harriet Ann, whose first marriage was to Phillip Andrew Jackson Harris and whose second marriage was to Warner Lewis Metcalf; Sarah Adelaide, married B.F. Brown: Teresa, who Josiah Loeth; William Shackelford, who married Martha Jane White:

Shelby Armstrong, who married Sarah Pickett, Susan Ellen, who married Lewis Morgan:  Denver Clifford, who married Anderson Erving Smith: Medora, who married Calvin Scott and Martha Buenavista, who married John Whitt.

  The first child of Shelby and Sarah was Newton Madison, born in Tennessee, July 7, 1879. He came to Texas at the age of eight. Newton (my grandfather) married Ethel Eugenia Jones in April 1899. He died July 26, 1932 and she, September 13, 1931 and both are buried in Maple Grove

Cemetery. The Newton Madison's daughter Gladys was born February 24, 1900 and died August 30, 1914. Their son Merwyn was born November 11, 1901, in a log cabin in the Patrick Community. He married Dora (Dorothy) Deane Sears, August 22, 1928, in Palestine, Texas, with Reverend Charles H. Simpson, a Baptist minister, officiating. Jo Ann, the couple's first child was born in 1933 at Mt. Enterprise, Texas. She married Boyd Miller,

November 28, 1958 in Patrick Presbyterian Church. Her cousin, Reverend E. L. Jones, performed the ceremony. The Miller children are: Gary Herbert, born November 28, 1959, in Lubbock, Texas; Caryl Deane, born April 2, 1963, in Lubbock, and Karyn Orr, born November 11.1965 in Abilene, Texas

 Arlen Orr, born February 19, 1903, married Imogene Gatlin and they had Carol Lynn, born July 20, 1939. Arlen died May 21, 1974.

 Ray Orr, born May 21' 1904, married Gladys Sparks. Their children are: Mary Ethel, Kathleen, and William Newton. Ray died of burns October 10,1938.

 Byron, born November 8, 1905, died August 10' 1906.

 John Wiley, born February 28, 1907,married Myrtle Sue Keeling. Their children are: Donna Kay and Hubbard Newton. John Wiley died January 20,  19? .

 Esther Mae, born December 5, 1908,married Roscoe Mays Wallace. Their children were Sugene and Etheleen, two infants.

 Oscar Lewis, born January 27, 1911,married Nellie Faye Bearden.

 Joe Bailey, born April 9, 1912, married Sallie Catherine Jarrell and had three children: Barbara Jo (deceased), Gloria Anne, and Kenneth Lee.

 Wrenn Webb (Bill), born February 28, 1916, married Amanda Geneva Campbell, October 12, 1940. Their children, Wrenn .W., II and Leesa, are both deceased.

 Leona Orr, born November 6, 1880, married Claude Pinkerton and had four Children: Ottis, Orlene, Lorene and Frances. Leona died January 20, 1955.

 Ola Mae Orr married Frank Rettig. Their children are: Sam, Opal, and Flora Kathleen.

 Deneva was born May 16, 1886 and died September 27, 1900.

 John Orr, born November 27, 1889, married Mary Elizabeth Williams. Their Children are: Ita Lucille, Thomas Weldon, James Woodrow, William Loyd, Henry Ward and Mary Ruth. John died August 19, 1975.

 Woodrough Orr, born April 29, 1881, remained single. He died November 9, 1973. He was a veteran of World War I. Oscar, Joe and Bill are veterans of World War II.

Submitted by JoAnn Orr Miller