GRACE GRANT PROPES ARMSTRONG

The following bio was taken from page 96 of the book entitled "Rusk County History" compiled and edited and used with permission of the Rusk County Historical Commission.

Transcribed by Shirley Koym

Submitted by Gloria Briley Mayfield, Rusk County TX Coordinator

Grace Grant, born August 3, 1904, was the oldest child of Matthew Kirkley and Mary Anna (Cherry) Grant. Grace has been very active in community and public services, as well as in civic clubs and welfare drives. She enjoyed working under the Chamber of Commerce’s many beautification and clean-up drives, for which she was several times recognized. She worked for the approval of the Crepe Myrtle as the county flower, and her helpers presiding over meetings and installing officers for clubs.

Grace is a Southern Baptist, an Eastern Star, has worked with 4-H Clubs and Women’s Home

Demonstration Clubs of the county. A devout flower lover, she belongs to the Henderson Garden Club. Her hobbies are flower growing and arranging and teaching flower arrangement. She also loves traveling and cooking. At an early age she began teaching and taught from September 5, 1921, until her retirement June 1, 1969, having taught in Rusk, Panola, and Smith Counties. She attended Sam Houston State University and Stephen F. Austin State University with Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts degrees in Elementary Education.

Grace married Marion Malone Propes, who was born March 10, 1894 and died September 26, 1972. After her husband’s death, she became reacquainted with her first beau, Arthur Armstrong, whose first wife had also died. Grace and Arthur Armstrong were married December 3, 1973. Grace partially reared her sister’s two daughters, Marlene and Linda Merle Clark.

Grace’s father, Matthew Kirkley Grant (1876-1955), and her mother, Mary Anna Cherry (October 15, 1877-January 6, 1955), were married in Rusk County, February 4, 1902. They lived on a farm in the Dirgin Community, near Trammel Trace, where three children were born: Mary Grace (subject of this sketch); Sedallah Mae, born (September 3, 1908) and died October 17, 1948) died from a car wreck in California; and Victor Frederick, born January 18, 1910. Mary Anna, the mother, had graduated from the Girls’ Finishing School at Rock Hill Institute, Minden, Texas.

Mary Anna Cherry Grant was the daughter of Mack Cherry, (November 22, 1856-March 11, 1883) and, his wife, Margarette Jane Dobbins (June 15, 1857-March 16, 1928). Mary Anna was the oldest of three children. Mack Cherry was the son of William and Sarah Elizabeth Cherry, who had come from Ireland to Lancaster District, South Carolina and then to Wood County, Texas.

Margarette Jane Dobbins was the daughter of William R. Dobbins (March 9, 1824-November 29, 1878) and Mary Clinton Dobbins (February 26, 1824-November 27, 1878), who was a three-quarter Cherokee Indian.

Grace’s father, Matthew Kirkley, was the tenth of fifteen children, son of Atlas Mathias Grant (1839-1909) of Irish and Dutch heritage, and Penny Ann Wilson (1845-1922), who was reared at Gatesville, Texas. Atlas M. Grant had come to Panola County, Texas as a boy and was the son of Matthew and Melinda (Coleman) Grant, who came from Ireland to Georgia and thence to Coryelle County, Texas before the Civil War.

Submitted by A. T. Armstrong