CHARLES BRIGHTWELL

The following bio was taken from page 122 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

Charles Brightwell (1844-1913) and Margaret Caroline Ball (1842-1929) married and lived in Macon, Georgia for a time and then moved their family to Rusk County and settled in the Leverett’s Chapel Community between Overton and Kilgore. Charles was a Primitive Baptist minister and farmer, raising cotton, corn, and ribbon cane. They had their own syrup mill.

The Brightwell’s had five sons and one daughter. W. P. married Ara Drummonds of Rome, Georgia; R. N. married Elizabeth Hindman of Overton; J. R. married Lilly Barton of Overton; J. E. married Maggie Jones of Beckville; C. A. married Gippie Gibson of Overton (deceased), and then married Donna Welch of Henderson; and Lessie married Jim Palmer of Arp. Mr. Brightwell had forty-one grandchildren, many great-grandchildren, and some great-great-grandchildren, many of whom are still living in the Rusk County area.

Occupations of the Brightwell children cover a wide range. There were merchants, teachers, drillers, ranchers, nurses, a practicing physician, a surgeon, certified public accountants, insurance agents, and various other professions.

Submitted by L. Gramling