PAIGE AND COURTNEY CHRISTIAN

ELIZABETH BOW

The following bio was taken from page 148 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

Elizabeth Earle Brown, the daughter of Sam Gordon Brown and Margaret Elizabeth Wright Brown, was born in Henderson, Texas. She was named for her great-great-grandmother, Elizabeth Earl Goodlett Lanford. She graduated from Henderson High School, attended Kilgore Junior College and Baylor University, received her B.S. degree from East Texas State University in Commerce.

She was married to Clarence Oren Christian, August 26, 1960 in the First United Methodist Church, Henderson, Texas. They are the parents of two children, Paige Evangeline and Courtney Oren, both born on July 17^th.

Elizabeth is a talented artist and since finishing college, has been a capable art teacher, teaching for one year in the Marshall schools and for ten years in the Greenville, Texas school system, where she is in the high school art department.

Elizabeth is now married to O. G. Bow and lives near Greenville where they are engaged in raising and training horses.

Paige and Courtney are the grandchildren of Clarence O. Christian, Sr. and Alice Pearl Gibson Christian. Their devoted "Mama Alice" was born July 7, 1903 and died February 25, 1981. She was a wonderful grandmother whose loss they feel very deeply.

Paige and Courtney are the great-grandchildren of Warren Gibson (May 11, 1857-August 16, 1925) and Elzuria Cole Gibson (October 14, 1861-May 24, 1947) and the great-great-grandchildren of Allen Gibson and Maria Gibson. On the Christian side, they are the great grandchildren of Charles E. Christian and Ida Griffin Christian and the great-great-grandchildren of Charles L. Christian and Minerva Ann Christian. Charles, Sr. was born December 18, 1818 in Bedford County, Virginia; Minerva was born November 1831. He died September 23, 1904 and she died January 20, 1896, both in Rusk County, and are buried in the Pirtle Baptist Cemetery. The Charles E. Christians are buried in Overton.

Since early childhood, Paige has been an avid twirler. She was drum major of the Henderson High School band in her senior year and is now in her second year in Kilgore Junior College where she is a "frontline" performer in the band. She plans to continue her education at Stephen F. Austin in Nacogdoches.

Courtney is a junior in Henderson High School. He is a tall, handsome young man with a winning personality. He has many friends and enjoys his motorcycle and his pickup truck. His greatest interest is centered on things with wheels. He works very hard in his job outside school hours with Dr. Billy Wayne Irwin, D.V.M. at the Town ‘n Country Animal Hospital in Henderson, Texas.

Paige and Courtney’s maternal ancestors are not listed here but can be read in the stories of their grandparents, the Gordon Browns, the Truitt Browns, the Wrights, Craigs, Pollards, and many others.

Submitted by: Margaret Brown