ROBERT GRAMLING

The following bio was taken from page 213 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, Cemeteries of TX

Robert Gramling (1857-1907) was born in or near Munich, Germany. He came to the United States, where he met and married Sarah Matilda Armstrong (1861-1936) on January 3, 1889. He had several brothers and his mother, who later married a Mr. Musieg (Music).

One of Robert’s brothers came to the States searching for him and when unable to find him, Robert returned to New York and started a wholesale ladies’ ready-to-wear business. Years later, a half-brother, Musieg, came looking for Robert and found him in the Overton area of Rusk County.

Robert was a carpenter, turned to farmer, in Rusk County, as were his sons. The youngest, however, turned back to his father’s old trade of carpentry.

Robert and Sarah had eight children, among them twin girls who died at birth. Leana, born in 1891, whose sweetheart went down with the "Titanic," died a spinster.

Robert Preston, born in 1894, was Robert and Sarah’s fourth child. He married Bernice Thompson and they had nine children. The first, Ella Merle, married Stanley McElroy, and their three daughters are Sandra, Sheila Joy, and Priscilla. Robert Wilton married Julia Ramona Beau, and their three children are Lynda Carol, Cyndia Kay, and Richard Waymon. Jewell Marie married William A. Duggan, and their children are Alice Maude and Carol Julia. Margie Faye is deceased. Horace Boyd married Allie Mae Hughes and had one child, Terry. Ray Earl is deceased. Agnes married Fred Hatton, and their children are Vick, Tye, and Eric. Angie married C. W. Odom, and their son is Mark. Patricia Ann married Bynum Walford, and their son is James Allen.

Carl, born in 1896, was Robert and Sarah’s fifth child. He married Dora Thompson, and they had two children, L. B. and Robert. Ara, the sixth child of Robert and Sarah, was born in 1897 and married J. C. Johnson, and they had no children.

The seventh child was Molly, born in 1899, who died at age seventeen.

Bradford was the eighth child and last born to Robert and Sarah Gramling. He was born in 1902 and married Leona Brightwell and they had two children, Ozzie E., who married Elizabeth Watson: and their children are Ozzie E. II, who married Jill Swinbank, and Alan Brian, Nelwyn Joyce married Othello O. Hare Jr., and their four children are Candace Lynn, who married Steve Lindley; Rebecca Ann, Susan Beth and Maralyn Carol.

Submitted by Leona Gramling