DR. WILLIAM ROSS

The following bio was taken from page 376 of the book entitled "Rusk County History" compiled and edited and used with permission of the Rusk County Historical Commission.

Transcribed by Claudia Schuster

Submitted by Gloria Briley Mayfield

Dr. William Ross settled at Mt. Enterprise before the War Between the States. His home still stands east of Mt. Enterprise and bears an official Texas Historical Medallion.

William Ross, son of Hugh Ross II and Lucretia Lacy (who were married in Anson County, North Carolina in 1797) married Mary Ann Gillespie. William’s grandfather was Hugh Ross I, of Southerland Shire, Scotland, who married Margaret McDonald, and came to America in 1771, settling in Anson County, North Carolina. Lucretia Lacy, mother of William Ross, was the daughter of Thomas Lacy of England, who married Kiziah Griffith from Wales and removed to Anson County, North Carolina. Dr. William Ross’ uncle, Donald Ross, was elected seven times to the Legislature of North Carolina, retiring of his own accord about the year 1820.

Dr. William Ross’ children were: Lucretia, who married John Ray and had two children; Hugh, who died young; and Annie, who married William Beddingfield; Kiziah, second daughter of William Ross, married John Norvell, one-time sheriff of Rusk County. John died about 1925. Kiziah and John had seven children: Ross, Tom, Charlie, Sallie, Margaret, John Abe and Billy. Tom married Carrie Hendrick, daughter of Judge Seaborn Jones Hendrick.

William, son of Dr. William Ross, married Dora Ray and had five boys and two girls: Donald, Steve, Mary, Griff, Nellie, Charlie and W. G. Donald married Bernice Still and had a general merchandise store in Mt. Enterprise. Steve died in 1934. Mary married G. Terry, who was killed in a train wreck in 1917. Her second marriage was to John Irvin, and they lived in Cushing, Texas. Charlie Ross married Ida Chaney. Dr. Griff Ross married Hazel Duke and lived in Mt. Enterprise.

Thomas Lacy Ross, son of William Ross, first married Belle Barber, who died in 1889. They had six children: Lucretia, Sallie, LeRoy, William, Phad, and Sam W. Lucretia married Champ Brown; Sallie married H.J Schuch; LeRoy married Monnie Ruark and lived at Mt. Enterprise; William died as a child; Phad married Rosa Strong and they lived in Henderson; where he served as Tax Collector of Rusk County. Sam W. married Ruth Florey and lived in Kilgore, Texas. Thomas Lacy Ross’ second marriage in 1896 was to Lena Tinkle. They had four girls and two boys: Nancy Bell, Kiziah, Elizabeth, Tom, Persia and Joe. Thomas Lacy Ross died in 1914.

Dr. William Ross’ cousins, Griffith Lacy and Donald R. Lacy, also settled in Rusk County before 1850.

Submitted by Ron Gregory