WILLIAM HENRY WALLER

The following bio was taken from page 427 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, Rusk County TX Coordinator

William Henry Waller was born August 24, 1865 in Rusk County, Texas, at Crims Chapel Community, the son of David Henry Waller and Martha Jane Williams. On November 23, 1887, he married Florence Octivia Dennis, who was born December 11, 1869 in Rusk County, Church Hill Community. She was the daughter of Samuel Dennis and Martha Jane Young. William Henry died June 28, 1940 in Cherokee County, and Florence died February 2, 1948 in Henderson.

William Henry was a farmer and rural mail carrier. He and his wife had fifteen children, one of whom died at the age of two. One son was killed in Italy in World War II. The other children had families and some very large ones. Most, if not all, finished high school. Some of the girls took piano lessons. There was always plenty to eat. My mother, Linnie Lenora Waller Holdeman, told me many, many times she heard her parents have only one disagreement in all their lives, with Grandma saying only a few words and Grandpa listening. They were a remarkable couple.

After the children married and had families, there was a family reunion every year on Grandpa’s birthday, nearest Sunday. His sons would start cooking goat, pig, and beef on Saturday. Tables would be put together, making a table forty to fifty feet long. The women would bring so much food it had to be placed very carefully to get it all on the table and have room for the place settings. At the 1936 reunion, one hundred and thirty-three were present. Only three were not family members. The rest were children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren.

The following is a list of the Waller children, their spouses, and the number of children they had. Almond Fletcher married Edna Jones, and had four children. His second marriage was to Mrs. Sarah Cooper. Effie married Tom Washburn, and then had seven children. Marvin Raymond, who married Minnie Barton, had nine children. Newel died at the age of two years. Lena Lorrissia married Fred Butler, and they had six children, all of whom live in Oklahoma. Lena and Bred Butler are buried in Highland Cemetery in Lawton. Exa Pearl married Luther Ross and had four children. She lives in Henderson. Linnie Lenora married Erasmus Oliver Holdeman and had seven children. (See Holdeman family) Ostis Vernon married Heneretta Hughes, sister to Judson and the couple had two children. Maudie Helda married Judson Hughes and had twelve children. Carrie Edna married Delmer Scoggins and had four children, and all live in Tyler. Granvil married Ola Mae Wilson and they live in Wright City and have six children. Annie Lois married Harvie Brooks and had one son and later married Robert Sisson, and all live in Rusk, Texas. William Dennis married Rosa Mae Lyles and they had four children. The wife and some of the children live in Eastland, Texas. Martha Corene married Sollie Lankford and had one daughter. They all live in Henderson, Pinkston Carough, who remained single was killed in Italy in World War II.

At the time of this writing four daughters and one son are living. On October 24, 1981 the descendants of William H. and Florence Waller had their first reunion since the deaths of Will and Florence.

Submitted by Mrs. Helen Pearson