Louella "Ella" Steele (1868-1954)

Louella "Ella" Steele was born in Limestone County, Texas on April 21, 1868.

She was the third child born to the marriage of Francis "Frank" Marion Steele and Lucinda Chisum.

Ella's siblings included the following four sisters and one brother:

Lula
Lydia Frances
Isham Alfonso
Mary Allye
Lena Rhoda

LtoR:  Lula, Lydia,Mary, Lena and Louella "Ella" Steele

The 1870 and 1880 U. S. Census records show Ella living with her parents and siblings in Limestone County, Texas.

1870 U. S. Census

1880 U. S. Census

Ella Steele married Walter Alfred Walling circa 1888.

Ella's great grandfather was James Walling, Sr. who was a brother to Walter's great grandfather, Alfred Gaines Walling; making Ella and Walter third cousins.

However, the connection/kinship between the Walling, Chisum and Steele families was much more intertwined than the mere third cousin relationship suggests.

Parents of James and Alfred Walling were John Walling, Sr. and Anna Chisum. Anna Chisum's brother, Elijah Kaufman Chisum, married Elizabeth Walling, a sister to John Walling, Sr.

Elijah and Elizabeth Chisum's son, Isham Russell Chisum, married Mary "Polly" Walling who was the daughter of James Walling, Sr. and the niece of Alfred Gaines Walling. 

Elijah and Polly Chisum's daughter, Lucinda Chisum, married Francis Marion "Frank" Steele. Lucinda and Frank Steele were the parents of Louella "Ella" Steele.

Ella Steele and Walter Walling had the following children:

Travis John, 1896-1970; m. Catherine Cecilia Barnhart

Allie Steele, 1898-1943; m. Ruby Selman

The 1900 U. S. Census record shows Ella, Walter and two sons living in Robertson County, Texas.  The record also shows their second son, Allie, listed as Terry G.

1900 U. S. Census

The 1910 U. S. Census record shows Ella and family living in Childress County, Texas.

1910 U. S. Census

By the 1920s and through the 1940s, Ella was living in Cottle County, Texas. Walter Alfred Walling died in 1928.

1920 U. S. Census

1940 U. S. Census

Ella was living in Childress County, Texas when she passed away on May 12, 1954.  She is buried near her husband in the Chlidress Cemetery in Childress, Childress County, Texas.

Photograph by FindAGrave member, Jerry Montgomery

Amarillo Daily News - 5/13/1954

Louella "Ella" Steele Walling was my great grand aunt through her brother, Isham Alfonso Steele, who was my great grandfather. 

Sunday's Obituary ~ Lillie Tufford McIver

Biloxi Daily Herald - 2/15/1941

Lillie Tufford McIver

Born on April 12, 1871

Raeford, Hoke County, North Carolina

Daughter of

Peter Tufford and Mary Hill

Wife of

Evander Wilder McIver

Mother to

Donald (stepson), Robert Lee, Arabelle Phillips, Minnie, Flora Jane,

Matthew Ranson, Ludie Emaline, and Coy Howard McIver

Died on February 10, 1941

Buried in the Union Baptist Church Cemetery

Caesar, Pearl River, County, Mississippi

Lillie Tufford McIver was my maternal great grandmother.

Lydia Frances Steele (1867-1941)

Lydia Frances "Lyd" Steele was born in Limestone County, Texas in 1867.

She was the second child born to the marriage of Francis "Frank" Marion Steele and Lucinda Chisum. 

Lydia's siblings included the following four sisters and one brother:

Lula
Louella
Isham Alfonso
Mary Allye
Lena Rhoda

The 1870 and 1880 U. S. Census records show Lydia living with her family in Limestone County, Texas.

1870 U. S. Census record

1880 U. S. Census record

Lydia married Silas Abraham "Abe" Greer circa 1883 and had the following children:

Robert Francis, 1885-1926; m. Florence Irene Jarrell

Albert Alphonso, 1887-1963; m. Ida Pearl Webb

Bonnie Dena, 1890-1976; m. Oscar Moss Bratcher

Lena Lucille, 1904-1984; m. Maurice Everett Phillips, Sr.

Lydia and family lived in Limestone County, Texas for several years before moving to Childress County and making their home there.

1900 U. S. Census

1910 U. S. Census

1920 U. S. Census

Abe Greer died on September 23, 1934.  Lydia Steele Greer died on December 24, 1941.  Both are believed to be buried in the Thornton Cemetery in Thornton, Limestone County, Texas.

Lydia Frances "Lyd" Steele Greer was my great grand aunt through her brother, Isham Alfonso Steele, who was my great grandfather. 

Lula Steele (1866-1959)

Lula Steele was born in Limestone County, Texas on March 5, 1866.

She was the first child born to the marriage of Francis "Frank" Marion Steele and Lucinda Chisum.

Lula's siblings included the following four sisters and one brother:

Lydia Frances
Louella
Isham Alfonso
Mary Allye
Lena Rhoda

1870 U. S. Census

The 1870 and 1880 U. S. Census records show Lula and her family living in Limestone County, Texas.

Lula first married Foster Ferguson and from this marriage at least one child was born.  Elmer Ferguson was born on July 2, 1886 in Limestone County, Texas. He is listed as Elmer Stubbs in the 1900 U. S. Census record below.

Lula Steele's second marriage was to James Henry Harrison Stubbs circa 1892.  Henry's first wife, Mary Susan Foreman, died in 1891 leaving Henry with several young children to raise.  Lula became the stepmother to these children.  

One child was born to the marriage of Lula Steele and Henry Stubbs.  Vera Inez Stubbs was born on December 14, 1893.

1900 U. S. Census record

1910 U. S. Census record

It should be noted that the death certificate for Vera Inez Stubbs Wimbish lists her mother's maiden name incorrectly as Lula Ferguson, while the death certificate for Elmer Ferguson lists Lula's maiden name as Steel(e).

Death Certificate - Vera Inez Stubbs Wimbish

Death Certificate - Elmer Ferguson

Lula Steele Stubbs died on November 23, 1959.  She is buried in the Thornton Cemetery in Thornton, Limestone County, Texas.  Her second husband, James Henry Harrison Stubbs, and her two children are also buried in the Thornton Cemetery.

Mexia Daily News - 11/24/1959

Death Certificate - Lula Steele Ferguson Stubbs

Lula Steele was my paternal great grand aunt through her brother, Isham Alfonso Steele, who was my great grandfather.

Rawles Cemetery and the Bynums Buried There

This past March, my daughter and I spent several days traveling around the Mississippi counties of Covington, Jefferson Davis, Jones and Lamar.  

My goal was to locate the final resting places for many of my maternal ancestors whose burial locations had yet to be documented.

We visited several cemeteries and while there, we documented and photographed the grave sites of many of my maternal ancestors.

One of the cemeteries we visited was Rawles Cemetery located in Lamar County.  

My great-great grandfather, Prentice Montgomery "P. M." Bynum, his second wife, Nancy Caroline "Nanny" Rawls, and six of their eight children are buried in this small rural cemetery.  Two other children, Ida Burtie and Robert Everett, are buried in the Military Baptist Church Cemetery.  

Prentice Montgomery Bynum's first wife, Frances Welch, died in 1876 leaving three small children; Rilla, Mollie and Ben.  Nanny Rawls raised these three children as her own.  Ben Bynum was my great grandfather.  The location of Frances' burial is still unknown.

Bynum Family Plot

Prentice Montgomery "P. M"Bynum
1846-1906

Nancy Caroline "Nanny" Rawles Bynum
1853-1944

Prentice Buford Bynum
1883-1905

John Franklin Bynum
1886-1895

Felix "Fel" Jefferson Bynum
1888-1974

Charity P. Bynum
1890-1891

Willard William Bynum
1893-1906

Nannie Nita Bynum
1896-1982