Fort, Benjamin Herman and Lou Bramlett

Benjamin Herman Fortwas born December 15th, 1857. He married Lou Bramlett, who died while in a covered wagon trip from Brown County, Texas to New Mexico. Lou is buried at Fluvannah, Texas. Mr. FOrt came to Lea County and homesteaded in 1910. He died February 1929 and is buried at the the Antioch Cemetery near Lovington, New Mexico.

Mr. and Mrs. Fort had the following children:

(1) Lula Emma Fort born March 19, 1882, married Herman Mayfield Henslee, January 20, 1901. Lula died May 16, 1969 and is buried in Los Angelos County California. Mr. Henslee died in November 1962. Their children are: Herman Henslee born 1902 married Merle Moshel. They had two children Mackie and Michel Allen; Lola Mae Henslee born in 1904 married William Compton Root and they have one daughterAnna Dell Sue Shelton and she has a son Scott Sheldon; Juanita Lavonia Henslee born in 1906 married Harvey E. Jolly, they have three children, Jan morried Joe Towner, Delores Sue married Chuck Manclark and have two sons; Lillie Lowena Henslee born in 1913 married Lester Lee Steers  from Oregon.

(2) Nannie Fort born March 26, 1884, in Logan County, Texas married William P. Allen December 9, 1903. Nannie died in February, 1970 and is buried in the Antioch Cemetery in Lea County, New Mexico. Their children are: Altha Allen born July 2, 1911 in Lea County, married Joe Chelsey McKinney September 2, 1927; Allene Allen born November 12, 1913 in Lea County, New Mexico married Louis T. (Buddy) Cureton. There children are: Clay Allen Cureton; Kayfield Cureton died September 5, 1936; Billie Jean Cureton; Glenda Jo Cureton; William Raymond Allen born September 12, 1914, married Olma, October 5, 1940. They have one daughter Darlene;  Bennie Lucille (Tootsie) Allen born December 7, 1917 married Harrison William Hammond, January 17, 1936. Their children are: Aleita Ann Hammond; William P. Hammond born December 14, 1974; (5) A. Eugene Hammond born AUgust 12, 1924 married Elouise Trethway.

(3) May Fort born May 1, 1885 married Walter Austin July 17, 1904. May Austin died June 4, 1905, buried in Center Plains Cemetery in Hale County, Texas. Their children are: Beulah Mae born May 31, 1905 married Fritz Benson, May 20, 1929.

(4) Benjamin Walter Fort born DEcember 5, 1886 in Paris, Arkansas married Nettie Ann Oneal April 29, 1906 under a live Oak tree. She died February 11, 1970 and Walter died November 18, 1971, both are buried in the city cemetery in Lovington, New Mexico. Their children are: Beulah Mae Fort born March 7, 1907, Dressie, Texas, married Lynn D, Moss; Melvin C. Fort born January 31, 1911, Lea County, New Mexico, married Beatrice E. McLaren March 5, 1940; J. C.(Jake) Fort born April 20, 1913, Lea County, New Mexico, married Billie Hitt Hollomon July 6, 1946; Alma Lorene Fort born July 7, 1921 married George W. Paulowsky October 12, 1940.

(5) Dorinda Jane Fort, married Will T. Mann, February 25th, 1906, in Brown County, Texas, they came to Lea County and homesteaded in 1909. Dorinda Jane was born April 22nd, 1889, she died April 23, 1958 in Sommerville County, Texas. She is buried in Cross Plains, Texas. Mr. Mann is buried in Cross Plains, Texas. Dorinda Jane and Will Mann had they following children: William Benjamin Mann born December 16, 1906. Married 1928 to Marie Elder; Lovoydia Jane Mann, born October 15, 1908. She married Arthur B. Hillburn July 21, 1937 Allie Reba Mann born January 25, 1912; Ivalle Merl Mann born October 14, 1917; Lorena Jewell Mann, married Travis Bartlett, she was born February 6, 1921; John Layton Mann born July 23, 1924.

(6) Johnnie Ruben Fort, married Fonzo Etta Pope October 28, 1910, and moved to Lea County and homesteaded in 1910. Mr. Fort was born July 12, 1890 and died March 16, 1946. Mrs. Fort died May 13,  1859, Mr. and Mrs. Fort are buried in the Antioch Cemetery near Lovington, New Mexico.

(7) William Herman Fort born February 13, 1893 in Brown County, Texas married Bera Freeman February 17, 1910. There children were: Carroll Fort born September 28, 1912 in Lea County, NM. She died August 26, 1956; John Byron Fort born March 1, 1914 in Lea County, NM, married Ruby Faye Sweatt December 20, 1935; Bera Maude Fort born September 3, 1918 and died December 15, 1936; Bessie Dan Fort born November 30, 1922 married Charles Hickman (Sonn) Spears December 25, 1940; Raymond Freeman (Buddy) Fort born January 9, 1925 married Juanell May 7, 1975, Raymond was previously married; William Herman Fort Jr. born February 13, 1928 married Bennie Lou Lance, December 30, 1950.

(8) Eddie Thomas Fort born May 14, 1894 married Nellie May Spears December 24, 1916. Eddie died February 5, 1977 and is buried in the City Cemetery of Lovington, New Mexico. Their children were: Marylou Aline Fort born October 13, 1917 married Ewing Wilson Cox September 26, 1937; Eddie Ruth Fort born March 6, 1920 married Sidney Clive Mauldin October 23, 1938. Clive died February 6, 1976; Gauvin Wayne Mauldin born May 19, 1950 in Dallas, Texas married Wynelle Goodspeed July 4, 1970.

(9) Lillie Fort born March 1, 1896 in Brown County, Texas married Raymond Steele in Callahan County, Texas, September 13, 1913. She died on February 4, 1967 and is buried in Cross Plains, Texas. Weldon Steele born August 10, 1914, married (1) Martha Florence Pierce September14, 1936. (2) Malcolm Lane Steele born July 17, 1919, married Wailena Barclay October 30, 1938, (3) Billie Morriss Steele born July 25, 1928, married Lu Priddy June 5, 1948.

(10) Claude Adolphus Fort born December 24, 1897 in Brown County, Texas married Lorene Hennington, December 26, 1916 in Yoakum County, Texas. Their children were: Troy Clements Fort born December 8, 1917 in Lea County, NM, married Billie Mae Steen February 10, 1937; Roy Preston (Bud) Fort born January 18, 1920 married Wilma Cooper May 24, 1938; Claudia Noel Fort born October 4, 1924 married William Neill Walker July 25, 1946; Betty Rae Fort born June 16, 1928 married Floyd Ben (Pete0 Graham December 28, 1949.

(11) Bessie Fort was born February 25, 1899 in Broen County, Texas married Walter McCravey November 12, 1922. Walter died May 5, 1955 and is buried in Plains, Texas. Their children were: Lee Roy McCravey born February 3, 1927, married to Betty Zoe Smith in 1945.

(12) Adrian Fort born in Broen County, Texas in 1900, died 1903 in Hale County, Texas.

Submitted by: Johnnie Mae Crowder