Jordan Family Biographies of Hardin County, TX

Jordan Family Biographies

CLARK JORDAN
My gr-gr-grandparents, Clark Middleton Jordan and Mary Tobitha, maiden name unknown, was living in Covington County, Alabama. His father's name was Radford and his Mother's maiden name was Hogg. His parents died between 1840/50. In 1857, Clark, his wife Tobitha, and his eight children came to Texas. Family tradition says that the Ramars came with them. They also stopped off in Jones County, Mississippi, and picked up the Stacy Collins' family, and brought them with them.

Clark first settled at Caney Head, living in a log cabin and cooking on an open fireplace. They made one crop here they then moved to Sour Lake, and by 1860 they were living in Wallisville, Chambers County. It was about this time that Clark had two sons, Ed and Jim,in the Confederate Army of the Civil War.
When Ed returned home he brought back a friend, Mr. Sutton, to visit with him. Later Ed went to visit Mr. Sutton in his home in Honey Island. It was here that Ed met, fell in love, and married Molly Sutton. Ed was born in 1845, and their children were: Francis Edward, Julia, married Joe Flowers; and Edna (Aunt Ed) and Dick, who never married. Jim was born in 1837, and married Becky Beck, his children were: Roy, Ida Belle, and Radford, who married Ida Lula, daughter of Ambrose and Mary Collier Jordan. When Clark went to visit his son, Ed, in Honey Island, he liked it and by 1870, he and his family were living there. Here he ran a "Way-Lay Station." When the wagon trains came through on their way west, they would stop here for a few days or sometimes for a week, resting and mending harness and such. Clark would sell them flour, corn meal, sugar, groceries, and feed for their livestock.

Clark died in 1874. Tobitha continued living by herself, and sometimes her grandchildren would take turns staying with her, until she became too feeble to live alone, then she spent her last days in the homes of her children. She did not breakup housekeeping, but just closed up the little log cabin and went away. Clark and Tobitha's other children were: Nancy, born in 1836, married Bill Pitts, and had one daughter named Mahala. Lucy Sarah (Lou Sara and Daught), born in 1840, and married Sam Straham. Mary Ann, (Polly), born 1849, married George Griffen, their children were: Fannie married Ben Hunt and Bud married Dollie Collins. Rachel, born 1851, married Tom Roundtree, he was the son of Jim and Mary Burns, Roundtree, from Arkansas. Their children: James Radford (Bud) Roundtree, married Bertha York; Lou Sarah Roundtree married Rufus Herrington, his first wife was her first cousin, Chloe Ann Straham; and Frank. John Wesley, born in 1856, married Theodosia (Dosie) Cotton, daughter of John Fletcher Cotton.

They had six children, all daughters; Fannie married Fred Marcontell; Nettie married Joe Williams; Myrtle married John N. Garrett; Tiny married a Hart; Ella married Everett Craig: Johnnie married (1) a Chessher, (2) a Hart, (3) Bill Parker. Benjamin Lawrence, my gr-grandfather, was born 1853, and married (1) Sarah Elizabeth Jordan, daughter of Ambrose and Mary Collier, Jordan, she was born in a covered wagon in Mississippi, in 1852, on her way to Texas.

Their children: Clark, who was Hardin County Sheriff for many years, he married Caroline Vanya. John Radford, never married. Oscor, married Mary Emma Bradley. It was Oscor who told most of these tales, we owe him a debt of thanks. George Mac (Douglas), married Myrtle Arnold; Sarah Elizabeth (Sally), married Leonard Fregia; Mary Tobitha (Sister), married (1) Dunk McMillan, (2) Lem Fountain; Elias Edmon (Tobe), married (1) Bertie Arnold, (2) Callie Lenora Lee; Ambrose Benjamin, (Amy), married Annie Cane; Samuel Elias, married Grace Daniels; James Jackson, my grandfather, he was very active in County politics, he was on the school board and was county commissioner for years. He married (1) Martha Jane Teel and (2) Vyna Herrington. Gr-grandfather Ben married (2), Elizabeth Redding, and their children were: Ben Lee; Mae, married Lawrence Coley; Mary Maxine, married Avery King; Edna, married Charles Almon; Clara, married Rufus Nightingale; William (Bill) Clark, married Ruby Cook.

Written by Lottie C. Corley
[Source: Unknown Hardin County publication, transcribed by K. Torp]

Rev. D.M. Jordan
Church Organizer

DAVID M. JORDAN was born March 13,1822 in Georgia. He was ordained first as a deacon and then, in 1852, as a Baptist minister in Alabama. On May 5, 1812, he married Susan Taylor Pierson who was born in January, 1822, in Baker County, Georgia, and died March 11, 1905. They left Georgia and traveled a circuitous route, organizing and helping to strengthen already organized churches along the way. He is recorded as pastor and organizer of a Baptist church in Alabama in 1852. According to their grandsons, the late David and Jim Jordan, they attended churches in Mississippi after they left Alabama and Rev. Jordan possibly preached there. In 1860 they went to Providence, Texas, where he organized another church which is still in existence to day. From there David, Susan, and their family moved on to Hardin County. Texas, where they settled to the fringe of the Big Thicket on a beautiful, pine-thick ridge, built a hand-hewn log home, and of course, a church across the road. This was to be Rev. Jordan's last move. His membership remained at Providence until he organized and chartered Pine Ridge Baptist.
[Source: Biography from a Hardin County publication, name unknown, submitted by Russel Jordan, transcribed by K. Torp]

From an obituary printed in the Baptist Standard:
Recorded in the minutes of a conference of Beech Creek Baptist church, April 21, 1860 is a resolution offered by J.G. Collier, stating, "Resolved that we are in favor of franchising a new association we of the Neches River in the present bounds of the Bethlehem Association". This obviously was a reference to the organization of the New Bethel Association, but other sources give the organization date as 1858. This association served Pine Ridge church until the 1920's.

The David Jordan family came to Hardin County in 1858 and organized the Providence Baptist Church north of the present city of Kountze. He lived in this community and preached in the church there for 8 or 10 years. Deed transfers on record show that he sold land there to Z.W. Guynes in July 1867. A 1860 census showed that he was living in Providence hill at that time and owned property. It seems that he moved to this part of Hardin County in 1867 or 1868, but membership in the Providence Church was continued until the chartering of the church here in Pine Ridge in August 1874.

D.M. Jordan and wife, Susan, seven of their children, 2 sons-in-law, a sister and brother of Mrs. ? Jordan were the charter members of the church organized in August 1874. The charter members were Rev. D.M. Jordan and wife, Susan Taylor Pierson Jordan (Becky)
W. J. Jordan
George B. Jordan and wife Sultana Laird Jordan
Jessie Daniels and wife, Missouri Jordan Daniels
Rev. J.W. Teel and wife, Miley Jordan Teel
Mandy Jordan (Shaw) Cotton
Mary Jordan
Jane Jordan Teel
Aletha Laird Herrington (sister of Sultana Jordan)
Thomas Laird (brother of Sultana Jordan)

Land was donated by Rev. Jordan and a church building was constructed of rough pine lumber. The walls were boxed with weather-boarding. This building served as a school as well as a church. Lanterns and oil lamps with reflectors were used to light the church for the infrequent night meetings. Homemade benches were arranged on each side against the walls, leaving a large aisle down the center to the pulpit. Women sat on one side and the men on the other. Homemade quilts were folded and placed in the aisle next to the bench were the mother sat. These pallets were occupied sleepy children who found them a good place to stretch out during the long sermons.

Rev. D.M. Jordan was pastor of the new church. He also led the hymns by reading a stanza from one hymnal and then singing that stanza. Each stanza of the song was repeated in this fashion.

[Source: Obituary from the "Baptist Standard", 1908. Submitted by Russell Jordan and transcribed by K. Torp]

ELIZABETH JORDAN
Elizabeth was the fifth child of the Rev. and Mrs. D.M. Jordan. Born in 1853, she married Quincy Shaw on Nov. 25, 1875. Elizabeth and Quincy made their home at Batson, and their descendants are scattered over the Batson and Pine Ridge communities today.

They had 11 children: Ida Jane Shaw Peat, Ella Shaw Herrington, Missoura Shaw Fregin, Melinda Shaw Riley, Marilda Shaw Carruthers, Susan Shaw, Easter Shaw Smith, Peggy Shaw Sullivan, and a son, Elias Shaw, Solomon died at age 19 and Fannie died when just a child.

Ida Jane Shaw and Jasper Pelt were married on July 9, 1888, at her father's home in Pine Ridge. The ceremony was performed by Rev. W.A. Richardson.

In addition to their own children, Ida Jane and Jasper also raised five grandchildren who were the orphaned children of their daughter, Pearl Pelt Laird. Their own children were Pearl Pelt Laird, Albert Pelt (married to Mittie Kelly), Sam Pelt (married to Zula Read), Betty Pelt Griddin, Fannie Pelt, Solomon Pelt, Charlie Pelt (married to Mertie Jacobson), Luther Pelt (married to Bernice Pepper) Elvia Pelt Warren, Iola Pelt Warren, and Lille Pelt Glaze.

Pearl and Jim Laird's children were Weldon (Cowboy) Laird, (married to Dorothy Faye Glaze), Jewel Laird McGill, Howard Laird, Maudena Laird Richardson, and J.W. Laird. Each of these grandchildren was assigned to one of the Pelt children, and that child became that person's responsibility.

These children brought enjoyment to the community, especially the musical talents of Cowboy and Maudena. Cowboy was a song leader for Pine Ridge Baptist Church for many years. He frequently teamed up with other church members to bring special music to the church. One of the best remembered and best loved trios was composed of Cowboy, Uncle David Jordan, and Uncle Charlie Jordan. Their presentation of "Meet You in the Morning" and "Stand By Me" could hardly be forgotten by anyone who heard them.

Maudena Laird Richardson was part of a ladies singing group composed of Maudena, Neicle and Alma Jordan. Neicle was pianist for the church for many years.
[Source: Unknown Hardin County publication, transcribed by K. Torp]