Desc of Joseph Rodgers
This line has been a major brickwall for us. If you have any information, please let us know.
Joseph Rodgers and wife, Elizabeth came to Hardin County prior to the June 1860 Census for Providence Hill. They are listed as:
Rodgers James 49 Farmer Unknown
Rodgers Elizabeth 38 Unknown
Rodgers Dorah 16 AL
Rodgers Mary 12 AL
Rodgers James 7 AL
By July 1870, they are listed in Precinct 4, Dorah has married Wm Stephen Cross and lives next door. The “d” has been dropped from Rodgers.
Rogers Joseph 60 Farmer N Carolina
Rogers Elizabeth 49 S Carolina
Rogers M. J. (Mary Jane) 21 Alabama
Rogers I. H. (James?) 15 Farm Hand Alabama
Rogers Victoria 3 Texas
After this, we have lost them. I have never come across a Victoria Rodgers/Rogers. She must have died early.
We know that Mary Jane was the first wife of George W. Simpson. They are buried in the Holland Cemetery in Hardin Co. TX
I had heard from family researchers of a Joseph & Elizabeth Rodgers being found in Houston Co., TX and it was supposed that this was our Joseph & Elizabeth. The names seem to fit, the ages seemed to fit and from what they found…it was very possible.
Through an unrelated turn of events, I now know, the Rodgers in Houston County TX is not the Rodgers family I am seeking. Documentation here
The event was a simple request to update information on a memorial I held at Find A Grave. I checked out the requestor and noticed he had listed “Rodgers” as one of his ancestrial surnames. I then looked at his memorial list for “Rodgers” and found a Joseph & Elizabeth! I thought “BINGO!” Is this them? So I contacted him, Mr. Melton Durant, formerly of Livingston, Polk Co., TX and asked him to review my webpage on my Joseph & Elizabeth Rodgers. Below is his reply, posted with his permission.
Your Joseph and Elizabeth Rodgers really got my attention!
Close but not quite the same!
My Joseph Nathan Rodgers was born in SC, lived to marry in Sumter Co Ala before migrating to Eastern Jasper County - got their mail from the Newton Post Office. (two of his daughters married in Jasper Co - one in 1856, the other 1858.
Apparently, Joseph Nathan Rodgers looked for a place to get 'free' land and found it in Houston County then moved onto his grant before 1860 - he is listed on the 1860 Census in Houston County.
Joseph Nathan Rodgers and his 1st wife ELIZABETH Newton had 13 children before she died. He then married ELIZABETH Smith in Houston County and had 8 more children.before he died in 1883.
Several of his children - including my Great Grandfather, Joseph Woodard Rodgers - migrated to Leon County then some further west. - most of them to Limestone County.
My Great Grandfather 'Joe' W. and two brothers settled and died in Leon County. (I was born & raised near Buffalo, Leon County,went to Polk County to work for The Polk County Enterprise (newspaper) in early January 1952, married Polk Co Native Evelyn Townley (the Polk County Enterprise Secretary/Book-keeper) in July 1953. - which explains my interest in Polk County and SE Texas!!!)
I can not say we have no common Rodgers connection - I lost a brother of my Joseph Nathan Rodgers in Jasper County, but strongly believe the brother had a son, 'Shad' Rodgers in SW Tyler Co after the Civil War (can't get much closer to Hardin County than SW Tyler Co!!!)
His Joseph Nathan and Elizabeth Rodgers are in Houston Co, TX for the 1860, 1870 and 1880 census. So…I am back to searching for Joseph & Elizabeth Rodgers, found in the 1860 & 1870 Hardin County TX census, whose daughter Dorah Angelina “Angie” Rodgers (born in Ala) married William Stephen Cross in 1861 in Tyler Co TX. It would help if we knew Elizabeth’s maiden name but to my knowledge, we still do not know.
Section of 1860 Hardin Co TX Census
RODGERS/sectionHardinCo1860CensusRodgers.jpg
Section of 1870 Hardin Co TX Census
RODGERS/sectionHardinCo1870CensusRodgers.jpg
1. Joseph Rodgers, b. abt 1811, NC; d. ?; m. ?
+ Elizabeth___, b. abt 1822, SC; d. ?
2 Dorah Angelina Rodgers, b: July 1844 Ala; d: ? Hardin Co.,TX; m: Jan 31, 1861 Woodville, Tyler Co., Tx, Divorced: April 7, 1896, Kountze, Hardin Co. TX
+ William Stephen Cross, b. 1826-1831 Habersham Co., GA, d: 1907 Hardin Co.,TX
\[ This line has been covered on the CROSS page\]
2 Mary Jane Rodgers, b. Jun 17, 1848, AL; d. Jan 10, 1885, Hardin Co TX. m. Feb 7, 1872, Hardin Co., TX, both buried in the Holland Cem.
+ George W. (Walter?) Simpson, b. Mar 5, 1850 NC ; d. Apr 3, 1932, Hardin Co., TX; b. Holland Cem., Hardin Co., TX
3 Margaret E. "Maggie" Simpson, b. 1868. (According to the 1880 census, she is their daughter and 12 yrs old but this makes her born 4yrs before Geo. & Mary Jane were married.)
3 William Riley Simpson, b. Sept 29, 1872; d. Dec 2, 1915; m. Dec 24, 1895, Hardin Co., TX; buried in the Holland Cemetery
+ Sarah M. Williams, b. Jan 15, 1874, TX; d. Dec 8, 1948, Long Station, Hardin Co., TX; buried in the Holland Cemetery (d/o Martin Williams (MS) & Nancy M. Griffin (TX) )
4 Lucy J. Simpson, b. June 24, 1898, Honey Island, Hardin Co TX; Dec 16, 1981, Jefferson Co., TX; buried Holland Cem
+ Olen Ray Fuller, b. Aug 23, 1905, Cushing, Nacogdoches Co., TX; d. Feb 3, 1937, High Island, Chambers Co., TX; (s/o William Jonah Fuller & Mattie Carroll) buried Holland Cem, Hardin Co. TX
5 Catherine Fuller,
4 Ola Simpson
+ Willie Lester Stackpole, b. July 18, 1900, Honey Island, Hardin Co. TX; d. July 12, 1973, Jefferson Co., TX; (s/0 Patrick James Stackpole and Martha Jane Gardner)
4 Martin Simpson
4 Joseph "Joe" Simpson, b. Jun 28, 1903 , Honey Island, Hardin Co., TX.; d. Mar 14, 1983, Silsbee, Hardin Co., TX; buried in the Holland Cem
4 William Riley "Willie" Simpson, Jr., b. Nov 2, 1904; d. Jan 27, 1991, Silsbee, Hardin Co., TX
4 James Ellis Simpson, b. Sept 25, 1906, ; d. Dec 8, 1981, Jefferson Co., TX; Buried Resthaven Cem, Silsbee, Hardin Co., TX
+ Annie Agnes Stackpole, b. Dec 23, 1909; d. July 14, 1986, Hardin Co., TX, buried in the Resthaven Cem, Silsbee, Hardin Co., TX (d/0 Patrick James Stackpole and Martha Jane Gardner)
5 Kenneth William Simpson, b. Oct 23, 1928; d. Nov 19, 2001, Silsbee, Hardin Co TX; buried in Franks Branch Cem, Fred, Tyler Co. TX; PFC US ARMY WORLD WAR II
5 Elbert Earl Simpson, b. July 14, 1935, Hardeman Co., TX; d. Oct 11, 1970, Pt. Arthur, Jefferson Co., TX ; Buried Resthaven Cem., Silsbee, Hardin Co., TX (TX SP4 Inf)
4 Frank Simpson, b. Feb 26, 1909, Village Mills, Hardin Co., TX; Nov 18, 1968, Beaumont, Jefferson Co., TX; Buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Cem, Beaumont, TX
+ Thelma
4 Mittie Simpson, b. Oct 13, 1910, Hardin Co TX; d. May 31, 1989, Hardin Co., TX; buried at Holland Cem, Hardin Co. TX
+ Emmett Flowers, b. Feb 8, 1910; d. Oct 22, 1991, Hardin Co., TX; buried in the Holland Cem, Hardin Co., TX; (s/o William Hardy Flowers & Celestine Bankston)
4 Mary Simpson
3 Nancy Jane Simpson, b. June 15, 1876, Village Mills, Hardin Co., TX; d July 3, 1939 Honey Island, Hardin Co., TX; m. Jan 2, 1898, Hardin CO., TX; buried in Simmons Cemetery, Dallardsville, Polk Co TX w/Thomas.
+ Thomas Williford, b. March 23, 1877 TX ; d. March 18, 1943, Village Mills, Hardin Co., TX
4 Earnest
4 James
4 George
4 Susan
+ ___ Collins
4 Levy
4 Chester
4 Robert Edward
4 Elmer Williford,b. Dec 13, 1920 Hardin Co. TX; d. Mar 21, 1972, Hardin Co., TX; buried in the Simmons Cem, Hardin Co., TX
+ Mary A. ____
3 Angeline A. Simpson, b. Nov 22, 1879, Hardin Co TX; d. Dec 24, 1964, Woodville, Tyler Co, TX; m. Dec 18, 1899, Hardin Co., TX; , both buried in the Sutton Cemetery, Honey Island, Hardin Co TX
+ Shird Sutton, b. Sept 29, 1878, Hardin Co., TX; d. Dec 7, 1917, Honey Island, Hardin Co. TX (s/o George W. Sutton and Josephine McWilliam). headstone
4 Mary Josephine Sutton,b. Oct 26, 1900, Honey Island, Hardin Co., TX; d. July 27, 1972, Kountze, Hardin Co., TX (lived in Villiage Mills); buried in the Sutton Cem
+ James "Jimmie" Hickman
(After the death of his wife, Mary Jane, George married Martha Matthews on Aug 30, 1899, Hardin Co., TX, mother’s name unknown, father was Ben Matthews)
