Emma Graybill and Benjamin Jeffrey Birthdays!

Emma Gilliam Graybill was born Dec 1, 1845 in Cumberland Tennessee to Minyard and  Martha Harris Gilliam.

According to my genealogy program Emma isn’t a real relative. But I feel that the mother of my great uncle IS a relative. And Emma was the mother of J T Graybill, and J T was the husband of Mattie E Graybill, my great aunt. So she’s family.

 I have been fascinated by the name Graybill for quite some time. I was first aware of it as the middle name of my grandmother, Maud Graybill Jeffrey Pettey.

I later discovered a great aunt named Mattie Jeffrey Graybill. Mattie was married to John Tully, “J T” Graybill. From there, things just snowballed. It seems J T Graybill is related to a famous Civil War hero, but we’ll save that for another time.

Emma was the second wife of Camillus Graybill. Mary E. Willcoxen was his first wife married in 1853 in Georgia and they had one child, J T, in 1854. Mary has been a shadow. I’ve not found anything else about her. But Emma and Camillus married in 1868 in Smith County, Texas. I don’t know what happened to Mary or how they got to Texas but after that, I’ve been able to trace them pretty well.

In 1870 they were in Huntsville where their son, Horace Taylor was born. Michael J Graybill was born in 1877 and another son, Minyard C, were both also born in Huntsville.

The family is listed on the census of 1880 and they were all farming.

Camillus died in 1899 and was buried in the Oakwood Cemetery in Huntsville. The next census, 1900 shows the family living on the grounds of the Huntsville prison with Horace working as an engineer. The family includes Horace’s wife Mattie Lee and a four-year-old daughter. With them are Emma and Horace’s two brothers Minyard, driving an ice wagon, and Michael, working as a clerk.

In 1909 Emma applied for a Widow’s Pension for Camillus’s service in the Civil War. There are 15 pages of applications, letters and avadavats.

In 1910 Emma is living with Minyard and his wife Mattie and daughter but they’ve moved to Galveston where he worked as an Engineer at the Fisheries.

Emma died in the home of her son Minyard in 1939 and was buried next to Camillus in Oakwood Cemetery.

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Benjamin Franklin “Frank” Jeffrey was the nephew of Mattie Jeffrey Graybill as well as nephew of my great grandfather, William M. Jeffrey. Frank was the son of Andrew Bethel Jeffrey and Minnie Louise Koehl born December 1, 1909 in Huntsville, Texas, the youngest of 16 children, half of which were born to Andrew’s first wife, Aminda.

Frank was on the 1910 census with his family age 5 months. .He next appears on the 1930 census with his brother-in-law and sister, Joe and Ruby Jeffrey Brumbalow in Hamilton County.  Not long after, he married Lillie Mae Dolloff on September 24, 1932. In 1934 they had son, Billy Frank and in 1946, daughter, Donna Kay.

He is another relative who  disappears into the shadows. The only record found after 1946 was Frank’s obituary.

12/16/1993

B. F. "Frank" Jeffrey, 84, died Dec. 3 at Arlington Memorial Hospital in Arlington following an extended illness.

Services were Sunday, Dec. 5, at Riley Funeral Home Chapel. Rev. Billy Jeffrey, Jr. and Rev. Ed Wright officiated, with music provided by Derek DeCross. Burial was in he Center Valley Cemetery.

Mr. Jeffrey was born Dec. 1, 1909, in Huntsville to Andrew and Minnie Louise Koehl Jeffrey. He married Lillie Mae Dolloff, Sept. 24, 1932.

He was a farmer and rancher and a member of the Baptist Church. He worked 15 years for General Dynamics and had lived in Hamilton for 75 years.

Survivors include his wife of Hamilton; a son, Billy Jeffrey of Arlington; a daughter, Donna K. DeCross of Keller; a sister, Annie Smith of Huntsville; four grandchildren, Billy Jeffrey, Jr., Diana Mitchell, Darin DeCross, and Derek DeCross; and two great-grandchildren.

Pallbearers were Randy Dolloff, Michael David Dolloff, Jeff Cody, Mike Cody, Bill Schooler, and Jess Brumbalow.

Honorary pallbearers were Bud Johnson, Garland Anglin, Fred Pendleton, Scott Boyd, Danny Barnett, Doyle Barcroft, Gene Nicholson, Travis Johnson, and Rabbit Fuqua.

He is buried in Center Valley Cemetery in Hamilton.