by
Stan Wigley
About 1850, John Wigley and
Polly Wisner then living in Trenton, Dade County, Ga., were making plans
to move their large family to Texas. But before final plans could be made,
Polly and the oldest daughter became sick and died. About 1852, the same
dreams that drove his father to want to come to Texas, caused the oldest
son, Joseph, then 24, to board the boat H.R.W. Hill bound for Texas via
New Orleans. He bought and cleared land near Flag Springs Community
in Fannin Co. He donated land to build the Flag Springs School. He
met and married Sarah Ann Woods, the daughter of James Harvey and Mary
Jane Sharp Woods, Sarah was the widow of Thomas Rattan and had Richard
Rattan (b.1847), Oscar Rattan (b.1849), Mary Rattan (b. 1854). Joe and
Sarah had two children, George W. (b. 1857) and Sarah Ellen (b. 1859).
Joseph Wigley served in the
Civil War as a private in Capt. Bridges “B” Company of the 1st Battalion
of Texas Sharpshooters. Joseph and Sarah Wigley are buried in Wall Cemetery,
South of Windom, the town Joe called home in his later years.
Joseph’s four brothers were
still living in Trenton, Ga., when the Civil War broke out and all joined
the Confederacy from there. James Henry Wigley joined Co, B, 39th Regiment
of Ga. Volunteer Infantry. Brothers Marion Francis, Jackson, and Daniel
all signed up to fight in Co. H, 21st Ga. Regiment of Ga. Volunteer Infantry.
Miraculously, all five of the brothers lived through the war although Marion
Francis was shot in the foot at Fredericksburg and was medically discharged.
My grgrgrandfather Jackson was captured at Gettysburg, signed the oath
of allegiance to the United States, and was sent to guard Confederate prisioners
at Ft. Deleare on Pea Patch Island on the Deleware river for the duration
of the war.
After the war, the four brothers
came home to Trenton, Ga and moved one county west into Jackson Co., Al.
Their father John who had remarried, became sick and moved in with son
Marion Francis on Sand Mt. Where he died about 1871.
About 1872, James Henry Wigley
who had married Mary Jane Sitchler, followed his brother Joe to Texas and
settled in Lamar Co., Tx. He settled near Emberson, north of Paris. He
is thought to be buried in the Caviness Cemetery there.
Brother France Marion Wigley,
the only brother to remain In Al, married Julina Prince in 1859 and died
on Sand Mt. Jackson Co, Al on 22 Mar 1905. His descendants live there still,
below Sand Mt. Near Bridgeport.
Jackson and Dan Wigley, who
were always close, married two Laney girls, Jackson to Amanda Clementine
and Dan to Miranda Catherine Laney. About 1882, these brothers pulled up
roots and moved to Gober, Fannin Co., Tx. They brought land together north
of Gober and donated land for Falls (Bug Tussell) School, so their children
could learn to read and write. About 1886, Sarah Thomas Laney, the mother
of Amanda and Cat, comes to Texas and brings their only brother, William
Tatum Laney and youngest sister, Sudie with the plan of settling up young
Tatum next to his two sisters and returning to Al. where the rest of her
children lived, but in 1887 she died and is buried in Providence Cemetery.
Sudie married Milas T. Moyer and moved near Stephenville. Tatum picks up
his family and moved to Indian Territory. Dan and Cat who lived in the
town of Gober , never had children, but Jackson and Amanda had six children.
Mary Jane (b.1867) m. William “Bud” Price Moyer. Sarah Emaline (b.1871)
m. Eli Anderson Woodson. My grgrandfather Levi Lockhart Wigley (b.1875)
m. Katie Catherine Weston. John William Jackson (b.1877) m. Myrtle Purkey.
Martha Cordelia (b. 1880) m Fayetta Albert Hatcher. And Wiley Anderson
Wigley (b.1891) was the first Wigley child of this line to be born in Tx.
Wiley m. Mary Virginia Fracis McCormack who died young, and later m. Frankie
Mae Weeks. Wiley and Mary’s children were Edith Pauline (b.1909) m. Thomas
Leaman Weeks (her stepmother’s brother). Jack (b.1911) Nona (b.1914) m.
Marel Kiser. Mary Francis (b.1918) m. Robert Todd. Wiley and Frankie’s
children were W. A. (b.1921) m. Iris Broiles. Bobby John (b. 1934) m. Ruth
Howell. Barbara (b.1939) m. James Towery.
My grgrandparents Lock and
Katie Wigley had 9 children, Laura (b.1895), Lilly (b.1898), Leeoma (b.1900),
John Jackson (my grandfather b.1903), Ednar (b.1905), Ira (b.1908) Adalene
(b.1911), Audie (b. 1913) and Lloyd(b.1913)
My grandfather John Jackson
”Jack” Wigley m. Effie Delores Leger. They had 6 children. The first, Dewey,
died at birth (1922) and is buried in a grave that is unmarked and lost
in Providence Cemetery. Next is Melba Maurine (b.1924) m. Henry Petty.
Manuel Lockhart Wigley (my father b. 1925) m. Eva Mae Pevey. Rose Katherine
Wigley(b.1931) m. “Curley” Hughes. Allie Laverne “Bernie” (b.1932) m. John
Crossland. And Jack Donald (b. 1945) m. Dovie LaVelle Bell.
My father is buried in Cedar
Hill, Tx and my mother is buried in Ralls, Crosby Co., Tx. I have a sister,
Gloria Jean Wigley who died at three months old, buried in Providence Cemetery.
Also my grandparents, great grandparents, grgrgrandparents, and grgrgrgrandmother
(Sarah Thomas Laney) are buried there as well as cousins, aunts and uncles
of several generations.
Wigleys
in the Providence Cemetery
Fannin County TXGenWeb