Grayson County TXGenWeb
   Nall  Family

 

Nall family of Grayson County, Texas

According to my research, Martin Nalle, born about 1675 in England, was the first of the American Nalls who came to America and whose descendants settled in Grayson County, Texas; he arrived in Virginia as an indentured servant in 1699 at the age of 24.  He married a woman of property, Jane ?Mary? Alden,  and settled in Essex Co. Virginia.  Their youngest child Nathan Nall, out of a family of 4 boys and 4 girls, was born about 1721 in Essex Co., Virginia.  This is the line that moved into Texas and his descendants settled in southeastern Oklahoma and northeastern Texas - Grayson Co., Hunt Co., Rockwall Co.  He married and had a family that moved to Georgia before his death in 1803. 
Nathan and Sarah Nall had a large family of children.  The line that eventually settled in Sherman, Grayson Co., Texas area was carried on by their third child and second son, John Nall. 


Rev. Berry Nall 
John was born about 1750 in Virginia.  He moved his family from Georgia to Tennessee and finally to Holmes Co., Mississippi, where he died in 1830. 
Berry Nall, a son of John Nall and Mary ?Molly? Bugg, was born 8 June 1803 in Clark Co., Georgia.  In 1818 he moved to Lawrence Co., MS and was baptized at the age of 16.  For forty years he was a minister of the gospel.  He moved his family to Mississippi in 1825; there he died 8 June 1875 in Holmes Co., MS and is buried in the Nall Cemetery there. 

Rev. Berry Nall married twice and had a total of ten children; John Marion Nall, a child from Rev Berry's first marriage, was born 4 April 1830 in Yazoo Co., MS. He is shown by the census to be living with his family in Holmes Co., MS from 1850 until his death in 1882, where he also buried in the Nall Cemetery.
Two of his sons migrated to Sherman, Grayson Co., Texas and their families became prominent citizens of Sherman. 


Robert Berry Nall, born 10 Oct 1867 in Holmes Co., MS just after the Civil War, settled in Sherman about 1888.  The 1900 Grayson Co., Texas census reveals that he and his 2nd wife, Nannie L. Bell Nall were living in his father-in-law's household, Thomas Bell, along with the family of his younger brother John T. Nall.  His occupation is listed as ?optician? and his obituary states that he was an optometrist in Sherman for 42 years.  R.B. Nall died from complications of a stroke in 1938. 
R.B. & Nannie Nall raised younger brother Carl Richard Nall, Sr. when he moved to Sherman in 1891; they later adopted and raised Carl Sr's daughter after her mother died.  Nannie was listed in the 1940 Sherman Directory as the widow of Dr. Robert B. Nall and living at 212 N. Cleveland Ave. 
Mrs. Fannie Nall, Miss Lillye Mae and Henry Nall spent Tuesday in Sherman, Texas where their brother-in-law and uncle, Dr. R. B. Nall died. Dr. Nall was 69 years and died as a result 

Robert Berry Nall 
 of a paralytic stroke after 10 days. Funeral services were held Tuesday? man who had lived in Sherman 47 years? Dr. Nall is survived by Mrs. Nall and a little six year old adopted daughter. They had reared the child's father after his parents had died, and when he lost his wife, the little baby was left and they adopted her. She and her father are part of many children who have known Dr. and Mrs. Nall as their only parents. .. The Waurika News Democrat 
Waurika, Jefferson County, Oklahoma, Friday, January 14, 1938 

            OBITUARY: Dr. R.B. Nall, 70, optometrist 42 years and resident of Sherman 49 years, died in a local hospital at 2:45 p.m. Monday after 10 days illness following a stroke a week ago Friday. He had been in the hospital three days. Funeral arrangements are to be made by Dannel-Scott Funeral home. Dr. Nall was born in Durant, Miss, Oct. 10, 1867. He arrived in Sherman on his twenty-first birthday. He received his primary education in the public school of Durant, and then took employment with the Southern Express company office in that city. He took up the study of optometry shortly after coming to Sherman. A professional in that line came here as special instructor to Dr. Nall and his brother, the late Dr. John Nall, father of the present Dr. John Nall. After this Dr. Nall attended a school of optometry in Dallas, taking a graduate course, he was licensed to practice in 1893. In 1884 Dr. Nall returned to Mississippi and there married Miss Nannie Bell at the home of her parents in Goodman, Miss., who survives him. Dr. Nall had been a member of the Baptist church since he was 15 years of age and at the time of his death was a member of the First Baptist Church. Robert married Mrs. Nannie L. Bell on 28 Nov 1894 in Goodman, Holmes Co., MS. Nannie was born Nov 1875 in MS.-----Sherman Democrat 

He is buried in the West Hill Cemetery in Sherman, Tx.

Dr. Robert Berry Nall's younger brother by 2-1/2 years, John Thomas Nall, Sr., was born 10 July 1870 in Holmes Co., MS.  He, too settled in Grayson Co., TX by 1900.  He married the sister of Nannie L. Bell, Eliza Lida Bell, on 10 January 1894 in Mississippi.  In the 1900 census John T. Nall, Sr. is living in his father-in-law's household along with Robert Berry Nall's family and his wife and son, Louis.  Louis was enumerated as being 2 years old and having been born in Mississippi, so it is assumed that John Thomas Nall followed his brother and brought his family to Texas in time for the 1900 census. 



 Dr. John Thomas Nall, Jr. 

Dr. John Thomas Nall, Jr. was born 16 Oct 1894 in Goodman, Holmes Co., MS.

Dr. John Thomas Nall was missed in the 1900 census enumeration.  However, he is list as 15 years old in his father's household, Dr. John Thomas Nall, Sr. in 1910.  John Thomas, Jr. was a veteran of the military service on the Mexican border, at the age of 18, from 1913 to 1915. He was a member of the National Guard Company that was called into service on the Texas border in 1913. He was also a veteran of foreign service during WWI, being a member of Battery E, 133rd Field Artillery and went to France with the American Expeditionary Force in 1917.  He remained a member of the National Guard after WWI.  When it became the Texas State Guard during WWII, he became commander of the 40th Battalion, holding the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

John Thomas Nall, Jr. attended the Sherman public schools, Capt. LeTellier's Academy; Sherman Business College; Texas Optometric College and Philadelphia PA Optometric College.  On 2 Dec 1917 just before leaving for foreign service in WWI, John married Effie Rousey. Effie was born 28 Mar 1898 in Houston, Harris Co., TX, and was the daughter of the late Mr. & Mrs. Charles Tobin. 

Dr. John T. Nall was an ?optician? as well in Sherman.  The 1940 Sherman Directory details his occupation as ?Doctor of Optometry, Exclusive Practitioner, Broken Lenses Duplicate, Hours 8:30am - 5:30pm, Sunday by Appt, 206 Commercial Bldg (above Skillerns)? and as living at 410 N Grand Ave. 
John Thomas, Jr. and Effie had twin daughters born in 1921; both died in infancy and are buried behind grandparents Dr. John T. & Lida Nall on 9th St but their burial plots face 10th St. at West Hill Cemetery in Sherman. 

A third brother and son of John Marion Nall's, Carl Richard Nall, Sr., was born in Holmes Co., MS on 4 May 1879. His parents died when he was a small child and he was brought up in the home of his grandparents and later in that of an uncle, Judge W.D. Campbell of Greenwood, Ark. In 1893 Carl Richard, at the age of 14, came to Sherman to make his home with his older brother, Dr. R.B. Nall.  In 1900 as a single man and drug salesman, he was living in Sherman, Grayson Co., Texas,  By 1920, Carl Richard was married and living in a mortgaged home with his wife, his 2 year old son and a private family cook.  The 1940 Sherman Directory lists him as the US Post Master and living at 506 Alexander in Sherman. 

While the young Mississippian attended Sherman public schools, he worked at Bitting Drug Co., for two years and later with Lankford and Batsell druggists. He was in the employ of this firm when he passed the Texas Pharmaceutical Board Examination in 1900.  In 1907, Mr. Nall became a member of the firm and the name was changed to Lankford, Keith and Nall. In the same year he married Mary Myrtle Lollar on 1 Jan 1907.  Three years later in 1910 he sold his interest to the late P.C. Keith and established the Nall Drug Co. He operated this store until 1933.  Upon his appointment as postmaster in 1933, he sold the business to William Keith, son of his former partner. 
Some of his civic responsibilities were: 

  • Sherman postmaster since 1933 and druggist for many years previous 
  • Identified with Sherman business and civic life since early youth 
  • Past president of the Club and of the Texas Postmasters Association 
  • Member of the First Presbyterian Church (Mr. Nall had held several church offices and committee chairmanships)
  • Charter member of Sherman Rotary Club
  • Director of Sherman Chamber of Commerce and the Merchants and Planters National Bank 

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    Carl Richard, Sr. and Mary Myrtle Nall had two sons: 
     Carl Richard Nall, Jr. 
     Rayburn Marion Nall 

    Carl Richard Nall, Jr. was born 4 Jan 1918.  The 1940 Sherman Directory states that he is single and works at an appliance dealership and resides at 506 Alexander with his parents.  He served as a Sergeant in the U.S. Army and was discharged 19 February 1946.  Shortly after the war, Carl Jr. married Mary Ellen Brown on 19 November 1948.  They had three sons, Carl Richard ?Rick? Nall, III, John Thomas Nall, Rayburn Marion Nall and a daughter, Mary Asenath ?Sena? Nall. 

    Rayburn Marion Nall, son of Carl Richard Nall, Jr., was born 11 December 1920 in Sherman.  The 1940 Sherman City Directory shows that Rayburn was a student and lived next door to his parents at 504 Alexander.  Rayburn was discharged from the US Army Air Corps on 23 July 1943.  Shortly before his discharge he had married Roberta Jeane Robinson on 28 November 1942 in St. Jo, Missouri.  Roberta was born 14 November 1921 in Celina, Grayson Co., Texas.  Rayburn and Roberta had a daughter and son, Rayburn Marion Nall, Jr. 
    Rayburn ?Rim? Marion Nall, Jr. graduated from TCU in 1971 with a major in history and a minor in government.  He received his juris doctor in 1974 from South Texas College of Law. He is an attorney and a member of the Nall, Pelley, Wynne & Smith firm, established in 1986, in Sherman at 707 W. Washington.  He is board certified in civil trial law and specialized in insurance defense and appellate law. 
    He has been:
  • Member of the Grayson Bar Association 
  • life Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation 
  • Member of the College of State Bar of Texas 
  • Member of the State Bar of Texas 
  • Member of the Texas Association of Defense Counsel 
  • Member of the Texas Defense Trial Attorney Association 
  • Member of the Defense Research Institute 
  • Member of the Texas Center for Legal Ethics and Professionalism
  • Member of the board of directors of Texoma Christian School and Sherman Young Life 
  • Deacon in the Sherman Bible Church 
  • He was listed in the Who's Who in American Law. 

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    Rayburn married Greta L. Miller on 15 February 1992 and lives in Sherman with his wife and two children.  Rayburn is currently serving as 59th District Judge for term of 2009-2012. 

     Nall Family in West Hill Cemetery, Sherman

    NALL   CARL  R     MAY 4, 1879  DECEMBER 1, 1947
       husband Mary MYRTLE Lollar 
    s/o John Marion Nall & Eliza Bell 

    NALL   CARL R  JR   JANUARY 4, 1918    DECEMBER 28, 1970
    Husband of MARY ELLEN Brown 
    s/o John Marion Nall 
    grandson/o Berry Nall 

    NALL   DOROTHY   BRISTOL 1905 1932 

    NALL   EFFIE   R MARCH 28, 1898 AUGUST 2, 1968
       Wife of Dr. JOHN T NALL 

    INFANT DAUGHTERS OF JOHN & EFFIE NALL   1921-1923

    NALL   Dr JOHN T OCTOBER 16, 1894 MAY 14, 1954
       Husband of EFFIE R NALL 

    NALL   JOHN T  JULY 10, 1870 JUNE 4, 1912
       Husband of Eliza LIDA Bell

    NALL   JOHN   THOMAS JUNE 3, 1951 DECEMBER 26, 1971 

    NALL   MARY   ELLEN AUGUST 19, 1924 ---
       Wife of Carl R NALL JR 

    NALL    MYRTLE Lollar SEPTEMBER 15, 1885 MARCH 5, 1961
       Wife of CARL L NALL 

    NALL ROBERT BERRY                OCT 10, 1867   FEB 10, 1937 (OBITUARY)

    NALL   ROBERT   DOUGLAS AUGUST 26, 1900      MARCH 6, 1966
       PVT  26TH   BASE  HQ  &  AB  SQ  AAF  WW II 
       s/o Dr. John T. Nall & Lida Eliza Bell 

    NALL, INFANT DAUGHTERS OF JOHN & EFFIE NALL   1921-1923
     

    TAYLOR, LIDA NALL                  MARCH 6,1873   OCTOBER 6, 1945
     
     

    By Elaine Nall Bay & Patricia Nall

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