Margaret Ann Griffin

By Margie Scarborough Creel

Margaraet Ann Griffin:

Born:        Keosauqua, Iowa  July 24, 1844

Married:   John William Black about 1859

Died:        Near McDade June 30, 1935 at her daughter’s home (Mrs. Lee Scarborough)

           Margaret Ann (Aunt Mag) came to Texas in 1848, age 4 years, in a covered wagon riding on a black iron teakettle.  Her feet just barely touching the floor of the wagon.  They came to Texas because of the cold Iowa winters.

           She went to school to a Mr. Pfeiffer, a Latin scholar.  She was a good speller; and people came to her to spell words for them.  There were few dictionaries in those days.

           She later organized a school near Mt. Bethel Community.

           She married John William Black about 1859 and had one son,

1. John William,Jr. b. 1860.

John Black Sr. went to the civil war and after the war she and John settled around Piney Creek near Bastrop, Texas.  They engaged in farming and she became a seamstress and a tailor of men’s suits.  They had three more children born on Piney Creek:

2.     Virginia Ruth (Jennie) b. Sept. 1, 1872

3.     James born about 1874

4.     George born about 1876

About eleven o’clock one morning in 1879 John came to the house and told Aunt Magg that he had broken his plow lines and that he was going to Bastrop to buy rope for new  lines.  While in a general mercantile store that had been condemned the roof collapsed and killed him.

 Aunt Mag was sitting on her porch waiting for John to return; when she saw Mrs. Ella Outlaw and a man on horse back  come up the lane to her home.  They told her the sad news.

 Uncle Joe Green, husband of Maggie’s sister Drussela Griffin, insisted that she sell the farm on Piney Creek and move to Round Rock, Texas.  She  raised her children by sewing and making tailored suits for men, and by keeping boarders.  She  was an accomplished nurse using the old home remedies to help many of her neighbors.

           One day while sitting on her front porch in Round Rock, a man came galloping by, and threw her a bag of money.  He told her to hide it quickly under the porch, as he was being followed.  She put her ear to the ground and could hear the sound of horses coming.  She hid the money, and soon the outlaws came by inquiring if she had seen a man on horseback.  She told them no.  About a year later the man came back and asked for the bag of money.  They dug it up and he gave Aunt Mag a portion of the money as  a reward for keeping it for him.  He told her not to discuss it with anyone.

She lived a long, useful life, keeping her love of life and wit.  She added much to the community in which she lived.

 Additional notes by Audrey Rother: The writer of the above article, Mrs. Margie Scarborough Creel, was the daughter of  Virginia  Ruth “Jennie” Black  (Mrs. Lee Scarborough) and a granddaughter of  “Aunt Mag”.

 Buried in the Oak Hill Cemetery are;

 Thomas Lee Scarborough b. 1874/2-8-1946.

 Virginia Ruth Black Scarborough b. 1872/6-21-1952

Buried in the McDade Cemetery are:

          George Black b. 6-18-1877/6-5-1928

          J.R. “Jim” Black b. 5-4-1875/6-27-1942     Husb. of Loma Lewis

          Maggie Black b. July 24, 1844/June 30, 1935 (grave unmarked)

          William Black b. unknown/ d. 1894.

In 1883, we find Aunt Mag Black living in the place where Mr. Calvin Lowery lived.    Willie Griffin, one of the three shot in the streets of McDade, in the SHOOT-OUT ON CHRISTMAS DAY, was a brother to Aunt Mag.  After he was shot accidentally he was rushed to his sister’s home, where he died the next day.  Still another brother to Mrs. Black and Willie Griffin learned of his brothers death,  came to town and brandished his pistol and vowed to kill everyone in site for his brothers death.  He was subdued and the killings stopped.