Stimson
Stimson Family
Erasmus Stimson who had been born in England April 14, 1762, came to America and settled in Pittsylvainia County, Virginia. He and his wife, Lucy, had seven children. Their youngest child was Isaac who was born January 30, 1798, in Pittsylvania County, Virginia. Isaac and his wife, Rachel first moved to Kentucky, then to Texas. They had twelve children born from 1819 to 1839. They were, in order of their births, Edward C., Martha J., Amanda P. F., Abigail O., Daniel M., Maryan E., Isaac W., Lucy F., Rachel B., Soerateas H., Clemantine P., and Josea F. The family arrived in Collin County in 1853 and settled southwest of McKinney. They came to Texas with the Abston family. The two families were slave owners and it is believed that they migrated to Texas to find a more favorable climate for slave ownership. On August 115, 1884, Sarah Abston paid taxes on fourteen slaves. Isaac Stimson paid taxed on eight slaves. His son, Daniel M. Stimson paid taxes on two slaves. John Abston, who was very old at the time of the migration, had fought in the American Revolution at the Battle of Kings Mountain. He is buried in the Abston Cemetery (or Elia Belew Cemetery one mile north of Lavon.). The fifth child of Isaac and Rachel Stimson was Daniel M., born April 26, 1827. He first married Sarah F. Abston, a daughter of John. They had six children, John W., Isaac P., Rachel A., Sarah O.. J., Dan and Jim. After Sarah's death, Daniel M. married Susan Foster Hunter. They had one child, Rufus. After Susan's death,,he married Mary Hewitt who was teaching school in Rockwall. They had two children, Nora who married A. P. Barry from Georgia, and Fannie Belle who married William Francis Boyd, son of Mordicia M. and grandson of Joseph Boyd.
Erasmus Stimson who had been born in England April 14, 1762, came to America and settled in Pittsylvainia County, Virginia. He and his wife, Lucy, had seven children. Their youngest child was Isaac who was born January 30, 1798, in Pittsylvania County, Virginia. Isaac and his wife, Rachel first moved to Kentucky, then to Texas. They had twelve children born from 1819 to 1839. They were, in order of their births, Edward C., Martha J., Amanda P. F., Abigail O., Daniel M., Maryan E., Isaac W., Lucy F., Rachel B., Soerateas H., Clemantine P., and Josea F. The family arrived in Collin County in 1853 and settled southwest of McKinney. They came to Texas with the Abston family. The two families were slave owners and it is believed that they migrated to Texas to find a more favorable climate for slave ownership. On August 115, 1884, Sarah Abston paid taxes on fourteen slaves. Isaac Stimson paid taxed on eight slaves. His son, Daniel M. Stimson paid taxes on two slaves. John Abston, who was very old at the time of the migration, had fought in the American Revolution at the Battle of Kings Mountain. He is buried in the Abston Cemetery (or Elia Belew Cemetery one mile north of Lavon.). The fifth child of Isaac and Rachel Stimson was Daniel M., born April 26, 1827. He first married Sarah F. Abston, a daughter of John. They had six children, John W., Isaac P., Rachel A., Sarah O.. J., Dan and Jim. After Sarah's death, Daniel M. married Susan Foster Hunter. They had one child, Rufus. After Susan's death,,he married Mary Hewitt who was teaching school in Rockwall. They had two children, Nora who married A. P. Barry from Georgia, and Fannie Belle who married William Francis Boyd, son of Mordicia M. and grandson of Joseph Boyd.
Eddie "Sarge" Stim(p)son Jr.
After spending his Depression-era childhood on a dirt farm along old Preston Road, Eddie (Sarge) Stimpson Jr. has plenty of memories to share with his grandchildren. [The name was originally Stimson, but at some point the "p" was added. Sarge's ancestors were the slaves of the Stimson above.}
But Sarge's not keeping them for only his own grandchildren, or what he calls his "grands." With an earthy style of writing, Stimpson is sharing his memories in the book "My Remembers,"
Stimpson said he wants people, especially the young, to know about how he and his family pulled through hard times.
This bald bear of a man spoke with a gentle flowing voice as he recalled how he was touched by the closeness of his family.
"There wasn't a day pass when we didn't sit down and eat supper together," he said. "There'd be the blessing, then we'd clean dishes, then we all talked to each other about what we did that day. Even if you'd get a scrape, the other people felt it."
Stimpson, who now lives in a simple white frame house in the Douglass Community [in Plano, Texas], called his father the family "provider" and his mother the "improviser."
"Mom took a spoon of flour and stretch it to feed others. She never met a stranger."
One of the most amazing things about my parents, grand parents and great-grandparents was they came from different parts of the country. My great-grandpa was hauling logs in Louisiana during the time of the Emancipation Proclamation. The second time he came out here he was a free man (no longer a slave).
People came out here looking for a place to live. They came out here to Preston Road (then a route used by freedmen trying to escape Texas after the Civil War) and they had their own teams and their own plows.
The retired farmer sprinkled his talking and his writing with maxims about the values of work, love and faith.
What made me tough was working. I was 6-7 years old doing the same thing big people do. I made cornbread, cooked beans.
Stimpson's book tells of growing up as the son of a sharecropper, or tenant farmer, in the area of what now is Preston Road and Spring Creek Parkway. [He would lie in his bed at night and look at the stars through the hole in the roof.]
They moved to their own home in Allen in 1944. We had a nice, big house, plenty of chickens, we'd raise rabbits. Eventually, they went back to sharecropping.
Sarge attended Allen Colored School and Plano Colored School. Then he joined the Army and served in occupied Okinawa and Germany after World War II. There, he developed his nickname of "Sarge" and his knack for writing.
"I used to write to my girl back home. Then I started writing letters for other GIs. They'd get letters and say, Come on, Stimpson, you gotta write something for me. I'd get a tablet of paper and sit down and write."
I remember when I got out there and saw people farming, I'd go out in the field and see how they do it. I'd help and they welcomed that. I helped German farmers pick corn and rutabagas. In some countries they were still using oxen.
After 21 years in the Army, Stimpson returned to Collin County and farmed. [Bonny and Clyde spent the night at his parents' house one time when they had car trouble on Preston Road.] [Based on an article in the Plano Star Courier, March 22, 1996] [Sarge wrote 3 or 4 more books about his life. Such a kind, gentle man.]
After spending his Depression-era childhood on a dirt farm along old Preston Road, Eddie (Sarge) Stimpson Jr. has plenty of memories to share with his grandchildren. [The name was originally Stimson, but at some point the "p" was added. Sarge's ancestors were the slaves of the Stimson above.}
But Sarge's not keeping them for only his own grandchildren, or what he calls his "grands." With an earthy style of writing, Stimpson is sharing his memories in the book "My Remembers,"
Stimpson said he wants people, especially the young, to know about how he and his family pulled through hard times.
This bald bear of a man spoke with a gentle flowing voice as he recalled how he was touched by the closeness of his family.
"There wasn't a day pass when we didn't sit down and eat supper together," he said. "There'd be the blessing, then we'd clean dishes, then we all talked to each other about what we did that day. Even if you'd get a scrape, the other people felt it."
Stimpson, who now lives in a simple white frame house in the Douglass Community [in Plano, Texas], called his father the family "provider" and his mother the "improviser."
"Mom took a spoon of flour and stretch it to feed others. She never met a stranger."
One of the most amazing things about my parents, grand parents and great-grandparents was they came from different parts of the country. My great-grandpa was hauling logs in Louisiana during the time of the Emancipation Proclamation. The second time he came out here he was a free man (no longer a slave).
People came out here looking for a place to live. They came out here to Preston Road (then a route used by freedmen trying to escape Texas after the Civil War) and they had their own teams and their own plows.
The retired farmer sprinkled his talking and his writing with maxims about the values of work, love and faith.
What made me tough was working. I was 6-7 years old doing the same thing big people do. I made cornbread, cooked beans.
Stimpson's book tells of growing up as the son of a sharecropper, or tenant farmer, in the area of what now is Preston Road and Spring Creek Parkway. [He would lie in his bed at night and look at the stars through the hole in the roof.]
They moved to their own home in Allen in 1944. We had a nice, big house, plenty of chickens, we'd raise rabbits. Eventually, they went back to sharecropping.
Sarge attended Allen Colored School and Plano Colored School. Then he joined the Army and served in occupied Okinawa and Germany after World War II. There, he developed his nickname of "Sarge" and his knack for writing.
"I used to write to my girl back home. Then I started writing letters for other GIs. They'd get letters and say, Come on, Stimpson, you gotta write something for me. I'd get a tablet of paper and sit down and write."
I remember when I got out there and saw people farming, I'd go out in the field and see how they do it. I'd help and they welcomed that. I helped German farmers pick corn and rutabagas. In some countries they were still using oxen.
After 21 years in the Army, Stimpson returned to Collin County and farmed. [Bonny and Clyde spent the night at his parents' house one time when they had car trouble on Preston Road.] [Based on an article in the Plano Star Courier, March 22, 1996] [Sarge wrote 3 or 4 more books about his life. Such a kind, gentle man.]
