The James Oscar & Mary Jane (Duty) Whatley Family: Basic Family

        THE JAMES OSCAR & MARY JANE (DUTY) WHATLEY FAMILY

     1837 - 1890                                                         1842 (43, 45?) - after 1910
James Oscar Whatley                                                          Mary Jane Duty



James Oscar Whatley was born in 1837 in Fayette county, Georgia; he was the first of eleven children.  His father, Wilson Whatley (born 1808 - 1810 in Georgia), and his wife, Mary Hanson (born 1817 - 1820 in Georgia), had all of their children in Georgia, except for Catherine, their youngest.  James O. Whatley's parents relocated to Falls county, Texas.  James Oscar Whatley fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War.  He is listed on the Indigent Family List for Falls county, Texas in 1863 - 1865,

James was a farmer (farm laborer in west Falls county, Texas) and was married to Mary Jane Duty ("Molly") on January 17, 1857 (59?) in Falls county, Texas.

Mary Jane (Duty) Whatley, wife of James Oscar Whatley

Mary Jane ("Molly") was born on November 20, 1843 (42 or 45?), in Hempstead, Arkansas (Another note said she was born in Golinda, Texas).  Her parents were William Henry Duty ("Henry" or "William") (born April 12, 1801 in Sumner county, Tennessee) and Nancy Ann Jones (born January 16, 1814 in Kentucky).  James and Mary Jane lived in Falls county, Texas in 1860, but had moved to Bell county, Texas by 1880 (Justice Precinct ch. # 5).  Their real estate value in 1860 was 476.  James Oscar Whatley died in 1890 in Texas.  After the death of her husband, Mary Jane (Duty) Whatley came to Fort Worth, Texas with her son, Thomas Oscar Whatley.  She was living close to him in 1910.  The 1910 city directory shows that Mary J. Whatley was the widow of James O. Whatley.  Mary Jane (Duty) Whatley died on April 20, 1916 in Fort Worth, Texas in Tarrant county at the age of 75.  James and Mary Jane had the following children:

The Children of James Oscar & Mary Jane (Duty) Whatley:

I.  Oreganna F. Whatley ("Oregon", "Oregana, "Oregona"): She was born in February 1859 (60?) in Falls county, Texas (Note: Cara Nordbruch lists birth date as December 2, 1859 in Texas).  She married Hugh W. Lea on November 1, 1876 in Falls county, Texas.  He was the sheriff of Golinda in Falls county and was killed in a shootout two months after their marriage.  She later married Cara (Murphy) Nordbruch's grandfather.  She married Frank P. Clark on October 15, 1879 (according to Cara Nordbruch).  Oregon died on October 8, 1918 in Oregon.

Oregon (Whatley) Lea

Oregon may have had a daughter named Bessie.

II.  Sallie Whatley (Note: Cara Nordbruch says that Sallie's real name was "Sarah"): She was born on August 2, 1865 (66; 67?) in Golinda, Texas (Falls county) (Note: Need confirmation of this birthdate).  She married Robert Thomas Blair and died on February 14, 1944 in Sparks, Texas (Bell county).

Sallie (Whatley) Blair

III.  Henry L. Whatley ("Henry"): He was born on August 2, 1866 in Golinda (Falls county), Texas.  He died in Texas in 1927.

IV.  Sarah Whatley: She was born in 1867.

V.  James O. Whatley II ("James"): He was born between 1867-1868 in Falls county, Texas (according to the 1870 Falls county, Texas census).

VI.  William J. Whatley ("William"): He was born in 1873 in Falls county, Texas.

VII.  Lilly (Lillie) Mae Whatley: She was born in 1872 (76?) in Falls county, Texas.  She married Johnny T. Asbury.  He was born on December 10, 1869 and died on May 19, 1939.

Lillie Mae Whatley

                               

Lillie (Whatley) Asbury Homeplace

John Thomas Asbury, husband of Lillie May (Whatley) Asbury

Lillie Mae (Whatley) Asbury

Lillie and Johnny had the following children:
     A.  Sue Asbury: She married George Wells.
     B.  Nell Asbury:









VIII.  Thomas Oscar Whatley ("Thomas"):

Thomas Oscar Whately

Thomas Oscar Whatley

                                                               

Thomas Oscar Whatley & Felton Folowell

He was born on March 3 (12?), 1879 in Falls county, Texas.  He married Mary Lou Lutteral (Luttrell?) ("Mary") on April 30, 1897 in Falls county, Texas.

Thomas O. & Mary Lou Whatley

                                 

Thomas Oscar Whatley & wife Mary Lou Lutteral
(Kids names are unknown)

Mary Lou (Luttrell) Whatley, wife of Thomas Oscar Whatley

Thomas Oscar Whatley with sons, Vivian Thomas & William Henry.
(Note: Another source identifies those in the picture as, left to right, Tom Whatley,
Willie Blair (W.O), and Vivian.  Picture taken in the late 1800s).

Mary was born on November 14, 1883 in Falls county, Texas.  Her parents were George Washington Lutteral (Litteral) ("George") and his wife Sue Ellen; they are both buried in the Powers Chapel cemetery.  They possibly also lived in Falls county, Texas.  Mary died on June 22, 1957 in Arlington, Texas and is buried in the Greenwood cemetery in Fort Worth, Texas.  Thomas was a farmer; he resided in the Blue Ridge area of Falls county, Texas (This is the area where all of their children were born).  Thomas died on November 1, 1931 in Fort Worth (Tarrant county).  He is buried at the Greenwood cemetery.

Some of Tom & Mary Lou Whatley's children.
(Source of image: Alva Mae (Swan) Hooker)

Thomas and Mary Lou had the following children:
     A.  William Henry Whatley: He was born in Falls county, Texas in 1898. He died in April, 1924 in Fort Worth, Texas (Tarrant county) and is buried in the Greenwood cemetery in that city.  About 1918, he married Flossie Ida Mae Oden in Texas.  Her parents are Jesse Oden and Nancy Roberts.  Flossie was born on January 22, 1900 in Falls county, Texas.  Her second husband was George Lloyd Redden; they married on December 25, 1925.  She had two children from her second marriage: Edna LaVern Redden (born August 3, 1927) and Grady Lloyd Redden (born January 26, 1933).  Flossie died in October, 1981.  She and William Henry Whatley had the following children.
     B.  Vivian May Thomas Whatley: Born on December 10, 1902 in Fort Worth, was married, and had two children.  Died on April 9, 1923 in Fort Worth and is buried in Greenwood cemetery there.
     C.  Ollie Mae Whatley: Born on October (Sept.?) 9, 1905 in Fort Worth, Texas.  She married a Mr. McGowan.  She died on October 3, 1942 in Fort Worth.
     D.  Gladys Belle Whatley: She was born on December 23, 1907 in Birdville, Tarrant county, Texas.  She was married first to a Mr. Fallawell; this marriage produced one child.  Her second marriage was to R.W. Grimes.  She moved to Arlington, Texas after her second marriage.  She died in January, 1984 in Sulphur Springs, Hopkins county, Texas.  She is buried at Arlington Memorial cemetery.
     E.  Ruby Mozelle Whatley: She was born on November 4, 1913 in Fort Worth, Texas.  She married G.W. Chandler; they had one child.  She moved to Fort Worth, Texas.  Ruby died on September 25, 1964.
     F.  Esta Faye Whatley: She was born on November 21, 1918 in Fort Worth, Texas.  She married M.C. Johnson.  They had two children.  She moved to Fort Worth, Texas.

VIV.  Eula (Eulah) Whatley: She was born about 1880-1881 in Falls county, Texas.  She married Widdle Caldwell; they lived most of their life in Dennison, Texas.  He worked on the M.K. & E. railroad most of his life.  He drank two bottles of beer each day, no more/ no less.  Robert Glenn Blair visited them several times.  Widdell had several fat children and a filthy house, yet they were nice folks and would give you the shirt off their back.  They had the following children:
     A.  Mary Caldwell:
     B.  Ruth Caldwell: She came to Holland, Texas (Bell county) in 1931 when Bertie Bell (Swan) Blair was sick.  She stayed about two months in Holland and helped out (During this time, Glenn Blair stayed in Ramona Courts in Waco, Texas for 2-3 days ; this was the first time he ever stayed in a motel).
     C.  "Kink" Caldwell: She married Elmer Campbell; they were nice folks.  Glenn Blair went to their home at Lake Texoma and went fishing several times.  They had a child named Elmer, Junior who loved Glenn's mother, Bertie Bell (Swan) Blair.
     D.  Minville Caldwell: She lived in Denison, Texas.
     E.  "Dude" Caldwell: He was the head of a Kraft processing plant in Dallas, Texas.
     F.  Randolph Caldwell ("Randy"): He was a bootlegger and ran a skating rink in Oklahoma.
     G.  "Dub" Caldwell: He married an Indian girl from Oklahoma who at one time chased him through the house with a butcher knife when drunk.  Dub was a taxi driver in Dennison, Texas.  (Note: One of the girl's sons had an argument with another boy about whether a shotgun or rifle was the best.  They went to opposite ends of town to find out.  The girl's son won the contest; he shot and killed the boy who had the shotgun).  (Note: This list of children may be incomplete).

Mary Jane (Duty) Whatley & her grandchildren
(Left to right: Randy Caldwell & Mary Jane (Duty) Caldwell are on the back row.  "Dude" Caldwell
and Mary Caldwell are on the front row.  These are Widdle & Eula (Whatley) Caldwell's children).

Mary Jane (Duty) Whatley died in Golinda, Texas (Fall county).  This is probably the place of her death, but that has not been confirmed.

Mary Jane (Duty) Whatley

Possible connection to Comanche war chief, Quannah Parker

Family members had heard that we were related to the last great Comanche Indian war chief, Quannah Parker.  Marvin Smith Blair, who had done a great deal of research on our family, wrote the following response to Ruby Blair when she asked this question:

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SOURCES:
1.  Census Records:
     a.  1880 Bell county, Texas (Recorded June 24th. Enumeration District # 5. Precinct # 3.  Supervisor District # 4.  Household 346-347 - Jas. O. Whatley family).
     b.  1850 Paulding county, Georgia (Recorded September 13, 1850.  The 848th district call, Paulding.  No. 67, page 70.  Household # 255).
     c.  1860 Falls county, Texas.  (Recorded July 21st, page 1.  Household # 2-6.  Subdivision # 5.  Post office: Golindo.  J.O. Whatley family).
     d.  1850 Fayette county, Georgia (Recorded November 7th, page 46).
     e.  1870 Falls county, Texas  (March 11, 1870.  Precinct # 5.  Post Office: Rockdam, Texas. Family # 104 - James Whatley family.  James' father, Wilson, is living with them.  Note: could the post office have been Rockdale, not Rockdam, as listed?).
2.  Converging Paths by Thelma D. McKinney, 1972.
3.  Thelma D. McKinney in Fort Worth, Texas.  Correspondence with Billy Blair.
4.  David Whatley in Fort Worth, Texas.
5.  A book on the Whatley family by Col. Whatley in Georgia.
6.  Book by Mary Jones in Abilene, Texas.  John Sheftall (cousin to Kenneth Thomas, c/o Atlanta Journal Constitution.  Would have John's address.  Referred by Pat Chadwell at the downtown Fort Worth public library.
7.  Mrs. Mary Whatley Clark (Mrs. Joe A. Clark) in Fort Worth, Texas.  (Note: I'm not sure of the connection to our line of Whatleys.  I was referred to him by Pat Chadwell at the Fort Worth library because Mrs. Clark in an author and possible relative).
8.  Miss Pat Chadwell (Fort Worth downtown public library genealogy section).
9.  Texas Census Records 1850-1860 (Index, reel # 10; reel # 3 - Duty).
10. Texas Soundex, 1880.
11. McLennan county, Texas Cemetery Records, Vols. 1 & 2.
12. Latter-Day Saints Study Center, Irving, Texas.
13. Falls county, Texas courthouse records (birth; death; wills; land deeds).  (Not a complete search yet).
14. Marriage license of James O. Whatley and Mary Jane Duty.  Falls county, Texas courthouse records.
15. Conversations between Billy Blair and Robert Glenn Blair.
16. Loyd & Waldean Whatley in Jonesboro, Texas.  (Note: Not sure if they are any relation to our Whatleys.  Their name was given to me by Howard & Maureen Stroud in Lubbock, Texas for possible relation to our line).
17. Ben &  Georgia Felts in Murfreesboro, Tennessee (Note: Not sure if they are any relation to our Whatleys.  Their name was given to me by Howard & Maureen Stroud in Lubbock, Texas for possible relation to our line).
18. Families of Falls County, Falls county, Texas Historical Commission.
19. Jana Folowell Randall.  She lists the following sources:
     a.  1860 U.S. Census: Oralendo P.O., Falls Co. Tx. p. 143 (age 16).
     b.  March 11, 1870 U.S. Census: Rockdam 5 Prect., Falls Co. Tx. p. 12 (age 27).
     c.  1910 Living in Fort Worth, Tarrant Co. Tx. - listed in city directory.
     d.  El Duane Whatley Genealogy file
          (1.  Repository: Book; B.1045 AR; IGI Record; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
          (2.  Repository: Electronic; Batch # 7817901, sheet 32; Mary Jane Duty born Nov. 20, 1843 Hempstead, AR.; Parents: Henry Duty & Nancy Jones; Texas Marriage Records Index.
          (3.  Repository: Official Document; 1854-1881 Falls Co. Tx.
20. Jane Dalby
21. ewhatley@orednet.org
22.  Marvin Smith Blair research/ letter regarding the Duty family connection to Quannah Parker.
23.  Satin, Texas/ History of Falls County, Texas


NOTES:
1.  1880 Texas Soundex.  copy T-773. Roll # 72.  W-300 (G) to W-340:
W-340
Whatley, Jas. O.
Color: W; Sex: M; Age: 44
County: Bell
Whatley, Mary J.  wife     35     Arkansas
                Henry L.     son     15     Texas
                Sallie     dau.     13     Texas
                Wm. J.     son     7     Texas
                Lilly M.     dau.     4     Texas
                Thom. A.     son     1     Texas
(vol. 2  Ed. 5, sheet 42.  line 8.     B-Georgia     Just. Prec. # 5 (mcd)).

2.  Falls county, Texas courthouse records: District Court, March Term, 1872: Estate of Wilson Whatley:
"On this 18th day of March A.D. 1872 came on for hearing the petition of J.O. Whatley for letter of Administration upon the estate of Wilson Whatley deceased and it appearing to the court that due notice has been given by the clerk as the law and no one appearing to oppose the same.  It is therefore ordered, adjudged, and decreed by the court that letters of Administration upon the estate of Wilson Whatley do issue to said J.O. Whatley upon him a good and sufficient bond in the sum of twelve hundred dollars $ 1200 and qualifying in all other respects in accordance with law".

3.  Researcher Cara (Murphy) Nordbruch says that the Whatleys were known as the Wheatleys in earlier times and were English nobility.

4.  Early settlers in the Golinda area were the Duty and Gurley families.  (Other families nearby were the Westbrooks in Lorena, the Gaines family in Chilton, Vic & Will Walker families who were later residents of Satin and the Gus Meisner family.