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Fannie Houston was one of the 10 children from the first marriage of my grandfather Joseph C. Houston. She married Willie W. Powell. I will appreciate any further information about this couple, or their two children, birth or death dates, descendants, or anything!
The following is a letter from Fannie Houston dated Nov. 1898 addressed to Mr. J. C. Houston, Phenix, AL
The letter is old and obviously handwritten and not very clear, and I've done the best I can at reading it and copying it here. I have copyed the capital letters, spelling, etc, exactly as handwritten.
Postmarked Nov 12, 1898 ELMVIEW, TEX. on the front. On the back, postmarked HOWE, TEX NOV 12, 1898 REC'D.
Mr. J. C. Houston, Phenix, Ala Elm View Tex. Nov 1898
Dear Pap and Family,
I guess you think I'm not going to write to you anymore. You will please forgive me for waiting so long to write. We are enjoying the best of health. hope this will find you all enjoying the same. Willie is most done gathering wehave had a nice fall for gathering. it has not raind any here to amount to anything since July. Cotton is not hardly worth picking it is selling at 3 @ 4 cts. Corn is going up a little. Willie sold 100 bushels at 20 cts. per bushel. papa I have got part of my money at last and I guess I'll get the balance sometime soon. You said I seem to think that you was the caus of me not getting it Oh, No I did not think that. I did think it was the hardest mater to get any hereing from I had gave it up and I thought I would never get it. papa did Lizzie ever pay the money back that she borrowed from you. I think you could have put that money to a better use than to send it here to Murry to spend cureing his old (?-see note below) for I know that is the way it went him and Lizzie done so bad that thay sold ever thing they had and left here in August and said thay was going back to Ala. so I don't know where thay are and dont care. Jhonnie why dont you and Oliver write to me I would be so glad to just get one word from you. well I will close write real soon. Your love, Fannie
I have scanned the portion of the letter above because I can not make out the word or words in one sentence, so I'm hoping someone can help me here! Here is the image:
It is the middle line that is in question: "to spend cureing his old Pack? Back? Porche? Also I'm not sure about the word "cureing" ... I notice the image above is rather small and not clear so I've made a special page online with just that image...full size: http://www.cdagro.com/TNG/oldletter.html
Will appreciate if anyone can tell me what those words are! Thanks, Dean
Will from the father of Sarah Germany:
Pike County, Georgia Court of Ord.
Book B Page 101
In the name of God amen.
I William Germany of the county of Pike and State of Georgia do make and ordain
this my last will and testament in manner following:
First, my will is that my just debts be paid out of my estate both real and personal.
I leave to my beloved wife Mary Germany during her natural life or widowhood and
then to be equally divided amongst my children. Secondly, Mary Germany formerly,
now Mary Walker one eleventh part & Sarah Germany formerly now Sarah Houston one
eleventh part & James B. Germany one
eleventh part & A. Melvina Germany formerly now Melvina Cochran one eleventh
part & William Lander Germany one eleventh part & Elizabeth Geremany formerly
now Elizabeth Hughs one eleventh part - Emily Jane Germany one eleventh part -
Bridget Cornelia Germany one eleventh part - Hilliard Germany one eleventh part &
my son, Joseph Germany an equal portion with the rest and five hundred dollars and
Above to his part and my will is that if my son Joseph should die without an heir the part
of my estate that I leave to him shall be equally divided amongst the before mentioned
children.
My will is that my Estate both real and personal remain in the hands of my beloved wife,
Mary Germany.
My will is that my son James B. Germany shall act as Executor over my Estate and after
My debts my Executor will sell if there remains an overplus of possible property to sell
Off so much as he may consider surplus.
This thirty first October ---
Eighteen hundred and forty two
William Germany
Witnesses:
Henry J. Bailey
Miles Joins
J.H. Harkins
Will was probated on January 2, 1843 in Pike County, Georgia
An old record say that she was "posses with a high order of intellectual endowments, and afforded educational and social advantages suitable thereto, she became noted in her early womanhood for excellence in the attainments of a liberal education in general literature, arts and history."
The same record says, "During the life of her distinguished brother, Hon. George S. Houston, as a member of Congress, chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, Governor of Alabama, later U.S. Senator, she spent much time in our state and national capitals. She thus occupied prominent places in the social life of those great centers, becoming meanwhile an ardent and apt student of political history, state and national."
