Thomas Jefferson Brown

© Kathy Duncan, 2015

Thomas J. Brown, son of John and Mary Emma (Barber) Brown, was born 21 Jan 1873, according to the John Brown Bible and to the 1900 census. It is believed that the 1871 birth date recorded on his tombstone and his death record are an error committed by one of his survivors. The birth order pattern of Mary Emma (Barber) Brown’s children makes the 1873 date more likely than the 1871 date.

Thomas J. Brown married Elizabeth “Lizzie” Smith, daughter of Jess and Alice Lain Smith. According to her death certificate, Lizzie Brown was born 13 Sep 1876 in Hopkins Co., TX to Alice Lain and Tom Brown. She died in Doctor’s Nursing Center of Dallas, TX on 9 Oct 1970 and was buried in the Mt. Vernon Cemetery in Mt. Vernon, Franklin Co., TX. The informant on her death certificate was her daughter Marie Ross. Notations on the death certificate indicate that the registrar verified that her maiden name was Brown and that her father was Tom Brown, so it is unclear why her husband's name was recorded as being her father. Her obituary, however, makes it clear that she was Lizzie Smith instead.

Census Records of Thomas J. and Lizzie Brown:

28 June 1900, Prct #3, Franklin Co., TX, p. 57:

278 - 283 Brown, T.J. Head W M Jan 1878 27 M-7 b. AL fb. AL mb. AL

---, Lizzie Wife W F  Sept 1878 21 M-7 3-2 b. TX fb. TX mb. TX

---Clara Dau W F Dec 1892 5 S b. TX fb. AL  mb. TX

---Ince Dau W F  Sept 1896 3 S b. TX fb. AL  mb. TX

10 May 1910, Prct. #3, Franklin Co., TX, p. 243:

296-299 Brown, Thomas J. Head M W 37 M1-17 b. TX fb. NC mb. AL

---Elizabeth Wife F  W 32 M1-17 4-3 b. TX fb. TX  mb. TX

---Clara Dau F  W 15 S b. TX  mb. TX fb. TX

---Ivia? Dau F W 13 S b. TX fb. TX mb. TX

---Mittie Dau F  W   7 S b. TX  mb. TX fb. TX

23 Feb 1920, Prct #3, Franklin Co., TX, p. 106:

FM 4 -4 Brown, T.J. Head M W 48 M b. TX fb. NC mb. AL

---, Lizzie Wife F  W 42 M b. TX fb. TX b. TX

---, Mattie Dau F  W 17 S b. TX fb. TX mb. TX

---, Alvin Son M W  9 S  b. TX fb. TX mb. TX

---, Alfiia Dau F   W 5 S b. TX fb. TX mb. TX

---, Davie Son M W 2 S b. TX fb. TX mb. TX

24 Apr 1930, Gay Rock Prct, Franklin Co., TX, p. 114A:

52-53 Brown, Tom J. Head M W 57 M b. TX fb. ENG mb. AL

---, Lizzie Wife F  W 50 M b. TX fb. TX mb. TX

---, Alvin Son M W 19 S b. TX fb. TX mb. TX

---, Marie  Dau F W  15 S b. TX fb. TX mb. TX

---, David  Son M W  12 S b. TX fb. TX mb. TX

Thomas Jefferson Brown, wife Lizzie, and children

Franklin Co., TX Marriages:

Alvin Brown married Lizzie Lee Seay on 24 Feb 1933 [F-302]

Clara Brown married J.B. Mebane on 21 Dec 1913 [E-174]

Mittie Brown married Herman Stinson 17 July 1924 [F-72]

Ina Brown married Oggie Cooper 4 Nov 1917 [E-400]

[Soruce: Marriages of Franklin Co., TX 1875 - 1959 by Christine Dennis Skelly]

Franklin Co., TX burials:

Mt. Vernon City Cemtery:

Alvin T. Brown 1910 - 1977 - Buried Garner Cem. near Foroyce, AZ

David J. Brown 7 Sep 1917 - 15 Hab 1971

Lizzie Brown 3 Sep 1877 - 9 Oct 1970

Tom J. Brown 21 Jan 1971 - 19 Apr 1936

Clara B. Mebane 25 Dec 1894 - 18 Sep 1982

John B. Mebane 17 Dec 1894 - 9 May 1984

Herman B. Stinson 27 Feb 1900 - 1977

Mittie L. Stinson 23 Feb 1903 - 26 Jul 1990

[Source: Mt. Vernon City Cemetery by Franklin Co., TX Gen Society]

Obituary of Thomas J. Brown published in The Optic  24 Apr 1936:

Tom J. Brown died 19 Apr 1936 - Tom J. Brown, 65, a well known Franklin County citizen and prominent in Flora Bluff community life east of town was claimed by death at his home early Sunday morning after a hopeless struggle with pneumonia. He had been ill eight days. Funeral services were held Monday afternoon at the Mt. Vernon Baptist Church by Rev. J. E. Whitt, pastor, burial following in City Cemetery. Mr. Brown a faithful member of the Baptist Church for some 50 years, had affliliated himself many years ago with the local institution. The deceased had spent his life in Titus and Franklin Counties, living in the Daphne community before making his home 18 years ago at Flora Bluff, where he was a successful farmer. Surviving are his wife and five children, Mrs. John Mebane, Mrs. Herman Stinson, Mrs. Roy Fenn, Alvin T. Brown and David Brown all of Franklin County.

[Source: Obituaries and Death Notices From Franklin County [TX] Newspapers 1926 - 1936]

Obituary of Lizzie Brown published in the Optic Herald on 15 Oct. 1970:

Lizzie Brown Services Held - Funeral services were held for Mrs. Lizzie Brown of Dallas Sunday, Oct. 11 at 2:00 p.m. in the Sam Harvey Funeral Chapel. Rev. John E. Whitt officiated with interment in Mt. Vernon Cemetery.

Mrs. Brown, 94, passed away in Dallas on Oct. 9. She was born in Texas Sept. 3, 1876, the daughter of Jess and Alice Lain Smith. She married Tom Brown in Titus County in 1892.

 

Survivors include two sons, Alvin Brown of Fordyce, Ark. and David Brown of Duncan, Okla.; three daughters, Mrs. John Mebane of Mt. Vernon, Mrs. Herman Stinson, of Mt. Pleasant, and Mrs. Marie Ross of Dallas; one sister, Mrs. Jessie Gentry of Dallas; one half-brother Buddy Laine of Talco; ten grand-children, 9 great grandchildren, and five great-great grandchildren.

Pallbearers were W.B. Rozier, Fleet Moulton, Pat Miller, E.L. Bearden, Ollie Titus, and Roy Dean.

[Source: Optic Herald, M. Vernon, Franklin Co., TX, Thurs., Oct 15, 1970, p. 5.]  

Obituaries of the children of Thomas J. and Elizabeth (Smith) Brown:

Obituary for Clara (Brown) Mebane published in the Optic-Herald 23 Sept 1982:

Clara Mebane - Funeral services for Clara Mebane, 87, of Mt. Vernon were held Monday, Sept. 20 in the Harvey Funeral Home Chapel, with Revs. Joe Bass and John Henry Brinks officiating. Burial was in Mt. Vernon Cemetery.

Mrs. Mebane was born Dec 25, 1894 in Franklin Co., the daughter of T.J. Brown and Lizzie Smith. She married John Mebane, who survives. She died Sept. 18 at Terry Haven Nursing Home.

Other survivors include one son, Billy Mebane of Sulpher Springs; three daughters, Dorothy Thompson of Albuquerque, NM, Joy Rich of Odessa and Doris Brown of Sterling, Louisiana; two sisters, Mittie Stinson of Mt. Pleasant and Marie Ross of Dallas; twelve grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.

Pallbearers were members of the family.

[Source: The Optic-Herald, Mt. Vernon, Franklin Co., TX, Thurs. 23 Sept 1982, p. 13.]

Obituary for Mittie (Brown) Stinson published in the Optic-Herald, 2 Aug 1990:

Mittie Stinson - Funeral services for Mittie Lucille Stinson, 87, Mt. Vernon, were held July 28, 1990 at Bates-Cooper-Weems Chapel, Mt. Pleasant, with Brother Jamie Duncan officiating. Interment was held at Mt. Vernon City Cemetery.

Mrs. Stinson was born Feb. 23, 1903 in Franklin County to Red Tom and Lizzie Smith Brown. She died July 26 at Villa Nursing Home.

Mrs. Stinson was retired from Red River Army Depot.

Survivors include her son and daughter-in-law, H.B. Stinson Jr. and Vonice; three grandchildren, Robert Stinson, Wake Village; Lila Sue Gentry, Wake Village; Angela Fox, Bowie; 2 step-grandchildren: Darlene Mears, Odessa and Lewis Sanger, Murchison.

[Source: Optic-Herald, Mt. Vernon, Franklin Co., TX, Thurs. 2 Aug 1990, p. 13]  

Obituary for David Brown published in the Optic Herald on 21 Jan 1971:

Services Held for David Brown - Funeral services were held for David Brown of Duncan, Okla, Wed. Jan 20, at 2 p.m. in the Sam Harvey Chapel with Rev. John E. Whitt officiating. Burial was in Mt. Vernon Cemetery.

Brown, 53, died Jan. 17 at Duncan. He was born Sept. 7, 1917 in Franklin Co., the son of Tom and Lizzie Brown. He married the former Thelma Belcher in Oct. 1838.

Survivors include his widow, four daughters, Mrs. Carolyn Gracien of Okinawa, Mrs. Linda Williams of Ft. Worth, Mrs. Barbara Privete of Houston, and Mrs. Gail Wooden of Duncan, Okla,; one son, Donald Brown of Duncan, Okla; one brother, Alvin Brown of Fordyce, Ark.; three sisters, Mrs. Herman Stinson of Mt. Pleasant, Mrs. John Mebane of Mt. Vernon and Mrs. Marie Ross of Dallas; and two grandchildren.

Pallbearers were J.D. Maples, Buddy Hanks, Bryan Rozier, Tony Dacus, Kenneth Fenn, Louis Belcher, and Alton Case.

[Source: Optic Hearld, Mt. Vernon, Franklin Co., TX, Thurs. Oct 21, 1971, p. 4]