Photo Album

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Family Histories

Contributed by Rex Phillips

My great-great-grandfather, Lipscomb Petit ABSTON, was born in Fluvanna Co., VA in 1841. They moved to TN about 1852 as the last record of ABSTONs in Pittsylvania CO.,VA, where they lived prior to going to TN was in a deed book in 1852 selling interest in land there. Lip ABSTON died Jan. 21, 1900, and is buried in the Willow Grove Cemetery. Sept. 15, 1864, Dec. 1 [sic] Lip married Amanda SEVIER, daughter of Alfred Cawood SEVIER (son of Gov. John SEVIER by his 1st wife, Sarah HAWKINS) and Mary WINDLE.

My great-grandfather, James Alfred ABSTON, was born in Willow Grove Dec.1, 1869, the eldest of 6 children of Lip and Amanda Sevier ABSTON all born in Willow Grove. James A. ABSTON married Amanda Belle DAVIS Mar. 18, 1888, at Willow Grove. Amanda DAVIS was born Feb. 17, 1860, at Willow Grove, daughter of Nelson DAVIS and Ruth Vertner WINDLE. Ruth WINDLE was the sister of Mary WINDLE, and both were daughters of Joseph Hawkins WINDLE and Joanna Goad SEVIER, a dau of Gov. SEVIER and his 2nd wife Catherine SHERRILL.

James A. ABSTON and Amanda Davis ABSTON had 14 children, the first 7 all being born at Willow Grove as well as the 9th & 10th. The 8th child, Walter Bob ABSTON, was born nearby at Lilydale. In 1896, the family moved across the border to Peytonsburg, KY, where the last 4 children were born. In Oct. 1904, the family, with 9 children remaining, spent two days and nights via wagons going from Peytonsburg to Bowling Green, KY, where they caught a train
to Vernon, TX, via St. Louis, MO.

Friends and neighbors of the family in KY, the J. F. and T. S. COE families, had purchased a section of land at Rayland, TX, west of Vernon, in 1899 and subsequently persuaded my great-grandfather, to move to Texas and farm the land. This they did until 1916 until they bought their own land and began farming at a community nearby by the name of Thalia, TX.

There were many ABSTONs in the Pittsylvania, VA, area in the 1700’s and until mid-1800’s. Some wound up in Sumner and Davison Co., TN, and others went to Cumberland Co., KY, and subsequently to Cole, Co. Illinois.

The James Alfred Abston Family

~~ see photo in gallery, above ~~

James A. Abston; b. 12/1/1869 in Willow Grove, TN; d. 1/29/1929 Thalia, TX
Amanda Belle Davis Abston; b. 2/117/1860 Willow grove; d. 11/24/1950 -Thalia, TX
Leslie Abston b. 3/18/1888 Willow Grove
Burtis Pickens Abston, b. 4/11/1889 Willow Grove
Mary Winnie Abston Phillips, b. 5/31/1890 Willow Grove, d.12/25/1982 Vernon, TX
Ethel Lena Abston Rennels, b. 11/19/1891 Willow Grove
Claude Davis Abston, b. 9/13/1893 Willow Grove; d. 6/23/1923 Thalia, TX
Walter Bob Abston, b. 12/10/1894 Lilly Dale, TN
Jimmie P. Abston, b. 7/9/1899 Peytonsburg, KY; d.10/30/1916 Thalia, TX
Amanda Belle Abston Thompson, b. 3/27/1902 Peytonsburg, KY

The Lipscomb Petit Abston Family

~~ see photo in gallery, above ~~

Lipscomb born 1/10/1841 in Fluvana Co., VA d. 1/21/1900 in Willow Grove, TN
Amanda Sevier Abston b. 1/7/1848 in Willow Grove; d. 1923 in Willow Grove
Amanda Sevier and Lip Abston were married ca. 1868 in Willow Grove, TN
James Alfred Abston, b. 12/1/1869 in Wilow Grove; d. 1/29/1929 Thalia, TX
William J. Abston, b. 1/14/1881 in Willow Grove
Maggie Abston French, b. 1876 in Willow Grove
Mary Abston Edens b. 1882 in Willow Grove
Lou Abston Huffer, b. in Willow Grove
Other two children unidentified.