TELL AND SHOW
Gladys Celia Durham-Henry (Born July 23,1906-Died April,1996)
She was born in Butler, Texas. Her Parents were Willie Anderson (Papa Bud) Durham and Ellen Anna Titus-Durham.
Grandparents were: Rance and Alice (MacDonald) Durham (paternal) and Walter and Patsie (Reddick) Titus (maternal).
Great Grandparents: Allen and Hannah (Wafer) Durham ;Anderson MacDonald;Edward "Ned" and Chlora (Dunbar) Titus.
Great,great,Grandparent: Gubbie (or Gobi) Durham. A slave owned by the Robert Winfield Durham family of Durham, North Carolina.
Gladys attended school at Owens Chapel Public School, which had 8-10 grade levels. She was one of the better students and in her earlier years, she was sometimes called upon to be a substitute teacher of the small community school.
Gladys was born into a family of quilt makers. She was taught to piece and quilt by watching her mother ...Ellen Anna Titus and her grandmother Patsie Reddick-Titus.
Gladys was very active in the Sewing Circle of her church as the program below reveals:
Here are a few of the beautiful quilts which she created during her lifetime....
 |
This Folkart creation and the one directly below it were inspired from
Newspaper Crossword Puzzles. Gladys loved to use them as patterns
for developing quilt ideas. |
 |
Gladys Henry's Handpainted Bible Story Quilt. Created
around 1969. This is the very last quilt I (Sherry A. Byrd)
ever saw my grandmother work on. She was creating it the
year I graduated from High School and went off to college
that Fall to Sam Houston State University. It would be 40
years before I would ever lay eyes on this art work again.I
retrieved it from being thrown on the burnpile or trash heap. |
Gladys also created her own clothes,sewed for others as a seamstress ,created many wonderful crafts and canned her own garden foods which she raised herself.
Show and Tell
Katie Mae Durham-Tatum (Born 1917-)
 |
| Katie Mae and her husband, Henry Tatum. |
Katie Mae was the nineth child of Willie Anderson and Ellen Anna Durham. She was taught at the age of eight years old to cook,clean house and make quilts by her mother. This was very fortunate for Katie Mae, as her mother Ellen Anna died four years later when she was twelve years old. She then helped her father to raise her two younger brothers until she married at the age of fifteen to Henry Tatum.After that she was totally on her own when it came to providing covers for her household for the cold winter months.
Katie Mae loved quilt making and she and her lifelong best friend Juanita Henry-Durham spent a lifetime
creating quilts together and alone.
Her farm home provided a Christian atmosphere. She remembers vividly her mother's teachings, and the living example that Ellen Titus Durham presented.
She attended Owens Chapel School, Freestone County, Texas, where she completed the 8th grade under the instruction of Mr. M.J. Manning.
During her youth she attended Pine Top Methodist Church, where she was active until she married Henry Tatum on February 19,1933 and moved to the Avant Community. She continued her religious work there and served as a Sunday School teacher.
The Tatum's moved to Austin, Texas, stayed several years and then went to Denver, Colorado, where she was most active in the work of the Lord.
While in Colorado, she held positions of leadership and responsibility on the local and state levels. Some of these positions include Sunday School Teacher, Sunday School Superintendent, District Missionary for 12 years, State Treasurer for the Sunday School Department, and Secretary for the Metropolitan District.
She is a licensed evangelist, a dynamic, eloquent speaker, and works faithfully in her church, Fairfield Church of God In Christ, No.1. She is also a godparent.
Her husband died on April 9, 1986.
Her neice, Earnestine Williams, says as follows: "She is nominated as one of the persons for (Titus family) Who's Who because of her care and love for many, many people that she comes in contact with. She always greets everyone with a big beautiful smile and a pat on the hand. Her beautiful smile and even tempered disposition sets her aside from the average person and personifies the many attributes that are so magnificantly displayed. ....she is more than WONDERFUL!!!"
She loves God, her family, and people in general.
Her hobbies include flower gardening, fishing and quilting.
Here are some of Katie Mae's wonderful folkart creations for you to enjoy!!!
 |
This beautiful Lone Star Quilt was pieced by Katie Mae Tatum,
while she resided in Austin, Texas. In 1954 when she and her
husband, Henry came home from Denver,Colorado for a vacation,
she and her sisters Gladys and Clara hand quilted it together. |
 |
This quilt was begun by Clara V. Durham-Peters, but had to be finished by
her younger sister, Katie Mae after Clara went blind while creating it. |
 |
This is Clara Venetta Durham-Peters. She was born in 1903-died in 1999.
Clara married Prince Peters and lived a simple country life as the photo
below shows. She and her husband Prince lived in the Butler area of
Freestone County, Texas. They had no children.
Clara was a quilt maker and sometimes quilted with her sisters Gladys
and Katie Mae...before she went blind. |
 |
Katie Mae's Pinwheel Quilt on display in Quilts of Color Exhibit ,Texas Folklife
Resources Gallery, Austin, Texas...1999. |
 |
This beautiful folkart piece was created from handkerchiefs which
belonged to Henry Tatum, Katie Mae's husband. |
 |
Besides quilt making Katie Mae also became very
good at embroidery as the two photos above show. |
Tell and Show
Juanita Louise Henry-Durham (Born 1921-)
Is the best friend to Katie Mae Tatum and married Katie Mae's younger brother, Alonzo (Lonzo) O'neal Durham.
On June 1,1921, a bundle of joy was delivered to Stacia Manning and Ezekiel Henry. They named her Juanita Louise. The bundle of joy grew up to be a good wife and mother, a wonderful person, a good neighbor and citizen, and a servant of God.
Juanita, the second of seven children, grew up in a religious farm environment in the Butler community of Freestone County. Her life was greatly influenced by her parents. Her mother had varied skills ,but was a great homemaker who delighted in quilting and canning fruits and vegetables She was known throughout the community for her cooking.
Her father was an avid farmer and friend to humanity.
Juanita says that her childhood was very interesting and that she began piecing and quilting at the age of nine. This is still one of her hobbies. She loves to quilt, garden, can and be involved with the church, community activities, such as the Senior citizen volunteers and hold offices in the church.
She has been a member of the Methodist Church since she was 15 years old. She has held the office of Membership secretary since 1976. She served as chairman of the Communion Stewards for 20 years and serves in the Pastor's Parish Relations Committee.
At the Butler Senior Center she has volunteered for 25+ years. She was named Senior Citizen of the year in 1990 and 2002.
At the Hunter-Titus Family Reunions she holds the title of "BLACK EYED PEA QUEEN",because she supplies her delicious black-eyed peas at the annual event.
Juanita attended school with her long time sweetheart, Lonzo, at Owens Chapel School and later married him in 1941.She has been a devoted wife and mother for 64 years.
She graduated from Dogan High School in Fairfield, Tx.
While at Dogan she was member of the trophy winning Basketball team.
Juanita loves to quilt and it is even reported by her children that their father Lonzo occassionally helped her with the quilt top piecing in the winter time when he sometimes could not get out to the fields to work.
Alonzo O'neal (aka.Lonzo) Durham was born on March 6, 1921 in Freestone County, Texas. He was the 10th of 12 children to Willie Anderson Durham and Ellen Anna Titus-Durham.
His paternal grandparents were Rance and Alice McDonald-Durham .( Rance was selected as a Republican District Road Commissioner and County Chairman in Freestone county in 1912.)
Rance owned property near Red Lake that he farmed.The place was called the"Jolly Slute"in former times. He later built a cotton gin and syrup mill on his property to use himself and for the people of the community. His place became the regular meeting place for the surrounding communities. Rance's history is recorded in the Freestone County History Books, Volume I, Stories # 286-87,page 349.
Lonzo attended Owens Chapel Public School and graduated 10th grade in 1936. He followed in the footsteps of his father, Willie Anderson Durham and his grandfather Rance Durham. He became a farmer and rancher for the rest of his life. Because of his constant involvement in community life and affairs, he was often referred to as "The Black Attorney of Butler". He had a keen sense of tracking down things...
Alonzo says: "My childhood was very interesting."
Most of my brothers and sister stayed in the Fairfield and Butler area to raise their families. Two brothers and one sister went to Denver, Colorado. But Lonzo stayed in and around Butler his entire life.
Lonzo goes on to say " I learned very quickly how to take care of myself and became self sufficent. I planted small truck patches to earn money and thus farming became a passion, where I learned to bargain and sell.
I have farmed and raised cattle my entire life. I raised cattle with A. N. McCallum of Austin, Texas for many years before I took a construction job. I retired from Traylor and Sons Construction in 1984.
I provided for my wife and children through those means.
I also raised peaches, peas, corn, tomatoes, okra and other vegetables and fruits. I peddled them from the back of my truck to outlying communities and neighborhoods...It afforded a comfortable living for my family.
I married Juanita Louise Henry on December 27, 1941 and to this union five children were born. Beauford, Monson, Joyce and twins Earnestine and Ilene.
My passion to help people led me to many communities where I shared information on how to raise cattle, new leases of property throughout the area, etc.
I am a active member of Union United Methodist church and served as a Trustee... also in many other capacities..."
I have been the chairman for the upkeep and consultant on where families are buried for the Pine Top Cemetery for 30+ years.Lonzo has been the chairman of the Board of the Pine Top Cemetery for more than 25 years and a member of the Owens Chapel/Pine Top Community Council and a Volunteer for the Butler Senior Citizens. He also served the Senior Citizen center where he volunteered to haul off the trash away weekly.
(His health failed in 2003 and he had to retire from these duties.)
Lonzo departed this life on March 4, 2006 in Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center in Waco, Texas following a length stay in Mya Health Care and Fairview Nursing Homes.
He left behind, Juanita, his wife of 64 years, five children, and one sister, Katie Mae Tatum of Fairfield. He had 12 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.
Lonzo's maternal grand parents were Walter and Patsie Reddick-Titus.Walter's family had been slaves to the Simeon and Nancy Lake family who came to Freestone County,Tx from South Carolina. Walter's family history is also recorded in the Freestone County History books, Volume II,page 500,Story #870...Titus,Edward "Ned".
Lonzo's mother, Ellen Anna, died at the age of 49 in July 1930, when he was very young. He was raised by his older sister, Katie Mae.
His mother was a homemaker and his father was a farmer who raised tobacco, made home made sorghum syrup and raised sweet potatoes. He died in 1965.
==================================
Juanita and her sisters learned the art of quilt making from their mother, Stacia Manning-Henry.
 |
Stacia Manning-Henry (Born December 9,1897-Died November 11,1982).Stacia
was born in Oakwood, Texas and attended School in Freestone County.She is the
Mother of Juanita Louise Henry-Durham. Stacia created and quilted the Ninepatch
shown below . This quilt is 100+ years old. |
Jaunita's father ,Ezekiel Henry, was born April 8,1892 to Jeff and Delphia Henry. Delphia was sold as a slave at the age of 8 years and brought to Texas from Alabama.
Ezekeil's father,Jeff Henry, died in 1924 and his mother Delphia, died in June 1934.
Jeff came from Mississippi and settled in Marshall, Texas in the 1800s.
Ezekiel lived longer than any of his brothers and sisters. He lived to be 84 years young and died on January 4, 1976.
Ezekiel's siblings were according to age:
Moriah
Samantha
Lewis
Elbert--father of W.E. (Willie Elbert Henry, Sr.) Juanita's 1st cousin, who married Gladys Celia Durham-Henry. W.E. was an only child.
Gennie
Jeff
Watt
Ezekiel--Juania's Henry-Durham's father.
Sims
Juanita's mother, Stacia Manning-Henry, was the grandaughter of Patsie Reddick Manning (formerly Titus). Stacia, was born to Alf and Sarah Jackson-Simmons-Manning. Stacia, died November 11,1982. Stacia's father Alf (Alfraid) Manning died Frebruary 4, 1934. Her mother, Sarah died June 16, 1942. Stacia lived to be 74 years young and lived six years longer than her husband, Ezekiel Henry.
Stacia's siblings according to age are:
Stacia
John Wesley
Ossie
Bronson
Alfraid (Lutton)
Hortense
Rachel
Gertrude
Owen Jake (O.J.)
Joel
Stacia's Half Brothers and sisters were:
Edgar
W.J.
Sarah Annie
Mary Jane (Babe)
Clara (Doll)
Johnnie
Matilda
Stacia's children were:
Merdis-- born February 22,1920
Juanita -- born June 1,1921
Tyree--born March 13,1923
Delores--born May28,1926
Alton--born March 10,1929
Wilson--born November 22,1932
Here are some of the wonderful creations that have come from Juanita's hands over the years:
 |
This "LAZY GAL"/#1 creation was created from the old farm
shirts and work clothes worn by Lonzo Durham...who was a
farmer all his life.
|
 |
| Hand dyed lining for "Lazy Gal /#1. |
 |
Family Quilt makers Interview With Star-Telegram Reporter
in Spring of 2002. |
Some of Juanita's Star Studded Creations
And there are the varied sized "Squares"
 |
| BIG SQUARES AND REVERSIBLE, TOO. |
Parade of the reversible "Lazy Gals"....
 |
| Lazy Gal #2/Side 1 |
 |
| Lazy Gal # 2/side 2 |
 |
| Lazy Gal #3/Side 1 |
 |
| Lazy Gal 3/side 2 |
 |
| Lazy #4/Side 1 |
 |
| Lazy Gal #4/Side |
 |
| Lazy Gal #5/Side 1 |
 |
| Lazy Gal #5/Side 2 |
 |
| Lazy Gal #6/Side 1 |
 |
| Lazy Gal #6/Side 2 |
 |
| Inner Works of Cotton batting in Lazy Gal #6. |
*************************************
REASONS TO LOVE FREESTONE COUNTY
