Seab and Arreny Ann (Hesskew) Newman

Seab and Arreny Ann (Hesskew) Newman

Descendants of Seab Newman

Generation No. 1

Seaborn Newman son of Elias and Susan Nolen, was said to be born February 22, 1854 in Lawrence County, Mississippi, and died February 09, 1925 in Taft, Texas, San Patricio County , 13 days before he was 71 years old.. He married Arreny Ann Hesskew November 09, 1882 in Atascosa Co., Campbellton Tx.

Seab a nickname taken from Seaborn was the only name I ever heard family members use in referring to my great grand father. Even my grand mother's brother, "Uncle Seab" was never refereed to as Seaborn and he was my great grand father's name sake.The 1870 census records in Atascosa County do refer to Seab as Seaborn. Seaborn was a very popular name in the 19th century.

Note:
Seab was listed as 12 years old in the 1870 census which would make him born in 1858 rather than 1854. Of coarse I did not find him in the 1860 census at all which makes me wonder if he was really born after 1860.

If Seab was born after 1860 then as he got married in Nov. 1882, he would have been almost 22. I am inclined to think Seab married at this age rather than 28 yr. of age. ( if you use the 1854 yr. of birth) The fact according, to census records, do not reflect that Seab was able to read or write. If this be the case, I have wondered how difficult a time I would have keeping up with my own age... if I did not have a written record to look back on. So, It is my supposition, and a weak one at best, that Seab was born after 1860. This supposition at least explains why he was not in his parent's home at the time of the 1860 census. The other reasons he was not listed in his families census records in 1860 may be as simple as that the census taker missed him at the time of the census. But another possibility is that he was with other family members or one that is not given much weight that he was adopted. Here again, no facts exist to suggest Seab was adopted nor any family lore, so I do not accept that premise.

Arreny Ann Hesskew, daughter of William and Anne Marie Hesskew, was born at Old San Patricio in San Patricio County Texas, Jan. 18, 1867 and died July 18, 1937 at the age or 70 1/2 years of age. Although Arreny was born in San Pat, her family soon moved to Refugio County after her birth and later to Atascosa County. It appears that while Seab was working on the railroad in the Atascosa County area, that he met Arreny.

According to family members, Seab bought land close to Fall City and began raising his family. He later traded his land for a wagon and team of horses and moved his family of three children and wife to La Para, Texas in Live Oak County. There the next seven were born. Then in 1903 they moved in their wagon to Sarita, Tx. in Kennedy Co. and it was there that the twins George and Georgie, were born. Seab's employment was with the Rail Roads. He helped build the St. Louis Brownsville and Mexico railroads where he had his team of horses hired out also. After a period of time in Kleberg County, Seab and Arreny Ann moved back to La Para, Texas where the last two children were born.

To this union, 14 children were born... (1) Mary Elizabeth, (2) an infant girl born dead, (3) Norvel Robertson, (4) Ida Isabella, (5) Allie Nora, (6) James Albert, (7) Dollie Francis, (8) Lulu Arreny, (9) Liddie Jane, (10) Thomas Jefferson, twins... (11) George Washington and (12) Georgie Mae, (13) William Seab and (14) Addie Myrl.

The Newman family eventually settled in the Taft, Texas area where Seab bought some property.

The following is a brief account of Seab and Arreny’s children.

Mary Elizabeth married and died in child birth with her first child. She was said to be living in South Carolina at the time. As to the accuracy of this information, research is needed to validate this fact.

Norvel must have been bashful. He always said he would never ask a girl's father for her hand and he did not, he and Sarah Jane Chandler Guynes were married on May 1, 1913. Two children were born to this union...a son who died in infancy, and a daughter Lois Irene.

It was while they were living at Sarita that Ida met Clint Wait. He was also working on the St. Louis Brownsville Railroad. Ida was married March 17, 1910 to Clint Wait. Their courtship lasted 7 years, because Seab kept running Clint off. Four children were born to this union. Noel, Ralph, Carol, and Frank.

Allie Nora was married to Luther Phillips on Sept. 1, 1913. The First Baptist Church was located in the Taft Depot. The preacher was detained and got to the Taft Railroad Station just as the train did. He boarded the train and married them on the way to Gregory. Allie's sister, Lulu and Claude C. Beard accompanied them to Corpus Christi.. As they got off the train, some people threw rice at the newlyweds. To this union four children were born.... Ethel, Preston, Marion, and Clarence Richard, (C.R.).

Jim and Maggie Barker were married on July 15, 1915. Maggie was wearing another man's ring when Jim asked her to marry him. She did not know how to return the first ring, but it was solved for her. She was setting out tomatoes and lost it. To this union were born 5 children... Josephine, Ida Mae, Luther James, twins- Lee Ford and Lela Evelyn.

Dollie was married to Hardy H. Hutto on April 10, 1914 at her home. The Newman family was living at the Sand Ridge, four miles south or Taft at that time. A speedy courtship of 3 months occurred. Seab was clearing land 3 miles south of the Sand Ridge on the old Cole place. Each day Dollie had to ride past the Flinn place where Hardie was working. Hardie was stricken with her beauty and began tipping his hat to her as she would ride by. They finally met in the cow lot of a neighbor (Mr. and Mrs. Tom Bell) , that lived across the road from the Flinn’s place. Hardie, being a fine judge of horse flesh, had come to see Dollie’s dad , Seab Newman , about some horses he would be needing in the near future. Seab had a roan and gray horse , named Sid that caught Hardie’s eye. Little did he know that Dollie had laid claim to old Sid as her own and so a conflict was in the making . Dollie had insisted that Ole Sid was such a fine horse that whoever got him would get her too boot. Maybe Hardie had heard Dollie say this because Hardie did buy old Sid , and he got Dollie too! To this union was born 11 children... Charles Wesley , Frances Irene, Hardy Homer Jr., Lucille, Tom, Robert Lee, an infant son that died, Dollie Mae , Lottie Belle, James Edward, and Mary Jane.

Lulu married Claude C. Beard. Two children were born to this union....C.C. (Buster) Beard Jr., and Ermadean. Claude said that Seab once told him Not to tie his horse up to their house again or he'd smell Powder and Lead and to not come back. .When he finally decided to ask for Lulu's hand in marriage, he was scared, but he found Seab out plowing end talked to him for quite sometime and followed him on foot while he plowed 3 rounds. Finally he told him he wanted Lula's hand in marriage. Seab asked when they wanted to get married and Claude said next Sunday. Seab said he guessed they could fix up a little cake and coffee, therefore giving his consent . Lulu was killed in a car wreck in 1919 along with Claude's father and brother. Ermadean died a little later.

Jane married Elvin Da Crone on March 21 1925. She was working at Gay 's rooming and boarding house in Sinton when they met. She never talked much and Elvin , on a dare, asked her for a date, which led to marriage. Six children were born to this union... .. Maurice, Zelda, Helen, Luceil, and twins- Ronnie and Bonnie.

Tom was married to Zola Beard, and seven children were born to this union... J.T. , James , Everett , Leonard, Dee, Dorothy, Alline, Ernest Seab, Jack, and James Ray. Zola met Tom while they were quite young. Tom was riding on the back of a buggy coming to school in the third grade. One day Zola was over at the Crawfords, when they lived and where Charlie Hutto used to live south of Taft. Tom was going hunting across the field, and Lola Crawford and Zola had a fight over him and Zola won. That was in 1918. They were married on Christmas Eve, 1921 in the Sodville Baptist Church, Most of the people there thought that it was a part of the Christmas program.

George was married to Blanche McKinley. George was with Jessie when Jessie got his marriage license and he wanted to get his, but he was afraid Blanche would not marry him, but later they were married. 5 children were born to this union... Paul, Vernon, Odell, Millie Ann, Patricia Louise and David Allen.

Georgie met Howard Deaver at a play party at Jim and Maggie Newman's when they were living on the Fickle place in 1922. Howard saw her standing behind a stove and thought she was just a small doll. Two years later they were married on January 22, 1924 in Robstown. Four children were born to this marriage.... Albert Berton, Zelma Mae , Virginia and Howard Huxley Jr.

Seab was born on the McMurry Place in La Para, Texas. He met Ruby Almond and they decided to get married in the Campbellton, Texas like Seab and Arreny had done so many years before. Off to Campbellton they went to match the deed of Seab’s parents, only to find that the court house had been moved from Campbellton to Jourdonton twenty years earlier. Not to be discouraged, Seab and Ruby were off again to Jourdonton where they retrieved a marriage license and were married on December 15, 1941. The following spring Seab and Ruby got Susie Q. ( a cocker spaniel ) their pride n joy. Seab enter Armed services in 11/19/1942 and served honorable until 9/28/1943 at which time he was discharged. Seab was a very likable fellow. He enjoyed fishing and was always willing to help anyone that asked. He and Ruby had no children. They lived in mobile homes most of their latter years and as was often the case, Aunt Ruby desired to move, it saved Uncle Seab the problem of packing. NOTE (As I was entering data for the various families from family records, I entered Susie Q as a child of Aunt Ruby. After reading the above, I had to go back and delete Susie Q. from the family tree. Well Susie, you almost made the family tree. That must have been some dog! MS)

Addie Myrl, the baby of the family met Jessie Koonce near the end of July , 1926. Jessie and his brother Dick had a blind date with Merl and Nellie Guynes, but it wasn’t blind to Jessie, because 4 months later he was married to Myrl. They were married on the 20th of November , 1926. They had four children. Deith Evelyn, Mavis Arreny , Lillie Marie, and Peggy Jeanette.

Seab farmed, fished, cleared land, picked cotton, broke horses, worked on railroads and was a horse trader. Ole "Red Jim" his horse was his pride n joy and he was never short of a challenge to race him against all comers. During Seab and Arreny ’s married life, they made their homes in wagons, tents, and houses. They bought land 7 miles south of Taft, Texas in San Patricio County in 1924. They were unaware of the wealth that lay below their feet on their property. They never came to see any of the riches produced by the oil wells on their family homestead. But they were rich in love, family , and history. Seab and Arreny Newman left a legacy of honest hard working respectable descendants that have become successful in their lives choices. We, descendants of Seab and Arreny, can all look back at our forefathers and mothers and know that the paths of life are not always easy, but with the knowledge that others have gone before and succeeded is a comforting thought.

Copy June 14 1969
compiled by Ethel Evelyn Phillip Turner
assisted by Cheryl Ann Phillips

Edited by Marvin Schubert
26 November, 1997

** Seab Newman was on a Cattle Drive when a cowboy died of a rattle snake bite. Later another Cowboy wrote the song, "Bury me not on the Lone Prairie". He was also the one of whom Pancho Villa said, "There ‘s only one Man in the world I would be afraid to draw a gun on...............Seab Newman.

***Seab was kinda of a hired gun so the story goes for the Railroad.

* information provided by Jim Newman
** information provided by Noel Wait
*** " " T.L. Schubert