James Madison Pelt was born in Clark Co, AL on June 22, 1825. He married Lucretia Ann Merchant (born Jan 10, 1835) on July 4, 1847 in Simpson county Mississippi. James was the son of Asa and Mincey Langford of Jones County, Georgia.
They had seven children: Columbus W., James M.( who died at five months), Anna Jane, William Jasper, John Asa, and Henry J. About 1862 James and Lucretia and five children left Mississippi in a wagon headed for Texas.
The youngest child Henry, was born Jan 5, 1863 as they reached Trinity Co TX. For unknown reasons they then headed for Mexico. On Jan 18, 1865 Lucretia died in Camargo Mexico, probably of typhoid pneumonia. Her husband James then headed back to Mississippi. He reached New Orleans where he died, according to the family of a broken heart. He probably died of the same ailment that killed his wife.
The six children were placed in a orphanage in New Orleans. Baby Henry died there of the measles on Oct 10, 1865. The oldest, Columbus left the orphanage to join the Northern Army and later settled in the Waco area. William Jasper after a time at the orphanage went to work on a Mississippi riverboat. Anna, Melissa and John Asa stayed in the orphanage several years and received excellent educations. Upon leaving the home, they reunited with their brothers near Corsicana.
Eventually however, on Nov 7, 1874, William Jasper and John Asa left for the Sour Lake area in Texas. Jasper settled in Pine Ridge where he remained the rest of his life and married Ida Shaw.
John Asa also settled in the Sour Lake area. In 1879 he married Sarah Alice Waterhouse. Sarah was an Indian from Oklahoma. They had eight children: Mary Ellen, John Washington, Laura Hester, Annie, Christopher Columbus, Melissa, Isaac and Alice. At one time John Asa served as a Justice of the Peace and was from that point on called Judge Pelt. He also practiced law until his death in 1946 at the age of 86.
Sarah Alice worked with her sons building their long horned cattle ranch. Portraying the rough life of the pioneer woman riding was her passion. Her skill and daring equalled and often excelled her sons.
1. Asa Pelt Born: Died: Marr: Mincey Langford 1-A. James Madison Pelt Born: Jun 22, 1825 - Clark County, Alabama Died: Circa 1865 - New Orleans, Louisiana Marr: Jul 4, 1847 - Simpson County, Mississippi Lucretia Ann Merchant Born: Jan 10, 1835 Died: 1865 - Carmargo, Mexico probably of Typhoid Fever 1-B. Columbus W. Pelt 2-B. James M. (died at five months old) 3-B. Anna Jane Pelt 4-B. William Jasper Pelt Born: Apr 9, 1854 Died: Sep 20, 1922 - Hardin County, Texas Marr: Jul 12, 1888 Ida Shaw Born: Abt. 1867 Died: Jun 17, 1938 - Hardin County, Texas Ida was the daughter of Quincy M. Shaw and Elizabeth Jordan. 1-C. Pearl Pelt Born: Sep 2, 1889 Died: Dec 20, 1916 - Hardin County, Texas Marr: James Laird 1-D. Weldon "Cowboy" Laird Born: 1910 Marr: Dorothy Faye Glaze 2-D. Howard Laird Born: May 26, 1912 Died: Jun 29, 1970 - Hardin County, Texas 3-D. Jewel Laird Born: 1912 Marr: ? McGill 4-D. Maudena Laird Born: 1915 Marr: ? Richardson 5-D. J.W. Laird Born: 1916 2-C. Fannie Pelt Born: Jan 20, 1891 Died: Nov 4, 1894 - Hardin County, Texas 3-C. Albert Pelt Born: Jul 23, 1892 Died: Jul 4, 1953 - Hardin County, Texas Marr: Sarah Mittie Kelly Born: Jan 13, 1891 Died: Mar 2, 1965 - Liberty County, Texas 4-C. Soloman Pelt Born: Dec 7, 1893 Died: Oct 20, 1911 - Hardin County, Texas 5-C. Samuel W. Pelt Born: Mar 5, 1895 Died: Aug 19, 1954 - Hardin County, Texas Marr: Zula Read 6-C. Elizabeth "Betty" Pelt Born: Mar 1896 Marr: ? Griddin 7-C. Charles Culberson "Charlie" Pelt Born: Jan 8, 1898 Died: Jan 4, 1942 - Hardin County, Texas Marr: Mirtie Rebecca Jacobson 1-D. Charles Alton Pelt Born: Nov 11, 1926 2-D. Elvin Arnold Pelt Born: Nov 15, 1931 3-D. Kenneth Aaron Pelt Born: Aug 27, 1940 Marr: 1963 Judith Ann Locklar 8-C. Luther Pelt Born: Apr 29, 1899 - Hardin County, Texas Marr: Died: Aug 29, 1987 - Jefferson County, Texas Emma Ila Patillo Born: Apr 7, 1903 Died: Oct 5, 1928 - Hardin County, Texas 1-D. Emmer Luther Pelt Born: Oct 4, 1928 - Hardin County, Texas 9-C. Elvia Pelt Born: 1902 - Texas Died: 1988 Marr: ? Warren 10-C. Lillie Pelt Born: 1906 - Texas Marr: ? Glaze 5-B. John Asa Pelt Born: Jan 15, 1860 Died: Apr 10, 1946 Marr: 1879 Sarah Alice Waterhouse Born: Feb 27, 1862 Died: Nov 28, 1936 1-C. Mary Ellen Pelt 2-C. John Washington Pelt 3-C. Laura Hester Pelt 4-C. Annie Pelt Born: Apr 15, 1887 Died: Sep 10, 1909 Marr: ? Smith 5-C. Christopher Columbus Pelt 6-C. Melissa Pelt Born: Circa 1890 Died: - Palestine, Texas Marr: Ira Camp 1-E. Ross Laidacker Camp Born: Jan 18, 1911 - Sour Lake, Texas Died: Sep, 1957 - Louisiana 2-E. Iris Camp 7-C. Isaac Pelt Born: Jul 15, 1893 Died: Apr 10, 1996 - Hardin County, Texas Marr: Mary Reddings Born: Jan 26, 1903 Died: Apr 7, 1976 1-E. Gladys Marie Pelt Born: Apr 23, 1922 Marr: Died: Jan 01, 1998 - Sour Lake, Texas Roy Frank Herrington, Sr. 1-F. Roy Frank Herrington, Jr. Born: Abt. 1944 Marr: Sep 18, 1982 Margarette Smallwood Born: Abt. 1958 1-G. Amber Gayle Herrington Born: Dec 27, 1979 2-G. Felicia Kaye Herrington Born: Oct 25, 1983 1-E. Betty Lois Pelt Born: Jul 26, 1928 Marr: Frank Standley Swain 1-F. Mary Sharon Swain Born: Abt. 1950 Marr: Jul 1, 1972 Randell Joseph "Randy" Richard Born: Abt. 1950 1-G. Shelley Elizabeth Richard Born: May 10, 1978 2-G. Lesley Ellen Richard Born: May 6, 1981 3-G. Adam Joseph Richard Born: Nov 5, 1984 2-F. Bonnie Gayle Swain Born: Abt. 1953 Marr: Aug 12, 1972 (1) Glenn Stuart Withers Born: Jan 9, 1948 1-G. Brittany Leigh Withers Born: Oct 3, 1973 Marr: Brian Wesley Johnson Marr: Oct 12, 1978 (2) Nelson Joseph Menard, Jr. Born: Jul 24, 1946 Marr: Aug 13, 1988 (3) Stacy Hoffpauir Born: Abt. 1963 2-G. Dustin Colby Hoffpauir Born: May 27, 1989 3-G. Dylan Christopher Hoffpauir Born: Jan 8, 1991 3-F Brenda Kay Swain Born: Circa 1957 Marr: Dec 21, 1980 (1) Stephen K. Harvey Born: Circa 1957 Marr: May 24, 1985 (2) William Lee Elliott Born: Circa 1957 1-G. Christopher Blake Elliott Born: October 7, 1984 - Harris County 2-E. Annie Laura Pelt Born: Jun 27, 1930 Marr: Donald M. Guedry 1-F. Teresa Ann Guedry Born: Abt. 1952 Marr: Jan 2, 1971 Michael Parish Born: Abt 1951 1-G. Jason Todd Parish Born: Apr 23, 1976 2-G. Kristy Michelle Parish Born: Jan 9, 1980 2-F. Carolyn Sue Guedry Born: Abt. 1956 Marr: Jan 7, 1978 Larry Watson Born: Abt. 1954 8-C. Alice Pelt Another relationship with Anita Raymond produced one son: 9-C. Earl Acie Pelt Born: Jun 30, 1908 - Sour Lake, TX Died: Feb 1973 - California Marr: circa 1929 - Lawton, Oklahoma (1) Naomi Theodora Betz 1-E. Patricia (Patsy) Ruth Pelt Born: 1930 - Lawton, OK Died: Nov 15, 1987 - Houston, TX Marr: Apr 11, 1949 Gilbert Franklin McBee, Sr. 2-E. Elizabeth Blanche Pelt Born: Nov 28, 1933 - Lawton, OK Marr: Jan 31, 1953 - Seguin, TX Charles H. Smith 3-E. Faith (Faye) Pelt Born: Nov 2, 1935 - Lawton, OK Marr: 1957 Kenyon Franklin Wilkinson, Jr. Marr: circa 1949 (2) Marie Haines 6-B. Melissa 7-B. Henry J. Pelt Born: Jan 5, 1863 - Trinity, Texas