E. L. Durrett, July, 1868

Sumner County Newspaper Tidbits
E. L. Durrett, July, 1868

Gallatin Sumner County News (Misc.)
Microfilm Roll #1, Date: 1819 - 1901

Submitted by Linda Carpenter
Formatted by Jan Barnes
© 2002

E. L. Durrett

From the Jean Durrett Collection, Robertson County, TN
The following excerpt was given to Jean Durrett by Doris Somerville Pace and is found among Jean's papers at the Robertson County Library.

"Edward Luther Durrett, born abt. 1821,  was the son of Francis Simon Durrett and Elizabeth Moore.  He became a Millwright and traveled all over the South putting up Mills to grind corn and wheat.  His first wife died in childbirth after about 15 months of marriage.  His second wife, Martha Clark, was an invalid and died in 1853.  His third wife, Medora Clark, was a younger sister of Martha.  Medora was 14 years old when she married E. L. in 1854.  At the age of 19, she had her first child, Charlie, b 1859, d 1914.  They had three other children,: Sallie Elizabeth, b 1861, d 1958 (married Thomas Somerville on Dec 25, 1877 - 8 children), Carrie, born 1863, died 1904 (married Will Underwood),  Edward L. born 1865, died 1950.

On the 4 of July, 1867, Grandma cooked a Birthday Dinner for Grandpa.  He started home from the Mill. (They lived in Mitchellville, Tenn. near the Kentucky State line).They were in wagon with a young boy driving , Grandpa sat down in the wagon, the mules got scared and started running, the boy dropped the lines under their feet and jumped off the wagon. Grandpa got up and in trying to get the lines, he fell from the wagon. The wagon wheel ran over him (his head) and killed him. My Dad  (Thomas Somerville) always said they had been toasting his birthday before he left the mill. Grandma was left a widow at 26 with 4 children. She moved back to Grandpa Clarks put the kids in a cabin in the yard.

She ( Grandma Medora Durrett) visited around and spent a lot of time with Roxanna and Seth Wilkerson and their boys.  Mrs. Roxanna had TB and died in 1873.  Grandma married Seth Wilkerson and moved to their home at Cherry Mound.  Medora and Seth had two children, Willie Wilkerson , born 1875 and several years later, a girl, Roxanna was born to them."


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