Death Records

The Mexia Weekly Herald 9/21/1945
(C. Avis Catalog entry #34)

The Mexia Weekly Herald (Mexia, Texas), Vol. 67, No. [38], Ed. 1 Friday, September 21, 1945, p. 1 (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth292666/: accessed June 20, 2023), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Gibbs Memorial Library


J. F. Williams, 71, Died in Maypearl
                    —
    J. F. Williams, 71, brother of Tom and John Williams of Mexia, died Wednesday morning at 7:40 at his home in Maypearl, relatives her have learned.  Williams was a resident of Limestone for 40 years after coming to Texas at the age of 3.  He was born in 1874 in Mississippi.
    For the past 31 years he has lived in Maypearl, where he farmed until recently.  Mrs. Williams, the former Miss Lizzie Stafford, died in the fall of 1941.  Surviving him are eleven daughters and two sons. 
    Funeral arrangements are pending the arrival of a son in service who is stationed in Florida.
 

Dallas Morning News 5/12/2005
(C. Avis Catalog entry #1255)

MILLER, HELEN AVIS
92, born to James David Avis and Alide Neelley Avis in Wichita Falls, Texas on August 19, 1912, died in Dallas, Texas on May 8, 2005.  Survivors include, her husband, Buck J. Miller; daughter Madelaine Miller Singleton and husband James R. Singleton; grandchildren, John Smithheisler, Laine Smithheisler, and Christina Singleton; sister, Martha Avis Wood; brother James David Avis, III; many nieces, nephews, great nieces, and nephews.  In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by a brother, Piner D. Avis.  She was a graduate of Wichita Falls High and CIA, now known as TWU.  During her teaching career she taught in Jolly, TX and in Wichita County Schools.  Also, she drove the bookmobile to rural areas in the Freiberg Community, was a secretary for an oil company and was a housewife and mother.  Helen was a member of Highland Park Presbyterian Church where she was a Elder.  She was also active in Friday Fellowship, Church Circle, Christmas Card project chairman, Grace Village Crafts project, among others.  She was an active member of P.E.O. where she held various offices.  Helen will mostly be remembered for her jovial personality, enjoying friends and for being a wonderful wife, mother and grandmother.  The family requests memorial contributions to, Earle Crawford Alzheimer's Center, c/o Presbyterian Manor, 4600 Taft, Wichita, Falls, TX 76038.  A Memorial Service will be at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, May 14, 2005 in Wynne Chapel of Highland Park Presbyterian Church.  Entombment was in Wichita Falls, Texas earlier this week.

Sparkman Hillcrest
7405 W. Northwest Hwy, Dallas
(214) 363-5401
 

Death Certificate of William Brown Ross
(C. Avis Catalog entry #1251)

"Texas Deaths, 1890-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9Y1W-9S4Y?cc=1983324&wc=9T45-GP8%3A263835801%2C267647501%2C267871101 : 6 April 2023), Death certificates > 1934 > Vol 051, certificates 025001-025500, May, Upton-Zavala counties > image 114 of 524; State Registrar Office, Austin.

Texas Department of Health
Bureau of Vital Statistics
Standard Certificate of Death

Registrar's No. 83 [stamped 25105]

1.  Place of Death:  
        State of Texas
        County:  Walker
        City:  near Huntsville 
2.  Full Name of Deceased:  W. B. Ross 

PERSONAL AND STATISTICAL PARTICULARS
3.  Sex:  Male,  4. Race:  White,  5. Widowed
5a. Spouse: --
6.  Date of Birth:  Nov. 14 - 1847
7.  Age:  87 years 6 months 7 days
8.  Trade, profession or kind of work done:  Farmer
12.  Birthplace:  Texas
13.  Name of Father:  Frank. Ross  14. Birthplace:  --
14.  Name of Mother:  --    16. Birthplace: --
17.  Informant:  L. J. Ross [signed]  Huntsville

18.  Place or Burial or Removal:  Gladstone  Date:  May 12 1934
19.  Undertaker:  J. G. Ashford, Huntsville

20.  File Date and signature of Registrar:  
    6/30/34  Kate Banky [signed] 
  

MEDICAL PARTICULARS
21.  Date of Death:  May 11 1934
22.  I hereby certify that I attended deceased from May 7, 1934, to May 11, 1934
    I last saw him alive on May 11, 1934;  death is said to have occurred on the date stated above at 6 pm
    The principal cause of death and relate causes of importance was as follows:
        Apoplexy    
        Arteroschlerosia
    Other contributory causes of importance:  No
    Name of operation:  None
    What test confirmed diagnosis:  Visual   Was there an autopsy?  No

23. If death was due to external causes (violence) fill in also the following:  No
24. Was disease or injury in any way related to occupation of deceased?  No

    W. E. Fowler, M.D. [signed] 
    Huntsville, Tex 

Will Book A Anderson Co., South Carolina
(C. Avis Catalog entry #1226)

"South Carolina Probate Records, Bound Volumes, 1671-1977," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939L-FX9Z-41?cc=1919417&wc=M6NW-5Z9%3A210903301%2C211077401 : 21 May 2014), Anderson > Wills, 1791-1834 > image 235 of 293; citing Department of Archives and History, Columbia.

p. 390, 391

South Carolina
Pendleton District

In the name of God amen - 
I Mathias Richardson of the above State & District and County being of sound mind & disposing memory do make and constitute this my last will and testament -
In the first place - I recommend my Soul to God who gave it and and my body to be decently buried without pomp or extravagance and as to what worldly goods it hath pleased God to bestow upon me it is my will and I do [...]tinly order that they be disposed of in the following manner -
First That all my lawful debts be paid
Secondly - That all my estate real & personal at my decease to be equally divided among my sons and daughters of the following names, Viz - Chasity Gilliland Catharine Stanton John Richardson Mathias Richardson Sarah[?] Frances Clardy Elizabeth Ward Mourning Tarrant Anna Dossett, & to my three grandchildren Aaron Mathias and David (sons of my daughter Martha Jarvison dec^d) I give and bequeath a portion of my said estate in amount equal to that of one of my above named children which [...] or portion of my estate to be equally divided among my said grandsons Aaron Mathias and David - hereby revoking all former wills by my hand -
Lastly - I do Nominate Constitute and appoint my sons John & Mathias Richardson and also William Stanton executors of this my last will and testament.
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand I affixed my Seal this 27th day of June Eighteen hundred and twenty seven

                                                                                                                    his
                                                                                                        Mathias  x  Richardson
                                                                                                                    mark

Witnesses Present
John Wilson
Sam^l Wilson
Clark Wilson

Proved Dec 27th 1828 ['9' was overwritten by '8'] by the oath of Clark & Samuel Wilson - Recorded & examined by
    John Harris, O.A.D.[?]

Wichita Daily Times, Wichita Falls, Texas 6/28/1952
(C. Avis Catalog entry #1220)

(Document ID 659)

p. 1

Mrs. J. D. Avis, 87, Dies at Home

Mrs. J. D. Avis, of 1318 Tenth, died Friday at her home.  She had been a resident of Wichita County 67 years.

Born in Parksburg [sic], W. Va., she married in 1885 at Montague, Texas and moved to Wichita County the same year.

Surviving are three sons, Dave Avis and Piner Avis of Wichita Falls, and Jake Avis of Austin; three daughters, Mrs. Lillian Baum and Mrs. James B. Baker of Wichita Falls, and Mrs. W. F. Weeks of Tyler; eight grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

Funeral arrangements were incomplete at Hampton-Vaughan-Merkle Funeral Home.

The family has requested that no flowers be sent.
 

Cumberland Co., Pennsylvania Will Book B
(C. Avis Catalog entry #1219)

p. 105-106


"Pennsylvania Probate Records, 1683-1994," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G99B-J7KJ?cc=1999196&wc=9PM8-923%3A268498501%2C270871401 : 3 July 2014), Cumberland > Wills 1750-1779 vol A-C > image 173 of 361; county courthouses, Pennsylvania.

[the following is not dated, but it follows a 11/12/1771 entry and precedes a 12/1/1771 entry]

In the Name of god amen I James Ellot being very sick but of perfect mind & memory I Do want to Leave John Ellot to Do Justice Between Alexander and Mary Ellot I alow my son Alexander to give to mary my Daughter a horse and saddle worth ten pounds & shut of clothes and Alexander to have the place and marey to have the Brenett heifer and my son Willm Hodg to keep the horse that he got from me this being my Last Will

James
his mark
Ellot

NB Letters of Administration was granted to Jno Elliot with a copy of the will annexed

Dallas Morning News 2/28/1975
(C. Avis Catalog entry #1215)

p. 7

LANIER
Mrs. Jewel, age 74, 505 Flower Street, Seagoville.  Survived by husband, Roland Lanier; daughters, Mrs. Ruth Swaim, Seagoville, Mrs. Billie Carson, Dallas, Mrs. Melba Prestridge, Seagoville; son Juan Lanier, Dallas; sister Mrs. Ora Ayers, Sanderson; brothers, Monroe Garrett, California, Buck Sharp, Scurry; fourteen grandchildren; fifteen great-grandchildren.  Services 2 p.m. Friday, Seagoville Church of Christ, Steve Bracken and Jesse Harris officiating.  Interment Lee Cemetery.
MATHIS FUNERAL HOME
Seagoville 287-2121
 

Death Certificate of Ora L. Garrett Ayers
(C. Avis Catalog entry #1212)

"Texas Deaths, 1890-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GY1Z-94BJ?cc=1983324&wc=9THQ-ZNG%3A263835801%2C285282601%2C285297601 : 22 July 2014), Death certificates > 1975 > Vol 130-137, certificates 064501-067900, Sep, Bexar-Harris counties > image 698 of 3516; State Registrar Office, Austin.


State File No.  65169
Place of Death:  Brewster County, City of Alpine, Big Bend Hospital
Inside city limits
Usual Residence:  1003 Loop Road, Alpine, Brewster County, Texas
Inside city limits, not a farm

Name:  Ora Lena Ayers
Date of Death:  September 7, 1975
Female, White, widowed
Date of birth:  Oct. 28, 1897
Age:  77 years 
Occupation:  Housewife
Birthplace:  Texas, USA
Father:  P. M. Garrett
Mother:  Lucinda Jane Gilton
Social Security No.:  
Informant:  John R. Ayers

Cause of death:  Cardiac arrest, Prolonged debility, CVA
No autopsy
I hereby certify that I attended deceased from September 22, 1971 to September 7, 1975 and last saw the deceased alive on September 7, 1975.  
Death occurred at 8:30 am. 
signed:  Wm. Bart Pate M.D.<?>  9-9-75
Address:  202 N. 2nd., Alpine, Texas

Burial Sept. 9, 1975
Elm Grove Cemetery
Alpine, Texas
Geeslin Funeral Home

Registrar's File No. 55
Date Rec'd by Local Registrar:  9/12/75
Registrar:  Edith Hopson <signed>

San Angelo Standard-Times 9/8/1975 
(C. Avis Catalog entry #1208)

San Angelo, Texas

9/8/1975
p.2

Ora Ayers
Alpine (SC) --- Ora Lena Ayers, 77, died Sunday morning in Big Bend Memorial Hospital in Alpine after an illness.
    Services will be graveside Tuesday at 3 p.m. in the Youngrove Cemetery in Alpine, directed by Geeslin Funeral Home chapel.
    She was born Oct. 28, 1897 in Texas.  She had previously lived in Alamagordo, N. M. for 13 years prior to moving to Sanderson in 1963.  She had been a resident of Valley High Convalescent Home for the past three years in Alpine.  She was a member of the Church of Christ.
    Survivors include a daughter, Mrs. Jane Horne of Las Cruces, N.M.; three sons, Robert N. Ayers of El Paso, John R. Ayers of Sanderson and David E. Ayers of Boatland, Calif.; one brother, Monroe Garrett of Los Alimitos, Calif.; 12 grandchildren; five great-grandchildren.

 

Will records Jefferson Co., Alabama, v. A 1818-1880 p. 301-304 
(C. Avis Catalog entry #1199)

familysearch.org film #7737345 images #189-191
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C914-NQK3-9?i=188&cat=235126


Abstract:

Jefferson County, Alabama

Will of William Ayres
1. Pay debts
2. To son William Madison Ayres:  Negro man named Augustus, Negro woman named Harriet, one Bed furniture & Bed Stead, one Horse Saddle & Bridle worth $100 in cash and $200 money
3. Remainder to wife Mary while she lives, then divided among seven children:
    John B. Ayres Jr.
    Joseph Ayres
    Elizabeth Burgin
    Huldah Draper
    Nancy Edmondson
    Caroline Gunnells
    Rebecca Thompson
    and half-shares to grandchildren William A. Burgin and Peggy Ann Thompson (children of Peggy Burgin deceased)
4. Sons John B. Ayres and Joseph Ayres to be appointed Executors and that they to be guardians for William Madison Ayres in the management of his inheritance

Dated:  8/12/1839  Signed:  Wm Ayres
Atest:  Benjamin Ayres, A. C. Gagne, B. E. Grace

6/27/1840:
Bond by:  John B. Ayres, Joseph Ayres, Waddy Edmundson, George L. Greene 
John B. Ayres, Joseph Ayres appointed executors of will of "William Ayres Senr decd"