23rd Generation
67. ALICE CORNELIA CLOPTON was born on 4 November 1883 in MILAM COUNTY, MILAM, TEXAS, USA. She died on 21 January 1975 in ROCKDALE, MILAM, TEXAS, USA.111 She was buried on 22 January 1975 in UPPER KNOBBS CEMETERY, LEE, TEXAS, USA. 25 January 1993 NOTES: JOE LAWRENCE NICHOLS JR. 13 DECEMBER 1992 These notes were gathered at the home of Joe Lawrence
Nichols Jr. and his wife Willie Josephine (Smith) Nichols. My
mother Ruby Irene (Smith) Clopton was present. Uncle Lawrence was
telling me all that he could recall. Joe Lawrence Nichols Jr. is the son of Joe Lawrence
Nichols Sr. and Alice Cornelia Clopton. Alice Cornelia Clopton
is the daughter of Hugh C. Clopton and Pheobe Edithia Susan
McCullock. Walter Woods and one of Crouch boys (Rachel Francis
Crouch's brother), Rachel is the wife of Thomas Lathon Clopton
Sr. oldest brother of Alice Cornelia Clopton, got in a fight.
Walter Woods got one arm shot off. The Crouch boy was cut bad.
This was before Annie Bell Clopton an older sister of Alice
Cornelia Clopton married Walter Woods. Lenora Woods sister
of Walter married Ollie Green Clopton brother to Alice and Annie
Bell. Uncle Lawrence was born in Edna, Jackson, Texas in
1917. They lived in Inez, Texas. Old Man Joe Nichols,
(Uncle Lawrence's Grandpa) had approximately three hundred acres
near Edna, Texas at the old home place. This land was divided
up equally among the Nichols boys. Joe Lawrence Nichols Sr.
(Uncle Lawrence's father) traded his one hundred acres in
Edna for one hundred twenty five acres in Inez, Texas. Joe
Lawrence Nichols Sr. built a bungalow house there. The reason
they left Inez, Texas was because of the swamp. Uncle
Lawrence caught Typhoid fever, had it for twenty one days and
his mother Alice kept after Joe to sale the land and move away
from the swamp. Maybelle was born in Edna, Texas. Grandpa Hugh
C. Clopton and Carvien Alford Clopton (younger brother to Alice
Cornelia Clopton) lived with Joe and Alice Nichols. Carlton
Clopton (younger brother to both Alice and Carvien) was working
on the railroad at this time.
Uncle Lawrence's family moved to Molton, Texas about 1924 when
he was seven years old. Henry Louis Nichols was born in Molton,
Texas. Uncle Lawrence's family moved to Flatonia, Texas, Fayette
County, on a farm when he was about eight years old. Uncle
Lawrence went to school between Molton and Flatonia, his teacher
was a Mrs. Wiseman. From Flatonia Uncle Lawrence moved to Bonus,
Texas when he was about ten years old. Ada Edithia (Clopton)
Brown and her Husband Robert Brown lived at Bonus also. They
help Uncle Lawrence's family get a potato crop to sell. Ada
Edithia Clopton was a younger sister of Alice Cornelia Clopton. From Bonus Uncle Lawrence's family moved to Matthews,
Texas in a river bottom to work. This move occurred about 1924.
They farmed one year and the river flooded and no one made a
crop. Joe Nichols worked in the rice fields. From Matthews Uncle Lawrence's family moved to Wiemer
actually between Wiemer and Schulenburg, Texas they lived
there approximately seven or eight years farming the land. The
name of the place where they lived was the Old Henry Loss place.
Ada and Robert Brown came to live with Joe and Alice Nichols. Uncle Lawrence's family moved from the Henry Loss place
to Old Man Bloske place. They stayed there about two years.
When Uncle Lawrence's family left the Bloske place they moved to
the other side of Wiemer, Texas on Rutherside Place
approximately nine miles from Wiemer and nine miles from
Columbus, Texas. They lived on the river farmed and raised
cattle. Uncle Lawrence's family left the Rutherside Place and
moved to Thomas(Tom) Lathon Clopton Sr. (Thomas is oldest
brother of Alice) place in Lee County, Texas. Joe, Alice and
family lived in a second house on Tom's place, however they ate
at Uncle Tom's place. Joe and Alice Nichols stayed on Tom's
place for about two years. Uncle Lawrence remained for another
year and worked for his Uncle Tom for $.50 a day. Uncle
Lawrence said that Uncle Tom got his money's worth for a whole
year. When Joe and Alice left Tom's place they moved to the
McDavid place and cut wood for $.50 a cord for about a year.
Then Joe and Alice moved to the Wolfe place where they lived
until Joe Lawrence Nichols Sr. died in 1949. Uncle Lawrence and Aunt Willie moved to Dr. Bryson's
place in Bastrop County, near Bastrop, Texas about 1946 -
1948. My daddy Thomas Lathon Clopton Jr. along with Mama
(Ruby Irene Smith) my Sisters Alma Fayrene and Betty Florene
and myself Morris Lathon Clopton, already lived on the Bryson
place although a different location than Lawrence and Willie
moved to. John Bradshaw lived on Bryson place also. Uncle Lawrence moved back to Wolfe place farmed one
year. Then moved to Austin, Texas in 1950. Moved to 5200
Bruning Avenue. ASSOCIATED NOTES:
##The reason Hugh C. Clopton left his second or third
wife Della was that he caught Della and Carlton kissing out
behind the barn when they were supposed to be milking cows. Uncle Lawrence's Great Grandpa (Hugh C. Clopton's
father) supposedly had a venereal disease and gave it to Great
Grandma that is the reason Hugh C. Clopton had only one eye.
Great Grandma left him because of this. Great Grandma came to
Texas. Great Grandpa drown crossing a river trying to catch
Great Grandma this was before Hugh C. Clopton was born. I have
a question in my mind about when Great Grandma moved to Texas
because I have documents that indicate that Hugh C. Clopton was
born in Alabama or Florida not Texas.## Ora Clopton, Carlton Clopton's wife is buried in
Beeville, Texas. Uncle Lawrence said he went to funeral in
Daddy's (Thomas Lathon Clopton Jr.) 1949 Ford. Abt 1949-50. Carlton Clopton married a woman in San Antonio, Texas
named Kathrine. Thomas Lathon Clopton Sr. (Tom). Lawrence said Uncle Tom
and Family visited Joe and Alice Nichols in Flatonia. They were
on the way to Mexico. Uncle Tom had a 1 Ton "T" Model
truck. Lawrence said they had ham and sausage to eat. Uncle
Tom took some with them when they left for Mexico.
Ernie Cecil Clopton(one of Uncle Tom's sons) would eat salt
and chyennee pepper. Ernie ate red pepper on eggs. Lawrence said daddy (Thomas Lathon Clopton Jr.) and
Ernie (Ernie Cecil Clopton) were always fighting, but never
really hurt one another. Clarence Clyde Clopton and Albert Jason
Clopton(AB) fought also. These are all sons of Thomas Lathon
Clopton Sr. (Uncle Tom) to Lawrence. Mama (Ruby Irene (Smith) Clopton) told a story about Uncle
Tom trying to hit Daddy (Thomas Lathon Clopton Jr.) with a
fire poker. Daddy kept the poker away from him with a chair.
This happened after Mama and Daddy were married. When Uncle Lawrence worked for Uncle Tom they cleared
new land on Brown place. Uncle Tom bought Brown place. Lawrence
and Hap Brown (Hamilton Brown, Martha (Brown) Smith's brother)
worked with a long cross cut saw. Lawrence said "Hap was hard
to work with" Mama said "Daddy never wanted to work with
Hap Brown because he (Hap) would work them to death." Uncle Lawrence told a story about Ada Edithia
(Clopton) Brown who is a sister to Thomas Lathon Clopton Sr.
and Alice Cornelia Clopton shooting at her husband Robert Brown.
This took place at a bridge where they lived at Flatonia,
actually Oakland. Robert worked for Henry Loss. L.D. Brown was
born at Oakland. Hamp Brown (Martha Brown's brother) married Emma
Dismuke. They had a daughter Hazel Brown who was a prostitute at
Joe Bells Roadhouse Saloon near San Antonio, Texas. Hazel was
killed, cut into little pieces and put in a barrel to be fed to
alligators at the Roadhouse.
Floyd Harrison son of Molly Brown (Martha Brown's
sister) and Dudley Harrison had been married to Hazel. He
identified the body from a defective little finger. The body
was brought back to Lee County and buried at the Upper Knobbs
Cemetery. While Uncle Lawrence lived at Flatonia, travel was by
horse and buggy. When you went to town the horse was tied up to
a post with a ring on it at a big round circular area. You
could put feed and water out for your animals. Lawrence said
"that he and his mother (Aunt Alice) went to Armon Lane's
store. Aunt Alice was looking at jars of honey, the store man
asked ""you want that honey"" Aunt Alice thought he was calling
her honey, Lawrence told her Ma he was asking if you wanted the
honey not calling you honey" ALICE CORNELIA CLOPTON and JOE LAWRENCE NICHOLS SR. were married on 10 May 1911 in EDNA, LEE, TEXAS, USA. JOE LAWRENCE NICHOLS SR. was born on 7 January 1878 in MISSOURI, MISSOURI, USA. He died on 13 July 1950. He was buried on 15 July 1950 in UPPER KNOBBS CEMETERY, LEE, TEXAS, USA. ALICE CORNELIA CLOPTON and JOE LAWRENCE NICHOLS SR. had the following children: |