Authors Notes: Mary Ella Logan (Pritchard) speaking to John and Julia's daughter, Thelma: "I remember when your Mom and Dad were married. Naturally we were all there. Your Mom had a wreath of white fish scales on her head; a neighbor had made it. It was beautiful! Then they lived near us. I remember when Vergie Lee put in her appearance. Your dad loved tomato preserves. Mama (Angie) always had an abundance of all sorts of preserves. One time she put some cinnamon in one batch. We didn't like it but "Lee" thought they were the best ever. Ada's mother was such a saint. Not big as a knat. Lizzie and I were the best of friends."
"Papa (John Alvin "Lee") lived some of his time with Uncle Silas and Aunt Em. He was living with Sam and Angie when he and Mama (Julia Ada Vaught) were married. They lived upstairs in Sam and Angie's home and he made the crop for Sam near Burnett." (From Aunt Rosa Boucher in January 1981.) John Alvin PRTICHARD was born on Nov 5 1878 in Pursley, Navarro County, Texas. This information is from the book "My Folks" Vol 1 By Thelma Sargent. (page 66)
John Alvin Pritchard was born Pursley, Navarro, Texas, 5 Nov 1878. He was blonde and blue eyed with light skin. His father died when he was a year and half old and his mother died ten years later. He probably lived with his two grandmothers some as they were both widows at that time. I do know he lived with his uncle Silas Henry Pritchard and wife, Aunt Em.
John met Julia in Gorman, Texas, probably through her brother Charley Vaught, his friend. He married Julia Ada Vaught 14 June 1903. This couple had three children while lioving in Gorman. He loved his children and would entertain them with cowboy songs, playing the Jew's Harp and fiddle. He joined in their games. Seemed he was making up for his childhood.
He worked for his father-in-law, Thomas B. Vaught in his Tin Shop where they maded from coal shuttles to bathtubs. While there he made Julia a beautiful Kitchen Cabinet. He was handy about the house and could fix anything. He later learned mechanics and kept the machinery in order, especially his car.
This family went to Post, Texas before the houses were built for the workers at the Cotton Gin and Mill, where Julia and John both worked. Had all the comforts of home living in a glorified tent. Greener were the pastures over the hills so the family came to Mesa, Arizona 2 Oct 1917 at hight noon, on the train, the mail man met us.
John loved the soil and he and Julia always had a garden. He also farmed cotton after moving to East Phoenix on 52nd Street. He raised Cantaloup and watermelons in South Phoenix, West of 37 Ave and Roeser Road, and was zanjero on the side. After becoming semi-retired John was caretaker for a place on North 56th Street where it went by Camelback mountain. He had that hillside blooming all over with African Daisies.
John liked animals and had pets be it chickens, cats or dogs. He was once employed to build a fence in the mountains out of Ray, Ariz. One summer he took his family and acquired a little mule to haul the fence wire over the mountains. One day she fell and put out an eye and was gaenerally scratched up. John tended her like one of the children. He could splint legs on fuzzy chickens or his dog. He doctored his children for colds and cuts. Two more boys were added to family in 1920's.
When he and Julia moved to Chandler Heights, John built the house where they resided several years and raised cotton and had a garden and flowers. They celebrated their 50th Anniversary while living here.
John's health began to fail and they traded property with son Jake in Phoenix and moved there to be closer to a doctor and other things. He died in hospital 29 Nov 1958, Phoenixz, Ariz. just passed his 80th birthday, buried on 2 Dec in East Resthaven Cemetery on E. Southern Ave., Phoenix. He was survived by five children: Vergie Lee Clow, A. Carlton Pritchard, Thelma Sargent, Jacob E. and Jack V. Pritchard, and brother. John had a very good memory that stayed with him and loved to talk about Grandma Ross and some of his uncles. He had births and deaths of all imbeded in his memory. Written by Thelma P. Sargent. He died on Nov 29 1958 in Phoenix, Arizona. He was buried on Dec 2 1958 in East Resthaven, Phoenix, Arizona. Julianna Ada (twin) VAUGHT and John Alvin PRTICHARD had the following children:
+4279 i.
Vergie Lee PRTICHARD.
+4280 ii.
Aaron Carlton PRTICHARD.
+4281 iii.
Thelma PRTICHARD.
+4282 iv.
Jacob Eugene PRTICHARD.
+4283 v.
Jack Vernon PRTICHARD.
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