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William And Mary Brooks York
 William and Mary Brooks York
William York was born at Jamestown, Fentress County, Tennessee on May 15, 1863. He was the
son of Uriah York and Eliza Jane Livingston. His father, a school teacher, was born about
1825 in North Carolina and his mother was born about 1830 in Tennessee. William's brothers
and sisters are: Celia, born May 24, 1858 married Frances Marion Hatfield; John W. born
1860 and died August, 1924; George born about 1865 married Harriet Jennings; and Bates
born October 6, 1868 married first Emma Crabtree, second Nora Carter, then Eva Green.
Bates died July 11, 1922.
William married Mary Elizabeth Brooks, who was born August 8, 1866. She was the daughter
of William and Nancy Pile Brooks. Her father was a Union soldier from Michigan and his
brith date is unknown by the author. Her mother was born December 14, 1835 at Pall Mall,
Tennessee, a daughter of Elijah and Rebecca Earp Pile. Mary had only one brother, William,
born March 30, 1868.
William and Mary were married on December 25, 1881. They had eleven children: Henry
Singleton, Joseph Marion, Alvin Cullum, John Samuel, Albert, Hattie M., George Alexander,
James Preston, Lillie Mae, Robert Daniel, and Lucy Erma.
Henry Singleton was born October 7, 1882. He married Martha Pile and they had two
children, Frona and Grace. Maytha died May 25, 1921. Then Henry married Carlie E. Dishman.
Henry and Carlie had: Bernice, Edith, Hobert, and Roy. Henry died January 7, 1968.
Joseph Marion (Joe) was born March 1, 1885. He was married to Alta Pile on January 15,
1905 and they had four children: Bonnie, Luther, Earl and Richard (Dickie). Joe died April
6, 1959.
Alvin Cullum was born December 13, 1887. He married Gracie Loretta Williams on June 7,
1919. They had ten children: infant, Alvin C., Jr., George Edward Burton, Samuel Houston,
Woodrow Wilson, Andrew Jackson, Betsy Ross, Mary Alice, Thomas Jefferson, and another
infant. Alvin died on September 2, 1964.
John Samuel was born March 29, 1891. He married Freela Ann Wright on January 4, 1914. They
had six children: Willie, Osborn, Elva, Eve, Loval, Print and Elsie. Sam died August 30,
1962.
Albert was born April 8, 1893. He married Minnie Ellen Crouch on October 31, 1916. They
had nine children: Bill, Viola, Flossie, Noble, Jay, Mary Rohana, Jessie Raymond, Alberta
and Donald. Albert died October 2, 1957, when a tractor overturned on him.
Hattie M. was born January 9, 1895. She married Emery Wright November 2, 1913. They had
six children: Effie, Grace, Oplis, Avo, Annie and Edna. Hattie died on June 10, 1929.
George Alexander was born August 9, 1898. He was married to Avo Pate December 1920. They
had no children. George died February 11, 1980.
James Preston was born October 18, 1900. He was married to Edna Riley on June 5, 1921.
They had one daughter, Lelia. After her death, he married Zona Matthews. Jim and Zona had
three children: Hazel, Eddie Ruth and Jim, Jr. Jim was killed in a train accident on
September 25, 1943.
Lillie Mae was born June 21, 1903. She married Stephen Travis Stewart and they had one
daughter, Phyllis. Lillie died October 12, 1967.
Robert Daniel was born February 20, 1906. He married Annie Lee Williams on April 22, 1925.
They had nine children: Thelma Lee, Willie, Eugene, Edarene, Chestaline, Cledis, James
Howard, Roger and Gale.
Lucy Erma was born March 1, 1910. She married James Gordon Rains on August 10, 1925 at
Jamestown, Tennessee. They had twelve children: Marine, Christine, Jack, Arlene, Jewelene,
Colene, Lorene, William, Jerry, Ferry, infant, and Danny Bluye.
William was a farmer and blacksmith. He loved to hunt and was known to drop whatever he
was doing and follow his hounds when he heard them cross the trail of a fox or some other
animal. William was known throughout the valley for his fairness and honesty. He was an
excellent shot but was often, because of his impartiality, called upon to
"judge" the shooting matches held on the hill, behind the York home. William was
kicked by a mule he was shoeing in his blacksmith shop and died on November 17, 1911 after
developing pneumonia.
Mary was a hard working Christian woman who tried to raise her children to be honest
God-fearing people. She worked hard to raise her children after their father's death. Mary
was blind in the later part of her life and the only thing I remember about her is that
she would feel of us grandchildren when we visited her to see if we had grown any. She
died May 21, 1943 and is buried in the Wolf River Cemetery along beside her husband. All
of Mary and William's deceased children are buried in the Wolf River Cemetery except
Hattie Wright, who is buried about a mile around the road in the Upchurch Cemetery.
by Lorene Cargile
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