My research began in 2004 when I was looking to see if I were related to the Renfros in Burleson, Texas where I moved. I am not related to them, but I found my great grandfather, Stephen Jackson Renfro's grave in Balch Cemetery in Alvarado, TX just a few miles from my home. I guess I could say I moved back to my roots.

I thought we would prove kinship to President James Buchanan since my ggg grandmother was Esther Buchanan, daughter of William H H Buchanan. But no proof could be found that there was a link to the president. My great grandmother Sarah Jones had a dream of becoming heir to his fortune until the day she died at 90 yrs of age. She died in 1960, so she hardly knew who Elvis was, let alone that we might be kin to him. I stumbled on to this information quite by accident. It was a complete shock.

I even found out recently that I am related to William the Conqueror through the Warren line. There is a rumor that I am related to Tommy Lee Jones on the Jones side.

I have found both cowboys and Indians, French great grandfathers, and skeletons.

I have met many relatives I didn't know I had. The Renfro family didn't get together, and I thought it was a very small family. I found out that Stephen and Louisa had nine children who grew to adulthood with many interesting stories to tell. I thought we were related to Ray Renfro, the football player, but alas, it was another Ray Renfro. And that is just my dad's side of the family. My mom's side has some interesting stories too. I have included as many pictures and stories that space will allow. I will be changing it sometimes, so keep checking back.

But one thing I have found out in doing this reasearch is that I will never finish. This is an ongoing work in progress.

Hope you enjoy reading even if not related to me. I appreciate constructive criticism.

Janet Renfro Dane

• NB and Sarah Jane Turpen Jones (91 KB)
  Sarah and NB Jones in the porch swing, Denton, TX
• Turpen Family Bible Page, Birth of Aaron (188 KB)
  240 yr old page from Aaron Turpen's Bible showing his birth in 1764.Listed are Jane Turpen 30 July 1764, Solomon Turpen 11 Feb 1789, Elizabeth Turpen 24 Feb 1795, Washington Turpen 17 Sep 1812, Manerva Turpen 20 Jun 1814, Bailey G. Turpen, 2 Apr 1815, Watson P Turpen 22 Mar 1817, Aaron T Turpen 4 Nov 1818, Jane F Turpen 25 Nov 1820, John Wesley Turpen 12 Feb 1823.
• Jubilee Mack and Sarah Catherine Bradford Bratcher (110 KB)
  Jubilee Mack Bratcher was b.14 Feb 1859 Viola,AR d.12 June 1943 Denton, TX. He was the father of Amos Granville Bratcher,Sr. Sarah Catherine was the daughter of Robert Brown Bradford and Martha Catherine Hassell Phillips Bradford from Arkansas.
• Dena Jones Renfro and her mother's obituaries (503 KB)
  Denton Record Chronicle obits for Sarah Jane Turpen Jones and daughter Dena Jones Renfro. Dena died before Sarah. Sarah was not told of her death, but somehow she knew and was dead within a month herself.
• Likely a photo of Robert Brown Bradford, b.1826 KY (79 KB)
  Compared this photo to that of known daughter, Sarah Catherine Bradford Bratcher. Same chin, jawline. Found in possession of their grand daughter, Enid.
• Tin type of Malinda Warren Jones (69 KB)
  It is only a supposition that this is Malinda. We have a tin type that was taken approximately the same time of her daughter. It looks just like her. Malinda was married to Benjamin Franklin Jones.Their daughter was Louisa Jones Turpen, wife of George Sidney Turpen. Malinda was the sister of Elvis Presley's great great grandfather.
• Washington S and Sarah Ellen Adkins Dane (96 KB)
  Sarah and Washington Married 24 Sep 1874, Steeleville, Crawford Co., MO His son Elver Rado Dane was from his m. to Angeletta Gossage. Angeletta died in childbirth.
• Daniel Debrow Cornelius and Nancy Pool Durham (38 KB)
  Daniel and Nancy "Nannie Pool" Durham lived in Atoka, Ok and are buried in Mt. Zion Cem, Boggy Depot Rd, Atoka,OK.
• Sam Jones WWI Army Photo (17 KB)
  Sam Jones was Dena's brother. He died in 1929 in a Wichita Falls hotel with his brother Jim of carbon monoxide poisoning. They had gone there to invest his mustering out pay, and it was very cold. They turned the space heater up too high, and the maid found them the next morning stretched out on the bed dead. She said the door was hot to the touch. When Lois died, we found Sam's Army dog tags.
• Children of Jasper A Lawson and Mary E. Smith (76 KB)
  All but 3 of the Lawson Siblings. James, Bertha and Bill were no longer living when the photo was taken. James died in 1942 and Orus died in 1959, so photo was during that time.
• Joe and Enid, my mom and dad (46 KB)
  My mom and dad. They were married 44 yrs before they became divorced.
• Pete, Willie May, Helen and Charlene visit (210 KB)
  Louise-left and (Helen)Jean 2nd from right are 1/2 sisters to Pete and Willie May Lawson(Auntie Bill).Helen (by Auntie Bill, is Pete's wife.
• Jim Jones, Dena's brother and his friend (19 KB)
  We are not absolutely sure about who the friend is. We suspect it could be the friend Jim accidentally killed in a rumble. Both boys were scuffling and Jim pulled out a 3" pocket knife and jabbed at the boy, stabbing him in the chest. He was in prison for 18 mos. Dena went and pled his case, and he was released. He was good friends with the boy and never meant to kill him.
• Amos and Lillian Bratcher Wedding (129 KB)
  Amos Granville Bratcher, Son of Jubilee Mack Bratcher and Sarah Catherine Bradford was my grandfather on my mother's side. He married Lillian Lee Shelton, the daughter of Rebecca Jane Ott Shelton and allegedly Walter J. Shelton. She always believed her father to be Rebecca's first husband Aime Freymond, from Switzerland. He was of French descent. Lillian is on the left in the picture. Ollie Mangum, on the right,Amos's cousin was their witness.
• Vernon and Elvis Presley (54 KB)
  Vernon was the son of Minnie Mae Hood Presley, the grandaughter of Wm D Warren, NB Jone's Mother Malinda's bro.
• Grandpa Turpen's Family Record (141 KB)
  This is the family record of my grandmother Dena Jones Renfro. Her parents were NB and Sarah Jones.
• Charles and Enid Bratcher Borth (49 KB)
  Enid, my mom remarried Charles Borth, or as we call him, "Charlie", after she and my dad divorced. He was 62, had never married and lived on the farm he grew up on.
• Minnie Mae Hood Presley (17 KB)
  Minnie Mae's great grandpa was S. John Warren, my ggg grandfather.
• Ray Shirley and Jimmy Dane (122 KB)
  Ray and his siblings
• John Wayne Mozingo. Son of John and Nettie. (29 KB)
  John Wayne was John and Nettie's son, Janey's brother. He died at age 50 of an anneurism. He was on a job, and was telling one of his long stories when he died instantly.
• Bratcher Siblings (53 KB)
  My mom's family. Her brothers and their wives and her sister and sister's husband. The family pic is of my mom and her parents and siblings. Jeannette, or Nettie as we call her passed away last June because of Alzheimer's. James and Irene were killed in an auto accident in October of 2003. John passed away in 1989.
• Rebecca Jane Ott (83 KB)
  Rebecca was b. in Water Valley, Yalobusha Co, Ms. When she was 13, her father took his new bride and the younger children to Tx. He promised to come back for her, but she said, "Don't bother." She moved to Tx herself when she was 13 and lived as a houskeeper for various families until she married Aime J. Freymond at age 15. He was 21 and only spoke French. She left with his daughter and ran from him for 7 years. He went back to Europe and she remarried Walter John Shelton. 9 mos later she had Jesse Emerson SHELTON b: 1 JUL 1890 in Waco, Texas, my grandmother Lillian's baby brother. She remembers his birth. Walter took Lillian as his daughter, and she was never told that she was not his.
• Bratcher Children and Spouses (78 KB)
  Joe may have been taking the picture. She is my mom. They are children of Amos, Sr. and Lillian Lee Shelton Bratcher.
• Kitty Wells aka Aunt Puss (28 KB)
  Kitty was the daughter of Malinda Jones Wells and Thomas Wells who m. 1876 after Malinda brought her children to TX. Thomas J Jones lived with her in Grayson Co., TX 1880. After that they all disappear.
• Lola and Grandmother Jones's Store (59 KB)
  Lola was NB Jones daughter by Mary Frances Turpen Jones. Sarah was her step-mother and they ran the store together. Lola lived in the back of the store. She and her first husband owned mineral rights to land in Limestone Co., Tx which was passed to her sisters after her death.
• Sarah Catharine Bradford Bratcher (65 KB)
  Sarah was Jubilee's wife and mother of Amos Bratcher, Sr.
• James and Rachel Dane Family (50 KB)
  James and Rachel Dane were Ray, my husband's grandparents. They died very young. Troy, Ray's dad is on the far left.
• Amos Granville Bratcher, Sr. Trolley Driver (90 KB)
  In all my life, I do not ever recall knowing that my grandfather drove a trolley in Denton, TX. It came as a big surprise!
• George Washington and Sarah Atkins Dane (19 KB)
  Washington and Sarah are Rays great grandparents, parents of James Marion Dane.
• Bratcher Cousins (97 KB)
  Here are my first cousins. Janey and John Wayne are children of John and Nettie Mozingo, Bettye and Connie are daughters of Stevie and A.G. and Sharon is the only child of James and Irene. Her older brother Gary, was stillborn.
• Troy Dane and Ray (101 KB)
  Ray and his dad Troy about 1971.
• Inez, Lila and Loraine Bratcher (39 KB)
  These were the daughters of Cecil Kiger and Eli Bratcher, Amos's brother.
• Lawson Girls (74 KB)
  Granny Dane's sisters, Hettie who married Jack Hooten, Viola who married Bryan Daniel, Louise who married Jimmy Tom Carroll and Granny (Ray's mom) who married Troy Dane.
• Amos G and Lillian Lee Shelton Bratcher Tombstone (136 KB)
  Amos and Lillian are buried at Roselawn Memorial Park in Denton near the front.
• Ray and His Parents (63 KB)
  Collage of Ray and his dad, Troy and his mom Helen Jean Lawson Dane.
• Benne' Davis Stuckey. (29 KB)
  Benne'and I married while he was in the Army, January 14, 1969. He went to Viet Nam the following Feb. and he was killed June 29, 1969 in Dinh Tuong Province, Viet Nam. There were no children from this marriage.
• Nathan William Renfro (53 KB)
  Photo was found in my father, Joe B Renfro's belongings. I am assuming that it is Nathan by comparison to his siblings and his son's pictures judging also by the age of the photo. The original was cracked, and my cousin Ron Trice son of Lois Renfro Trice restored it.
• Stephen and Louisa Welborn Renfro and Family, 1908 (70 KB)
  This was taken in Eustace, TX after son Charles was killed by a train. Back Row-Oscar and Georgia Durham Renfro, Della Murphrey, Ross Renfro,(my grandfather), Minnie Myrtle Renfro Durham,Sam Jack Renfro. Front row-Frank Renfro, Lorena Renfro Blue, William A. Stephen, Louisa with Lola Jacobs, Martha Renfro Jacobs and son Euell Jacobs in her lap.
• Great Grandparents Graves (108 KB)
  Balch Cemetery, Alvarado,TX.
• Amy's Family Tree Project (212 KB)
  When Amy was in College she did this family tree as a project. I have found it to be pretty accurate.
• Dena and Ross W Renfro Collage (104 KB)
  Pics of my grandmother and grandfather, Dena and Ross. Their son was my father Joe, and his sister, Lois Renfro Trice passed away May 21,2005 at age 92. Dena is holding my cousin Jarre and me, Janet Kay Renfro Dane.
• James and Rachel Dane children at their graves (189 KB)
  James and Rachel left several small children when they died. The youngest was Mamie. Troy was on the right.
• Samuel Jackson Renfro (151 KB)
  Pic is most likely Sam Jack instead of William A. William is buried in Roscoe Cemetery, Roscoe, TX. He married a woman with a son, but never had children of his own. Sam drove a team of 20 mules to dredge out irrigation canals in California. His grandson is sure the pic is of Sam instead of Bill. Lois just said Renfro in Ca.
• Esta Jones and Biggie (John Audron Harris) (126 KB)
  Esta was married to Edwin Sams and he became institutionalized due to war trauma. She couldn't marry until he died,20 Jan 1952. Her mother Sarah Jane Turpen Jones lived to be 90. Esta cared for her and Biggie for his parents, so they dated for about 20 years before they married.
• Four Jones sisters (105 KB)
  Dena, Esta, Bessie and Velma we called Litt.
• Charles Nathan Renfro who was killed by train (81 KB)
  Charles Nathan Renfro died at age 28.
• Lois and Joe as children (200 KB)
  Lois was a little older than Joe. They were the only 2 children of Ross and Dena Jones Renfro. According to my dad, Lois used to half a banana with him and keep the big half because she told him hers had the core in it. She once hid his cast iron buckboard toy wagon in the sand and he never found it again. Soon after they were married,my mom bought him one just like the one he lost.
• Troy Dane-by Amy Dane (361 KB)
  Amy won a scholarship to ETBU for writing this ode to her Grandfather, Troy Melvin Dane.
• Grandma Lillian Lee Shelton Bratcher (94 KB)
  Here is how I remember my grandma. She was always jolly and would always feed you and give you flowers out of her flower garden. She gave us spools and Ivory soap with a bowl to make bubbles. Sometimes we played with the seed pods from her huge Mimosa tree in her yard. Until shortly before she died, she could still wash her feet in the sink in the bathroom after gardening. She put any gift she got into her cedar chest she had made from a tree in her yard. We would say, "wonder what we can give grandma this year to put in her cedar chest." She was a good artist and even wrote a couple of songs. I miss her.
• Ray and Jan 2 weeks after we married (206 KB)
  This was taken by Olan Mills for our Church Directory. My mother made this dress for my "going away" at our wedding.
• First Book (19 KB)
  Who knew that when Amy was given her first book at birth that she would graduate with a 4.0 grade average from Texas Woman's University to become a school librarian. Now she plans to go for her PHD.
• James Flemmons Turpen and Sidney Kate Turpen (54 KB)
  Lois says people used to hold flowers to take pictures. But I am wondering if this is Sidney (Aunt) Kate, on her wedding day. James F. is the son of Solomon and Elizabeth Welcher Steely Turpen.
• Page from Aaron Turpen's Family Bible (426 KB)
  This Bible page is about 241 years old. The first entry was 1764 when Solomon Turpen, my ggg grandfather was born. This page shows my gg grandfather, James F Turpen born in 1833 and died in 1919.
• James F and Martha M Turpen's Tombstones (118 KB)
  James and Martha were my gg grandparents, the parents of Sarah Jane Turpen Jones.
• Lawson Siblings (37 KB)
  Family Reunion picture of Hettie, Wayne and Louise. Helen Dane's siblings.
• Sally Jones Coats 100th Birthday (69 KB)
  This article was written in 1962. Her birthday was Oct 15,1862. She was the youngest of Ben F. and Mailida Warren Jones's 5 children, likely the one Malinda was pregnant with or was holding when she jumped over the wooden gate to get to the rider who was coming to tell her that Ben had died of smallpox in the Civil War.
• Ronald Wayne Trice (30 KB)
  My cousin Ronnie. He was the son of Lois (Renfro)Trice and Jarrell D Trice.
• Nathan and Nancy Marriage License (171 KB)
  This is the marriage license of Nathan William Renfro and Nancy Jane Wheeler
• Amy Dane Money Family (82 KB)
  Amy and Lance Money and their six children.
• Kevin Dane Family (62 KB)
  Kevin was adopted when he was four years old. He married when he turned 18 to Toni Pannelle had Amanda. They lived in Ms. and then divorced. Amanda still lives there. He married Brandi Holloway, and they now have three children, Kaitlin, Mason and Jacob Dane. He has a friendship relationship with his biological family of McKinney, TX.
• Enid Aline Bratcher at Age 10 (18 KB)
  My mother said people were always asking her if she were French. I think she looks very French in this picture.
• Alan Dane Family (85 KB)
  Alan Dane and Family.
• Visiting with Lois before her death in May, 2005 (83 KB)
  Enid (my mom), and Jarre (Lois's daughter) and I visited Lois at her retirement home in Denton. We had them both tell us about family history thinking they would think of more together than alone. Most of the stories I have shared in my website have been given to me by both of them. Their minds were very clear and their health was also good considering Enid was 86 and Lois was 92.Lois passed away May 21,2005 just a few short months after our visit. I guess her job here on earth was done.
• Sample and Trice Family (388 KB)
  Jarrelyn Trice Sample and Family, Lois Renfro Trice, Ron Trice and children.
• Renfro Bible (224 KB)
  Scripted by Nathan's sister Elizabeth Renfro Atteberry
• Brown and Sample Family (41 KB)
  Andrew Jason Sample, and Robin Brown are the children of Jarre and Richard Sample.
• Marriage License, Aime Freymond and Rebecca Ott (129 KB)
  Proof of a marriage between Rebecca Jane Ott and Aime J. Freymond in 1882. She told my mother, Enid that Aime had a lot of suits that hung on a wire stretched across their bedroom. She said he was rich. But he spoke French and she couldn't understand him, so she left him. Grandma Lillian said she remembered a lady asking them at a store, "Aren't you Aime Freymonds child", and she said they moved that night. She grew up being told she was the daughter of Walter J. Shelton, but she never believed it. Enid said, "Grandma was about to tell me the truth when Mama (Lillian) came and called us to eat. She never brought it up again." She married Walter in Oct of 1889 and Lillian's baby brother was born in July of 1900. Do the math!
• Benny's Funeral College View Baptist Church (14 KB)
  Huge attendance, very lengthy procession from the church all the way across Denton to the Cemetery. Benny was killed in Viet Nam 29 Jun 1969.
• Stephen Jackson Renfro aka Sam Jack, Sr. (59 KB)
  Stephen moved from IL to Tx in 1878. He settled in Ellis county, then lived most of his life in Alvarado, in Johnson Co, TX. He was my great grandfather.
• Stephen Jackson Renfro, aka Sam Jack Obituary (276 KB)
  Stephen J Renfro used many names but his real name was Stephen Jackson Renfro. He also used SJ and Sam Jack. He named his son Sam Jack and he had a brother in IL named Stephen Jackson Renfro. Very confusing. His son Sam Jack's children were taught to call him Jack. He moved from IL to Eustace, TX then lived in Alvarado, then Denton, TX.
• Lillian Lee Shelton b. 31 Mar 1889 (136 KB)
  Lillian Lee Shelton,grandma Bratcher married Amos Granvillie Bratcher. They lived in Denton, TX at 1102 Bernard St.
• James and Minnie Durham Lawson Family (47 KB)
  James Thomas and Minnie were Granny's parents. He died very young and she was unable to care for the children left at home, so they grew up at Cumberland Children's Home in Denton,TX.
• Jarre and Me (120 KB)
  We were 3 wks apart and raised like twins.
• Ray and Janet Renfro Dane (32 KB)
  This was taken by Olan Mills for our Church Directory. My mother made this dress for my "going away" at our wedding.
• Amos Bratcher Portrait (30 KB)
  This is the best picture I have of the family. Lillian made this dress and others wanted it, so she made and sold them to others.
• NB Jones Death Certificate (182 KB)
  Napoleon Bonaparte (Bonapart) on the Cert, died Nov 8, 1934. My grandfather, Ross Renfro went down to his house to sit with him until the officials arrived, to comfort and support my great grandmother, Sarah Jane. He was always there when someone needed him. He only lived 5 more years himself.
• Warren Family (40 KB)
  Possibly the parents of Malinda Warren Jones and William D Warren. In the possession of Melanie Shelton, passed down from her GG Wm Andrew Jones. Malinda's pic is a tin type. It is also only a possibility that this is her. There is no one left to verify their authenticity.
• Solomon and Elizabeth W Steely Turpen and boys (104 KB)
  Solomon and Elizabeth were my ggg grandparents, parents of James F. Turpen, Grandparents of Sarah Jane Turpen Jones.
• Jasper A Lawson picture and Grave (84 KB)
  Photo of a young Jasper A Lawson. Grave is in Pilot Point, TX at Belew Cemetery.

• Charles Renfro Obituary (1 KB)
  Denton Record Chronicle Archives
• Ross Washington Renfro Obituary (1 KB)
  Denton Record Chronicle Archives
• Elvis and my GGG Grandfather, S. John Warren (7 KB)
  Benjamin Franklin Jones and Malinda Warren Jones and the events leading to S. John and Ben's death. Afterwards, Malinda took an oxen wagon and moved to TX with her five children. She did remarry a man named Thomas Wells and had a daughter, Kitty. Her five children were, Napoleon B. , LouisaB, Thomas Jefferson, William and Sally.

• Rootsweb Family Tree
• Dane Genealogy

Janet Dane
, United States
jrdane@gmail.com

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