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Thomas Gawes Erwin

Born in 1837 in Chambers county Alabama. 

Married Martha Arthur on 31 October 1861. He was 24 and she was 18.

According to the 1870 census, which were taken on 27 September 1870, Thomas, along with his sisters, Mary Jessup, and Laura McFarland, with all their families were living with their 60 year old mother Elizabeth after Col. Tom died. Elizabeth died 5 months after the census were taken. Also, Mary's husband John Jessup is not listed in the census.

Some time after the census were taken, Martha died, possibly at child birth with their 2nd daughter Ellen on 9 February 1872. Thomas now 38, then married Martha's younger sister, 17 year old Amanda on 13 Oct 1875. Thomas and Amanda then had daughter May in the following year in 1876. By the time the 1880 census were taken, Thomas had died and 22 year old Amanda and the kids were living with her younger 18 year old married sister Emma, her husband Elam, and their new 1 month old son Frank. Amanda's baby, May, is 4 years old, Ellen is 8 and Hallie was 12. Texie & Charles Arthur were Amanda and Emma's siblings. Their parents Joseph and Eliza Arthur must have passed on.

1880 Census (See below)

Name/Age

Elam D. Burress 22 (Married Emma at Quitman, Wood, Texas, USA 1879) Is a hardware dealer.
Emma E. Burress 18 (Emma was Martha & Amanda's younger sister)
Frank C. Burress 1m
Amanda R. Erwin 22 ***
Hallie Erwin 12*** 
Ellen Erwin 8***
May Erwin 4***
Texie Arthur 14  (Proper name was Texas Arthur)
Charles Arthur 12

Thomas & Martha's Children:
Hallie Erwin b: 1868
Ellen Erwin b: 1872  

Thomas and Amanda's Children:
May Erwin b: 1876

Martha & Amanda's Parents
Joseph P. Arthur b:1821 in AL
Eliza Arthur b:1824 in NC

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Emma & Elam's son Frank Cage Burress lived most of his life in El Paso Texas. He married Jannie Lee Campbell on 24 Aug 1902. His occupation was a salesman for the Albert Mathias Company. He lived to be 83 years old and died on 19 December 1963 of a cerebral hemorrhage caused by hardening of the arteries due to old age. In El Paso Texas.

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Thomas Gawes Erwin's Children

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Thomas & Martha's oldest daughter Hallie, married James Edward Bowen in Quitman Texas on 24 Mar 1886 when she was 18 years old. He was 21. Eleven years later daughter Nellie May was born in July 1897. Three years later son James Edward Jr was born. James Sr was a successful business man working in Banking, Real Estate, and owning a general store. He and Hallie spent most of their life in El Paso, but also lived in Dallas for a while. James died 13 May 1932 of Angina Pectoris which is a condition marked by severe pain in the chest, often also spreading to the shoulders, arms, and neck, caused by an inadequate blood supply to the heart. This was caused by hardening of the arteries. He was 67. Hallie lived to be 84 years old. She died on      17 July 1950 of Chronic myocarditis which is an inflammation of the heart muscle, usually due to a viral infection. She also had inflamation of the kidneys. This was brought on by high blood pressure and hardening of the arteries.

 

Thomas & Martha's second daughter Ellen married Robert S. Bowen, who was Hallie's husband James older brother. He was a druggist in Tyler Texas and thirteen years older than Ellen. 

Ellen died 16 November 1889 in Pecos, Reeves County, Texas. She was 17 years old. Inscribed on her headstone by her sister Hallie, "In Memory of My Dear Sister. Not Changed, But Glorified".

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Thomas & Amanda's only daughter May was born in 1877. - No other information at this time.

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