James Franklin Blackwell was born in Rutherford County, NC on August 17, 1848.

His parents were Joseph Blackwell (born March 6, 1819, died on Feb. 20, 1852 in Spartanburg Co.,SC) and Atha Adaline Lyles aka Liles (birth May 30, 1828 in Rutherford Co., NC and Death May 6, 1893 in Spartanburg Cnty, SC). Joseph & Atha were married Feb. 28, 1842. Taken from the "Rutherford County Marriages 1779-1868 by Brent H. Holcomb Ó 1986 The Genealogical Publishing Company":
Blackwell, Joseph & Adaline Lyles, 28 Feb 1842; Thomas Liles, bestman. Rutherford Co., NC Marriages

Some have listed Joseph's death as 1879, but that would have to mean that Joseph & Atha divorced as by the 1860 Census, Atha is shown being married to George Washington Smith. 1852 is also the year that Joseph's last child Martha was born (so Atha must have been pregnant when Joseph died), and in 1859 Atha Adaline & George Washington Smith had their first child, Rudicil.

James Franklin Blackwell married his first wife, Nancy Caroline Petty Blackwell about 1869.

James F. & Nancy Caroline's 10 children are:

John Henry Blackwell, b. 6/29/1870, d. 3/05/1929

William Joseph (Joe) Blackwell, b. 10/02/1871, d. 8/09/1936

Nancy Lou Ella Blackwell(spouse Thomas A. Barnett), b. 1875 d. 1943

Martha L. Blackwell (spouse Tom W. Barnes), b. 9/04/1873, d. 10/18/1918

Eliza Jane Blackwell (spouse James Walter Hancock), b. abt. 1878 (age 2 in the 1880 Census)

Margaret "Maggie" A. Blackwell (spouse George Wileman), b. 1/1881 (1900 Census)

Birel A. Blackwell aka Burl (spouse Fred Stanifer), b. 3/15/1883, d. 5/24/1909
*It is said that Burl's name was misspelled on her stone, by the man doing the carving. Burl supposedly died in childbirth, and after that her husband refused to pay for her funeral...so her father paid for it instead.

Della L. Blackwell (spouse Sam J. Green, m. 02/03/1908), b. 3/14/1886, d. 1/02/1917

Infant Blackwell, b. 6/14/1887, d. 6/21/1887

Carrie B. Blackwell (spouse Walter McDonald, m. 07/14/1906), b. 7/1888 (1900 Census)

Sadly, Nancy passed away on Mar. 26, 1889.

James Franklin and Nancy worked in North and South Carolina during the first years of their marriage and moved to Texas in the 1880's. They bought a farm in the New Bazil community about 3 miles west of Wolfe City in Hunt County. There was no school at this time. A Mr. Roddy donated some land and the other men gave money to build the new Bazil school. James (Jim) Blackwell, Bill Medlin, Lark Bethel, Bob Craig, Cy George Williams, Bill Craig, Van Hall, and Mr. Pie all gave money for the school to be built. James F. had Black hair and Brown eyes.

After Nancy's death, James Franklin married Mary Caroline Hall (birth 5/18/1862, death 12/16/1945) about 1890 in Wolfe City, Texas.

James F. and Mary Caroline's children are:

Rubengie Hesentine Blackwell, F, b. 7/1891 (spouses 1st Duncan, 2nd Hugh Woodard)

James S.H. Blackwell, M, b. 3/1/1893, d. 12/8/1907

Clayton Clark Blackwell, M, b. 12/1/1894, d. 3/23/1958

Iama Blackwell, F, b. 8/25/1896, d. 7/8/1898

Fannie M. Blackwell, F, b.7/1899 (spouse John Wesley Spencer) *They lived in Noble, Oklahoma and are both buried somewhere in Ada, Oklahoma.

Cleo Blackwell, F, b. between 2/20/1903 and 5/3/1903, Spouse: Bert Willamson *Cleo lived in California most of her life, but moved back to OK & died soon after. She was taken back to CA for burial.

Mary Caroline (aka Carrie) is also buried in Willow View Cemetary R1-20 as are Clayton Clark in R1-22 and J.S. in R1-23.

In the early 1900's James F. and Mary Caroline moved to Lexington, Oklahoma. His brother John Melton and half brother Jones Smith moved up there as well.

**Note: James Franklin Blackwell and Nancy Caroline Petty are my Great Great Grandparents, via my Great Grandfather John Henry Blackwell, Grandfather Leon Blackwell, and father Raymond Leon Blackwell . If you have any corrections or additions, please email me via my profile. Thank you.

*Note: Found daughter Della (b: 3/14/1886, d: 1/02/1917) also in Willow View Cemetery in R1-16 and her husband Sam J. Green in R1-15. In R1-17 is their son Earl Green (B: 9/20/1905, D:7/14/1937).

Willow View Cemetery Transcription