Mary Alice Rutledge was born to Edward Armstrong and Mary F. (YOUNG) RUTLEDGE 10 Dec 1852 in Wayne County, Tennessee. As Edward Armstrong RUTLEDGE was a brother of Capt. William Pinkney RUTLEDGE who is buried in Pond Springs Cemetery, Mary Alice (RUTLEDGE) HARTSON was a niece of Captain RUTLEDGE, and a niece of Thomas Lafayette RUTLEDGE who donated the land for Pond Springs Cemetery. Her father had apparently died by the time of the 1870 Travis County Texas census. Although I personally cannot find the Hartsons in neither the 1920 nor the 1930 census, family researchers say that Mary appeared on the census on 9 Jan 1920 in 4101 Avenue C, JP #3, 4th Ward, Austin, Texas, and that she appeared on the census on 2 Apr 1930 in Austin, Travis County, Texas.

Mary died on 26 May 1930 in Austin, Travis County, Texas and is buried in Pond Springs Cemetery, Williamson County, Texas.

From the Austin Newspaper, Wednesday, May 28, 1930:

"MORTUARY

MRS. ALICE HARTSON

Mrs. Alice Hartson, 78, resident of Austin for many years, died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. C. M. Shelton, near Cedar Park late Monday afternoon.

She is survived by five children, Mrs. C. M. Shelton of Cedar park; Mrs. J. C. Stanford of Lubbock; Miss Ollie Hartson of Austin; Claud Hartson of Denver, Colo., and Eugene Hartson of Phoenix, Arizona.

Funeral services were held at the grave in Pond Springs cemetery with the Rev. Luther Norman officiating, Tuesday at 3 p.m."

Please note: the epitaph on her tombstone reads: "She hath done what she could".

Mary Alice RUTLEDGE married Hiram HARTSON (son of Leonard Hartshorn and Eunice Dustin) on 3 Dec 1873 in Travis County, Texas. She might have been Hiram's second wife. Hiram, 17 years her senior, was born on 27 Jul 1838 in Washington County, Ohio.

Hiram Hartson Chronology:

According to his death certificate he was born in 1838

1850: Barlow Township, Washington County, Ohio, 27 Jul 1850, Hiram "HARTSHORN"

1860: Hiram/H. HARTSON/HARTSHORN(E) not found to date.

1862, July 6: Enlisted at Camp Terry, Austin Texas, in Company G, 17th Texas Infantry. Muster cards show him as "absent sick" through August 1863

1866: Travis County Texas, 26 December: Bought 380 acres off of the East bank of the Colorado River from R. W. Riley & wife for $800

1867: Travis County Texas: Signed a voter registration list stating he had lived in Texas since 1856

1870: Austin, Travis County, Texas, 12 Aug 1870. With the following family: Joseph Hartson, 16, Ann, 13, Henry, 11, Bathsheba, 9, and Harriett, 7. Hiram is shown as born in Ohio and the rest in Texas. These children may have been his by a former marriage, or just relatives.

1880: Travis County, Texas, 16 Jun 1880 in Polling Place No. 25

1900: Travis County, Texas, 20 Jun 1900 in McNeil, Precinct No. 4

1910: Bull Creek, Travis County, Texas, 22 Apr 1910

1920: Justice Precinct 3, 4th Ward, Austin, Texas, 28 Apr 1920, 4101 Avenue C

Hiram HARTSON died on 7 Mar 1920 in Austin, Travis County, Texas. Mr. Hartson was buried originally "near Teck Texas", and his body was moved to Pond Springs Cemetery about 1941, when Lake Travis was built. The original location is now under the Marshall Ford Dam. His probate was filed March 11, 1920, in Travis County. His son was the adminstrator. Decree was filed in Book 44, pages 72 to 76, and 95.
Hiram and Mary Alice (RUTLEDGE) HARTSON had the following children:

i. Cora Ophelia Hartson, born in Texas 16 October 1874, died in Texas 14 January 1950. Married Charles Melvin SHELTON.

ii. Lillian Pinkston Hartson, born in Texas 17 August 1879, died in Lubbock, Lubbock County County Texas 22 May 1961.

iii. Claude Dennis Hartson, born in Texas 27 June 1882, died in Denver Colorado 29 October 1934. Buried next to his parents in Pond Springs Cemetery, his stone reads "To know him was to love him"

iv. Mary Ottie Hartson, born in Texas 21 Feb 1886, died in Austin, Travis County Texas 26 December 1964.

v. Walter Eugene Hartson, born 19 September 1888 in Pond Springs, Williamson County, Texas. By 1920, Walter was in Buckeye Township, Maricopa County, Arizona. By, 1930, he was in Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona. He died on 31 May 1959 in Arizona. Walter HARTSON was buried on 5 Jun 1959 in Golden Gate National Cemetery, San Bruno, California.

If you have further information on this family, please contact the Pond Springs Historical Cemetery Association, by either clicking the "Edit" tab and "Suggesting a Correction" or by visiting http://pondspringscemetery.wordpress.com. We especially appreciate photos.

With Sincere Thanks,
Suzanne McAlpin, President
Pond Springs Historical Cemetery Association