Thanks to Kay Mallory, wife of John's grandson, for providing these wonderful family photos. Click on the photos to see caption.
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John was the 5th of Samuel Taylor & Mary "Molly" (Mansfield) Preston's 11 children.

His siblings were Alice, Jesse, Charley, Sarah Marie, Bessie Mae, Ernest, Marian, Samuel W., Alvie Miles, & Pearl.

One month before his first birthday his brother, Jesse, & sister, Sarah, drowned in a stock tank on their farm near Bryson. Jesse was almost 8 years old, and Sarah was 5. Their mother almost drowned trying to save them.

John, age 26, was single when he registered for the WWI draft on June 5, 1917. He was self employed as an oil driller in Bryson, Jack Co, TX. His physical description was tall & medium build, brown eyes, & black hair. The record shows that he was born in Henrietta, TX on June 26, 1891.

He was called to duty & served in the European Theatre as PFC 344 Machine Gun BW in the US Army.

He married Hilla Callihan, daughter of Jesse & Vina (Baker) Callihan.

On Jan. 20 1920, John, age 28, & Hilla, age 16, lived in Justice Precinct 5, Jack Co,TX where they were renting a house. John supported them by farming. They had four children. Three were Wilburn Hugh (July 05, 1921), Mary Levina (June 15, 1923), & Dorothy Louise (November 22, 1925).

Hilla was admitted to Milling Sanitorium in Mineral Wells, Palo Pinto Co, TX for heart problems. She died at 8 p.m. on March 9, 1928, from Mitral Insufficiency. She was only 23 years old.

John & Hilla's children went to live with her mother, Vina, & her second husband, Bailey Starnes who supported the family by farming. John was living in Bryson, Jack Co, TX when he learned about his son's death. Wilburn, age 7, died from a ruptured appendix in Graham, Young Co, TX on February 16, 1929.

By the following year, April 11, 1930, Vina & Bailey lived in the Copeland Prairie Community in Justice Precinct 2, Stephens Co, TX with their family including John's daughters, Mary, age 6, & Dorothy, 4. Vina's 80 year old father, William, was living with them.

Perhaps John married again. On April 9, 1940, John, age 45, & his daughter, Mary, age 16, lived with his mother, Mary, age 77, in Bryson, TX. John, shown as divorced, worked as a public well driller.

John lived in Weatherford, TX when he was admitted to the Veteran's Administration Hospital in Dallas on January 23, 1963, for "Middle Cerebral Artery Thrombosis." He died four days later at 5:40 p.m. from "Aspiration Pneumonia." He was 71 years old.
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Thanks to FindAGrave member, Searchers of Our Past, for the following information on December 24, 2016.

"Services for John James Preston, 71, retired oil field worker were held at the Bryson Church of Christ. He was a member of the Church of Christ.

Survived by three daughters - Mrs. Dorothy Malloy, Mrs. Mary McWhorter, Mrs. Wanda McMahon."