Sarah Jane was the 5th youngest of a family of 7 sisters and 5 brothers. Her father, James Harrison was a school teacher, lay preacher, and farmer. He maintained a very strict upbringing for his children. When 13 year old Sarah became enamored with a much older (23) Zachary Taylor Autry, trouble began, and James forbid her to see him. At 14, she ran away with Zachary to be married in Kendall County, settling down on a land grant near Sarah's sister Mary and her husband Newton around Bandera. When an Indian uprising was feared, Zachary and his bride Sarah returned to the Coker settlement while her sister and husband remained to defend their grant. Sarah's brother Jim Jr. later traveled to Bandera to check on them, and found his sister killed by the Indians. While searching the area he managed to rescue their baby he found still wandering nearby. Needless to say, relations with her father were strained due to the marriage, but when her father became enamored with her first baby Mary Louise, tensions eased somewhat. Sarah Jane had a total of 10 children, and 1 step child from Zachary's previous marriage. They eventually settled on 100 acres of land her father granted her in the Coker community. After being married about 20 years, Zachary died leaving Sarah Jane sole responsibility for the family. Her livelihood came from a dairy. Her day started at 4 AM. The cows were fed, milked, the cream separated, and the butter churned. Early in the day she was seen driving her surrey, pulled by a team of mules, "Baldy" and "Jack", into San Antonio to deliver the milk and butter to her customers. It was 12 miles to San Antonio. The customers became her lifelong friends, and the collections were used to purchase groceries and supplies to feed and clothe her family. By midafternoon it was time to milk again, and all the chores were to be done again. Then meals were to be prepared. Sewing was done at night by lamplight. She was a wnderful cook and seamstress. Her homemade soup and tea cakes were famous. All of this and more, and she was never heard to complain nor lose control. Her family responsibilities were not all. She served her community as nurse and midwife faithfully. Dr. Kinney, in San Antonio, depended on her to help him as a midwife down through the years. During her last illness, he insisted that the children allow him to keep her in his clinic, free of charge, but she wanted to stay at home.
She was courteous and refined in manner, and was remembered dresed in black skirts and immaculate white blouses when she would arrive on the train for visiting relatives in East Texas. She loved watching the wild horses in the distance vying for a mare and rearing up on their hind legs in a terrible fight. She always carried a love and appreciation for horses. It was also said that she often left food outside at night for hungry Indians in the area, for charity, or perhaps to prevent theft. Her last days were spent with her younger son Walter Autry and wife Annie were she passed away peacefully.

Taken from excepts of "The Families of Sarah Jane Coker Autry and Zachary Taylor Autry" by:
Edith B. Wilbanks