James was born in 1860, the son of Joseph Applegate and Trinvilla Williams. His father died in 1862, and his mother remarried to William Fulton Craker. Trinvilla and William Craker had a daughter, Nancy Ann, in 1868[1]. However, the 1870 Census shows James living with the Ledgewood family, not his mother and step-father. I found this story on Ancestry:
According to Katie Jewell Applegate, wife of Lewis T Applegate, Jim T Applegate's father was killed in the Civil War. His mother could not raise him so she gave him away to a family name Ledgerwood. She said they almost starved him - they would only feed him crumbs of food under the table. They were very mean to him.[2]
There is disparity in the above account, as Find A Grave[3] records show that James' father Joseph died in 1903, not in 1862, though he was a Civil War Veteran. Joseph remarried in 1867 to Nancy Fletcher in Kentucky.
However, James' mother's (Trinvilla) Find A Grave[4] profile states that his father Joseph was killed by bushwackers while on military leave.
His Find A Grave Page has the following:
Whitney Messenger Friday February 28, 1913
Jim Applegate Suicide
About 2 o'clock Tuesday morning Jim Applegate who lived east of Blum, lighted his lantern and went to the barn to feed. His wife thinking his stay was to long went to investigate and found him hanging in the barn where he had committed suicide. For the rash act the cause is unknown. He was about 54 years of age and a very prominent citizen, leaving a wife and several children. The body was buried Tuesday afternoon in the Blanton cemetery.
Have you taken a DNA test? If so, login to add it. If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA.
Featured Foodie Connections: James is 21 degrees from Emeril Lagasse, 25 degrees from Nigella Lawson, 24 degrees from Maggie Beer, 42 degrees from Mary Hunnings, 29 degrees from Joop Braakhekke, 24 degrees from Michael Chow, 20 degrees from Ree Drummond, 24 degrees from Paul Hollywood, 23 degrees from Matty Matheson, 25 degrees from Martha Stewart, 28 degrees from Danny Trejo and 28 degrees from Molly Yeh on our single family tree. Login to find your connection.