James Thomas Applegate (1860 - 1913)

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.

Timeline with Sources

• 1860 Aug 11 - Birth - Shell Knob, Barry, Missouri

• 1870 United States Federal Census[5] - White River, Barry, Missouri - William and Matilda Ledgewood are the boy's guardians.

• 1878 Mar 20 - Marriage to Mary Jane Razer - Barry, Missouri - Missouri Marriage Records, 1805-2002[6]

• From her Find A Grave Profile, she and James had the following children: William, Joseph Marion, Mrs. Margaret Elizabeth (Lizzie) Pierce, Mrs. Katrina (Trinnie) Jane Green, Mrs. Evalina (Lena) May Roberts, and Lewis Talmage.

• 1898 Apr 6 - Death of Wife Mary Jane Razer - Blanton, Hill County, Texas

• 1898 Sep 4 - Marriage to Emily Jane Nickless - Hill, Texas - Texas, County Marriages, 1817-1965[7] Film Number 000985128 (She is widow of James Madison Huff.)

• 1900 United States Federal Census - Justice Precinct 6, Hill, Texas [8] Marital Status: Married; Relation to Head of House: Head; Occupation: Farmer - Children Listed: William Applegate 21, Trinnia Applegate 17, Lenia Applegate 13, Lewis Applegate 9, Jenny Applegate 5, Ira Huff 13

• 1910 United States Federal Census - Justice Precinct 6, Hill, Texas [9] Marital Status: Married; Relation to Head of House: Head; Occupation: Farmer - Children Listed: Louis Applegate 15

• 1913 Feb 25 - Death - Blanton, Hill County, Texas - Find a Grave[10] Memorial# 8799420 - Burial: Blanton Cemetery, Blanton, Hill County, Texas, GPS (lat/lon): 32.10668, -97.3179