Levi Levin Jester (1851 - 1938)

Born 6 Jan 1851 in Waverly, Madison, Illinois

Ancestors

Husband of Minnie Cain — married 15 Dec 1881 in Smith County, Texas

Died 11 Mar 1938 at age 87 in , Dallas, Texas

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Greg Wood [send private message] and Lynette Jester [send private message]

Biography

Levi was born in 1851. He was the son of Levi Jester and Diadima McKinney. He passed away in 1838.

Deep in the Heart by J. Garner Phillips is a history of this Jester Family.

"United States Census, 1850," Morgan, Illinois^[1]

Levi Jester Male 36 Unknown

Dedania Jester Female 28 Unknown

Charles Jester Male 10 Illinois

Martha Jester Female 8 Illinois

Mary Jester Female 6 Illinois

George Jester Male 4 Illinois

Janna Jester Male 2 Illinois (L.L. or a misgendered Vina?)

"United States Census, 1870," Navarro County, Texas^[2]

D Jester Female 50 Illinois

S T Jester Male 24 Illinois (George T.)

Zina Jester Female 22 Illinois (Vina)

L L Jester Male 20 Illinois

"United States Census, 1880," Corsicana, Navarro, Texas,^[3]

George T Jester Self Male 33 Illinois

Claud W Jester Son Male 6 Texas

Allice B Jester Daughter Female 5 Texas

Diadema Jester Mother Female 59 Illinois,

Levi L Jester Brother Male 29 Illinois

"United States Census, 1900," Tyler city Ward 2, Smith, Texas,^[4]

Levi L Jester Head Male 49 Ill

Minnie C Jester Wife Female 39 ALa

Herbert W Jester Son Male 16 Tex

John C Jester Son Male 10 Tex

Levi L Jester Jr. Son Male 8 Tex

"United States Census, 1910," Tyler Ward 2, Smith, Texas^[5]

Leven Jester Head Male 59 Illinois

Minnie Jester Wife Female 49 Alabama

Herbert Jester Son Male 26 Texas

John Jester Son Male 19 Texas

Leven Jester Jr. Son Male 18 Texas

Ralph Jester Son Male 8 Texas

Charlie Copland Servant Male 48 Texas

Frances Copland Servant Female 50 Alabama

Minnie Jordan Servant Female 25 Texas

Wash G Cain Father-in-law Male 73 Tennessee

"United States Census, 1920," Highland Park, Dallas, Texas,^[6]

Levin Jester Sr. Head Male 69 Illinois

Minnie Jester Wife Female 58 Alabama

Levin Jester Jr. Son Male 27 Texas

Ralph Jester Son Male 18 Texas

Fred Adam Servant Male 26 Texas

Mamie Wynn Servant Female 21 Texas

Lewis Wynn Servant Male 34 Texas

"United States Census, 1930," Highland Park, Dallas, Texas^[7]

Levi Jester Head Male 79 Illinois

Minnie Cain Jester Wife Female 69 Alabama

Melissa Jesse Servant Female 39 Texas

"Texas Deaths, 1890-1976," Levi Leven Jester, 11 Mar 1938; CN 12259^[8]

Obit

The Times (Shreveport, Louisiana) 12 Mar 1938, Sat • Page 19

Levi Jester, Banker, Dies at Age of 87

Texan Founded Institutions at Corsicana, Tyler, Dallas

Dallas, March 11 (AP) -- Levi Leven Jester, 87, prominent in banking circles for more then half a century, died at his home here today.

Founder of banks at Corsicana, Tyler, and Dallas, Jester was brought by his parents from Illinois in 1858 to Texas, where the Indians still roamed and buffalo hides were one of the principal items of trade. The family traveled by steamboat down the Mississippi to Gaines' Landing in Ark., and then came by wagon to Corsicana, then a village of a few hundred persons.

Jester started his business career by working for his baord as an employe of a mercantile firm at Bryan in 1869. Later returning to Corsicana, Jester got an idea which started him off in business for himself. Hearing that a garrison of troops at Corsicana was to be transfered to Fort Belknap, he reasoned that the wagons needed to haul the soldiers would be empty on the return trip. So he accompanied the military party on its march through the wholly uninhabited regions on horseback. At his destination, Jester purchased all the hides available, brought them back to Corsicana and cleared a nice profit.

In 1881, with his brothers C. W. Jester and George T. Jester, he organized the private bank of Jester brothers at Corsicana. In 1889 he moved to Houston where he was cashier of the Houston National Bank and the same year was elected secretary of the Texas Bankers association.

In 1892, Mr. Jester moved to Tyler and organized the Jester National bank which he operated for 20 years. He came to Dallas in 1912 and organized the Merchants National Bank. Because of ill health he retired from business in 1915, but subsequently served as assistant agent of the federal reserve bank.

He will be buried at Corsicana.

Research Notes

Several sites have him as Leven Levi. I have had long communications most via snail mail, with numerous members of this Jester branch. None ever refered to him as Levin Levi. It was either LL or Levi. In a phone interview with his son Ralph K., he said "My father, Levi Leven..."

Sources

1. ↑ FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M85D-WL6 : 12 April 2016), Levi Jester, Morgan county, part of, Morgan, Illinois, United States; citing family 2637, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
2. ↑ FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXGW-7B5 : 12 April 2016), L L Jester in household of D Jester, Texas, United States; citing p. 4, family 31, NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 553,099.
3. ↑ FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MFJQ-NTH : 15 July 2017), Levi L Jester in household of George T Jester, Corsicana, Navarro, Texas, United States; citing enumeration district ED 138, sheet 497C, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 1321; FHL microfilm 1,255,321.
4. ↑ FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M35H-CDX : accessed 20 November 2018), Levi L Jester, Tyler city Ward 2, Smith, Texas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 96, sheet 4A, family 74, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,241,669.
5. ↑ FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M2S5-F3V : accessed 20 November 2018), Leven Jester, Tyler Ward 2, Smith, Texas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 64, sheet 6B, family 123, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1589; FHL microfilm 1,375,602.
6. ↑ FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCMQ-L8K : accessed 20 November 2018), Levin Jester Sr., Highland Park, Dallas, Texas, United States; citing ED 4, sheet 22A, line 21, family 422, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 1791; FHL microfilm 1,821,791.
7. ↑ FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:HPB2-PMM : accessed 22 November 2018), Minnie Cain Jester in household of Levi Jester, Highland Park, Dallas, Texas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 97, sheet 35A, line 35, family 383, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 2321; FHL microfilm 2,342,055.
8. ↑ FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K3M3-Q54 : 13 March 2018), Levi Leven Jester, 11 Mar 1938; citing certificate number 12259, State Registrar Office, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,117,657.