David Thomas Tippit (1856 - 1908)

Born 9 Sep 1856 in Mississippi, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Mary Martha Margaret Matilda Leona (O'Bryant) Tippit — married about 1877 in Mississippi

Descendants

Died 7 Feb 1908 at age 51 in Vernon, Louisiana, United States

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Biography

Sometime after 1880, Tom Tippit moved his family back to Louisiana where he had lived as a young boy. They settled in Vernon Parish near his father's old homestead. Samuel, their young son, remembered crossing the Mississippi River. All the household goods were loaded onto the raft and floated across the river. Leona told her son that he was such a pretty little boy, one man on the raft even wanted to buy him.

Tom Tippit built his home from logs located in the sparsely populated portion of Vernon Parish. Wild game was abundant in that area, and it was not unusual to see wild animals near the house. Leona worried when her young children played outside, and with good reason. Tom Tippit once shot a bear in his front yard.

Leona Tippit was raised in the Methodist faith, with two brothers who were ministers. She was a deeply religious woman, and loved her Bible. Because churches were few and far between in that unsettled area of central Louisiana, the family had to travel many miles to attend church. Tom would load his family on the wagon and travel all day on Saturday to a small town near Alexandria so that Leona could attend the Sunday services held once each month. After Sunday meeting and visiting, the family would sleep in the wagon, and start home on Monday.

Leona had beautiful auburn hair, and those who knew her remembered that she was one of the prettiest women in the area. She was not of strong pioneer stock, and the hardships she suffered contributed to her death at an early age. She is buried at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, Simpson (Vernon) LA.

Tom Tippit mourned his beautiful wife, and he would not be comforted. He begin to drink rather heavily, but with the steadfast encouragement of his older daughter and her husband, Hallie and Minnie West, Tom decided to give up his meaningless life and turn to God. It was his wish that he be baptized by one of his wife's brothers. This was no easy task, as Rev. Billy O'Bryant was preaching at Acona and Crenshaw, MS, and Rev. Leroy O'Bryant was pastor at the Salem Methodist Church in Water Valley, MS. But determined he was, and somehow he made the long trip to the Mississippi River, where he caught a boat. His brother, James Louis Tippit met him on horseback, and they rode all day to reach the settlement. David Thomas Tippit was baptized in the Methodist Church in Water Valley, MS, with Rev. Billy O'Bryant performing the rite.

After returning to Louisiana, Tom still mourned the loss of his gentle wife. Shortly before his death, he was again baptized into the Church of God in Simpson, LA, by the Rev. Willie Jackson. He lived a good christian life until he died, and was buried beside his wife and their young babies in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, Simpson, LA.

Burial

Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Simpson, Vernon Parish Louisiana, USA ^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/29083433/david_thomas-tippit: accessed April 20, 2024), memorial page for David Thomas “Tom” Tippit (9 Sep 1856–7 Feb 1908), Find A Grave: Memorial #29083433, citing Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Simpson, Vernon Parish, Louisiana, USA; Maintained by Joe W Tippit Sr (contributor 47318840).

• "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6GJ-BLD : 26 July 2017), David T Tippett in entry for W J Tippett, 1860.

• "United States Census, 1870", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M87N-7D3 : Tue Mar 05 03:45:23 UTC 2024), Entry for William J Tippit and Elisabeth Tippit, 1870.

• "United States Census, 1880", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4PQ-FS2 : Sat Mar 09 16:10:47 UTC 2024), Entry for D. T. Tibit and M. L. Tibit, 1880.