Jester Families eXchange issue 2

Date: Nov 1989 [unknown]
Location: [unknown]
Surname/tag: Jester

• Jester Families eXchange Newsletter Issue 1 Aug 1989
• Jester Families eXchange Newsletter Issue 2 Nov 1989
• Jester Families eXchange Newsletter Issue 3 Feb 1990
• Jester Families eXchange Newsletter Issue 4 May 1990
• Jester Families eXchange Newsletter Issue 5 Aug 1990
• Jester Families eXchange Newsletter Issue 6 Nov 1990
• Jester Families eXchange Newsletter Issue 7 Mar 1991
• Return to Jester Name Study

Tentatively being called

The Jester Families eXchange

TO BE PUBLISHED QUARTERLY (Winter. Spring. Summer. Fall)

FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN JESTER FAMILY HISTORY By: E. Lynette Jester 2700 Leigh Ann La. Arlington, TX 76010 817) 649—5347 (817) 695—1555 Metro NUMBER 2 FALL NOVEMBER 1989

CONTENTS

OPEN LETTER			1
HELP LINE			3
DEAR DEPARTED			4
HENRY C. JESTER HISTORY			5
JAMES T. JESTER FAMILY SHEETS			7

DEAR JESTER FAMILY,

What an exciting past three months! Someone up there must really approve of what we are doing. Info has fallen into my lap! Before we get to all the news, I want to correct my errors from the last issue.

First of all, in TRIVIA, I mentioned Ralph Jester who won an academy award for Ben Hur. Well, Cousin Ralph, Lois his wife, and I have had a couple of phone conversations. I did the talking, Ralph listened. I was so excited about finding him, he barely got three words in. Ralph did work for Cecil B. DeMille, but on THE TEN COMMANDMENTS and THE BUCANNEER, both with Charlton Heston. Ralph won nominations for costume design, not set design. A video, EVERYDAY HEROES, has an interview with Ralph about his days with DeMille. It was on cable not too long ago and is available for rental. Also, a book, DEEP IN THE HEART, by Mrs. Garner J. Phillips deals with Ralph’s line. This is also the Beauford Jester line. More on this later in the newsletter.

Second, about Donna’s murderer being caught. David Martin Long was caught through the efforts of a very sharp fingerprints expert. Long was picked up in Austin for questioning for another charge. When his prints were taken, by the police in Austin, the expert recognized them as those that also came in over the computer. They were then compared.

Third, Old Stateline Cemetery is really New Stateline Cemetery. Old Stateline is off in the woods somewhere in the Walkers Creek-Bradley, Ark. area. There is also a Stateline Cemetery on Stateline Blvd. on the Arkansas side. New Stateline Cemetery is still an old cemetery.

Last, Malinda Afford Jester was not B.J. Alford’s great aunt, she was his aunt. Malinda’s granddaughter Gladys Pickett Edwards still lives in the Walkers Creek area. I hope we can get B.J. and her together soon, I don’t think they have ever met.

Now for the news and for all of my excitement. I called Peggy Higdon Simms and wanted to have a reunion on Lake Erling, at Walkers Creek. For such short notice Peggy came through like a champ. She called on about half the county (Lafayette), and got us all together. There were some who had other commitments, but we still came up with about 40 people. We had a pot-luck picnic, more food then we could eat, and some of the best fried chicken I‘ve had in ages.

Larry D. Jester came down from Little Rock. He gave me a document that I had only dreamed existed! Harold Alford had led me to Larry and this document. It was written in 1933 by Dr. John Roberts Jester. The document mentions Good Old Burg, his brothers and sisters, parents and grandparents. Just what I had been looking for, for ten years! I knew someone had this info, but Just didn’t know who!

Peggy had gotten a copy of the BURGESS STANFORD ALFORD DIARY from Harold and I got it from her. Harold did a lot of research on the diary. When young Burgess wrote about a family, Harold found that family in the census. Young Burgess wrote about what he did, for work and entertainment, people he saw, the weather, and how much money he spent and on what. Most of the families he visited had marrying age daughters and he spent a lot of time with his brother Chris, and Grandpa Burgess Jester. Harold is the grandson of Burgess Alford.

As you can tell, the genealogical value of these documents is great to this particular branch of Jester’s. Hopefully we can find similar works in someone’s library.

Back to Ralph’s family. His father was Levi Leven, L.L. as he was called, was a son of Levi and Diadema (McKinney) from Illinois. Levi b bet. 1814-1818 (different accounts) was a horse trader. After Levi died in 1851, Diadema raised her children alone. In 1858, her parents moved her and the kids to Corsicana, Texas.

Another son of Levi and Diadema made a name for himself in politics. George Taylor Jester was Lt. Governor of Texas 1895-99. His son Beauford Halbert became governor in 1946. This was the first for the state, also Beauford was the first Tx. governor to die in office, 1949

While I was at the Alford American Family Reunion in Houston, Oct. 13-15, I was able to meet with Joan Jester Berry, a daughter of Beauford’s. She took time out of her busy schedule to bring me the Jester section of DEEP IN THE HEART and showed me some family pictures. In one Joan reminded me of a young Lauren Bacall.

Comparing the John Roberts Jester papers and DEEP IN THE HEART, Levi was the son of Thomas, who was the son of Maxwell Jester. Maxwell was a brother to William and Jacob. The three boys who came from Scotland! Levi was named for his father’s uncle. Levi is a very common Jester name for that era.

I have also been in contact with Jean Jester Livingston, of Finleyville, Pa. Jean is descended from a branch of the Jester's that came to America before the Scottish clan landed. It is believed that her group came from Wales. This would be either Richard Jester of 1666 Va. paying tithing tax, or Samuel, Francis, and Thomas in 1704 Va. working a combined 500 acres of 'quit rents' for the king.

Now we need to contact descendents of the family who came row Germany. We have a lead from the John Roberts Jester papers but need more info.

Are all the Jester’s descended from Phillip Crul? Or were there others of the same name spread over Europe?

With everyone I’ve been in contact with, the JESTER FAMILY EXCHANGE is starting to really take shape. We put out almost a hundred copies. I gave copies to the local libraries, they seemed pleased to get them. I’m also applying for an ISSN with the Library of Congress. I DO intend on doing this for a while. Let's see how we do by March.

Help Line Network

DOUG WATSON, Rt. 1, Box 481; Taylor, Ark. 71861; would like to research PHILLIP CRUL. Any info you could pass along to Doug would be of help. The Dallas Public Library gave me the following addresses that I have already passed along to Doug.

DARBYSHIRE COUNTY RECORD OFFICE COUNTY OFFICES MATLOCK DE4-3AG, ENGLAND

SCOT ANCESTORY RESEARCH SOCIETY 20 YORK EDINBURG, EHI3EP, SCOTLAND

MRS. BECKY CRESS and Mrs. PAT WOBSCHALL would like info concerning JAMES T. JESTER and HESTER PRICE. JAMES T. b. abt. 1799 DE; m. Mar 11, 1827, Kent Co, DL bur IL. HESTER b. 1805 DE d. before 1860 Douglas, IL. Becky would like to know where the family lived in IN. I was able to send Becky the 1850 Clark Co., IL. I have included Pat’s family sheets.

Becky’s address is: Pat’s is: (addresses removed for privacy Jester-173 06:08, 1 April 2019 (UTC))

I am searching for a JOHN CARLTON JESTER family. John is descended from WILLIAM b. 1728 Scotland, through THOMAS b. 1765, James b. 1812, lived in Miledgeville, GA.; WILLIAM ASEURY b. 1842 d. 1913, JOHN CARLTON,1, b. 1880, J.C.,2, b. 1907, J.C.,3, b.1938, J.C.,4, b. 1967. There was also a sister, MARY ALICE JESTER NEFF, b. 1913. If anyone knows the whereabouts of this family please let me know. James was a brother to Good Old Burgess. Info on this line will give us descendents on all five sons of Thomas. What of the two daughters, Lucinda and Jemirna?

KENNETH ALFORD, 1709 Parkridge Ter., Arlington, TX 76012, is seeking info on his father, MILAS HARDESTY ATWOOD FERFUSSON ALFORD d. 1946 probably OK City m. GEORGIA ANN WOLFE of Palo Pinto Co. TX. I added this because of all the help the Alfords gave me. If anyone knew Milas, called Jack, please let Ken know.

More space will be devoted to queries as more come in. Not too bad for just starting, some of this is written on the ratty old typewriter and some on a computer.

I’ve got some help in trying to get the families documented. FLAY JESTER, 2747 Cypress, Dallas, TX 75227. I had called Flay some time ago and got him fired up about doing research, and sort of let him hang there. I’m falling behind in getting the stuff mailed to him.

The Dear Departed

Continuing with Stateline Cemetery from last issue.

Miss Lena May Cross 1945-1961

Tillman Teague b. July 12, 19?? d. Jan 2, 1926

Henry M Jester LA Pvt 112 Calvery b. Aug 16, 1916 d. Jan 8, 1967

Mrs. Ellen Jester b. Feb 8, 1849 d. Nov 18, 1936

William Dade Scott b. July 1, 1873 d. Sept 9, 1944

Bertha Ann Scott (Tabitha A. Jester) b. Jan 9, 1894

Odell Scott b. July 21, 1921 d. Feb 10, 1929

John W. Shaver b. Feb 22, 1906 d. Feb 10, 1976

Bailey Shaver b. Feb 10, 1911 d. Aug 14, 1972

Emma Williams Shaver b. Dec 23, 1916 d. Jan 23, 1978

Sam Louis Gore b. July 10, 1893 d. Apr19, 1942

W. R. (Raz) Jester b. Apr 5, 1879 d. Aug 29, 1939

Maude Beshea Jester b. Feb 27, 188~ d. July 10, 1976

Otho Jester b. June 18, 1910 d. Sept 14, 1928

B. N. (Dock) Jester b. Mar 10, 1893 d. June 3. 1946

Luda Shaver Beshea b. 1894 d. 1926

Frank Beshea b Nov 2, 1892 d. Aug 13, 1950

Wm. Reily Jester b. Oct 14, 1875 d. May 14, 1971

Carrie Wood Jester b. Jan 15, 1888 d. Feb 13, 1971

SHILO Cemetery:

Lewis Holman b Aug 10, 1892 d. Sept 29, 1915

Jess N. Shaver b. 1902 d 1951

There are probably more Jester’s and related families buried at Shiloh, but the names were not known to me at the time I went thru the cemetery.

If you have the cemeteries in your area documented. please send me a copy.

After I got these cemeteries printed. I realized you have absolutely no idea who these people are or how they are related. Such is the stuff of newsletters and people who are not adept at what they are doing. Next issue I will put these people together. Please hang in there with me as we all learn more about the JESTERS. of Arkansas.

We are having a family reunion in Taylor. Arkansas. April 14. This is the Saturday before Easter. I have no idea about hotel accommodations. I think the nearest would be in Springhill or Shreveport. La., or Texarkana. I will find out before that time and will send out special mailings for those who are interested in attending.

Since this is Peggy’s neck of the woods maybe she can check out the hotels there. along with availability for the Easter weekend. Henry C. Jester Family History

The HENRY C. JESTER HISTORY was sent to me several. years ago, when I first started. It was compiled and written by WAYNE JESTER of Crawfordsville. IN. I have not verified any info and Wayne has been good enough to keen me updated. I made at least typo. David Jester of Speedwav is a Judge.

About a year ago the thought occurred to me that it might be of interest, to members of the Jester family, to have a History or-Genealogical Record of the family as it exists today. To my knowledge no formal record has ever been compiled.

The following list records the family, beginning with my great-great grandfather, ALEXANDER JESTER, SR. his son ALEXANDER, JR., and his family, which included my grandfather HENRY C. JESTER, together with his two brothers and three sisters, from about 1794 up to the present time. The three boys and three girls were all the children in grandfather’s own family.

My father FRANK R. JESTER, related to me several times that his grandfather and grandmother, ALEXANDER, JR and SARAH ELLEN JESTER, lived for many years at Washington Court House, Ohio. It was there all six children were born. While they were still young the family moved to Illinois, probably about 1865 or 1870, settling near the town of Homer. It was there the children moved to adulthood. I never learned why or when they moved to the Perrysville, Indiana vicinity (note: abt. 1865.

HENRY married RHODA JANE PASCAL, settling on a farm near Perrysville. UNCLE FRANK married FANNIE LINDLEY and settled near Kingman, Indiana. To this union three sons were born. Two Sons, EDGAR and HIRAM, died in childhood, and FANNIE passed away in 1906, a few months after the death of their son HIRAM and just two days preceding the death of another son EDGAR. Soon after that FRANK and son GLEN moved to Oregon, settling in or near the town of LaGrande, in the central part of the state. FRANK later married HENRIETTA WATSON DAY. No children were born to this union. GRANDFATHER HENRY’S other brother, GEORGE RUSH JESTER, died at age fourteen. AUNT LORETTA married JESSE McCOY and settled in Rockville, Indiana. AUNT MARY married PERRY MOORE and settled in Bloomingdale, Indiana. Both towns were near each other about thirty miles south east of Perrysville. AUNT NORVILLA married R. THEODORE COX and settled in the Veedersburg and Kingman, IN area. They had one son and five daughters. She passed away in 1913 while living in Veedersburg. Her husband left the family about 1900, went to Kansas, and we assume, passed away there. The son FRED, and three daughters, XENIA, MARY, and JESSIE, also passed away in Indiana. All were buried in Harveysburg Cemetery near Kingman. The other two girls, BESSIE and DOYNE, moved to the state of Washington, where both were married and raised families.

All five families remained in those towns the remainder of their lives.

Their father, ALEXANDER, JR., passed away in 1898 at age 68, and their mother SARAH ELLEN passed away in 1869 at age 36. Where they were buried is unknown to me.

GRANDPATHER HENRY JESTER told us the family originated in Virginia. His father was one of seven children and their parents were poor hard-working farmers, who had much difficulty supporting such a large family. As was a custom practiced by some large families in those days who could not support all their children, one day his father, ALEXANDER, SR. took him, ALEXANDER, JR., and another child to a grist mill in the area, and gave them to another man and wife to keep and rear, for the work they would do for the ‘adopting’ couple during their adolescent years. His father was permitted to keep his own full name. He had five brothers and one sister, but we know nothing of them.

GRANDFATHER JESTER claimed to be of Scotch-Irish ancestry. UNCLE FRANK stated they were Welsh ancestry. That claim is substantiated by records of one branch of the JESTER CLAN, who migrated from Wales between 1681 and 1705, and settled in what was then the lower counties of Pennsylvania, now part of Delaware, also in what are now some south-eastern Pennsylvania counties. In later years many of those families moved on to southwestern Pennsylvania, and other states. (This from JEAN JESTER LIVINGSTON of Finleyville, PA. Perhaps our family has some of both backgrounds. GRANDMOTHER RHODA said her family was of German ancestry. She was born in Iowa. At what age she came to Illinois and Indiana, and other information concerning her background is not known. I do have a dim memory that she did have a sister, named MOLLY, age unknown, who married GEORGE STONEBRAKER. I do not recall that they ever had any children. They lived for a few years in Cates, Indiana, a small town about ten miles southeast of Perrysville, in Fountain County. Later on they moved to St. Joseph, Illinois, a few miles east of Champaign They lived there until both passed away, presumably buried in the St. Joseph Cemetery.

In my forty years of printing telephone directories I learned there are several people named JESTER, throughout the country, and some of them could very well be distant relatives. That fact we have no way of knowing without very extensive research.

There is a small town in southern Maryland, about forty miles southeast of Washington, D.C., named JESTERVILLE, and several residents there are named JESTER. Also, in the northeast corner of Virginia. about eighty-five miles northeast of Norfolk, in the coast town of Chincoteague, there is a JESTER Street, and a few residents named JESTER. In that part of the country they could very well be from branches of our family tree, descendents of some of my great-grandfather’s brothers.

In southwestern Oklahoma, about fifteen miles south of 1-40, and, the same distance from the Texas border, is a small town named, JESTER.

There are several JESTER’S In or around Indianapolis, Indiana, one of them being DAVID A. JESTER in the suburb of Speedway. This document does not include very much general history of the family, as some may expect. Examples: When and where the first members of our family landed in this country? Which one was the Circuit Rider Preacher during the Revolutionary War? Also, many other items of general information of our early family history. I do not have the time and energy to dig into our history that deep. If someone else in the family wishes to use this as a base, and research far back into the history of the clan, add a number of items dealing with the past history, and Issue a more complete version sometime in the future, you certainly have my permission to use this material. I will not be going into it further nor preparing any revised or updated issues. - WAYNE JESTER

(note paragraph about Finleyville, PA-JESTER Reunion omitted. The reunion has not been held for a while. — lyn>

James T. Jester Family Sheets

Name and Address of Submitter: Patricia (Pederson) Wobschall, 617 Folwell Lane SW, Rochester, MN 55902 Written at the bottom by Lynette: Becky Cress, 418 North Corbin, Greenacres, WA 99016 (Note:Numbers at the end of each name are numbers assigned by the original program to the individual)

Husband: James T. Jester – 105 Born: 1799 DE Marr: 11 Jan 1827 Kent, DE Died: 1870/1880 Douglas, IL

Wife: Hester Price – 106 Born: Abt 1809 DE Died: 1860/1870 Douglas, IL

Children:

1. Sally Ann Jester – 107

Born 1828 DE

2.John Jester – 108

Born: Abt. 1880 DE

3. Thomas Jester – 71 Spouse: Letticia Williams – 72

Born: 19 Nov 1832 Queens Anna, Kent, DE

Marr: 22 Dec 1853 Marshall, Clark, IL

Died: 16 Jun 1917 Blencoe, Monona, IA

4. Levi Jester – 109 Spouse: Margaret V.

Born: 1835 DE

1860 Douglas Co., 1880 Douglas Co. Arcola twp. (this is written in by Lynette)

5. Catherine Jester – 111 Spouse: Samuel Munson – 119

Born: 1839 DE

Marr: 11 Jul 1857 Coles, IL

6.William Jester – 112

Born: 1843 DE

7. Benjamin Jester – 113 "Born: 1845 IN

8. Emily Jester – 114

Born: 1846 IN

Spouse: (Lynette has written here: Try: Lewis Bolinger

marr. 28 Dec 1865 Douglas Co. ….something illegible….m: Emma Jester)

9. David Jester Born: 1851 IN

Spouse: (Lynette has written: Bell______ 1880 C Douglas Co.)

Marr: abt 1876 (written in)