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JAMES MARION MARTIN was born in 1866 in Courtois, Washington County, Missouri 20 June 1866. He was the first child of Daniel Martin and Narcisses Huitt. Narcisses was the great granddaughter of James Huitt, Sr., who was an early settler (1805) in Bellevue, Washington County and the granddaughter of James Skaggs of Crawford County. James Martin had four brothers and one sister. After his mother died in childbirth with her sixth child James stayed with his father and his siblings were raised by various relatives. Daniel remarried in 1882 to Mrs. Sarah Jane Hawkins and eventually had five more children.
In 1892 James married his step-sister, Margie Frances Dicus Henslee. Margie was the daughter of Sarah Jane Hawkins and Brad Dicus and the widow of Jesse F. Henslee. Jesse and Margie had one daughter and James and Margie eventuallly had eight children four of whom died young.
In 1900 the James Martin family was residing in Reynolds County, Missouri but later moved back to Washington County. James' occupation was farming. Margie smoked a corn cob pipe and while residing at Irondale she maintained a still. She evidently passed her brewing tallents on to her son, Guy, as he was known to make homebrew a concoction which he referred to as "Panther Piss". Margie had psychic abilities (premonitions) a trait she inherited from her mother who was part Indian (Native American). Margie also told people's fortunes by reading tea leaves in the bottoms of tea cups and many of her predictions came true. Her favorite expression was, "Why, it's a sin to the crickets and grasshoppers!" She loved to dance and could not keep still whenever she heard "dancin' music". (Makes me think of Granny in the Beverly Hillbillies!)
James Martin died suddenly at age 75 while residing in Potosi, Washington County, Missouri. At 7:00 p.m. on June 3rd, 1942 he was returning home from Adams grocery store on Depot Hill. He collapsed on the porch and was dead before help could be summoned. Margie eventually remarried in southern Missouri, but later divorced and resumed the Martin name. She died at the home of her daughter, Ollie Maxwell, at 906 N. Mine St. in Potosi on November 17th 1955. Her age was 86 years, 11 months and 2 days. She is buried next to James, her husband of 50 years, in New Masonic Cemetery, Potosi.
James and Margie's children:
Cloa - (Margie's daughter by previous husband Jesse F. Henslee) b: 3 Jan. 1888 - d: 22 Oct. 1924 - buried: Mitchell Cem., Randolph T., Leadwood, St.FranCoMo - married Calvin Akins
Myrtle
Gladys
two other Martin children died young.
Ida Bell Martin married James Cooper. They had six children one of whom died as a child. Mr. Cooper was once sheriff of Washington County. Ida died in St. Charles County in 1988 at the age of 96 years and is buried in New Masonic Cemetery, Potosi. "Aunt Idie" was a very sweet and loving person and I have many fond memories of her.
GUY THOMAS MARTIN - was born 3 Jan. 1898 at Palmer, Washington County, Missouri. He married Berdie Mae Henderson in St. Francois County and they had eleven children one of whom died in infancy. Guy served in the U.S. Army in WWI. [Guy played the harmonica very well. He was a real scrapper and got into many fights!] My grandfather died in 1969 in St. Louis and is buried in New Masonic Cemetery, Potosi.
Olive Bradley Martin was first married to Ben Maxwell. They had seven children. After Ben's death she married Harry Engleke. Ollie died in 1973 and is buried in New Masonic Cemetery, Potosi.
Joseph Daniel Martin was married to Elva Dickey. Joseph died in 1961 and is buried next to his parents in New Masonic Cemetery, Potosi.
Dillon insisted on being in the picture. I kept pushing him away but he kept coming back. So I finally decided to let him be in the picture. He loves posing for the camera!
MISCELANEOUS MARTIN INFO:
Criminal Records - Crawford County Missouri
Otis Martin - placing dynamite in water - 5 May 1903 - guilty - $100
fine - Bk. P, Pg 310
SEARCHING FOR PICTURE OF GUY MARTIN