"My Work is Done, and Well Done"

Obituary of James F Box

James Francis Box is my 2nd great-granduncle.  He was the oldest son of Michael and Mary (Fulcher) Box and the brother of my 2nd great-grandfather, Grief Johnson Box.  

James was born about 1798 in Tennessee and died on 14 March 1860 in Kaufman County, Texas.  His obituary was found on FamilySearch.org using their Full Text search.  It was in the Dallas Herald Newspaper, 11 April 1860, image 62 of 663, Image Group #009054840.

James F Box Obituary

Transcription of obituary:

DIED

Of consumption, at the residence of William H. Carter, in Kaufman County, March 14th, Mr JAS. F. Box, in the 61st year of his age, in full triumph of the Christian faith. A few days before he died, the Pastor of the C. P. Church in Kaufman, administered the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper to him and a few of his friends who had assembled to see him die. He then said, "I have nothing to fear -- my work is done, and well done." Afterwards he told his wife that she had done all for him she could do, and now he wanted her to go and select a place for his grave. And when she returned and reported that she had done so, he then asked her to take the Bible and read the 17th chapter of the Gospel of St. John. Having previously arranged all his business, and chose a home for his wife, he exhorted her to hold out faithful and meet him in Heaven, and then fell quietly asleep in Jesus.
Kaufman, Texas, March 24th, 1860.

Box Family Posts:

Michael and Mary Box Family 
Thomas Box 

Lydia Box McCollum Lawsuit

Lydia Box McCollum 

Martha Ann's Maiden Name is Found

 The maiden name for the wife of James Wilson is 
Martha Ann Little

For years Wilson family historians have searched for a maiden name for Martha Ann, the wife of James Wilson of Collin County, Texas.  About 13 years years ago, Randy Wilson left the following message on Ancestry.com:

Martha Ann Unknown's surname may have been Little??? One or more of our deceased relatives believed that Martha Ann's surname was Little; we don't have documentation for this but will do further research.  This information (may have been a recollected guess) would have came from Martha Ann Wilson's granddaughter, Martha Ann Roberts Tucker who died in 1959.

With no documentation to support this information, nothing more was done.  Since then there has been a lot of research on the James Wilson family in general, but no maiden name was ever found for Martha Ann.  And as of yet, no marriage record has ever been found.  So Martha Ann has been without a maiden name for years😢.

But recently while using the new "Full Text" search on FamilySearch.org, a civil court document from 1882 Collin County, Texas was found, and BINGO -- Martha was recorded by her maiden name in the court document.  The above information left on Ancestry.com from Randy Wilson in 2013 was correct. 

Martha Ann's maiden name is Little. 

The 1882 civil court document concerns the estate of Martha A. Little Wilson, who married James Wilson in Tennessee and moved with him to Collin County, Texas in 1845.  Martha died without a will in August 1873. The record, dated January 1882, involves family members—Mary C Helms, Elizabeth Roberts, and W. B. Wilson—who are heirs of James and Martha residing in Collin County. The dispute centers on property acquired by James and Martha Wilson during their marriage.

1882 Collin, Texas Civil Case Papers
FamilySearch.org, Image Group #008408172

A summary of the document will first be given, then there will be a transcription of the document shown above.  Make note that this is only one page of 150 pages involved in this civil court case spanning from November 1881 to June 1882.

Names and Relationships

• James Wilson and Martha A. Little Wilson (married; citizens of Tennessee; later residents of Collin County, Texas)
• Mary C. Helms and J.S. Helms  (married; residents of Collin County, Texas)
• Elizabeth Roberts and W.J. Roberts (married; residents of Collin County, Texas)
• W. B. Wilson (residing in the Chickasaw Nation division of Indian Territory)

Dates

• 1843: James Wilson and Martha A. Little - marriage in Tennessee (Note: This date is inaccurate)
• 1845: James and Martha Wilson - immigration to Texas, settled in Collin County
• 1873 August: Martha A. Wilson - death in Collin County, Texas
• 1881-1882: Civil court dispute in Collin County, Texas 

Summary of Document 

• This document from the District Court of Collin County, Texas, dated January 1882, concerns the estate of  Martha A. Little Wilson, deceased wife of James Wilson. James and Martha married in Tennessee, moved to Texas in 1845, and lived in Collin County until Martha’s death in 1873. The case involves their heirs  – daughter, Mary C Wilson Helms and her husband J.S. Helms; daughter, Elizabeth Wilson Roberts and her husband W.J. Roberts; and son, W. B. Wilson, regarding property identified as community property belonging to James and Martha Wilson. 

Transcription of above document:

The State Texas}   In the Hon District Court of
Collin County}       Collin County, Texas
Jany Term AD1882
In the Hon District Court aforesaid
Mary C Helms who is joined by her husband J S Helms & Elizabeth Roberts who is joined with W J Roberts all of whom reside in Collin County Texas and W B Wilson who resides in the Chickasaw division of the Indian Territory plaintiffs herein complaining of A. M. Wilson who resides in Collin County Texas would represent and show that heretofore towit on the day of 1843 James Wilson and Martha A Little being then citizens of the Tennessee intermarried and afterwards towit on the day of 1845 they emigrated the State of Texas and settled in Collin County in said State and lived together in said County & State as husband and wife until the death of the said Martha A Wilson who died in Collin County Texas intestate on towit the 16^th day of August 1873 . That during the time the said James Wilson and Martha A Wilson lived together as husband and wife they accumulated and acquired considerable property real and personal among which was the tract of land and premises herein described Plaintiffs over and charge that was the community property of the said James Wilson and his deceased wife Martha A Wilson 

Additional Wilson Family Posts:
James Wilson in Jail
Chambersville Cemetery