The children of Oliver Loving and Susan Doggett Loving:
Sarah Irvin Loving (1831 – 1915) married John F. “Jack” Flint (1827 – 1886) in 1853. Jack Flint was about five years older than she was and had come to Texas from Kentucky, as had the Oliver Loving family. The Flints were a farming (and most likely ranching) family, according to the 1870 federal census and had three daughters and two sons born from 1857 to 1867. All the children lived to be adults, except for their first born daughter. The family lived first in Palo Pinto County and later moved to Young County. They had been living in Young County no more than a couple of years when Jack died of pneumonia in 1886. Sarah lived in town and survived him almost thirty years before she also passed. Both Sarah and Jack are buried in Oak Grove Cemetery in Graham.
James Carroll Loving (1836 – 1902) was the oldest son of Oliver and Susan Loving. James and the former Mary Ellen Willett (1840 – 1926) were married in 1857 and had three children, a daughter and two sons. James had grown up on the Loving family farm. At an early age, he began to drive a wagon in the family freight business while living in Collin County. The family later relocated to Palo Pinto County where they were living when the Civil War began. James served in a frontier unit that was primarily engaged in the defense of settlers against attacks from area tribes. After the end of the war, James was engaged in ranching and also operated a dry goods business for a while. The latter business was operated with his father, Oliver Loving, and was phased out after his father’s death. After this, he was primarily engaged in the cattle business and is believed to have led more than one trail drive north from Texas to sell to the government and other buyers.
The area cattle business rose and fell subject to markets, tribal attacks until around the 1870s and rustling. In mid to late years of that decade rangers banded together to form the Stock-Raisers’ Association of North-West Texas to combat rustling. James was one of the organizers and served as secretary of the entity for almost thirty years. It is still in existence and is now known as the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raiser’s Association.
James died at the age of sixty-six in November, 1902. He was survived by his wife, children and grandchildren. Members of the cattle association took a coach from Fort Worth to Weatherford for the funeral. The rail car was attached to the regular westbound passenger train scheduled to service Weatherford that day. Services were conducted by Presbyterian minister Rev. J. B. French. His wife, Mary Ellen Willett Loving survived him another twenty-four years. Both are buried in City Greenwood Cemetery in Weatherford.
William Willis “Wills” Loving (1838- 1861) married Corinthia Ann Durkee (1840 – 1907) in 1858. Wills is known to have worked on ranches and participated in cattle drives. He died of unknown causes while residing in Parker County, Texas when he was about twenty-three. Wills and Cynthia had one daughter. After Cynthia remarried, she had a number of children with her second husband. Wills is buried in City Greenwood Cemetery in Weatherford. Corinthia is buried in Smith County as is her second husband.
Susan Mary “Sue” Loving (1840 – 1915) was first married in 1856 to Dr. David Ford (1832 – 1866) who had served as a surgeon in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. The couple had four children, three sons and a daughter, during their ten years of marriage. At least two of their children lived to be adults. Dr. Ford died of unknown causes in 1866. She married Charles E. Rivers (1844 – 1871) in 1870. Their marriage was cut short when her husband died as a result of wounds received in an Indian attack a few months later. Susan was married a third and final time to Maxwell Brown “Max” Roach (1847 – 1886) with whom she had several children before his death in 1886. Susan died in 1915 and is buried in City Greenwood Cemetery along side Maxwell Roach.
Jane Evelyn Loving (1843 – 1901) married Orteus Cletus Wood Keeler (1826 – 1890) in 1861. O. W. was seventeen years older than Jane. The couple had at least five children, two daughters and three sons. Only the daughters lived to be adults. Two sons, age one and age five, died as children. The remaining son, Oliver, died of meningitis when he was about 16. O. W. was a school teacher. O. W. passed away in 1890 and Jane followed him in death in 1901. Both are buried in Fort Worth’s Oakwood Cemetery. On the same marker are Oliver Keeler and Ethyl Wilkes Andrews, believed to be a niece on the Keeler side of the family.
Joseph Bourland Loving (1846 – 1921) was the first of the children of Oliver and Susan Loving to be born in Texas. Joe was married to Sarah Isabelle “Belle” Millsap (1849 – 1910) in 1868. The couple had seven children, four of which are known to have died as children. Joe was working as a cowboy on the Goodnight-Loving cattle drive at the time his father Oliver died from wounds received in an Indian attack. At least two books (“The Loving Family in Texas, 1853 to 1953” by Willie Clytes Anderson Cullar, and “Interwoven- A Pioneer Chronicle” by Sallie Reynolds Matthews) note that Joe Loving brought his father’s body back to Weatherford from Fort Sumner, New Mexico.
A few years later on the morning of March 4, 1872, Joe and his family were living in Palo Pinto County when several of the settler families were attacked by Indians. The story was repeated in the July 21, 1912 issue of the San Antonio Light. At least one neighbor was killed trying to come to the aid of the Millsap family and Joe’s family. Joe and his father in law Fuller Millsap grabbed their weapons, mounted their horses and rode in pursuit of the Indians, but had not brought a supply of ammunition. Belle Millsap Loving’s next younger sister, Donnie Millsap, realizing the situation, picked up the shot pouch and powder horn, mounted another horse, and went after her father and Joe, who loaded their weapons and fired on the attackers as they escaped. They were successful in driving off the Indians. Donnie Millsap was wounded but recovered.
Belle passed away in 1919 and Joe followed her in death in 1921. Both are buried in Belvieu Cemetery in Rotan, Texas.
Annie Maria Loving (1848 – 1928) was married to Judge Isaac Newton Roach (1833 – 1902) in 1865. Judge Roach was a second cousin of Max Roach, husband of Sue Loving. Judge Roach and Annie Maria Loving had a son and a daughter. Isaac N. Roach was a practicing attorney in Weatherford after serving in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. Both Annie Marie and Judge Roach are buried in City Greenwood Cemetery in Weatherford.
George Barnet Loving (1850 – 1903) married Helen Mary Shepherd (1851 – 1926) in 1869 and the couple had two children. George Barnet Loving was a cattleman and later went into publishing with other members of the family when they founded Loving Publishing Company. He is buried in Fort Worth’s Greenwood Cemetery. Helen Mary Shepherd Loving survived him another 23 years and is buried in Evergreen Cemetery in El Paso.
Margaret Louise “Maggie” Loving (1852 – 1920) married Thomas J. Wilson (1839 – 1979) in 1868. The couple had at least three children. T. J. Wilson was elected sheriff of Palo Pinto County in 1876 and again in 1878. He was in Austin, Texas for some reason when he got into a quarrel with Marshal Hall of Sherman. Shots were exchanged resulting in Wilson being fatally wounded but Hall survived. Maggie married Dr. Charles Byron Raines, Jr. (1846 – 1912) in 1882. Tom Wilson and Maggie Raines are both buried in City Greenwood Cemetery in Weatherford. Dr. Raines was a well known surgeon who practiced many years in Mineral Wells. He is buried there in Elmwood Cemetery.
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