Raymond Gantt of Princeton, Texas

Looking through the old newspapers (Portal to Texas History), I came across this message.

Clipping source: Perkins, Tom W. & Wilson, Walter B. The Weekly Democrat-Gazette (McKinney, Tex.), Vol. 36, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 15, 1919, newspaper, May 15, 1919; McKinney, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth857020/: accessed April 23, 2019), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Collin County Genealogical Society.

Since our ancestors lived in Collin County, Texas (where Princeton also is) I wondered which of the cousins the Ramond Gant could be. I checked in our family tree, however, there was no Raymond Gant except our 4th cousin 3 times removed, John Raymond Gantt, the son of John Walter Gantt and Julia Ames DeSteiguer. That John Raymond was born on 19 July 1905 in Texas so most likely, he was too young to fight in WW1.

Consequently, I started further research to find the guy mentioned in the newspaper information piece. First, I tried my luck with the old newspapers included in Portal to Texas History. I found the names of Raymond's immediate relatives (at least some of them). Then, the Internet led me to the website which I had already known (Collin County History). More details brought the copies of documents listed at FamilySearch.

Here are the results of my work.

First of all, the man's full name was John Raymond Gantt. He was born on 28 June 1894 in Princeton, Collin, TX (1). John R's parents were Mort Couts Gantt and Lillie Florence Wilson who got married on 30 August 1891 in Collin, TX (2).

Mort Couts Gantt (b. 8 August 1871, Kaufman County, TX/d. 31 July, McKinney, Collin, TX) was one of the children of Dr. John C. Gantt and Jane Hardin (3). Mort's siblings were John, Sarah, William, Laura Jennie, Robert, Susie M, and Edward C.

Clipping source: Thompson, F. C. The Democrat. (McKinney, Tex.), Vol. 14, No. 25, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 22, 1897, newspaper, July 22, 1897; McKinney, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth191972/: accessed April 25, 2019), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Collin County Genealogical Society.

W H Gant was Mort's elder brother William. Mrs. Henry Wallace was Laura Jennie Gantt (b. 17 March 1860, TX/d. 8 Dec. 1930, Collin, TX). Susie M Gantt (b. 17 March 1864, TX/d. 9 Jan. 1931, Collin, TX) was the wife of Mr. Elmer L Wallace (b.1861/d. 1952). Henry Orman Wallace (b. 1 April 1853/d. 4 June 1926) and Elmer L were brothers. There are other Wallace people in our family tree, I have no idea, though how and if the two Wallace men are related to our Wallaces in any way. It seems that later, the spelling of Elmer and Henry's surname got changed to Wallis.

Clipping source: Thompson, F. C. The Democrat. (McKinney, Tex.), Vol. 20, No. 51, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 21, 1904, newspaper, January 21, 1904; McKinney, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth192208/: accessed April 25, 2019), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Collin County Genealogical Society. 

Anyway, during WW1 John Raymond served as Private (4) in the Infantry. The record included below tells us that Raymond's mother waited for her son's return longer than Ray had assumed. In the nepwsaper clipping (the top of this post) we can see he exprcted to be home after the 12th of May. He was actually demobilized on 22 May 1919.

Soon after he came back from the war, the family celebrated John Raymond's wedding. On 25 June (5), he married Miss Cora Velma Cave (b. 7 March 1896, Collin, Texas/d. 28 Feb. 1971).

Raymond, the son of Mort and Lillie worked as the Postmaster in Princeton. On 2 April 1930, Ray, Velma and their three children Genevieve (b. 1923), Robert Olan (b. 1924), and James Couts (b. 1930) were recorded in Princeton by a Census clerk (6).

Here is John Raymond's WW2 draft registration (7).

Two years later, on 31 July 1944, Mr. Mort Couts Gantt passed away.

Clipping source: Andrews, C. C. The Celina Record (Celina, Tex.), Vol. 43, No. 6, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 3, 1944, newspaper, August 3, 1944; Celina, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth773205/: accessed April 25, 2019), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Celina Area Historical Association. 

Mrs. W H Moseley (Wendel Holmes Moseley) mentioned in the clipping was Raymond's sister Ruth Marguerite (b. 22 March 1910, Princeton, Collin, TX/d. 4 August 1985, Collin, TX).

Other children of Mort Couts Gantt were

• Mrs. Ben Sheperd - Jennie Mae Gantt (b. 1892, Texas/d. 27 August 1972, Wichita Falls, Wichita, Texas). Ben D and Jennie married on 27 June 1909 (8)
• Mrs. George Anglin - Vida Ann Gantt (b. 26 July 1900, Collin, TX/d. 14 Oct. 1969, Paducah, Cottle, Texas). George and Vida married on 2 Nov. 1924 (9)
• Mrs. R R Littrell (Raymond Ray Littrell) - Irma Florence Gantt (b. 4 Feb. 1903, Texas/d. 15 Sept. 1993, Weston, Collin, Texas)
• Anitta Corine Gantt (b. 11 feb 1917, Collin, TX/d. 19 Feb. 2006, Princeton, Collin, TX) married Harry Welch Mack (b. 4 Nov. 1915/d. 15 Sept. 1969)
• E L (Elburn Lloyd) Gantt (b. 23 April 1905, Princeton, Collin, TX/d. 1988, Dallas, Dallas, TX - Princeton Public School Superintendent. He married Miss Velma Cleo Burt
• Walter B Wilson Gantt (b. 19 June 1907, Princeton, Collin, TX/d. 24 March 1970, McKinney, Collin, Texas), buisnessman - onion and cotton dealer - married Mary Allie West

Other persons mentioned in the clipping

• Mort's brother Ed (Edward C) Gantt (b. 9 August 1867, Terrell, Kaufman, Texas/d. 20 July 1949, Kaufman County, TX). His wife was Miss Janaramie Isadora Patton.
• Dinnis (Dennis Ivan) Vinzant 23 August 1906/d. 22 June 1976, Wichita, TX), Midwestern State University basketball coach - he was married to Miss Mae D Shepherd, teacher of English, the daughter of Jennie Mae Gantt and Ben Shepherd.
• Mrs. Henry Mack ? I guess a realtive of Harry Welch Mack 

John Raymond Gantt lived 78 years and eleven months and thirteen days. He passed away due to cardiac arrest on 13 May 1973.

To sum up, it seems very likely that it is not a coincidence - two men of the same names - John Raymond Gantt mentioned at the beginning of this article and 14 years older John Raymond Gantt of Princeton. I wish I could find the family line which connects them (and us to the Postmaster of Princeton, TX).

Resources:

1. "Texas Deaths, 1890-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K38X-XM4 : 13 March 2018), M C Gantt in entry for John Raymond Gantt, 13 May 1973; citing certificate number 35253, State Registrar Office, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,242,782.
2. "Texas Marriages, 1837-1973," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FX3J-YZT : 11 February 2018), M. C. Gantt and Lillie F. Wilson, 30 Aug 1891; citing , Collin, Texas, , reference 2:FRS313; FHL microfilm 1,289,598.
3. "Texas Deaths, 1890-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KSBB-61W : 13 March 2018), M C Gantt, 31 Jul 1944; citing certificate number 31969, State Registrar Office, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,137,795.
4. "Texas, World War I Records, 1917-1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV18-684Q : 13 March 2018), John R Gantt, 27 May 1918; citing Military Service, Farmersville, , Texas, United States, Texas Military Forces Museum, Austin.
5. "Texas, County Marriage Records, 1837-1965," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K61T-G51 : 10 December 2017), John R Gantt and Cora V Cave, 25 Jun 1919; citing Marriage, citing Collin, Texas, United States, Texas State Library, Archives Division, and various Texas county clerks; FHL microfilm 2,316,241.
6. "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:C7BR-JN2 : accessed 25 April 2019), Velma Gantt in household of Ray Gantt, Princeton, Collin, Texas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 5, sheet 1B, line 78, family 18, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 2309; FHL microfilm 2,342,043.
7. "United States World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XPGM-P5M : 8 November 2017), John Raymond Gantt, 1942; citing NARA microfilm publication M1936, M1937, M1939, M1951, M1962, M1964, M1986, M2090, and M2097 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
8. "Texas, County Marriage Index, 1837-1977," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK8Y-WKC2 : 10 December 2017), Ben D Shepherd and Mae Gantt, 27 Jun 1909; citing Collin, Texas, United States, county courthouses, Texas; FHL microfilm 1,289,602.
9. "Texas, County Marriage Records, 1837-1965," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K61Y-SKV : 10 December 2017), George A Anglin and Vida Ann Gantt, 02 Nov 1924; citing Marriage, citing Collin, Texas, United States, Texas State Library, Archives Division, and various Texas county clerks; FHL microfilm 2,316,241.
10. "Texas Deaths, 1890-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K38X-XMW : 13 March 2018), John Raymond Gantt, 13 May 1973; citing certificate number 35253, State Registrar Office, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,242,782.
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