The story that has been past on to me about Grandma Rowland (Ellena Allred Rowland) and how she got to Texas is:

Ellena Allred was born in Blount Co., Alabama in April 10, 1882 on Berry Mountain. One of eight children of Adam David & Ellendor Jane Jones (daughter of John Kannon & Margaret Elizabeth Handley Jones) Allred.

The children of Adam & Ellendor are Roxie Samantha, b. 17 Mar. 1878; Almeda, b. June, 1879; Emma L., b. Jan. 8, 1880, d. Oct. 10, 1880; Ellena “Lena” b. April 10, 1882; David Emery, b. 2 Oct. 1883; Della A. b. Mar. 31, 1886; Albert James, b. 22 Dec. 1887 and Trudy, b. Oct. 4, 1889, d.June 30, 1890.

Adam David is the g-g-grandson of the original Thomas Allred, thru Thomas Jr. to Lemuel to Andrew and Lavisa Arminda Elizabeth Easley Allred. Three of Andrews’ children married three of John Kannon Jones’ children.

   In the year of 1890, both Adam and Lavisa died of typhoid, he in March and her in May, leaving seven children. The legend passed to Belinda Thomas Alexander, granddaughter of Samantha, is that after their parents died some relatives moved into their parents’ home and made the children live in the barn. During this time, because of not having enough milk for the baby, Trudy, she passed away that same year. When their grandfather, John K. Jones, found out about what was happening, he took the children to live with them. Their grandmother, Margaret Handley Jones, died August 2, 1891.

On March 16, 1892, John K. left Blount Co., Alabama for the greener grass of Texas. With him he brought the children of Adam and Ellendor Allred, along with his son, William, who was married to Eudoxy Catheryn Allred, sister to Adam David. Also son, Preston and his family. My grandmother, Ellena, told they came by covered wagon. With nothing to eat but mostly cornbread the whole trip, which lasted about three weeks.

They came to Fannin County, Texas close to Bonham.

In 1897, John K. went back to Alabama, taking with him the two younger children of Adam & Ellendor, Della & Albert. They Later returned to Texas to live with their brothers and sisters.

In 1898, Ellena was living with an Aunt Mary Jones and her husband, Andrew King when she met Calvin Rowland. Because of advances Andrew was making toward her, she told Calvin, he said they would get married.

They were married on September 2, 1898. They lived near Bailey when their first three children, Anne, Opal and Dale were born. They then moved to Haughton, Fannin Co., where the next three were born, Oleta, William and Connie, . They then moved west to Hardeman Co., where Albert was born in 1911. By 1914 they had moved back east to Pittsburg, Camp Co, Texas, where my mother, Eva Valerie was born.

For some reason by 1916 they had moved back to Hardeman Co., where the last two children were born, Margaret & Eugene. They moved around in Hardeman County from farm to farm. By 1922 Calvin and Ellena bought a home in the town of Quanah, Hardeman Co., where they lived out the rest of their lives.

Some of my best memories of times spent at grandmas was drawing water from the cistern at the side of the house and playing on the rock wall in front of the house. There was porch swing at the West end of the porch with a trestle of sweet pea vines covering at end of the porch.

I always enjoyed going to grandmas when all the children would come for Thanksgiving. That is when I would get to see all my cousins.

By: Mirion Finch Cloud