John Tolbert Browning
Information furnished by Marylee W. KnightJohn Tolbert Browning was born July 5, 1857 in Tennessee. He was the son of Alvin Browning (and possibly Penina" Penny" Durdin). Alvin died after a fall from a horse when John Tolbert was a boy. According to Browning family lore, John Tolbert and a cousin, Pete Browning, came to Texas after the Civil War. It is said the pair walked all the way from the area of Nashville TN to East Texas, carrying their shoes so as to not wear them out on the journey. They reportedly arrived in Panola County around Christmas although the exact year is not remembered. John Tolbert died May 18, 1924 and is buried in Langley Cemetery.
On Oct. 1, 1874 married Martha Watson, the daughter of William and Nancy (Lindsey) Watson. Martha was born in 1851 in Panola County. The date of Martha's death is unknown , but it is known that she was buried in Old Macedonia Cemetery in the Holland's Quarters Community of Panola County. Tolbert and Martha's only child, Willie Browning, died while very young and is also buried in Old Macedonia Cemetery.
On Sept. 18, 1881, Tolbert married Mary Ellen Watson, also the daughter of William and Nancy (Lindsey) Watson and a sister of his first wife, Martha. Mary Ellen died April 10, 1885 and is buried in Old Macedonia Cemetery. Tolbert and Mary's children were Ada Browning, who died while very young and is buried in Old Macedonia Cemetery, and Thomas Edgar Browning, who was born Nov. 2, 1884, and will be detailed in another section.
It was probably after the death of Mary Ellen that John Tolbert's sister Annie Browning came from TN to TX . Browning family tradition said she came after "the death of one of his wives to help him with the children". Annie later married William Walter Harris.
Mary (Watson) Browning died without a will and the inventory of her estate in the probate proceedings listed the following assets: 68 acres of land in the Elijah Morris survey on the west side of the Sabine River valued at $68, four head of cattle valued at $70, one mare valued at $60 and household furnishings valued at $75. However, deed records indicate that prior to Mary's death she and Tolbert had sold the 68 acres of land to Mary's brother Jim (James Newell Watson) for one bay mare valued at $68 exchanged as payment in full. This land would be Mary's inheritance from the estate of her maternal grandmother Catherine Lindsey.
Following Mary's death, Tolbert married for a third time on Sept. 4, 1887 to a widow, Mrs. Mary Ellen (Hays) Cock. Tolbert and Mary Ellen had no children. However, at the time of their marriage, Mary Ellen had a seven-year old daughter from her previous marriage to C.R. Cock. One month after Mary Ellen married Tolbert, little Dovie Cock died on Oct. 1, 1887 and is buried in Fite Cemetery in the Riderville Community. Mary Ellen was born in 1855 and died in 1902. She is also buried in Fite Cemetery along with others of the Hays family.
On May 31, 1903 Tolbert married Mrs. Texas (Parker) Vanderberg. Texas was the daughter of Moses and Mary (Brinson) Parker and a sister of Linus Parker, who was a prominent Beckville merchant. Although she was called "Texas", her marriage license with John Tolbert lists her name as "Texana". However, her first marriage license issued Jan 20, 1884 when she married J.S. Vanderburg, shows her name as "Lillie E. Parker".
Texas was born 1873, died 1965 and is buried in Langley Cemetery. Texas' children from her first marriage were Mable Vanderberg, Luther Vanderberg, Erby Vanderberg and Oshie Vanderberg, who married C.L. Beason. Texas and Tolbert had two sons, Sigsbee Browning and Alvin Browning, who was born in 1923 when Tolbert was 66 years old and Texas was 50.