Pylant Geneology

HICKMAN - Lucille Hickman, 80, of Ennis died Sept. 24 at the IOOF nursing home in Ennis. Mrs. Hickman was born April 26, 1912 , in Kaufman, the daughter of George Henry and Bessie Bell Pylant. She attended and graduated from public schools in Kaufman County. She married Wilbur C. (Joe) Hickman Feb. 14, 1941, and was employed as a seamstress for over 20 years with Haggar Slacks in Waxahachie. She was a member of the First United Methodist Church, Fidelis Sunday School Class and United Methodist Women. She was also a member of the Rebekah Lodge No. 381, serving on several committees, past Noble grand, past District Deputy President of District 40 and received the Decoration of Chivalry. She is survived by four nieces, Jan Ogelsby of Albuquerque, N. M., Linda Jeffries of Phoenix, Ariz., Gail Henry of Dallas and Cindy Cooper of Wylie, and two nephews, George and Kim Shirley, both of Waxahachie. Funeral services were held Tuesday, Sept. 29, at the Boze-Mitchell Funeral Chapel with Rev. John Dowd officiating. Interment was at Hillcrest Burial Park. Arrangements were under the direction of Boze-Mitchell Funeral Home.

PYLANT FAMILY - by Lucille Hickman Mr. Jeddiah Bell and Miss Theodocia Sandefur were married in Crystal Springs, Mississippi and had their first baby girl, Sallie, who died when one year old. They moved to Many and Pleasant Hill, Louisiana where they had eight more children. The family was sick a lot and they buried four of their eight children there. The remaining were Bud, Bessie, Guy, and Emma. Mr. Bell worked at a saw mill but with all the illness in his family, he had difficulty earning a living for his family. He made the decision to move to Texas, as he had heard that there was work to be had and it was a healthy country. He left and told his wife to be ready to move when he wrote to her. The Christian family, their neighbors, were also experiencing financial difficulties and wanted Mr. Bell to find a place in Texas for them too. When Mr. Bell got off the train at Terrell, he talked to Mr. Jim Nelson who said he needed a lot of cotton pickers. Mr. Bell explained he had four children and his friend, Mr. Christian, had eight and they were both ready to move. Mr. Nelson was excited to go with Mr. Bell to help him move because he had never before seen a saw mill. The Bells, their four childfen, the Christians, their eight children, and Mr. Nelson all boarded the train headed for Texas. The families had heard some tall tales about Texas, particularly about the "Blue Northers", so each one carried a heavy coat even though they were moving in the month of August. On the train they were served breakfast. The children were given corn flakes, which they had never seen. One of the little fellows was heard to remark, "Ma, they're giving us pine shavings with milk and expect us to eat it for breakfast." After the cotton harvest was over, the Bell and Christian families went their separate ways. Mr. Jeddiah Bell and his family rented a place from the Gibbs and Ellis farms. This was located between Ennis and Scurry, where they lived from 1908 to 1912. All of the Bell children grew up and married in Kaufman County. All have passed away, except one, Bessie Pylant who is 87 years old. In 1911 Miss Bessie Bell and George Henry Pylant were married. To this union four daughters were born, Lucille, Gladys, Willie and Betty. All were born in Kaufman County, near Scurry. Gladys died when she was one year old and was buried in Cottonwood Cemetery, near Grays Prairie, where Mr. Pylant's parents were. Willie married George Shirley and lives in Waxahachie; Betty married Hoyt Frazier and lives in Richardson with her daughter, Linda Richardson. Lucille married Joe Hickman, who passed away in 1976. Mrs. Lucille Hickman now lives in Waxahachie with her mother, Bessie Bell Pylant. Each of us watched Kaufman County grow and prosper and are proud to say that we are "from Kaufman County."