JOHN MONROE “ELLIOT” PRIEST AND MARTHA ALICE GENTRY

John Monroe Elliot “Elliot” Priest was born in 1858. I always thought he was named for his Father. We don’t know John Priest’s middle name for sure but I strongly suspect it was Monroe. However, I learned from the trial transcripts of Abner James’ trial that John M. Elliot was one of Abner James’ attorneys. I now assume that he was named after him. Either that or they killed two birds with one stone. I think a Stratton probably led a part to Arkansas and Elliot must have been the first Priest to follow the them to Carroll County, Arkansas. He married Martha Alice Gentry in Carroll County, Arkansas in 1883.

Elliot and Martha had four children that I know of: Abner Monroe, Charles Monroe, Fannie L., and Benjamin Franklin. When Elliot died in 1899 at 40 of influenza he lived very close to his younger brother, my great-grandfather, Monterville near Yocum, Arkansas.

I have been very fortunate to be in contact with Guy Priest of Raymond, Washington who is Abner’s grandson. He has shared many wonderful pictures with me and put me in touch with Benjamin Franklin’s family. Guy is my cousin who has had his DNA tested so I can hopefully prove who John Priest’s parents are. I am forever indebted to Guy.

It was John Monroe’s sons Abner, Charlie and Benjamin Franklin who I suspect followed their cousin Keenis to Washington to work in the logging camps in the early 1990’s. Kennis’ brother Sherman and my grandmother Ellen followed shortly after 1910.

Abner Monroe was born in 1888. Around 1910 he and his brother Charlie were working in the logging camps in Labam, Washington in Pacific County. It was because of Abner and Charlie that my Grandmother (their cousin) was allowed by her father to move to the State of Washington. By 1912 Abner had married Louise Rebecca Painter in Labam. It was because her family that needed help in Auburn, Washington where my grandmother moved after about a year at the logging camps. Abner and Louise had three children Lenora Elsie “Elsie”, Ulysses Grant “Grant”, and Martha Ruth “Ruth” from left to right.

Louise Painter Priest died in 1921 of influenza.

Elsie married Loren Laird and they had a son Bobby. Elsie died in Raymond, Washington in 1981.

Grant married Hazel Fox and they had two children Guy and Bonnie. Grant died in 2001. Guy still lives on his grandfather homestead in between Labam and Raymond, Washington. Ruth Scott Walker Smith Moule had husbands and two sons: Dan and Paul Scott. She died in Eugene, Oregon in 1995.

Abner then married Arizona who was know as “Zoney” who was part Indian. She was from West Virginia. They had a daughter Stella who was born in 1926. Below is a picture of Stella Liewemma Priest as a baby.

You can go to John Monroe Elliott’s family picture page for additional pictures of his family.

Charles “Charlie” Monroe was born in 1889. Charlie traveled between Carroll County, Arkansas and Pacific County in Washington because in 1922 he married Ola Mae Mattox in Carroll County, Arkansas. On the back of their picture is written “Charles Priest recently came in from the West and claimed for his bride Miss Ola Mattox. Charlie is a nephew of Mont Priest near Yocum and his bride is the accomplished daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Riley Mattox of Denver and one of the highest esteemed young ladies. The newlyweds were charivaried on night last week at the James Priest home. We haven’t learned where they will reside but our best wishes follow them.” Ola died in childbirth in October 1923 along with their baby and is buried in Arkansas.

Charlie joined the Navy in WWI.   After the was he remarried and his second wife’s name was Myra. He and Myra didn’t have any children. My grandmother really liked Charlie. He eventually left logging and in the 1930 census his occupation is a farmer. He died in 1969 in Raymond, Pacific County, Washington.

Although Raymond, Washington is only a couple of hours from Woodinville, I never knew Grandmother still had cousins there. My Aunt Frances, however, remembers Grandmother going to visit them when she was young. Somehow they lost touch after Charlie died. I am very grateful to have connected with my cousins. The picture below is of Abner and Charlie’s families about 1946. I don’t know who Almeda and her husband are.

I didn’t know anything about Fannie or Benjamin Franklin “Frank” until recently. Guy as put me in touch with Dan Scott and his wife Linda Woolley. They have given me a lot of leads and pictures.

Fannie L. Priest was born Sept 18, 1890 in Golden, Missouri and died in Houston, Texas in January 1979. We think this is a picture of Fannie with her Mother Martha Alice Gentry Priest. Fannie moved to Houston as a young girl because in 1910 she is living there and working as a stenographer for S H Kress & Co. By 1920 she owned her own home. She lived her whole adult life in Houston and married Mr. Mackey after 1957. This is a picture of Fannie on the left with her niece Ruth (Abner’s daughter) on the right. After Ruth’s first husband Hal Scott died Ruth and her two young sons Dan and Paul went to live with Fannie in Houston until about 1957. She was single at the time.

Benjamin Franklin “Frank” Priest was born in Golden, Missouri in October 1896 three years before his father died. I received from Dan Scott and his wife Linda Woolley quite a bit of information about Frank Priest. Included in the information they sent me was a Postcard from Benjamin Franklin to Abner in Labam, Washington on Feb 1912 from Berryville Arkansas. He would have been 16. “Mother has been at home about three weeks. I don’t know how Charlie is going to work for Uncle Grant have not saw him since we got here. I am going to school yet. It is cold tonight. Your Brother Frank.” I am assuming that Frank and Charlie have been out in Washington and have gone back to Arkansas.

The next postcard I have is from Benjamin Franklin to Charles Priest in Holcomb, Washington May 7, 1917. “I have enlisted as of a yeoman. Dear Brother, I am on my way to [sic] New Port, Rode Island. I will write mother when I get there. I hope you are getting along fine. Frank Priest.” So Charlie must have gone back to Washington before 1917. Frank was in the Navy for two years. After the Navy he landed in San Francisco and in 1920 he is a clerk in the Post Office in San Francisco. In 1927 he married Helen Darch from an Oakland socialite family. In 1930 he was the principal of a Secretarial School. He and Helen had three children: Benjamin Franklin, Charles Albert and Barbara Ann. Hopefully I will be in contact with this family more.

You can go to John Monroe Elliott’s family picture page for more pictures of his family.