William Marion DUNNAGAN (DOAS)
BIOGRAPHY: Two children of William Marion Dunagan, Zoe and Barney, were born in the first home built in the northwestern part of the 60-acre tract of land the family owned. The existing well would not provide enough water, so a new well was dug in the extreme southeastern part of the tract. The house was then moved to that location. The other seven children were born at this home.
Will - as he was called - was a farmer. Loving agriculture as he did, he was the County Agent of Upshur County at one time. Later, he became connected with the Agriculture Department of Texas A&M College. He was extremely interested in all things that grew on the farm. He also was a school teacher - the first teacher at White Oak, Texas. The trustees at White Oak knew Will Dunagan was a good disciplinarian and they needed someone who could handle the boys.
He attended Baylor University. Also, he taught at Union Grove, communting on his horse 'old George.'
Will Dunagan 'wore the pants' in the family. He and his family would go to Gilmer once a year for supplies such as staple goods. They raised everything else. Across the road was a three-acre pasture with a live spring in which his wife, Florence, kept her butter and milk in order to keep it cool.
In later years, Will Dunagan sold the 60 acres and bought 90 acres on the West Mountain-Mings Chapel road and built a nice, large white house trimmed with green. Here, he also built a garage for the Model-T Ford, a smokehouse and a barn across the road on the west side. Gum Creek flowed through his farm.
At one time, Dell Dunagan raised a prize bale of cotton on the bottomland and won a new automobile.
The children at home had to ride horseback to school since they were so far from the West Mountain school. Two of the children, Isaline and Jack, rode Bess and 'old George' to school - picking up Marcelle Allen and her brother, Hulen, along the way. Marcelle rode behind Isaline on 'old George' and Hulen rode behind Jack on Bess.
What Marcelle did not like about her grandfather - known as Granddaddy - was that he always told Grandmother when she could use the sugar and flour to make teacakes. If she was going to make these 'good things,' it seemed she should be able to make then when she pleased. Not so in this family.
Lawauna Perdue Hill, one of the granddaughters told Marcelle that if they went to town on a rainy day, or after it had rained - and if the car got stuck on the muddy hill - she would get out and push the car and then hop in after he got out of the ruts. One time, though, she was doing this chore and failed to hop in. He drove on talking to her in the back seat where she always rode minding the eggs they were going to sell. This time, he suddenly found out she was not in the back. He turned around and went back for her. She told him she was not going.
Five members of the Will Dunagan family are buried in the West Mountain Cemetery.
Was a PFC U.S. Army in World War II and Korean War.
Additional children are suspected to have been born after William and before Ezekial.
He's buried in an unknown cemetery in Polk County, TN.
Private in the Continental Line of North Carolina. #1282.
He was a mounted gunman in Capt. Daniel Ross' Company...then in Colonel John Coffee's Regiment, which later was known as Colonel Allen's Regiment.
The surname RILEY may not be accurate.
See Notes and Source attached to marriage record.
Marriage Notes for James Donaldson and Mary (Polly) RILEY-454315
FOOTNOTE: I have no authoritative documentation that this is the
marriage of Martin Dunagan's parents.
In 1870, Permelia was living in Dickson County
ALBERT MARION DUNAGAN came to Fairfield, Freestone County, TX from Dickson County, Tennessee before the Civil War.
Marion Dunagan, presumed to be Albert Marion, was in Rusk County, Texas, in November, 1854.
He and Martha Holder had seven children, all of whom later moved from Fairfield.
In 1862, he joined a Texas brigade which fought at the battle of Mansfield, Louisiana. He lost a leg and was discharged April 28, 1864. His age was reported to be 19, but probably was 30 or 31.
He and Martha moved to Dallas in 1900. They are buried in Greenwood Cemetery near downtown Dallas. Death records indicate Albert Marion died November 5, 1911 in Kaufman County.
Death Certificates: 24662, 24677
Greenwood Cemetery is located near downtown Dallas at the intersection of Hall Street and Oak Grove, just a few blocks west of Central Expressway. Some 25,000 people are buried there.
The cemetery dates back to 1875 and was originally named Trinity Cemetery. It is believed to be a predominately Confederate cemetery.
The address is listed variously as 2501 Hall Street and 3020 Oak Grove.
The grave site is identified as Block 7, Lot 66, Space 7. This location is in the southeast quadrant of the lot, just a few feet from Hall Street.
The gravestone, about two feet wide and one foot high, reads:
A. M. Dunagan 1833-1911 "He showed his faith by his work"
The mother of MARTHA J. HOLDER was Mary Almeda Jackson, a school
teacher. She died at the Dunagan home on January 21, 1886.Nothing is known about Martha Holder's father.
Greenwood Cemetery is located near downtown Dallas at the intersection
of Hall Street and Oak Grove, just a few blocks west of Central
Expressway. Some 25,000 people are buried there.The cemetery dates back to 1875 and was originally named Trinity
Cemetery. This is believed to be a predominately Confederate cemetery.The address is listed variously as 2501 Hall Street and 3020 Oak
Grove.The grave site is identified as Block 7, Lot 66, Space 8. This
location is in the southeast quadrant of the lot, just a few feet from
Hall Street.The gravestone, about two feet wide and one foot high, reads:
Martha I. Dunagan 1844-1902 "Love and service crowned her life"
Mary Frances (Fannie) DUNNAGAN (DOAS)
Never married
William Lafayette DUNNAGAN (DOAS)
Wife unknown. Had two daughters
The first name of Sarah Munford's mother was Ann.
Died young