Two Hundred Years of Our American Families

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Daniel Florence & Louvenia Domer Stewart Wedding

Louvenia Domer STEWART, Dink
 b. 31 JAN 1861*, Shelby County, AL
 m. Daniel "Dink" FLORENCE,
 2 DEC 1880, Dallas County TX,
 James W. Lively, presiding
 d. 16 OCT 1925, Rusk County, TX
 Overton Cemetery, Rusk County, TX

Daniel FLORENCE, Dink
 b. 22 MAY 1857
 m. Louvenia Domer STEWART,
 2 DEC 1880, Dallas County TX,
 James W. Lively, presiding
 d. 13 APR 1915, Rusk County, TX
 Overton Cemetery, Rusk County, TX

CHILDREN

1. Colemon FLORENCE
    b. 11 AUG 1882, Overton,
    Rusk County TX
    m. Hattie Evelyn GIBBS
    d. 14 APR 1948,
    Mineral Wells, Palo Pinto TX
    Overton Cemetery, Rusk County, TX
   
   
2. Delynne FLORENCE
    b. 14 NOV 1883
    d. 13 JUN 1903
    Overton Cemetery, Rusk County, TX
   
   

3. Preston Florence - Minister

   Preston FLORENCE
    b. 19 SEP 1885 *
    m. Sophie Eloise UNKNOWN
    d. 15 JUN 1977, Seminole,
    Gaines County TX
   
   
4. Georgia FLORENCE
    b. 2 OCT 1887
    d. 7 AUG 1904
    Overton Cemetery, Rusk County, TX
   
   
5. Wallace FLORENCE
    b. 25 SEP 1889, Rusk County TX
    m. Fay PATRICK, 23 SEP 1919
    d. 5 DEC 1957, Overton,
    Rusk County TX
    Overton Cemetery, Rusk County, TX
   
   
6. Douglas FLORENCE
    b. 12 APR 1892, Rusk County TX
    m. Eva G. MCAFEE, 31 DEC 1911
    d. 24 MAY 1943, Overton, Rusk County TX
    Overton Cemetery, Rusk County, TX
   
   
7. John Coxey (changed to Charles) FLORENCE, Jack
    b. 28 FEB 1894
    m. Opal Maudeline TEER, 1928
    d. 16 JUN 1975, Kern County CA
   
   
8. Agnes Gallentine FLORENCE
    b. 3 APR 1896
    m. Benjamin Clement PLOWMAN, ~1915
    d. 23 NOV 1955, Tulsa, Tulsa County OK
     Memorial Park Cemetery Tulsa, Tulsa County Oklahoma
   
   
9. Gladys FLORENCE
    b. 12 JUN 1898
    d. 17 MAY 1901
    Overton Cemetery, Rusk County, TX
   
   
10. Hazel Gladys FLORENCE
     b. 21 JAN 1902
     m. Charlie Barron MARTIN, 19 MAY 1921, Longview, TX
     d. 11 JUN 1991
     Overton Cemetery, Rusk County, TX

A third cousin in Overton has verified that Lovenia was called "Grandma Dink," and that her husband met her in Dallas County, where they were married.

In three censuses, 1860, 1870, and 1880, Lovenia is referred to as "D.E.", "Savannah", and "Dink." "Savannah" is bad handwriting and is actually Lavanna, or Lovenia. At first I thought there was a missing child, but there is only ever one child listed after "A.E.", or "Emma." Lovenia would not have been born in time for the 1860 census so I think her birth year must be off by one or two years. In 1870 she would have been 9, not 7, and in 1880 she would have been 19, not 17. There is no mention in the family Bible of another child dying, and I believe there would have been as the Bible was kept up during and after the war - until Sarah and Araminta D.'s death in 1878.

* The 1900 census lists Lovenia's birthdate as January 1862, Preston's as July 1885, and Wallace's as September 1889.

Of the five daughters of Louvenia and Daniel Florence, three died young. Gladys died in a fire at the age of 3, in 1901, Delynne died at the age of 20 in 1903, and Georgia died at the age of 17 in 1904, The youngest daughter, Hazel was born in 1902, just after Gladys's death and before Delynne and Georgia died. This must have been a difficult time for the family. Daniel is said to have had a spiritual revival. Agnes and Hazel survived into adulthood marrying respectively Benjamin Clement Plowman and Charles Barron Martin.

In the 1920 census Lovenia lives alone with her daughter Hazel. Daniel died in 1915. Coleman and Hattie are in Bakersfield, Kern County CA. Coleman is in Los Angeles in 1930.

NAMES
Both Louvenia and Daniel Florence bore the nickname "Dink." For Scots the word originally meant neat, or trim, evovling to mean small. A dinkey was a small train. Louvenia was the last child in the Stewart family so could have seemed small to all her older brothers and sisters.

Colemon Florence was probably named after Louvenia's mother - Araminta Domer Coleman, who died just a year and a half before Louvenia and Daniel were married. "Delynne" and "Georgia" are common names in the Florence line. William Wallace was probably named for Louvenia's eldest brother, Sir William Wallace Stewart, who died in the Battle of Jonesboro. John Coxey was named after Jacob Sechler Coxey, who organized Coxey's Army. John did not like the name and later changed it to Charles. His nickname was Jack. Agnes bore the nickname Gallantine, which may refer to Albert Gallatin, an American politician much admired in Texas. He proposed an intracoastal waterway across the South in competition with the railroads, resisted the admittance of Texas to the Union, and condemned the war with Mexico. Given that Louvenia and Daniel Florence gave John a nickname in homage to a political character it is not much of a stretch to believe they may have done the same thing with Agnes.

Obituary

On October 15, 1925, at the home of her son, Mr. Douglas Florence, of Overton, following several days illness, the silver cord was loosed, the golden bowl broken, and the spirit of Mrs. Dink Florence returned to God who gave It. She professed religion early in life, was a consistent member of the Methodist church. She was born in Shelby County, Alabama, January 31, 1861, moved with her parents to Dallas County, Texas, while still quite young, where she was married to Mr. Daniel Florence on Dec. 2nd, 1880. To this union 10 children were born, 5 sons and 5 daughters. Four of her children were with her during her last illness and did all that loving hands could do for her relief. Besides her children she is survived by two brothers and a host of friends. Happiness seemed to come to her through sacrifice and service. Posssessing a sunny disposition, she was able to wield a strong Godly infuence in her home and God blessed her with a son who preaching (sic) the gospel of Jesus Christ to dying men and women. About the last words the writer [heard] her say was that she was happy over the success her boy was having in the ministry.
Mrs. Alice Florence Grissom

Courtesy of John Orion Florence

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