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Capt. Sylvanus Abner Minter
(1834-1912)
Sylvanus Abner Minter was born in Putnam County, Georgia. He was 21 years old when the Minters migrated to Texas in 1855. He was a farmer and lived the rest of his life at Stouts Creek near Pine Forest. At the advent of the Civil War, he entered the Confederacy as a Captain, and served throughout the War. His nephew John Thomas Minter (1837-1866) served as a lieutenant under him. Sylvanus married Matilda E. (Bailey) Minter.
Sylvanus Abner "Ab" Minter (b.1834 - d.1912).
Sylvanus' wife, Matilda "Mattie" E. (Bailey) Minter (b.180 - d.1907).
L-R: Sylvanus Abner Minter, Guy Forest Minter (b.1903 - d.1912), Grace Minter (b.1898 - d. 1993), Margie M. (Penn) Minter (b.1877 - d.1970), and young Hazel Minter (b.1905 - d.1986) in front of Margie, Gretta (Minter) Foster (b.1896 - d.1949), and Dr. Guy Z. Minter (b.1869 - d.1915). Sylvanus was a captain in the Civil War and served as a Regimental Commander for the Confederacy. The house behind the family, in the picture above, belonged to Dr. Guy Z. Minter and it sold for $65,000 in 1998. The magnolia tree behind Sylvanus was still alive in 1999. The house was built in 1903 of lumber hauled by wagon from Jefferson, Texas. Square nails were used in the construction.
These photos are of Dr. Guy Z, Minter's home that was built in 1903. These photos were taken in 2003. Notice a carport has been added to the house. Also, notice how much the Magnolia tree has grown.
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Music class taught by Miss Beulah Williams at the home of Dr. Guy Z. Minter.
Girls in back row: Lucille Lollar, Anna Combs (Brewer), Leona Bradford (Combs), Jessie Richey (Watkins), Alice Bradford (Richey). Standing directly under the window. Perhaps Grace and Gretta Minter, Dr. Minter's daughters, are in this picture since this is at their home. This picture was taken in 1909.
Photo courtesy of Gretta (Combs) Reich by way of Tommie (Reeves) Smith.
Prue Eugenia Minter (b.1900 - d. 2000), was the granddaughter of Sylvanus Abner Minter; and daughter of John Pleasant "Cousin Plez" Minter (b.1867 - d.1948) and Annlee "Leah" (Greenwood) Minter (b.1878 - d.1933). Prue, who never married, lived and died in Houston, Texas.
L-R: Gretta (Minter) Foster (b.1896 - d.1949), Exa (Minter) Wilson (b.1899 - d.1977), and Grace Minter (b.1898 - d.1993).
Gretta and Grace are daughters of Dr. Guy Z. Minter. Exa is a daughter of Samuel Augustus Minter (b.1876 - d.1960) and Lela (Melson) Minter (b.1878 - d.1960).
Margie (Penn) Minter, wife of Dr. Guy Z. Minter, with their children at the time. There is Guy Forest, Grace, Gretta, and Hazel. Marlin P.J. hadn't been born. Early 1900s; before 1909.
A picture of Prue Minter (b.1900 - d.2000) with her caretaker. The occasion was a party at her retirement residence during the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, celebrating Go Texan Day! Taken March 6, 2000.
William "Bill" Thurman (b.1920 - d.1995) was the son of Annie Monk (Minter) Thurman (b.1899 - d.1989) and Dewitt Talmage Thurman (b.1896 - d.1965). Bill was a character actor who starred in more than 150 films and television movies including The Last Picture Show, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Where the Red Fern Grows, Swamp Creature, Tom Horn, Silverado, Raggedy Man, Places in the Heart, Creature from Venus, and Bonnie and Clyde. Bill was also a World War II veteran who served in the U.S. Marine Corps, receiving a Purple Heart.
Gretta (Minter) Foster (b.1896 - d.1949), daughter of Dr. Guy Z. Minter. Gretta taught school in Pine Forest.
Marlin P.J. Minter (b.1909 - d.1995), son of Dr. Guy Z. Minter and Margie (Penn) Minter.
Photo courtesy of Mark Morrow.
Unknown school house picture.
Royal Neighbors of America, Greenwood No. 6006. Front row, second from the left is Sarah Addilin Williamson Combs (Mrs. James Henry Combs). Second row, far right, is Nancy Culpepper Bradford (Mrs. James Cope Bradford). Third row, far right, is Mattie (Culpepper) Minter (Mrs. Robert Edwin Minter). Circa 1896-1918.
Royal Neighbors of America, established in 1895, was a fraternal organization for women. It also provided insurance. The organization still exists today.
Photo courtesy of Gretta Combs Reich.
Joseph O. Minter, Jr. (b.1906 - d.1942), son of Joseph O. "Ollie" Minter (b.1865 - d.1925) and Ada (Ramey) Minter (b.1884 - d.1951). Joseph Jr. died at an early age due to complications resulting from Typhoid Fever and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
The adult is Ada M. (Ramey) Minter (b.1884 - d.1951). She is holding her daughter, Dorothy (Minter) Andrade (b.1913 - d.2002), while her son, Joseph O. Minter, Jr. (b.1906 - d.1942), is sitting on the armrest. Ada is the wife of Joseph Oliver "Ollie" Minter (b.1865 - d.1925) and is the niece of Susan (Ramey) Minter.
Marlin P.J. Minter played the drums in a band in his high school years. He is the 9th person from the left, by the piano.
Melvina Miriam "Mattie" (Culpepper) Minter (b.1876 - d.1958), wife of Robert Edwin Minter (b.1860 - d.1921). The child shown here with Mattie is Tommie Sue (Reeves) Smith (b.1941), a grand niece. Tommie lives in Grand Prairie, TX with her husband, Mr. Robert Smith (b.1939).
Marlin P.J. Minter (b.1909 - d.1995), son of Dr. Guy Z. Minter and Margie (Penn) Minter.
Neita Gray (Hill) Smith (b.1887 - d.1965), daughter of Julia (Minter) Hill (b.1864 - d.1916) and Benjamin Hindman Hill (b.1862 - d.1930). Neita was married to Jesse Cummings Smith (b.1875 - d.1969).
Neita Gray (Hill) Smith (b.1887 - d.1965).
Cecile G. (Minter) Redman (b.1899 - d.1993) with her husband Frank P. Redman (b.1893 - d.1979). Cecile was the daughter of John Pleasant "Pleas" Minter (b.1867 - d.1948) and Annlee (Greenwood) Minter (b.1878 - d.1933).
On Right: Melvina Miriam "Mattie" (Culpepper) Minter (b.1876 - d.1958), wife of Robert Edwin Minter (b.1860 - d.1921). Mattie's father, John Malcolm Culpepper (b.1839 - d.1930), at left, came to Pine Forest from Alabama at about the same time as the Minters came from Georgia to Pine Forest. John was a special friend of Robert Anthony Minter. He was also an authentic Confederate hero of the Civil War.
John Malcolm Culpepper (b.1839 - d.1930), at left, with son William Jahue Culpepper. Photo taken circa 1920.
L-R: Jesse C. Smith, Sr. (b.1875 - d.1969); his second wife, Neita Gray (Hill) Smith; their daughter, Dorothy Ruth (Smith) Crites (b.1918); son, Max Minter Smith; and relative, Gussie Minter (b.1903 - d.1991), daughter of Augustus H. "Gus" Minter (b.1861 - d.1929)
Neita Gray (Hill) Smith (b.1887 - d.1965) with her daughter Dorothy Ruth (Smith) Crites (b.1918).
Neita Gray (Hill) Smith with her baby brother Samuel Minter Hill (b.1889 - d.1980). Sam would later become a doctor and practice medicine in a well-known clinic in Dallas, Texas.
Dorothy Ruth (Smith) Crites, on left, with her brother, Max Minter Smith. Ca. 1923.
L-R: Max Minter Smith (b.1920 - d.2012), Jesse C. Smith, Jr. (not a Minter descendant), Neita Gray (Hill) Smith; Dorothy Ruth (Smith) Crites, and Gussie Minter. At the time, cousin Gussie was living with the Smith family and working for Mr. Jesse C. Smith, Sr., who was superintendent of the Fulton Bag & Cotton Mills. It was during this time that Gussie met and married a man by the name of William Everett. The car photographed here is a 1927 Hudson Essex.
L-R: Gussie Minter, Dorothy Ruth (Smith) Crites, Max Minter Smith, and Neita Gray (Hill) Smith.
Sharon Anita (Smith) Kleinschmidt (b.1957), daughter of Max and Juanita Mae (Folgesong) Smith. Sharon married Kevin Kleinschmidt and currently resides in Arkansas.
Sharon Anita (Smith) Kleinschmidt (b.1957) receiving her MRE (Masters of Religion Education) from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas.
Max Minter Smith (b.1920 - d.2012) and wife Juanita (Foglesong) Smith (b.1925 - d.1996) with their daughter Sharon Anita (Smith) Kleinschmidt (b.1957).
Max Minter Smith (b.1920 - d.2012), son of Jesse C. Smith, Sr. and Neita Gray (Hill) Smith.
Two pictures of Juanita (Foglesong) Smith, wife of Max Minter Smith.
Max Minter Smith and his wife, Juanita (Foglesong) Smith.
Two photos of Max Minter Smith (b.1920 - d.2012). The photo on the right was when he was in the US Army during World War II.
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Jesse C. Smith, Sr. with his daughter, Dorothy Ruth (Smith) Crites (b.1918).
Neita Gray (Hill) Smith with her daughter Dorothy Ruth (Smith) Crites at the Dallas Fair.
1. Bertha Hill (Minter) Chapman (b.1894 - d.1977). 2. James Williams Chapman, husband of Bertha. 3. Joe Kenneth Smith. 4. Neita (Hill) Smith. 5. James Ray Chapman (in front of parents) 6. Dorothy (Smith) Crites (b.1918). 7. John Harold Chapman. 8. Max Minter Smith.
Note: Bertha Minter was daughter of Robert Edwin Minter (b.1860 - d.1921).
Dorothy Ruth (Smith) Crites (b.1918). Circa 1944.
L-R: Edward McLaughlin, son-in-law of Dr. Samuel Minter Hill; Dr. Samuel Minter Hill; Mary Jane (Hill) McLaughlin, daughter of Dr. Hill; and Mary (Dey) Hill, wife of Dr. Hill and mother of Mary Jane.
Dorothy Ruth (Smith) Crites (b.1918) with her son, Faries McRee "Mike" Covington (b.1955) in his home in Lubbock, TX.
Back Row, standing, L-R: Faries McRee "Mike" Covington (b.1955), Cartha (Lind) Covington (b.1956), Ginny. Middle row, L-R: Frank, Robert McCormick Crites (b.1917 - d.2006), Dorothy Ruth (Smith) Crites (b. 1918), Jerry, Merle. Bottom row, L-R: Desiree, Robert Scott Covington (b.1987), Destiny Myka Marie Covington (b. 1998) (in Robert's lap), Miracle, Anna, Christin, and Jill.
Jesse C. Smith, Sr., husband of Neita Gray (Hill) Smith, Ruth B. Cullum and W.M. Gilker, Sr. "Sturdy Oaks" awardees at Oak Lawn Methodist.
Neita Gray (Hill) Smith, with daughter Dorothy Ruth (Smith) Crites. Circa 1918.
Max and Dorothy Smith were born in this house and spent their early childhood here. Before their dad, Jesse C. Smith moved here, the house belonged to their grandparents, Benjamin Hill and Julia (Minter) Hill. Julia died in this house in 1916. It is/was located at 2730 Welborn, Dallas, TX.
Neita Gray (Hill) Smith, with her dog, Patsy, that lived from 1931-1945.
Dr. Samuel Hill (b.1889 d.1980), son of Benjamin and Julia (Minter) Hill.
Gretta (Minter) Foster (b.1895 - d.1949), daughter of Dr. Guy Z. Minter (b.1869 - d.1915) and Margie (Penn) Minter (b.1877 - d.1970), and granddaughter of Sylvanus Abner Minter (b.1834 - d.1912).
Dr. Samuel Hill (b.1889 d.1980), son of Benjamin and Julia (Minter) Hill, with his wife, Mary (Dye) Hill (b.1892 - d.1977).
Adults, L-R: Dorothy (Smith) Crites; daughter-in-law, Cartha (Lind) Covington; Dorothy's son, Dr. F.M. "Mike" Covington.
Children, L-R: Dorothy's grandchildren, Christin Covington and Robert Scott Covington.
Richard Thomas "Dick" Moody (b.1930 -d.2018) and his wife, Wilma June (Chapman) Moody (b.1935 - d.2014). June is the daughter of J. William Chapman (b.1894 - d.1966) and Bertha Hill (Minter) Chapman (b.1894 - d.1977).
L-R: Neita (Hill) Smith, sitting on the porch in the background; Gretta (Minter) Foster (b.1895 - d.1949); and Gretta's mother, Margie (Penn) Minter (b.1877 - d.1970).
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