There are two of us who have been researching our Pritchett family that came to Texas in 1857 and settled in Bells, Savoy and Whitewright (myself and Lora Tindall). The old Oakhill (Jenkins family) cemetery was originally on my Great Grandfather's land that was sold in 1904 to the Jenkins family. Both he (Joshua D. Pritchett, III) and my GGrandmother Elizabeth (Morton) Pritchett are buried there.

When my Great Great Grandmother Eliza (Inge) Pritchett (widow of Joshua D.Pritchett, II, d. 1847) came to Texas after selling her Pittsylvania county, VA plantation Sept. 5, 1857, she and the other 11-12 families in the wagon train all settled in the Bells/Savoy area. She brought with her 2 married daughters and 4 sons and 5 unmarried daughters (11 in all). She left behind in Pittsylvania county, VA, 1 married daughter and 2 married sons. Those 11 children that came with her married into other families in the area and have since spread all over the North Texas area and beyond.

Several years ago my husband and I went up and visited with the Colonial Langner and his wife Rodene one Sunday afternoon. His records of the cemetery contained the last piece of proof I needed to establish my leniage (proof that my GGrandfather Joshua and GGrandmother Elizabeth) were buried in the Oakhill (Jenkins) Cemetery. This allowed me to submit my papers to the DAR (Daughters of the Revolution). My membership was accepted on the first submission. Thanks to the great records very thoughtful people had kept and the recorded documents on file in the courthouse.

Col. Langner showed us through the 1870 farm house, told us many stories about the old house and land, and walked us over to the cemetery (about 50-75 yards from the house). The Jenkins family owned the land where the house is and purchased my GGrandfather's land from his estate after his death. This was adjacent to the Jenkins property. There was a huge battle by my GGrandfather's children and spouses after his death on who was getting what portions of the land. In searching the court records, I discovered this sale caused the entire family to split apart. The administrator of his estate was his brother, Joseph "Addison" Pritchett" and he ended that feud by selling the land to a third party (ie. the Jenkins family). Apparently this particular sale tore the family apart and split it apart into many factions. Prior to that (for over 45 years) the family had been very close.

When I discovered all this 7-8 years ago, I decided the feud was dead along with all the people, so I started searching for the descendents of these 11 children and have been thrilled with my findings. I've found cousins that look like me and talk like me and more. More than anything, these cousins I've found have never understood the end results of the feud - families separated by families. There is a want and need to know more about the family with every cousin I meet.

My goal in my lifetime is to find as many cousins as possible and re-establish the family relationships that we are and have been lacking during the last 100 years. The journey so far has been nothing short of miraculous, and I anxiously look forward to delving deeper and deeper. My sadist moment came two years ago when we lost Marie (Craft) Youree in an automobile accident in Sherman. She and I had become close friends over the years, and she had shown me many locations in the area where my (and her) family had lived and worked. She was the widow of Bill Youree (d. 1992) who was the son of William Youree and Anna E. (Pritchett) Youree. Anna was the sister of my GGrandfather Joshua III and daughter of Eliza (Inge) Pritchett, my Great Great Grandmother.

I want to find, meet, and get to know the descendents of these families.

Please email: Jan Pritchett-Litvin
at goodgirl.bandit@verizon.net
(972) 721-0616