HENRY GIRDINE BALCH 29 March 1843 - 11 July 1903 SALLIE EMALINE HEDRICK 4 Jan 1871 - 6 Oct 1949  LAST UPDATE 23 NOV 1999 HENRY GIRDINE BALCH AND SALLIE EMALINE HEDRICK were married 14 May 1891, Cocke Co. Tennessee. Russett Cemetery, Russett, Oklahoma (Sorry best image I could get from photo) SALLIE EMALINE HEDRICK was born 4 Jan 1871, Newport, Cocke Co. Tennessee and died 6 Oct 1949, Tioga, Texas. Buried Tioga Cemetery, Tioga, Texas, daughter of ABSOLEM B. HEDRICK AND ISABELL ________. Sallie resided the rest of her life with her son Lake, after the death of her 2nd husband, Mr. Ragsdale. They lived in Madill, Oklahoma & Tioga, Texas. After she became ill she resided with her two daughters, Ruby & Leona Ragsdale. Sallie E. Hedrick Balch Ragsdale A short time after their marriage, they packed up and headed for Texas, sometime between about 1892 and 1894.  Some of the children by his first wife, Margaret Jane Faubion went with them. His daughters, Bessie Belle Balch who had married Edward Lee Rogers with their children; Daisy Balch who had married Samuel S. Whitaker (my great grandparents) and their 1st son, Bruce G, at the time would have been just a baby; Bertha Balch; and sons, H. Earl Balch, who would have been a teenager; and Ralph O. Balch, who would have been 10-12 years of age, apparently all left together and headed for Texas, settling in the Sherman, Grayson Co. Texas & Celina, Collin Co. Texas area.  The reason for them leaving Tennessee is unknown, but like most others land was probably cheaper and a new start in life.   After arriving in Sherman, Texas, Henry and Sallie started a family. At this point it is not known if any of the children were born in Tennessee, but further research should determine their birth locations. As yet, I haven't been able to determine when, but Henry and Sallie eventually moved to Madill, Marshall Co. Oklahoma.   Oklahoma was not yet a state but Chickasaw Indiana Territory at that time. Land had opened for settlement to the whites only a few years previously. That area being frontier country at that time. During about the same time my Daisy Balch Whitaker died around 1898, leaving two small children, prior to her father's death. It is uncertain whether they were actually living in Oklahoma or Texas at her death. My grandfather, Ugene Whitaker was born in Texas around Oct 1896. When grandpa died, 11 July 1903, he left Sallie a widow with 4 small children. Grandpa's estate was not settled until 9 January 1911. The delay in settling the estate has not yet been determined. I am currently researching and will post those findings in the future. When I discovered the Balch family residing in Texas, I contacted Mr. Bob W. Balch by letter and received a telephone call that we were in fact related. He is the one who told me grandfather's name was "Henry". He had always been listed in records as "Harvey". The reason for this was probably due to the fact his own father's name was Henry, and probably used to distinguish between father and son. Bob's father, Murphy Girdine Balch, did not know his father as he was too young to remember when his father died. However, Murphy did know his 1/2 brother H. Earl Balch, who was a son from grandpa's first marriage. He didn't know Ralph, but mentioned he died young. Bob didn't know about the older daughters of Grandpa either. It is assumed that the girls left Texas after their father's death and headed for the Lula, Oklahoma area. Evidently, they didn't have much contact with Sallie after the death of their father or the other children would have remembered them growing up. This second set of children still have descendants residing in the Celina, Collin County, Grayson County, Texas & Texarkana, Texas vicinities. After the death of grandpa, Sallie remarried JOHN SAMUEL RAGSDALE. They had two children born to their marriage, who also resided in Texas.     CHILDREN WITH SALLIE E. HEDRICK MATTIE VERNELL BALCH Mattie and Milton Born 15 May 1892 died after 1981 Sherman, Texas married 10 Dec 1909 S. MILTON BERRY. They had one daughter, Pauline born abt 1911. They resided Sherman, Grayson Co. Texas. Pauline Berry married Charles Olen Lee. They had two sons and 1 daughter. Pauline Berry   ELLA LEMNA BALCH Born 21 Jan 1894, Sherman, Grayson Co. Texas Died 5 June 1965 Texarkana, Texas Buried Wooten Springs Cemetery, Texarkana, Texas married 13 May 1918 CHARLES DOUGLAS MILES. They resided in Texarkana, Texas since about 1925. Children: ANNA LEE MILES Born 24 June 1919 Fannin Co. Tx Died 5 June 1940 Texarkana, Bowie Co. TX Anna Lee Miles MARY ALICE MILES Born 5 Dec 1920 Fannin Co. Tx Died 28 Jan 1921 CHARLES DOUGLAS MILES Born & Died 18 Sept 1922 Grayson Co. Tx MURL BERNICE MILES Born 1 Mar 1924 Miller Co. Arkansas Died 11 April 1924 RUBY LOUISE MILES Born 24 April 1925 Texarkana, Tx. Married 1st JAMES S. STEPHENS. 2nd)  16 Aug 1964 OLIVER LEON MOFFETT. ROBERT CHILTON MILES Born 8 Oct 1928 Texarkana, Tx Died 30 Dec 1983 Texarkana, Tx  WILLIE GRAY BALCH Born 12 Dec 1895 Texas Died Abt 1897 Texas MURPHY GIRDINE BALCH Born 23 Oct 1897 Celina, Collin Co. Texas D. 9 Nov 1963 Celina, Texas Buried Cottage Hill Cemetery, Collin Co. TX. married 5 Oct 1919 MARY LENA WESTER born 13 Jan 1902 Celina, Texas Died 8 Feb 1990 Sherman, Grayson Co. Texas  Buried Cottage Hill Cemetery, Collin Co. TX. They had one son: BOB W. BALCH who is still living and the cousin I contacted. He has one son and one daughter, and one grandchild. Murphy raised his son in the Celina area on a farm. Bob Balch standing by tombstone of Henry Girdine Balch, grandson   LAKE DOUGLAS BALCH L to R: Lake Balch, Leona Gentry, Ella Balch Miles, Ruby Bodovsky Born 25 December 1899 Celina, Collin Co. Texas Died 25 Sept 1984 Buried Tioga Cemetery, Tioga, Grayson Co. Texas. Lake was married 7 times 1st) 27 Oct 1921 VIOLA DAVIDSON born 13 Nov 1896 died 24 Jan 1923 Texas buried Elliot Cemetery, Grayson Co. Texas. Daughter Mary Katherine Balch b. abt 1922 d. 24 Jan 1923. Both mother and daughter died the same day from the flu epidemic. Also, Mr. Ragsdale died the same day. 2nd) 23 Nov 1925 OPAL BLACKBURN (Divorced) One son, EDWARD EARL BALCH Born 13 July 1926 Madill, OK Died 11 June 1982 Madill, OK Buried Woodbury Forest Cemetery, Madill, OK. Edward Earl has 1 son and 1 daughter. His wife and children are still living. Edward Earl Balch 3rd) married an unknown Indian girl in Oklahoma 4th) CLEO ____ was born 28 Sept 1907 died 4 January 1966 Buried Tioga Cemetery, Tioga, Texas. She is buried next to Lake. 5th) 13 Mar 1968 Grayson Co. Tx CLARIBEL HUDSPETH CHILDREN OF SALLIE E. HEDRICK AND JOHN SAMUEL RAGSDALE LEONA RAGSDALE Born 1 Feb 1905 Russett, Oklahoma died 15 April 1988 Sherman, Tx buried Van Alstyne, Tx married Mr. Joe Gentry. They resided in Van Alstyne, Texas. RUBY RAGSDALE Born 19 Nov 1907 Celina, Collin Co. Tx Died 22 Sept 1980 Tioga, Tx Buried Tioga Cemetery, Tioga, Texas married EUGENE T. BODOVSKY Born 19 June 1900 died 5 Oct 1955 Buried Tioga Cemetery, Tioga, Texas. NOTE: These Ragsdale children are not direct Balch lineage, but they are 1/2 sisters to the Balch children through Sallie.      Free graphics thanks to Cynthia       HOME         BACK   FORWARD      EMAIL   CREATED WITH AOL PRESS 2 NOVEMBER 1999 Copyright CAROLYN WHITAKER ALL RIGHTS RESERVED The information contained in these pages may NOT be reproduced, copied or published in whole or in part in ANY form for the profit or sale without the EXPRESS WRITTEN consent of Carolyn Whitaker