James Wesley Fritts

Other Events and Attributes:

• Fact 1: Fact 1

Notes:

JAMES WESLEY FRITTS, son of Claiborne S. and Sarah (Lawson) Fritts, born 14
June 1852, in Arkansas. He died of a heart attack at the breakfast table at
his home near Marlow, Oklahoma on 23 June 1938, at age 86y-8d. He was buried
at Marlow Cemetery. James had joined the Baptist Church in 1874, at age
twenty-two years. He was a member of the First Baptist Church Tabernacle in
Marlow at the time of his death. He also was a member of the Masonic Lodge
for a number of years.

More About James Wesley Fritts:
Fact 1: buried at Marlow Cemetery
Fact 2: joined the Baptist Church in 1874
Fact 3: member of the First Baptist Church Tabernacle
Fact 4: member of the Masonic Lodge for a number of years
Fact 5: was a blacksmith
Cause of Death: heart attack

Marriage Notes for Mahala Fine and James Fritts:
James and Mahalia were residing in the Brush Creek Township located in the
northeastern section of Washington County, Arkansas in 1880. The blacksmith's
family consisted of three children at that time, two boys and a girl. In 1882
James and his family moved from northwest Arkansas to Comanche County, Texas.
The homesite was near Rush Creek on a one hundred acre tract of land. The
early Texas days will be recounted for us by Mrs. Geneva Mae Fedler (now
deceased) daughter of James and Mahalia Fritts.
In 1898 James W. and his family moved from Comanche County, Texas by wagon to
eighty acres about sixteen miles east of Lexington, Oklahoma. The journey took
sixteen days. Nearly three years later they moved to the Gray Ranch near
Roaring Creek north of Rush Springs, Oklahoma. Mr. Gray was a cousin of James'
who had married a full blood Chickasaw Indian. The ranch consisted of 1600
acres of good bottom land. The family's next move was to Rush Springs where
Jim purchased a city block which had two frame houses and a blacksmith shop
located on its premises. James later traded this property for a 160 acre farm
near Walters, Oklahoma. The home there consisted of a long one room half dug-
out. There were few good houses in the Prosperity Community; most people lived
in dug-outs or shacks. On the farm, Jim hired crews to help cut the native
bluestem grass for hay. Prairie fires were a constant threat so that plowing
fire guards around the property was a necessity. After a couple of years this
farm was sold to some people from Kentucky.
James eventually purchased a quarter section of land about seven miles
northwest of Marlow, Oklahoma. He then moved to a farm near the Rock Springs
Schoolhouse around the Chirstmas season in 1904. This is where he died. James
and Mahalia had eight children.

Facts about this person:

Burial
Marlow Cem. Marlow OK

James married Mahala Caroline Fine on 18 Sep 1872 in Benton Co. AR. Mahala (daughter of Peter Lee Fine and Ann Elvira Harshaw) was born on 26 Oct 1855; died on 17 Jan 1953 in Marlow, OK. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Sarah Elizabeth Fritts was born on 26 Jul 1873 in Arkansas; died on 1 Feb 1957 in Deleon, Comanche Co. TX.
2. Clayburn Lee Fritts was born on 19 Mar 1876 in Arkansas; died on 17 Jan 1929 in Oklahoma City , OK.
3. John Clinton Fritts was born on 7 Oct 1879 in Arkansas; died on 25 Oct 1960.
4. Maggie Bell Fritts was born on 8 Jul 1884 in Comanche Co. TX; died on 25 Nov 1945 in Flyodate, Floyde Co. TX.
5. Geneva Mae Fritts was born on 28 Apr 1887; died between 1901 and 1981 in Marlow Cem. Marlow OK.
6. George Randolph Fritts was born on 6 Feb 1890 in Comanche Co. TX; died on 5 Apr 1890 in Comanche Co. TX.
7. William Franklin Fritts was born on 16 Jun 1891; died between 1908 and 1981.
8. Jerome Kirby Fritts was born on 18 Feb 1896; died between 1913 and 1986.

Claiborne married Sarah Lawson between 1827 and 1870. Sarah was born between 1810 and 1833; died between 1855 and 1921. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]