Sanches Family History & Genealogy

(Honestly, I am not certain how much of this is factual and how much is conjecture; the following was pulled together from various unsourced listings with information often in disagreement.) As inscribed on her gravestone, Jerusia Sanches was born July 17, 1809; two census records agree that she was born in Illinois, but they place the year of birth at 1812-14. Her mother was possibly from Illinois, and her father was possibly from Tennessee; however, it is assumed that Jerusha’s father was French and that her mother was Cherokee (or is it the other way around?). One listing claims her maiden name was Bridges without source information or explanation. Her and her children spent some time in Arkansas until about 1831 and lived in Louisiana between 1831 and 1844. It is proposed that she married four times (or perhaps three times?). She married her first husband, William Henry Lemons, Senior, about 1829; he died about 1835. She had two children by her first husband. Her second husband was supposedly Milton J. Tidwell. The Tidwells ventured west to Arkansas with the Blantons; they in turn went to settle Strouds Community in Robertson County, Texas. Milton Tidwell was killed by Kachia Indians during a raid of that settlement in 1840 in which Sara Tidwell (this might not have been Jerusha – more on this later) and her three small children were taken captive. One of her children died while in captivity. She and her two remaining children were ransomed by a brother from Conway, Arkansas by the name of Richard Blanton. Richard then brought his sister Sarah and her children back with him to Arkansas. Jerusha’s third husband was Clarence Burns. She had two children by her third husband. Jerusha witnessed the death of Clarence Burns after 1841. She married her fourth husband, Francisco Sanches, on February 13, 1844 in Texas. She had five children by her fourth husband. In 1848, they moved to Navarro County. She witnessed the death of Francisco Sanches about 1867 in Texas and moved to Camp Wood in Nueces Canyon, Texas, where she served as a midwife. She is noted as the first civilian settler of Camp Dixie, which later became Barksdale, Texas. She died September 11, 1884 and was buried in Vance Cemetery in Real County, Texas. She was a frontier doctor employed by the Union Army, as confirmed by a soldier’s diary. She passed away in 1884 due to “cancer of the face” at 75 years of age. She was buried with a marked tombstone in the Vance Cemetery. The State of Texas has erected an historical maker to her honor in Barksdale.

Winnie was born August 19, 1853 in (Corsicana?) Navarro County, Texas. She was christened Baptist. She first married George Washington Epps on February 23, 1871. Mr. Epps was born in 1851 and died in 1872. She married William Reuben Webb on August 8, 1873 in Uvalde County, Texas. She died July 17, 1904 in Uvalde County, Texas. She was buried in Uvalde City Cemetery, Uvalde, Texas. All their children, including the children of her first marriage, were raised in Barksdale, Edwards County, Texas. They raised 13 known children. The death certificate of her daughter, Ollie May Wood (signed by her grandson, Burton H. Wood) indicates her maiden name as Winnie Little, born in Texas. Sometime before 1900, the children of Frank Sanches (Winnie being one of his children) changed their surname to Little, which we are told means the same as Sanches in Spanish.

Alberto Sanches of Lake Worth, Palm Beach County, Florida was born on March 12, 1869, and died at age 111 years old in December 1980.

Gregory Sanches of California was born on August 9, 1872, and died at age 91 years old in January 1964.

Saul Sanches of Pueblo, Pueblo County, Colorado was born on March 19, 1874, and died at age 91 years old in February 1966.

Carlos Sanches of New Rochelle, Westchester County, NY was born on November 8, 1877, and died at age 94 years old in March 1972.

Mack Sanches of Fairfield, Freestone County, Texas was born on January 3, 1879, and died at age 95 years old in February 1974.

Celsa Sanches of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California was born on April 3, 1880, and died at age 85 years old in May 1965.

Carmen Sanches of Hawaii was born on June 24, 1880, and died at age 82 years old in November 1962.

John Sanches of Rhode Island was born on January 30, 1881, and died at age 83 years old in February 1964.

Mose Sanches of Houston, Harris County, TX was born on February 15, 1882, and died at age 84 years old on May 15, 1966.

Edelmira Sanches of Puerto Rico was born on April 12, 1882, and died at age 94 years old in May 1976.