Windle Family History & Genealogy

Three WENDEL brothers came from Frammersheim, Germany in 1732 - they were Valentin, Christophel & Augustinius. They landed at Philly and then went to Lancaster County, Pa for a short time ending up by pledging their citizenship in the Shenandoah Valley area of Virginia in 1747. Not too much later, a Samuel WENDEL ended up in the same area - we are not sure of their relationship, but we have descendants of all four in our GERMAN WINDLE-WENDEL MYFAMILY.COM site. If you believe you may be of one of these men, email me for an invitation to our quite active site. Many cousin have been brought together by this site. Maybe you might be the next !

In 1804 John Adams Windle was born in Shenandoah VA. He was the first in our family to drop the spelling of our last name from Wendel to Windle. In1827 at the age of 23 he was married and living in Pickens County AL. around other Windles (Andrew Moore Windle's family). Not much is known about his first wife including her name. It has been theorized that she was probably Indian since Indian names were not registered and that John A had lived around Indians most of his life in VA. His first son John William Windle was born in 1827 and was the first Windle born in Pickens County AL. The description of John William from Lucinda Willis Windle's affidavit for a widows pension as being “about five feet six inches high, rather dark complexion, black hair and black eyes”, which indicates that more than likely he was part Indian.

The next recorded record of John A Windle places him in Overton County TN where he once again settled near other Windle's (Joseph Hawkins Windle's family) living in the area, where his second son James William. was born in 1829 and where John A's first wife died. John A took a second wife in Lincoln Co. TN; in 1835 her name was Permelia Lusk. Permelia was born in Union City South Carolina. In 1836 Permelia and John A are recorded as having a daughter Permelia Elizabeth on July 2, 1836 in the state of LA.

On August 1st 1845 (date on Fannin Co. Land grant), John A received two known land grants from the Republic of Texas, one in what was then known as being a part of Nacogdoches Co. (what is now known as Rusk Co.) and the second in Fannin Co. (there was a rumor of a third land grant). There was a migration of a number of families from TN to TX of which John A's family was one of them. The Hamilton, Davis, Lusk, and Willis families also settled in Texas at the same time. John A and Permelia settled in Henderson as did most of the migrating families. In Henderson John A and Permelia had three more children. David K. born in 1847, Mary Catherine born in 1848, and Isaac Parker born April 25, 1851. John A owned a 12-year-old male slave according to the 1850 slave schedule census. In 1852 Permelia passed away. John A then married Mary Harmon in Henderson on February 5th 1854. With her he had four more children Nicholas born March 3rd 1857, George Washington April 5th 1859, Sarah Isabella date not known, and John A II, born January 18th, 1861 who was born after John A's death in 1860. John A Windle died at the age of 56 in Henderson Co. in 1860. John A and most of his later children and wives are buried in Davis Cemetery (formerly know as the Windle Cemetery) in Henderson. TX.

John A's first son John William, married Lucinda Willis in 1847. After serving in the Mexican war in 1846, Corporal John William served under L. H. Mabbitt's Shelby County Mounted Volunteers During the Mexican War along with his younger brother James W. John William's wife Lucinda was born in 1830 in TN. The 1850 Census for Rusk Co shows John William and Lucinda having two children James 2 and Nancy Elizabeth 6 months. Between 1850 and the 1860 census John William's family moved to the Fannin County land grant. He and Lucinda had three more children Charles who was 8, John Pressley who was 6 (born April 1st, 1855), and Robert D. who was 4 in 1860. John William was a member of the Black Dragoons in Fannin Co.; this organization protected the women and children from Indian attacks while their husbands and sons were off fighting the Civil War. On December 30th 1854 John A deeded all of the 1,470 acres (a.k.a. John A Windle survey) of the Fannin Co. land grant to John William, as the deed stated “out of natural love and affection.” The deed duly recorded in Bonham TX. Fannin Co. shows John A's mark “X” with his name written around it as witness. John William returned to Henderson in Rusk Co. TX in 1867 after his father's death and was killed in Henderson Co. returning from Henderson in Rusk Co. In an Affidavit given by his son John Pressley Windle and his sister Nancy Elizabeth Windle Jamison they stated, “ That they are the children of the said William and Lucinda Windle and that they were present at his death which occurred in Henderson Co. Texas on October 29th, 1867”. Lucinda and their children remained on the Fannin Co land grant. She petitioned the US Government for a widow's pension, her son John Pressley who was 34 along with his sister Nancy Elizabeth Windle Jamison who was 39 gave an affidavit previously mentioned above as witnesses for the widow's pension. On June 6th, 1889 Lucinda was granted the pension due to John William's service in the Mexican War.

Lucinda and John William's third son was John Pressley Windle; he was born on April 1st 1855. He was an enterprising man. He was a partner in a dry goods store on the square in Bonham TX. later he owned and ran a dry goods store in Lamasco TX. He was one of the first, if not the first notaries in Fannin Co. He married Harriet Ellen Havens August 31st 1876 in Hunt Co. With Harriet he had one son, David Parker born March 3rd 1880, and four daughters Effie Odam born 1883, Viola Mae born May 8th1884, Carrie born in 1885 died at birth, Cora born in 1886 and Mamie born 1887. Harriet died at the age of 31 in 1888 and was buried at Center Grove Cemetery in Lamasco, which was land donated from John A Windle survey by John Pressley for the Cemetery outside of Lamasco.

On February 16th 1891 in Hunt Co. TX John Pressley Married Virginia Caroline Son Harris Havens. Who had previously married twice, first to John Harris, and then John Havens, she was John Pressley and his first wife Harriet's sister in law by her marriage to Harriet's brother John. With her first husband John Harris she had one son James born 1883, and with her second husband John Haven's she had one son Wesley born in 1888. With John Pressley she had six children Angelina Lucinda born 1892, Presley Owen in 1893, John David whose birth year was not recorded he died in infancy, Bessie in 1898, William McKinley in 1901, and Emma Brown in 1903. In 1904 at the age of 43 Virginia passed away and in 1931 at the age of 75 John Pressley passed away both were also buried at Center Grove Cemetery.