Individual Details

"Thomas Alexander Cantrell was born to Abraham Patterson Cantrell and Martha Jane Cantrell on 18 September 1883 in DeKalb County, Tennessee. He attended school at the Antioch School near Keltonburg and for his day, had a good education. His father was a school teacher and was much interested in his children receiving as much education as was available and affordable. Thomas grew up in that area and worked as a farm hand for his father and assisted his brother, Charles Patterson Cantrell, as a land surveyor until 1910. In that year, Thomas was living in the home of Charles Patterson and his wife, Cora. On 22 May 1910, after Sunday church services at the Old Bildad Church in Keltonburg, a dispute arose between Thomas, Julius Roller and Norris Roland, during which Julius, then 19 years of age and married to Nora Ella Cantrell, and Norris, attacked Thomas, riding him to the ground. There was speculation that one or all three had been drinking. After the scuffle, Julius and Norris got up but Thomas was lying on the ground gasping for breath, blood gushing from his neck and mortally wounded from a pocket knife stab inflicted by Julius Roller. Thomas died almost instantly and was buried at Pat Cantrell Cemetery near Keltonburg, DeKalb County, Tennessee. He was almost 27 years of age and had never married. ... (After a trial) Jury finds Julius Roller found guilty of voluntary manslaughter and fixed his punishment at two and one half years in the penitentiary. (Requests for a new trial were denined.) ... Julius Roller was incarcerated at the Tennessee State Penitentiary at Nashville, Tennessee on 4 March 1914 and released 8 December 1915 after having served about 22 months. "Julius Roller died at Keltonburg, DeKalb County, Tennessee, 25 November 1958 at age 68. Norris Roland, who participated in the fight resulting in the death of Thomas Alexander Cantrell, was not charged."

"Julius Roller and his wife, Nora Ella Cantrell, had six children: Nellie Ova, James Floyd, Emma Lee, William Herman, Obbie Bell and Bobbie Jean Roller. (NOTE FROM RALPH TERRY: The author of this genealogy did not tell us who Nora Ella was the daughter of.) (THE FAMILY OF CHARLES PATTERSON CANTRELL AND CORA GUSTAVA HUNT, by Charles Thomas Cantrell, 1995, pages 62 - 63.)

Birth	September 18, 1883	DeKalb County, Tennessee
Death	May 22, 1910	Keltonburg, DeKalb County, Tennessee
Burial		Pat Cantrell Cemetery, near Keltonburg, DeKalb County, Tennessee

Father	Abraham Patterson Cantrell (1834 - 1921)
Mother	Martha Jane Cantrell (1850 - 1925)
Sibling	John Curtis Cantrell (1870 - 1942)
Sibling	Nancy Helen Cantrell (1872 - )
Sibling	Charles Patterson Cantrell (1874 - 1948)
Sibling	Dovie Lee Cantrell (1876 - 1948)
Sibling	"Pat" Cantrell (1879 - 1880)
Sibling	Cynthia Effie Cantrell (1880 - 1924)
Sibling	Sarah Cleveland "Sallie" Cantrell (1885 - 1939)
Sibling	Gracie June Cantrell (1916 - 1916)