Individual Details
Enoch Elwood "E. E." Briles
(January 15, 1861 - December, 1940)
1910 Ellis County, Texas census. Enoch Elwood Briles was living with his mother, Emily Nancy Sawyer Briles.
"His obituary says that he died at 80 in Skiatook, Oklahoma, and that he m oved there about 10 years before he died (which would have been about 1 930). Before living in Skiatook, he lived in Idabel, Oklahoma, and Ell is County, Texas.
He was born on January 15, 1861, near Trinity, North Carolina. He move d to Texas in 1880 or 1882, depending upon whose story you believe. On S eptember 17, 1893, he married Margaret (Maggie) Porterfield. He lived w ith his brother Jasper's wife, even after his brother's death "six year s ago" [Jasper died in 1933]. He is buried in Hillside Cemetery in Ski atook, Oklahoma. One source says he was born in Tabernacle Township in R andolph County, N.C. Trinity may have been a town in Tabernacle Townsh ip.
According to Leona Hays Connally Briles, the wife of his only son, Wort hie Harwood Briles, when the family migrated to Ellis County, Texas, E. E lwood and his older brother Jasper went to Texas first in 1882 to look f or a good place to settle. They made the first part of the trip by tra in and the last part on horseback.
If he really did come to Texas in 1880, it was AFTER the 1880 Census wa s taken in Randolph Co., N.C., for he is listed with his parents in tha t census, unless they listed him as being there even though he had alre ady gone to Texas. That census says he was 19. He is also listed as b eing with his parents in Randolph Co., N.C., in the 1870 Census, at whi ch time his age is given as 9.
As per Worthie Elwood Briles during phone conversation with his daughte r Susan Briles Kniebes on January 27, 2003, he remembers himself and hi s mother and father moving from the Fort Worth area to Idabel, Oklahoma , where Elwood's brother Con was born. The family lived in Idabel for o nly about 1 year, during which time Elwood and Con's father, Worthie Ha rwood (Jack) Briles, worked with his father, Enoch Elwood "Pawpaw" Bril es, in Pawpaw's auto repair and paint shop. Worthy didn't get along we ll with Pawpaw's younger brother Wilbur (born in 1884, died in 1951), s o the family returned to Fort Worth. To establish a time for the famil y's stay in Idabel, Con was born on December 10, 1919.
We don't know for sure who this "younger brother" was. According to t he Briles genealogy information available on October 5, 2005, Pawpaw (b orn in 1861) had four younger brothers: Daniel Eli Briles III (born in 1 874, died in 1940), Oliver Perry Briles (born Abt. 1869, died in 1927), C icero H. Briles (born in 1876, died in 1919, so could not be Cicero), a nd Wilbur Talmadge Briles (born in 1884, died in 1951). Wilbur seems t he most likely "culprit" here.
Pawpaw is in a 1909 photo taken outside of his parents' home in Italy, T exas, so we know he was in Italy at that time. See the information fro m the 1910 U.S. Census in the Notes for his mother Emily Nancy Sawyer, w hich has him living with his mother and nephew Roy Briles in Italy, Tex as, in 1910.
Another obituary (seems to be from the Skiatook, Oklahoma, paper) says t he following:
"E. E. Briles was born January 15, 1861, near Trinity, North Carolina. H e moved to Texas in 1880 and on Sept. 17 1893, was married to Margaret P orterfield. To this union one son, W. H. Briles of Fort Worth, Texas, w ho survives. He is also survived by six grandchildren and one brother o f Milford, Texas.
"Mr. Briles had made his home with his brother and wife, Mr. and Mr. Ja sper Briles and continued to live there after the brother's death six y ears ago. He came here over twenty years ago.
"His son and two grandchildren Connelly [Connally Briles ] and Bonnie B ell [Briles] of Ft. Worth arrived here Tuesday afternoon.
"Services were held Thursday afternoon and interment was made in Hillsi de cemetery.
"Those from distant points attending the services were: W. T. [W. H.] B riles and children, Connelly and Bonnie Bell of Ft. Worth; Mrs. Eli Bri les [Mary], Mrs. Marvin Knight [Mary's daughter], Mr. Franck Windham, a nd Marie Tinsley all of Italy, Texas; and Winona Briles of Milford, Tex as."
Another obituary [seems to be from the Ft. Worth, Texas, paper]:
"W. H. Briles of 3425 East Rosedale Street was in Skiatook, Okla., Tues day to attend funeral services Wednesday for his father, Elwood E. Bril es, 80, a retired farmer, who died there early Tuesday.
"The elder Mr. Briles lived in Ellis County, Texas, for half a century b efore going to Skiatook 10 years ago.
"Six grandsons also survive."
Several sources on the Internet give "Jack" as Enoch Elwood's first nam e. Enoch Elwood's descendants are not aware of this. It could be that t he Internet genealogists got the nickname of Maggie and Enoch Elwood's s on, Worthie Harwood, confused with Enoch Elwood's name. Worthie Harwoo d was known as "Jack" to his friends. See the Note under Worthie Harwo od Briles for information on how he may have come by that nickname.
The transcription of a tape made of Leona Hays Connally Briles (Enoch E lwood's daughter-in-law] by Sara Briles Moriarty [Leona's granddaughter ] at Sarah and her husband Richard Moriarty's home in Opelika, Alabama, o n July 24, 1980, contains the following exchange concerning Enoch Elwoo d [Pawpaw]:
"Sara:"Do you remember what Pawpaw, Elwood, Briles was like? What was h is personality like?"
Leona:"Well, he was a very good natured kind of a fellow. And he didn' t like any arguing or any discussion about anything. If he liked it, h e said so. And if he didn't like it, well he'd say, 'That don't suit m e.' Or if he did like it, he'd say, 'That suits me just fine.' That' s the way he was."
Sara:"He never got remarried?"
Leona:"No, no, he never got remarried. This is a secret that don't man y people know but when we . . . He had one of those ole hump-backed tr unks, you know. It's more than a hundred years old. It's down at Bonn ie's now. Well, it had a letter in there from a girl in North Carolina [ where he was born]. And her name was Alberta Hoover. This letter was o n a piece of paper about this long. It was the prettiest handwriting I e ver saw outside of a copybook! Evidently, they had been sweethearts be fore they left North Carolina because he was probably, well, grown when t hey left there. [His brother Cicero was born in North Carolina in 1876 . His next sibling, his brother, Wilbur, was born in Texas in 1884. S o sometime between 1876 and 1884, Elwood's parents brought their family t o Italy, Texas. Since Elwood was born in 1861, he could have been as o ld as 23 when his family moved to Texas from North Carolina.] So she s aid, 'Well, you never did come back so I suppose you've found your litt le prairie flower.' [She chuckles.]"
Note by Susan Briles Kniebes: Interestingly, Enoch Elwood's maternal g randmother was Polly Hoover Sawyer. One can't help but wonder if Alber ta Hoover might have been a first or second cousin or some kind of shir t-tail relative?
In a P.S. to her handwritten responses to a letter containing genealogy q uestion sent her by Sara Briles Moriarty dated February 10, 1982, Cordi e Miller, the wife of Arley Miller, the step-son of Jasper Briles, Cord ie provides the following information about Enoch Elwood Briles, the yo unger brother of Jasper Briles:
"I know Elwood Briles was a kind, wonderful man. We lived with Sarah [ Miller Briles, Arley's mother] and Elwood a few years after Jasper died . Elwood was like a grandpa to our son Jasper, the only grandpa he eve r knew. They had such good times together. Our son was born on Jasper B riles's birthday so we named him Jasper. Elwood, Sarah, and Jasper are b uried at Hillside Cemetery about 2-1/2 miles from where we [she and Arl ey] live. Jasper and I bought a nice marker for Elwood's grave. We lo ved him."
In a letter to Sara Jean Briles Moriarty dated July 20, 1982, Winona Br iles Brown, the Enoch Elwood's niece and the daughter of his youngest b rother Wilbur Talmadge Briles, had the following to say about Sara's Gr eat Grandpa Elwood:
"I miss your Great Grandpa Elwood. Remember the poem, "I have a little s hadow that goes in and out with me"? Well, I was his shadow from the t ime I could walk and talk. He taught me more about Life, Love, Honesty , Christian Living, Gardening, Church, play, and fun than all my own fa mily. Never a seed he planted [but] that me (and my bonnet) were watch ing. I was up, dressed, and ready on Sunday to go to church (in Italy) w ith him. When he went to the mailbox (1/4 mi from the house), I was at h is heels. And when he read the paper, I was riding his rockers asking, " What's that say? What's this?" One little doll in an ad in the paper w as finally ordered cause I had to look at the ad every day. He was som ething very special to me and my sister. I was very sorry that Worthie 's children didn't get to be with him more than they did cause he sure h ad a way with kids. That's why I'm so happy to get your letters, and k eep in touch cause even if we're miles apart, there's a Bond (a Big Bon d) that ties us to Special folks."
The 1910 U.S. Census in the 8th Judicial Precinct of Ellis County, Tex as, lists Enoch Elwood as living with his mother, Emily Nancy Sawyer Br iles, along with his nephew Roy Briles, the son of Elwood's brother Jas per. For details on that census, see the Notes for Emily Nancy Sawyer.
The 1920 U.S. Census (Series T625, Roll 1469, Page 175) for White Town ship, McCurtain County, Oklahoma, taken on January 5, 1920, provides th e following information:
Elwood E. Briles (all other records indicate that his given name was En och Elwood): Head of Household, White, Male, Age 58, [Can't read marri age status information (should say "Divorced")], born in NC as were bot h of his parents, Occupation=Farmer. Worthie H. Briles: Son of E. E. Briles, White Male, Age 25, Married, B orn in Texas, Father born in NC, Mother born in Texas, Occupation=Farme r. Leona Briles: Daughter-in-law of E. E. Briles, White, Female, Age 23, M arried, Born in Texas, Father born in Arkansas, Mother born in Alabama. Elwood, Jr., Briles [should say Worthie Elwood Briles]: Grandson of E. E . Briles, White, Male, Age 2, Born in Texas, as were both of his parent s. Connly Briles [should say Connally]: Grandson of E. E. Briles, White, M ale, Age 1 month, Born in Oklahoma, Parents born in Texas." (Received from George W. Durman, germannaresearch@comcast.net, 2007.)
"His obituary says that he died at 80 in Skiatook, Oklahoma, and that he m oved there about 10 years before he died (which would have been about 1 930). Before living in Skiatook, he lived in Idabel, Oklahoma, and Ell is County, Texas.
He was born on January 15, 1861, near Trinity, North Carolina. He move d to Texas in 1880 or 1882, depending upon whose story you believe. On S eptember 17, 1893, he married Margaret (Maggie) Porterfield. He lived w ith his brother Jasper's wife, even after his brother's death "six year s ago" [Jasper died in 1933]. He is buried in Hillside Cemetery in Ski atook, Oklahoma. One source says he was born in Tabernacle Township in R andolph County, N.C. Trinity may have been a town in Tabernacle Townsh ip.
According to Leona Hays Connally Briles, the wife of his only son, Wort hie Harwood Briles, when the family migrated to Ellis County, Texas, E. E lwood and his older brother Jasper went to Texas first in 1882 to look f or a good place to settle. They made the first part of the trip by tra in and the last part on horseback.
If he really did come to Texas in 1880, it was AFTER the 1880 Census wa s taken in Randolph Co., N.C., for he is listed with his parents in tha t census, unless they listed him as being there even though he had alre ady gone to Texas. That census says he was 19. He is also listed as b eing with his parents in Randolph Co., N.C., in the 1870 Census, at whi ch time his age is given as 9.
As per Worthie Elwood Briles during phone conversation with his daughte r Susan Briles Kniebes on January 27, 2003, he remembers himself and hi s mother and father moving from the Fort Worth area to Idabel, Oklahoma , where Elwood's brother Con was born. The family lived in Idabel for o nly about 1 year, during which time Elwood and Con's father, Worthie Ha rwood (Jack) Briles, worked with his father, Enoch Elwood "Pawpaw" Bril es, in Pawpaw's auto repair and paint shop. Worthy didn't get along we ll with Pawpaw's younger brother Wilbur (born in 1884, died in 1951), s o the family returned to Fort Worth. To establish a time for the famil y's stay in Idabel, Con was born on December 10, 1919.
We don't know for sure who this "younger brother" was. According to t he Briles genealogy information available on October 5, 2005, Pawpaw (b orn in 1861) had four younger brothers: Daniel Eli Briles III (born in 1 874, died in 1940), Oliver Perry Briles (born Abt. 1869, died in 1927), C icero H. Briles (born in 1876, died in 1919, so could not be Cicero), a nd Wilbur Talmadge Briles (born in 1884, died in 1951). Wilbur seems t he most likely "culprit" here.
Pawpaw is in a 1909 photo taken outside of his parents' home in Italy, T exas, so we know he was in Italy at that time. See the information fro m the 1910 U.S. Census in the Notes for his mother Emily Nancy Sawyer, w hich has him living with his mother and nephew Roy Briles in Italy, Tex as, in 1910.
Another obituary (seems to be from the Skiatook, Oklahoma, paper) says t he following:
"E. E. Briles was born January 15, 1861, near Trinity, North Carolina. H e moved to Texas in 1880 and on Sept. 17 1893, was married to Margaret P orterfield. To this union one son, W. H. Briles of Fort Worth, Texas, w ho survives. He is also survived by six grandchildren and one brother o f Milford, Texas.
"Mr. Briles had made his home with his brother and wife, Mr. and Mr. Ja sper Briles and continued to live there after the brother's death six y ears ago. He came here over twenty years ago.
"His son and two grandchildren Connelly [Connally Briles ] and Bonnie B ell [Briles] of Ft. Worth arrived here Tuesday afternoon.
"Services were held Thursday afternoon and interment was made in Hillsi de cemetery.
"Those from distant points attending the services were: W. T. [W. H.] B riles and children, Connelly and Bonnie Bell of Ft. Worth; Mrs. Eli Bri les [Mary], Mrs. Marvin Knight [Mary's daughter], Mr. Franck Windham, a nd Marie Tinsley all of Italy, Texas; and Winona Briles of Milford, Tex as."
Another obituary [seems to be from the Ft. Worth, Texas, paper]:
"W. H. Briles of 3425 East Rosedale Street was in Skiatook, Okla., Tues day to attend funeral services Wednesday for his father, Elwood E. Bril es, 80, a retired farmer, who died there early Tuesday.
"The elder Mr. Briles lived in Ellis County, Texas, for half a century b efore going to Skiatook 10 years ago.
"Six grandsons also survive."
Several sources on the Internet give "Jack" as Enoch Elwood's first nam e. Enoch Elwood's descendants are not aware of this. It could be that t he Internet genealogists got the nickname of Maggie and Enoch Elwood's s on, Worthie Harwood, confused with Enoch Elwood's name. Worthie Harwoo d was known as "Jack" to his friends. See the Note under Worthie Harwo od Briles for information on how he may have come by that nickname.
The transcription of a tape made of Leona Hays Connally Briles (Enoch E lwood's daughter-in-law] by Sara Briles Moriarty [Leona's granddaughter ] at Sarah and her husband Richard Moriarty's home in Opelika, Alabama, o n July 24, 1980, contains the following exchange concerning Enoch Elwoo d [Pawpaw]:
"Sara:"Do you remember what Pawpaw, Elwood, Briles was like? What was h is personality like?"
Leona:"Well, he was a very good natured kind of a fellow. And he didn' t like any arguing or any discussion about anything. If he liked it, h e said so. And if he didn't like it, well he'd say, 'That don't suit m e.' Or if he did like it, he'd say, 'That suits me just fine.' That' s the way he was."
Sara:"He never got remarried?"
Leona:"No, no, he never got remarried. This is a secret that don't man y people know but when we . . . He had one of those ole hump-backed tr unks, you know. It's more than a hundred years old. It's down at Bonn ie's now. Well, it had a letter in there from a girl in North Carolina [ where he was born]. And her name was Alberta Hoover. This letter was o n a piece of paper about this long. It was the prettiest handwriting I e ver saw outside of a copybook! Evidently, they had been sweethearts be fore they left North Carolina because he was probably, well, grown when t hey left there. [His brother Cicero was born in North Carolina in 1876 . His next sibling, his brother, Wilbur, was born in Texas in 1884. S o sometime between 1876 and 1884, Elwood's parents brought their family t o Italy, Texas. Since Elwood was born in 1861, he could have been as o ld as 23 when his family moved to Texas from North Carolina.] So she s aid, 'Well, you never did come back so I suppose you've found your litt le prairie flower.' [She chuckles.]"
Note by Susan Briles Kniebes: Interestingly, Enoch Elwood's maternal g randmother was Polly Hoover Sawyer. One can't help but wonder if Alber ta Hoover might have been a first or second cousin or some kind of shir t-tail relative?
In a P.S. to her handwritten responses to a letter containing genealogy q uestion sent her by Sara Briles Moriarty dated February 10, 1982, Cordi e Miller, the wife of Arley Miller, the step-son of Jasper Briles, Cord ie provides the following information about Enoch Elwood Briles, the yo unger brother of Jasper Briles:
"I know Elwood Briles was a kind, wonderful man. We lived with Sarah [ Miller Briles, Arley's mother] and Elwood a few years after Jasper died . Elwood was like a grandpa to our son Jasper, the only grandpa he eve r knew. They had such good times together. Our son was born on Jasper B riles's birthday so we named him Jasper. Elwood, Sarah, and Jasper are b uried at Hillside Cemetery about 2-1/2 miles from where we [she and Arl ey] live. Jasper and I bought a nice marker for Elwood's grave. We lo ved him."
In a letter to Sara Jean Briles Moriarty dated July 20, 1982, Winona Br iles Brown, the Enoch Elwood's niece and the daughter of his youngest b rother Wilbur Talmadge Briles, had the following to say about Sara's Gr eat Grandpa Elwood:
"I miss your Great Grandpa Elwood. Remember the poem, "I have a little s hadow that goes in and out with me"? Well, I was his shadow from the t ime I could walk and talk. He taught me more about Life, Love, Honesty , Christian Living, Gardening, Church, play, and fun than all my own fa mily. Never a seed he planted [but] that me (and my bonnet) were watch ing. I was up, dressed, and ready on Sunday to go to church (in Italy) w ith him. When he went to the mailbox (1/4 mi from the house), I was at h is heels. And when he read the paper, I was riding his rockers asking, " What's that say? What's this?" One little doll in an ad in the paper w as finally ordered cause I had to look at the ad every day. He was som ething very special to me and my sister. I was very sorry that Worthie 's children didn't get to be with him more than they did cause he sure h ad a way with kids. That's why I'm so happy to get your letters, and k eep in touch cause even if we're miles apart, there's a Bond (a Big Bon d) that ties us to Special folks."
The 1910 U.S. Census in the 8th Judicial Precinct of Ellis County, Tex as, lists Enoch Elwood as living with his mother, Emily Nancy Sawyer Br iles, along with his nephew Roy Briles, the son of Elwood's brother Jas per. For details on that census, see the Notes for Emily Nancy Sawyer.
The 1920 U.S. Census (Series T625, Roll 1469, Page 175) for White Town ship, McCurtain County, Oklahoma, taken on January 5, 1920, provides th e following information:
Elwood E. Briles (all other records indicate that his given name was En och Elwood): Head of Household, White, Male, Age 58, [Can't read marri age status information (should say "Divorced")], born in NC as were bot h of his parents, Occupation=Farmer. Worthie H. Briles: Son of E. E. Briles, White Male, Age 25, Married, B orn in Texas, Father born in NC, Mother born in Texas, Occupation=Farme r. Leona Briles: Daughter-in-law of E. E. Briles, White, Female, Age 23, M arried, Born in Texas, Father born in Arkansas, Mother born in Alabama. Elwood, Jr., Briles [should say Worthie Elwood Briles]: Grandson of E. E . Briles, White, Male, Age 2, Born in Texas, as were both of his parent s. Connly Briles [should say Connally]: Grandson of E. E. Briles, White, M ale, Age 1 month, Born in Oklahoma, Parents born in Texas." (Received from George W. Durman, germannaresearch@comcast.net, 2007.)
Events
| Birth | January 15, 1861 | Trinity, Randolph County, North Carolina | |||
| Marriage | September 17, 1893 | Ellis County, Texas - Margaret "Maggie" Ora Porterfield | |||
| Death | December, 1940 | Skiatook, Osage County, Oklahoma | |||
| Burial | Hillside Cemetery, Skiatook, Osage County, Oklahoma |
Families
| Spouse | Margaret "Maggie" Ora Porterfield (1877 - 1955) |
| Child | Worthie Harwood "Jack" Briles (1894 - 1979) |
| Child | Briles ( - 1900) |