Individual Details
Samuel Christian Hymer
(December 14, 1848 - June 2, 1931)
"Sam was born in Georgia. His daughters Carrie and Ella have claimed his birth place to be in Gordon County. His daughter Agnes has said that he was born in Pickens County. These are adjoining counties. Sam claimed to have been Cherokee Indian and said he was adopted. This is very interesting. The Cherokee Indian had their seat of government at New Echota, Gordon County, Georgia. In 1839 the Indians were made to leave Georgia by the government, in what was later to be known as the "Trail of Tears." It is possible that Sam's natural parents could have hidden and stayed in the area. This was illegal, but it did happen with others. The rich fertile soil was much coveted by the white men and it was given to white settlers by the government. Our Cantrell and Hymer ancestors lived in this area.
"Sam was a farmer in Bowie County, Texas until some earlier owners of the property came up with some sort of document that gave them claim to the farm. Sam could do nothing but move.
"Sam was one to dwell on the past. He talked about the Civil War so much that he bored his listeners. Being young girls, my mother and her sisters didn't want to hear about it. (I wish I could hear his stories today.)
"My mother and her sister, Elwanda Teague Bagwell told me about the time, during the great depression, when every one was so poor, when a band of Gypsy Indians, camped in the area, came to their farm. These indians would go to all the farms and just pick up anything they wanted. Thinking he could keep the Indians from stealing from them, Sam told the Indians that the proudest blood that flowed through his veins was Cherokee. The Indians took all the chickens anyway. Sam was staying with my Grandparents at this time. He usually lived with his son, Sylvester and his family, but Sylvester had taken his family somewhere in west Texas for awhile so that he could work. Later, after my Grandparents recovered from the loss of their chickens, they sold their new crop of chickens to pay for bus fare so that Sam could go to be with Sylvester.
"Later, Sam was given land in Okemah, Oklahoma by the government. It is not known if he received this land because he was indian or if the government just gave it to him as they were doing at that time." (Carolyn Sue Mitchell Bouska, 15001 Quail Drive, Balch Springs, Texas 75180-2447; tele: 214-557-5532, 1993 - 1995, with information from Ella Elizabeth (Hymer) Teague; Gladys (Teague) Davis of Gainesville, Texas; Nancy Mae (Teague) Mitchell; and Elwanda (Teague) Bagwell.)
"Sam was a farmer in Bowie County, Texas until some earlier owners of the property came up with some sort of document that gave them claim to the farm. Sam could do nothing but move.
"Sam was one to dwell on the past. He talked about the Civil War so much that he bored his listeners. Being young girls, my mother and her sisters didn't want to hear about it. (I wish I could hear his stories today.)
"My mother and her sister, Elwanda Teague Bagwell told me about the time, during the great depression, when every one was so poor, when a band of Gypsy Indians, camped in the area, came to their farm. These indians would go to all the farms and just pick up anything they wanted. Thinking he could keep the Indians from stealing from them, Sam told the Indians that the proudest blood that flowed through his veins was Cherokee. The Indians took all the chickens anyway. Sam was staying with my Grandparents at this time. He usually lived with his son, Sylvester and his family, but Sylvester had taken his family somewhere in west Texas for awhile so that he could work. Later, after my Grandparents recovered from the loss of their chickens, they sold their new crop of chickens to pay for bus fare so that Sam could go to be with Sylvester.
"Later, Sam was given land in Okemah, Oklahoma by the government. It is not known if he received this land because he was indian or if the government just gave it to him as they were doing at that time." (Carolyn Sue Mitchell Bouska, 15001 Quail Drive, Balch Springs, Texas 75180-2447; tele: 214-557-5532, 1993 - 1995, with information from Ella Elizabeth (Hymer) Teague; Gladys (Teague) Davis of Gainesville, Texas; Nancy Mae (Teague) Mitchell; and Elwanda (Teague) Bagwell.)
Events
| Birth | December 14, 1848 | Calhoun, Gordon County, Georgia | |||
| Marriage | August 17, 1877 | Douglasville, Cass County, Texas - Alice Ophelia Caldwell | |||
| Death | June 2, 1931 | Okemah, Okfuskee County, Oklahoma | |||
| Burial | Okemah, Okfuskee County, Oklahoma |
Families
| Spouse | Alice Ophelia Caldwell (1860 - 1889) |
| Child | Agnes Josephine Hymer (1879 - 1973) |
| Child | Carrie Alice Hymer (1882 - 1967) |
| Child | Sylvester Damarcus Hymer (1884 - 1975) |
| Child | Ella Elizabeth Hymer (1886 - 1962) |
| Father | Basil "Manuel" Hymer (1824 - 1866) |
| Mother | Josephine Cantrell (1825 - 1900) |
| Sibling | Adaline Hymer (1846 - ) |