The Takewell Family Story

By Michael Takewell

The Takewell surname "Takewell" is derived from the Middle English verb "tuck(en)", meaning "to full cloth". Thus, this term was applied to a tucker or fuller who did his job well. In the Middle Ages, the tucker scoured and thickened the raw cloth by beating and trampling it in water. It is also "possible" that this surname is ultimately of Mormon French origin, denoting "one who came from Touqueville", the name of a place in Normandy. Variants of the surname Takewell include Tockwell, Tuckwell, Tagwell, and Tugwell. The modern spelling of most surnames is comparatively recent and is usually a phonic rendering of the name, which is found in the parish registers of the seventeenth and eighteenth century. However, it should be noted that the name itself, in its various orthographic forms, may have been borne by the same family for a previous three or four hundred years. One of the earliest references to this name or to a variant is a record of one Johanna Takewell, daughter of Jhois Takewell, who was baptized in Kingston Upon Thames, Co. Surrey, England in 1545. The date of the baptism indicates that Johis Takewell was born between 1525 and 1530. However, research is of course ongoing and the Takewell name may have been documented even earlier than the date indicated above. The marriage of Grace Tockwell and John Poole is registered in Painswick, Gloucestershire England, in 1650 and Elizabeth Tackwill, daughter of George Tackwill and Mary, was christened in Longworth, Berkshire, England in 1734. The Takewell Family has many many descendants from south La. to Yorkshire England.

On September 15, 1830, at Little Dancing Rabbit Creek the decision was made that allowed for the removal of all Indian peoples to the west of the Mississippi River. This was carried out due to a bill passed by the Congress of the United States. After the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek, George S. Gaines was named by Secretary of the War Department Lewis Cass as General Supervisor for the removal of the Choctaw from Mississippi to what is now Oklahoma. Gaines set the date for the removal of the first group of Choctaws to begin on November 1, 1831. Only eastern Choctaws managed to evade federal authorities and escape removal by scattering in small bands throughout the backwoods of Mississippi and Louisiana, there to live for decades on the periphery of non-Indian society. Early in the 20th century the federal government finally abandoned effort to expel those who remained. The Bureau of Indian Affairs established an agency among them in central Mississippi and purchased land there for a reservation. It has been past down from generation to generation by many in the Takewell family that in North America our family was adopted by the Choctaw Indians. This particular branch of the Takewell Family is to believed to have escaped from the "Trail of Tears" because of the starvation and death experienced by the native americans. I believe that due to the fact William Takewell is listed on Col. William Eatons north carolina militia which was taken on Oct. 17, 1545 and not listed on the louisiana census, he probably died on the trail of tears. The Takewell name was taken by them to keep from being found and returned to the reservations. This theory is substantiated by the fact that one of the older members of the Takewell Family (Nimrod Takewell, son of William) was born in Tennessee in 1804. According to the head of the Choctaw tribe, Nimrod is translated from the Choctaw Language as "Great Hunter". Sometime between 1804 and 1826, Nimrod left Tennessee and followed the only trail in existence at that time to Louisiana. This trail was also used to move the Choctaw Indians west on the Mississippi. The trail is known as "The trail of Tears".

When the Mississippi Territory was established in 1798, the northern and southern boundaries were the thirty-two twenty-eight parallel, just above Vicksburg on the north, and the thirty-first parallel, just below Natchez on the south. The area above Vicksburg up to the state of Tennessee (which is where Nimrod was from) was American Indian territory and most of the area between Natchez and the Mississippi Gulf Coast was Spanish territory known as West Florida. The "Trail of Tears" lead right through Natchez, Mississippi. When Nimrod arrive in Natchez, he met a woman by the name of Rachel Netherland. Although Rachel came from a upper middle class family, she could not read or write. Her father, James Robert Netherland was a well known business man and slave owner. Rachel Netherland was born in 1812. In 1826 she married Nimrod at the age of 14 years old. Nimrod was 22 years old at the time. During this time in history an age difference such as this was not thought of as it is today. The human life expectancy was considerably lower during the 1800's.

Soon after Nimrod and Rachel arrived in Louisiana, they were married. Nimrod applied for a marriage certificate from Judge Oliver J. Morgan in Ouachita Parish. He and Rachel were married on September 14, 1826. The marriage was recorded in "fiber 6 folio 13" in the Ouachita Parish courthouse. The marriage was performed by Judge L. Fermer Esq. Justice of the Peace for the state of Louisiana, Ouachita Parish. The original marriage certificate and application is still filed in the parish court house in Monroe. Susannah married a man with the last name Evans in 1871. I am not sure of his first name. William Riley married Martha Louise Ray in 1869.

Not much is known about the female children of Nimrod and Rachel because of the politically incorrectness practices of the 1800's. All records were kept in the names of their husbands. The first son of Nimrod and Rachel was David H. Takewell. David was one of 3 Takewell's that served in the Civil war. David enlisted in Monroe, La. and served as a Pvt. in Co. K, of the 31st Louisiana Inf. En. under the command of Sugan Jones. He is listed on the roll of Camp Mayson taken on 8/1/1862. The 31st infantry surrendered on May 26,1965. He reported in camp for exchange at Vienna, La. before April 1, 1865. Resident of Ouachita Parish, La. David's wife, Rachel filed for his pension on Feb. 8, 1911. The application (#8252) was filled on March 7, 1914. He signed up in the spring of 1862 as a private in Capt. Hensley's Co. of the 31st infantry. At the time the confederacy surrendered David was in Pleasant Hill, La. At the time he applied for his pension he was a resident of Bastrop, La. David was never injured in the war. He was listed in the Confederate Parole Records at Viksburg as Takewell, David H., Pvt. Co. K, 31st La. Inf. "D. H Takewell" is found on the 1879 Federal Census Index for Ouachita Parish. David was among those few who exchanged and returned to duty at the end of August 1864. They spent the balance of the war in the Pineville area and marched to Mansfield to disband just before the surrender of the Trans-Mississippi Department on May 26, 1865.

The second son of Nimrod and Rachel was William Riley Takewell. William also served in the Civil War. William Riley Takewell was a U.S. confederate soldier in the 31st La. Infantry, under the command of Sugan Jones. He served as a Pvt. in Co. K, of the 31st Louisiana Inf. En. He is listed on the roll of Camp Mayson taken on 8/1/1862. He reported in camp for exchange at Vienna, La. before April 1, 1865. Resident of Ouachita Parish, La. He was paroled at Plesant Hill, and applied for his military pension on July 30 1913, at age 66. (Application # 7819.) He received 36 dollars for his pension. William was a member of the "Company K, Tilailleurs of St. James. The regiment was organized at Camp Moore on May 15, 1862, with 804 men. The unit had originally been mustered into state service in New Orleans on December 17, 1861, as the Sumpter Regiment and was transferred to Confederate service for ninety days on March 1, 1862. Upon the evacuation of New Orleans, April 25, three and a half companies remained in the city were captured. The other six and a half companies went to Camp Moore. There General Mansfield Lovell added four new companies to bring the unit back to regimental strength. Company K went home on furlough and never returned, since the enemy controlled that portion of the state. The regiment remained at Camp Moore until August 5, when it participated in the battle of Baton Rouge. In that battle, 58 men of the regiment were killed, wounded, or missing. The remaining men marched to Port Hudson after the battle and became part of the garrison there. They did outpost and picket and helped construct the entrenchment's in the area. In February, 1863, the War Department ordered the reduction of the regiment to a battalion of seven companies. On March 4, Companies H and I were disbanded and the men were distributed among other companies. The new 30th Louisiana Battalion retained the regiment's number, and records frequently call it 30th Louisiana Regiment. Some time between the end of the Civil War in 1865 and 1876, William moved to Coweta County Georgia where he is listed on the county tax record. It is not known how long he lived there. Some time between 1850 and 1855 William Riley moved from Yazoo County, MS. from there he moved to Morehouse Parish in Louisiana. At the time of his death May 06, 1922 William Riley's grandson "Jinky" said that he remembered he watched as other relatives placed pennies on William Riley's eyes, pulled the sheet over his face and covered all the mirrors in the house. The practice of putting pennies on the eyes of the dead and covering the mirrors has been practiced in the south for generations. It is thought that the mirrors confuse the soul on it's way to heaven, and the pennies on the eyes are to pay the passage across the sea of death. Jinky also remembered that William used to have hard candy on his night stand beside his bed, and he would sneak in there and snitch a piece of it from time to time. William Riley is buried at Pine Grove Cemetery South under a tree. There is no marker and all the records were destroyed in a fire. In 1869 at the age of 22, William Riley married a 14 year old girl named Martha Louise Ray. Martha was the daughter of J. D. and Kitty M. Roye. She and William were parents of 6 sons. Their names were Andrew, Jessie Jird, John William, Crawford Henry, George Allen and Russell Roy Takewell. Martha and William Riley raised their sons in Union Parish, and later moved to Morehouse Parish. Mary passed away 5 years before William Riley on September 22, 1917. Her obituary reads "Martha died, of "flux" (diarrhea), that was brought on by a stomach virus at her husband's home near Marion, La., Sept. 16th, 1885; in the 32d year of her age, Mrs. Martha L. Takewell, wife of W. R. Takewell and daughter of J. D. and Kitty M. Roye. The deceased was born in Union parish, La., 1853, and was married to W. R. Takewell Dec., 1869. In 1877 she united herself with the Concord Missionary Baptist church of which she continued a member until her death. She was a kind lady, a good mother, and leaves five small children, who with their father, feel bitterly their loss.

Of the six sons that Martha bore, the oldest was Andrew Takewell. Not much is known about Andrew except that he married and had a daughter named Elaine. The second son of William and Martha was Jessie Jird. He seems to be somewhat of a character. Jessie was born in 1876 and was a member of the Meridian Baptist Church. According to "Book 1 of the minutes of the Meridian Baptist Church", "Bro. Jessie Jird (AKA Jordan Takewell) was baptized on the Saturday before the first Sunday in 1897". In 1899 The fellowship of the church inquired when Jessie Jird along with two women were accused of "Unchristian like conduct". (This was anything from drinking alcohol to dancing to pre-marital sex.) On motion they were forgiven. After several acts of "unchristian like conduct", Jessie Jird was dis-charged and the church committee withdrew fellowship from Bro. Jerd Takewell. Jessie married Nannie E. Edwards (1/7/1884 to 5/15/71) and had 11 children. Of these children, there were 3 girls and 8 boys. They are in order of age, Doris, Grover, Marie, Billie, Carrie, Clayton, Robert, John, Earl, Drew and Jessie Jird Jr.

Doris married Moore Hammond of Jonesboro-Hodge and had two daughters, Barbara Ann and Betty Gene.
Marie married Milford Humphries and had two children, Patsy Humphries and Larry Humphries.
Carrie (October 15, 1903 - October 29, 1992) married Louise Case and had a daughter named Dorothy Case.
Robert (September 27, 1906 - April 1983) married Mary Louise Stevenson and had two daughters, Diane Takewell and Sharon Takewell. There is a street in Boger TX. named "Takewell St. It is believed to be named after Robert.

Earl Audrest (September 02, 1909 - April 15, 1956) married Ruby Irene Staley (1913 - March 16, 1990) on March 30, 1930 and had two children, Billie Maxine Takewell and Earl Andrest Takewell Jr. Drew Atmus (May 17, 1917 - September 23, 1989) married Helen Lee Elizabeth (September 05, 1920 - September 17, 1982) on June 02, 1939 and had three children, Janet Takewell b. 1944, Carylon Takewell b.1946 and Steven Takewell b. May 5, 1951.

The third son of William Riley and Martha was John William Takewell. John was born 6/2/1872 in Morehouse parish, he passed away on Jan. 8, 1952. John married Martha Jennie McCarty on November 15, 1933 in Richland Parish, La. Martha Jennie was born July 30, 1895 and passed away Feb. 5, 1957. John and Martha Jennie had two children between them. They had a son named Mack William Takewell who was born April 16, 1934. He drowned in the Ouachita River at Bosco on Sept. 4, 1957. That was the same year that his mother passed away. They also had a daughter named Marjorie Takewell Hackney. Marjorie last address was in Bosco, La. She married Jimmie Elzie "Slick" Hackney. Their children are Jimmie Leo (b. 8/4/1954), Brenda Gail (b. 8/14/1957) and identical twins Johnny Ray and Mary Ann. Both of which were born and died on 9/12/1965.

Crawford Henry Takewell was the fourth son of William Riley and Martha Louise. He was born December 16, 1876 in Louisiana. He passed away September 27, 1948 in Richland Parish, Louisiana. He is buried in Hall Cemetery. In 1900 he married Ella Lavine Bridges. She was also born in Louisiana on February 18, 1885. She passed away on August 16, 1950. Between them, they had 9 children. They are in order of age, Robert, Louella, Ardell, Laura, Jessie, James, Lola Mae, Ivory, and an infant who died at birth.

Robert was born August 24, 1901 and died in 1913 at the age of 12.

Louella married Christ Evenoff Sr. August 22, 1921 at the Court House in Ouachita Parish, Monroe, LA. They had 7 children. Nicholas Christ Evenoff, Atanas Evenoff, George Evenoff, Mary Evenoff, Eba Evenoff, Lovella Evenoff and Sophia Evenoff.
Ardell was born December 15, 1905. She married David J. Noel Sr. David was born in 1903 and passed away on October 22, 1973. He is buried in Roslawn Cemetery, W. Monroe, LA. Laura was born September 25, 1911. She passed away on January 02, 1984 in Bastrop, Louisiana. Ardell and David had 5 children, David Jr., George, Constance Mae, Connie and Edna.

Laura Evelyn Takewell was married to Frank McDonald. He was born February 14, 1884 and passed away on May 30, 1950. Between them, they had 15 children. Billy, J.W., Robert, Jerry, Bobby, Larry, Roy, Evelyn Pearl, Frances, Elizabeth, Johanna, Christine, Ann, Voncele, and John Willie.

Jessie Edward Takewell was born on April 29, 1914 in Morehouse Parish, Louisiana. He passed away at the age of 56 on July 05, 1970 in Alto La. after spending time in Colonial Manner Nursing Home, in Richland Parish. He married Myrtle Lee Tharpe (b. December 08, 1917) and had five children, Russell Lee, Edward, Linda Gayle, Douglas Ray and John William Takewell. Jessie's occupation is listed on the Louisiana census as a farmer.

James Calvin Takewell was the sixth child of William Riley and Martha Louise. James was a W.W.II vet, where he served as a corporal in a Signal battalion, Tec 5 US Army and a member of the Mason Lodge #293. He was born September 21, 1916 in Morehouse Parish (Winnsboro, La.) and employed as a truck driver. He passed away on March 19, 1994 and is buried in Weaver cemetery in Chestnut, Louisiana. James married Ardell Stewart. She was born September 22, 1922 in Chestnut, LA. (Natchitoes Parish). They were married on May 08, 1937 in Delhi, LA. Between them they had 3 daughters. Patsy Jean Takewell born August 14, 1941, Mary Elizabeth Takewell born September 03, 1946 and Barbara Dell Takewell born May 02, 1939.

LoLa Mae Takewell was born July 04, 1919 and passed away on October 13, 1993 in Baton Rouge, LA. She married Claude Bennett Townsend Sr. He was born September 24, 1915. They had 12 children Claude Bennett Townsend Jr, Randy Townsend, Rocky Townsend, Claudine Townsend, Mattie Jo Townsend, Ella Mae Townsend, Judy Townsend, Diane Townsend and Artist Daniel Townsend,

Ivory Takewell was born in 1929. He lived until the age of 21. He died from breaking his neck after falling out of a hay barn. There was also an infant who was born dead.

George Allen Takewell was the fifth son of William Riley and Marth Louise. George was born in Dubach, LA on January 12, 1882. He passed away on August 17, 1955 in Richland, Parish. George married Mary Pearl Green. "Pearl" was the daughter of Daniel Lee Green and Georgia Catherine Smith. Pearl was born on December 03, 1885 and passed away on January 29, 1970. During the late 20's and 30's, George and Mary Pearl lived at 200 S. 4th St. in Monroe. They moved from there to 507 N. 5th St. and then to 204 6th St. On October 3rd 1958 they moved to Chapel St. near the present day Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo. At that time they lived across from the original Delta Airlines Headquarters. George and Mary Pearl had six children. They are in order of age, Lee Aubrey, Fred, George Allen Jr., Ivy Catharine, Dorothy Marie and HaroldOwen.

Lee Aubrey Takewell was born on September 06, 1908 in Monroe, La. He passed away on March 28, 1986. "Aubrey" died of a massive heart attack brought on by a fall he suffered in a grocery store where he slipped and hit his head. He went by his middle name of "Aubrey". He owned the "Ouachita Cab Co." in Monroe LA. until his death in 1986. He was legally blind, and had a glass eye, but he drove himself everywhere he went until the day of his fall. He was also part owner with his son "Guy" in a neon sign business. He never allowed his grandchildren to call him anything but Aubrey. He married Lillian Geraldine Ritchie on June 06, 1935 in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana. Geraldine "Jerry" was born August 16, 1910 in Covington, Virginia. She contracted polio at the age of 3 and was in a wheel chair for the remainder of her life. Although she was handicapped she managed to raise a son, run a household, and be a devoted wife and mother. She would give her grandchildren rides on her wheel chair, and managed to budget enough money to buy them candy on a regular basis. She passed away September 17, 1972 in Monroe, La. "Jerry" and "Aubrey" had only one child. Guy Terrance Takewell Sr..

Guy Terrance Takewell Sr. was an only child. He was born at 2:15 A.M. at St. Francis Hospital. As a child he was known to many as "Terry". He was raised in Monroe, La. where he attended school up until he was in Neville high school for 9 months. After dropping out of school, he joined the U.S. Navy. Guy Sr. served in the U.S. Navy from June 6, 1958 through October 26, 1962. In the "OS division" as a signal man. Service# 349-14-11. He enlisted in Little Rock, Arkansas. During his tour of duty he received a medal for good conduct. After his honorable discharge from the navy in 1962 Guy returned home with his wife "Laurie", to Monroe, La. and joined his father in the neon sign business. Shortly after, Guy expanded the business. In addition to neon signs Guy also made hand painted signs. His father Lee retired and Guy eliminated the neon sign end of the business, and went to strictly painted signs. This business enabled him to provide for him, his wife and six children. Every weekend he would take his children out for ice cream on Saturday and to "Valman Lake" on Sunday. He would bring a record player and records to the lake with them and set them on the roof of the car. The whole lake would listen to Hank Williams Sr. and Conway Twitty music. Laurie would cook the hamburgers and hot dog while Guy and the kids would swim. Late in the evening everyone would come out of the water and enjoy potato salad, hamburgers, hot dogs and lemonade flavored "Kool-aid". The kids usually slept on the way home. Due to the fact Guy used a spray gun to paint signs, he inhaled a large amount of "over spray". This caused him to loose his sense of smell. Guy went to the Dr. for a sinus infection. He was prescribed a nasal spray to ward off the infection. The medicine caused the infection to back up on his brain and put him into a coma for 5 years. He died on the day before Thanksgiving in 1977. We received the call as we were sitting down to dinner on Thanksgiving day.

Guy married Lorraine Jessie Melis on December 30, 1958 in Malden, MA.. Lorraine was born February 09, 1935 and went by the name "Laurie". Her baptismal name was "Margret". After the death of her husband Guy Terrance Takewell Sr. in November of 1977, she raised her six children alone. During this time she worked for about 3 to 4 years as a clerk at "LaFrance Drugs" on Plum St. in Monroe. Laurie passed away in her sleep from a heart attack on May 13, 1994. Guy and Laurie had 6 children. Donald Allen b. April 18, 1954, Cathrine Lynn b. May 3, 1962, Michael J'ean b. Nov. 9, 1964, Mitchell James b. Nov. 9, 1964, Guy Terrance Jr. b. August 16, 1966 and Mark William Takewell b. October 4, 1967.

Fred Takewell was born March 01, 1911 in Dubach, LA. He is the 2nd son of George Allen and Mary Pearl. Fred married Lida L. Sutton. Lida was born September 05, 1914 in Ruston, Louisiana. She passed away November 30, 1983 in Monroe, La. Lida and Fred had two sons, Prentice born May 25, 1935 and Harold Owen Takewell born November 19, 1953. "Owen" was named after Fred's brother who died in a military plane crash. Prentice married Caryoln McClelland who was born April 26, 1937. They had 4 children. Timmy, Marty, Kelly and Tracey. All of which referred to their grandfather Fred, as "Big Daddy".

George Allen Takewell Jr. was the third son of George and Pearl. He was born April 11, 1914 in Dubach, LA. On September 30th of 1917 George and Pearl went to town and told Aubrey to keep an eye on his younger brother George Jr. Aubrey got his daddy's 12 gauge shotgun to try and intimidate George Jr. into behaving. George Jr. was in the kitchen pretending to into cut a watermelon when Aubrey walked in and saw him. Aubrey pointed the gun at George Jr. and told him he had better get down and leave the watermelon alone. The gun then went off shooting George and killing him. George died at the young age of 3. Aubrey was 9 years old at the time. When he realized what he had done, Aubrey ran out of the house, jumped over the porch railing, and climbed under the house where he stayed for 3 days. Aubrey never forgave himself.

Cathrine Takewell was born October 10, 1916. She was the oldest daughter of George and Pearl. She died in a motorcycle accident on Desiard St. in Monroe on April 04, 1939 at the age of 23. She is buried in Fellowship Cemetery located in Dubach, La.

Dorthy Marie Takewell was the youngest daughter of George and Pearl. She died of unknown causes at the age of 8 months old. She is buried in Fellowship Cemetery in Dubach, LA.

Harold Owen Takewell was born August 08, 1923. Harold Owen was known to his family as "Owen". Owen died at the age of 21 in a military training exercise in Florida. Owen died in a blind flying exercise. The plane was a trainer with a clear canopy over the pilot's seat. In order to teach the pilot to fly by depending solely on his instruments, the canopy was covered to prevent him seeing outside. His eyes were not covered -- only the canopy. It is called blind flying. When he crashed the plane burned. Because of this, the coffin was never opened. It probably only contained a navy uniform. He is buried with full military honors in Dubach LA., Fellowship Cemetery (story is true but details not verified).

Russell Roy Takewell was the sixth and youngest son of William Riley Takewell. He was born February 21, 1884, and passed away on March 18, 1934. Russell married Annie Florence Parker. Annie Florence was born June 21, 1889 and passed away on July 02, 1967. Russell and Annie had 5 children, Ruth, Albert, William Riley, Louise and Mae.

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