There are several old families in the area who were ancestors of this writer or compiler and whose lives intertwined. The Joyners came here with Grandma Bridger, who was formerly married to Andrew L. Joyner in Twiggs County, Georgia. Andrew Joyner died in Twiggs County, Georgia on November 21, 1854 before his family came to Louisiana. Grandma Bridger was Sarah Elizabeth Gragg. Her sons coming with her were Marion R. “Gin” Joyner and William Lawrence Joyner. Their were also two sons that stayed behind, Tilman Israel Joyner and Thomas H. Joyner.
Sarah Elizabeth Gragg Joyner, her sons and their overseer, John J. Bridger, came to this country in covered wagons via New Orleans, Louisiana. Sarah Elizabeth Joyner married on October 7, 1859 before leaving Georgia. After arriving in Bienville Parish, Louisiana, they settled in the parish, she sent back to Twiggs County for her orphaned grandchildren, the children of her son, Tilman Israel Joyner and his wife Mary Angeline Murphy. Mary Angeline died in November 1880 of Pneumonia, she was 37 years old. Tilman Israel Joyner died in Jeffersonville, Georgia in early June 1887.
Marion R. “Gin” Joyner settled near Ashland, Louisiana, just over the Bienville Parish line in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana. He married Margaret Louvenia Lucky, the daughter of George Lucky and Sarah Clary Tidmore Lucky.
William Lawrence Joyner, 1849-1924, stayed in Bienville Parish with his mother and they homesteaded and acquired land near Ebenezer Church at Castor.
Each of the sons produced a doctor. Dr. Samuel L. Joyner at Ashland, Louisiana., was the son of Marion R. “Gin” Joyner, Dr. Lawrence Joyner at Saline, Louisiana was the son of Tilman Israel Joyner and Dr. Andrew Joyner was the son of William Lawrence Joyner. They delivered many babies in the areas they served.
Lorraine’s husband Bill’s grandfather , Lewis E. Joyner, was born January 27, 1876, died December 22, 1958, married Viola Cloud, a great granddaughter of John Cloud who came to what later became known as Clouds Crossing on Saline Boyou (now a park). John Cloud married Elizabeth “Betsy” Lacy, a Cherokee Indian girl. Viola was born September 26, 1880 and died May 12, 1899.
A young relative, Daniel Cloud, was recruited at Natchitoches, Louisiana by Davy Crockett to fight for Texas Independence. Daniel Cloud died at the Alamo in Texas.
John J. Bridger, second husband of Sarah Elizabeth Gragg Joyner, was postmaster at on one of the old post offices south of Alberta. The family was said to be looking for salt when they came to Louisiana. Some of the Joyners and Clouds moved further west, to the Texas Panhandle and to California.
Andrew L. Joyner was born on May 10, 1816 and died November 21, 1854. He is buried in Jeffersonville Cemetery, Jeffersonville, Georgia. His wife, Sarah, was born on December 27, 1823 and died November 7, 1896 in Bienville Parish, Louisiana. Sarah’s second husband, John J. Bridger, was born December 19, 1830 and died in Bienville Parish August 27, 1888. Both are buried in Ebenezer Cemetery at Castor, Louisiana. Andrew L. and Sarah Elizabeth Gragg Joyner had the following children:
A. Tilman Israel Joyner was born in Twiggs
County, Georgia in 1840, married Angeline Murphy born in 1844. Their children
were:
a. William A. Joyner married Mae Dickson
and had four girls:
A) Helen Joyner
B) Grace Joyner
C) Daisy Joyner
D) Billie Joyner
b. Sally Rayne Joyner
married David A. Lee, Sr.
c. Henrietta
Joyner married Ellis Burney.
d. Samuel Gragg Joyner married Emma Lee. There
children were:
A) Willie Eugenia Joyner married Billy Joe
Vise. Their children are:
a) Billy Joe Vise, Jr. married Pamela Meek.
They have Misty Renee Vise, Jerod Bradley Vise and Jeremy Brandon Vise.
b) Michael Edward Vise married Melissa Ann
Curry and they have Michael Chase Vise and Corey Justin Vise.
c) Karla Dawn Vise married Keith Scott Carpenter.
Their children are Lacy Dawn Carpenter and Lance Scott Carpenter.
B) JoAnn Joyner married James Reginal Warren
who is deceased. Their children are:
a) James Reginal Warren Jr.
b) Melanie Shawn Warren.
JoAnn married second Michael Lynn Sutton.
They have no children.
C) Lillie Lou Joner married Wally David
Hay. They have one daughter.
a) Ashley Michelle Hay.
D) Lee Joyner married Estelle Driggers.
Their children are:
a) Carole Joyner
b) Terry Wayne Joyner
c) Jesse Rayne Joyner married Gloria Sullivan.
d) Jerry L. Joyner married Sheila Rowell.
e) Barney J. Joyner married Odoms.
e. Lawrence Marion Joyner was born January 9, 1879
and died April 7,
1969. His wife was Ludie Weaver.
She was born September 3, 1882 and
died April 5, 1924. They are
buried in the Weaver Cemetery at
Chestnut, Louisiana.
f. Mary Elizabeth Joyner was born August 2, 1874
and died October 18,
1945. She married Thomas Allen Pullig. Their children were:
a) William Clyde Pullig married Stella Hathorn.
b) Lillie Pullig married Neatom Hood.
c) Mattie Pullig married Patrick Coffey.
d) Joseph Thomas Pullig married Aline McCain.
e) Tillman Arthur Pullig, born August 10, 1898, and died
January 1, 1976. He married Eula Joannie Finley.
B. Thomas H. Joyner was born ca 1846.
C. Marion R, “Gin” Joyner married Margaret
Louvenia Joyner. He was born February
22, 1848 and died on September 4, 1816.
(See the history in this article)
D. William Lawrence Joyner was born October
8, 1849 died March 18, 1924, he is buried in Ebenezer Cemetery, Castor,
La. He married Mary Jane “Molly” Lucky, the daughter of George W. and Sarah
Clary Tidmore Lucky. She was born December 14, 1854 and died at Castor,
La. In 1933. They are buried in Ebenezer Cemetery at Castor. Children born
to them were:
a) Andrew Joyner was born August 3, 1874
in Bienville Parish.
b) Louis E. Joyner was born January 27,
1876 in Bienville Parish, died December 22, 1958, buried in Ebenezer Cemetery
at Castor. He married Viola Cloud who was born September 26, 1880. She
is buried in Ebenezer Cemetery at Castor. Her death occurred May 12, 1899.
c) Clarence Joyner was born in Bienville
Parish, March 7, 1878. He married Annie Weaver.
d) Lillie Joyner, born 1880, died 1964 in
Bienville Parish. She married Henry Smith 1880-1960.
e) Marion Joyner, born 1883-84 married a
Hicks
f) Mamie Joyner was born in 1885 in Castor
and died in January 1922. She married a McCoy.
g) Willie Joyner died December 20, 1958,
buried Ebenezer Cemetery at Castor, La. She was born in 1887 and married
Jess Smith
h) Sarah Joyner married a Batchelor. She
was born in Bienville Parish ca 1889.
i) Tillman Joyner was born in Bienville
Parish September 12, 1891
And died February 25, 1965. He is buried
in Ebenezer Cemetery at Castor. He never married.
All of this information was complements of
Lorraine Joyner.
Robert M. Leskin supplied some addition
information to this article thru his genealogy research.
Copyright Lorraine Joyner and Robert M.
Leskin.
William Lawrence Joyner Family Photo
Grandma Bridger
Copyright Lorraine Joyner and Robert M. Leskin.