Birth: 1857, Henderson, Rusk Co., Texas Death: Oct 1896, Beaumont, Texas, of pneumonia  [See Obit]  Burial: Graham Cemetery (Formerly New Cemetery) Henderson, Rusk County,  Texas Father: David Patterson "Dave" HOWARD (1825-~1895) Mother: Martha Ann  "Marthy Ann" FOWLER (1840-1907) Occupation: Architect. His known works are not well detailed. Pat's granddaughter Doris [nee Diggs]  Osbourne, born of Pat's daughter Mamie,  informed in 2001 that "he  did build  in the 1890s one of the Methodist churches in Houston, it was the biggest at the time.. i got this story from Aunt Annie McGehee"1 Resided: Raised in Henderson, Rusk County, Texas, he resided in many places due to the itinerancy of his profession, including Beaumont Texas, Houston Texas, Terrell Texas and Birmingham Alabama. Spouse: Frances Beatrice  'Fannie' McGEHEE1,2 Birth: Oct. 11, 1859 (from the family bible); [7 Oct 18592/10 Oct 18593, Alabama , Perry, Peach Co, Georgia2,3] Death: 15 Jan 1896, area of Houston Texas and of appendicitis4 Father: Corporal Jabus Everett  "Jabe" McGEHEE (1838-1887) Mother: Sarah Frances"Frances" COFIELD (1840-1914) Marriage:15 Jun 18845.  [ place uncertain-reference is made to "Dallas" . May be Texas[could be Dallas Ala] ]  Children:  Frances Beatrice (1885->1932) Mamie Hazel "Mamie" (1887-1963) Benjamin Patterson (1889-1932)

The historical society at Rusk County, Henderson, in charge of the house in which Pat was born erroneously implied during the time of my visit there that Jonathan Patteron "Pat" Howard  was killed by his brother George in the home in which  they both grew up. The story went that Pat  was accidentally shot in the basement in a 'hunting accident' , and died in their mother's bedroom, and, it continues, the tortured mother is sometimes seen to haunt the house moaning for her sons. Doris Diggs Osborne, his grandchild, tells that when she was a child her mother informed that Pat died of pnemonia, was an architect, and that the family moved around alot as a result of his work.
The announcement of Pat's death in the Henderson paper indicates he died in Beaumont, but was accompanied for burial by a Mason from Houston, as he was a member of the Grey Lodge of Houston. The entire tale involving fratracide is a local legend and not in any way based on any fact uncovered in my search of the court records and notices of death. This tale was likely given impetus by the long period of time the large and old home was vacant, in decay, and a site of candlelit. clandestine teenage parties, coupled with the absence of any direct kin to dispute the tale. The fact Pat had a brother who had killed himself by gunfire no doubt added to the tale, or perhaps started it. Apparantly as an architect, his job forced the family to move to many locations.

His Obituary from Oct 7, 1896 in The Rusk County News, Page 4, Column 8

"Pat Howard Dead
The news of the death of Mr. J. P. Howard at Beaumont early Monday morning was received with much sadness here in Henderson where he was raised, and where he was known and esteemed by all. His remains were brought to Henderson, arriving here on Monday night, accompanied by Mr. W. G. Brown, Master of Grey Lodge No. 329, A.F. and A. M., Houston, of which lodge Mr Howard was an honored member. The remains were interred in the new cemetery at 10:30 AM this Tuesday Am, from the residence of (Unreadable text)....of the Local Mason (unreadable line). ...the bereaved parents and relatives and especially the three little orphan children, the News joins the people of Henderson and community in extending sympathy."

Pat Howard built one building in Houston that Doris knows of, no longer standing...it was the Methodist church in Houston.¹
Pat was residing Terrell Texas when his daughter Mamie was born (1887)¹ and his brother William A died while visiting Pat and his family there (1886) . The family was in Birmingham, Ala when son Ben was born (1889), and Pat was residing, it appears from his death announcement in Henderson's paper, in Houston in the year of his death 9 months after that of his wife. He was, a member of the Masonic lodge there at that time, as he was accompanied home by a Masonic brother.
 

1870 census of Rusk county
Howard
James L 55 m Va
Dave P. 49 m Va
Martha A. 31 f Tn
John P. 13 m Tx
William R. 12 m Tx
Benj. M. 8 m Tx
Joe 7 m Tx
George 6 m Tx
Sarah V. 2 f Tx

1880 Rusk County Census
head of household
Howard, D. P. 54 m Head brickmason, Va Va VA
M.A. 40 F wife Tn Sc Tn
Jno. P 23 m son Tx Va Tn
Wm. A 21 m son Tx Va Tn
B.M. 19 m son Tx Va Tn
J. R. 17 m son Tx Va Tn
G. W. 14 m son Tx Va Tn
Julia I. 10 f dau Tx Va Tn
M. A. 7 f dau Tx Va Tn
J. L. 61 m bro. Va Va Va

1.1 Frances Beatrice "Bea" HOWARD  Birth 1885, Texas I think, as per Doris Death 1954? Curly Black Hair, Black Eyes, Olive Complexion.1 Named for her mother, her neice through brother Ben was likewise named  Eldest of the three Howard children of this generation, on being orphaned, she lived quite a bit of time with Aunt Annie Howard Amos but "hadn't much good to say about Annie" 1. Bea's  niece Doris, daughter of Bea's sister Mamie,  says that Bea went to live with the Howard side of the family  when  she and her two siblings were orphaned,  living with various Howard family members, including her  Aunt Annie Howard Amos and her Uncle Ben HOWARD. Bea's sister Mamie and brother Ben lived more with the McGehee kin of their mother, but Mamie and Ben also lived for a while with Uncle Ben Howard , although the three siblings never again resided together. Aunt Annie lived in Camp Co. Texas 1900 and in Dallas Co 1910 and 1920 but her censuses include none of the orphaned children of Pat and Fannie at the time of their ennumeration.   Uncle Ben lived somewhere in Texas . Doris "wasn't in much contact with the Howards" and doesn't know more. As an adult, Bea resided some time in Georgia, and then later in NYC with and because of her brother Ben's influence. In 1926 , her neice Doris Diggs Osborne visited her in company with Doris mother , Bea's sister, named Mamie , and Beatrice was not married, was employed as a secretary, and resided in Atlanta,  Georgia. Beatrice went to New York as per Doris after that time, so she moved to NY between 1926 and 1932 (her brother Ben's death year). Doris was in possession of a photograph of Bea's cat taken in a back yard entitled "Brooklyn" dated from the 1930s when I visited Doris in Oklahoma in 2001. My own mother and her sister remembered Beatrice well, as she took them from the family home after Ben's death, and overnight to her room in a boarding house on 14th street in Manhattan, where they stayed briefly before being placed in the Sheltering Arms orphanage. Their memory of the comfort and cleanliness of that boarding house is impoverished. They remember as well that beautiful dresses were provided to them there at Sheltering Arms, but that they were lost to them. They assume them a gift of this aunt Bea.   Doris does say: "all the McGehee women had quick tempers except for Mamie, my mom. She was a little bit on the timid side and not quick tempered like her sister Bea who just flew off the handle over nothin". Eventually Bea married to a man Doris recalls as "Uncle" Sheridon, but nothing more is known. She had no children.  " Bea spent more time with the howards than the McGehees, my mother spent more time with the McGehees, and your grandfather [meaning Ben] spent some time with his Uncle Ben Howard, and then went to Ellie [McGehee] , I know for some time he lived there. They ALL lived with Sally Lundy at some time . Mother remembered him living with Uncle Ben. I think Uncle Ben took him first.Mother spent more time with Aunt Ellie than anyone else, though she spent some time with Cousin Sally Lundy when she had a school" . 1

Spouse  "Uncle" SHERIDON1

1.2 Mamie Hazel "Mamie" HOWARD  Birth 14 Nov 1887, Terrell Texas;her Family Was There "Just Long Enough To Be Born -Close To Dallas1 Death 12 May 1963, Oklahoma City1 Educ Shorter College, Rome Georgia, Two Years, Did Not Graduate Desc Mamie remembers living in Houston, and remembered her father going to the dock and bringing bananas home Mamie's daughter Doris informs that her mother was originally  named Mamie Brinn Howard, a female friend of her mother's having the surname Brinn. But Mamie's mother got angry at this friend, and renamed her Mamie Hazel Howard. The birth certificate was in the name Mamie Hazel Howard, as it was registered after the name change and through the assistance of Annie Mae Howard belatedly as per Mamie's daughter. Apparantly, no records will show this original name of Mamie Brinn Howard. Mamie was born in Terrel Texas, while her father was on a small job there according to Doris. "They were either moving from Houston to Birmingham or vice versa" [from younger brother Ben's birthplace of Alabama, it would appear that they were moving in that direction]. A photo in the family book in my possession of all my kin, handed down to me from my father,  shows 6 kids: Evie Buff, Beatrice Howard, Ethel McGehee, Thomas McGehee Singletary, Mamie Howard Diggs, Benjamin Patterson Howard. Mamie's  mother died in 1896 and her father later the same year. On being orphaned, she lived with various members of the McGehee household. She set her sights on a professional man, and she made a good match. Doris, her daughter says,  " Bea spent more time with the howards than the McGehees, my mother spent more time with the McGehees, and your grandfather spent some time with his Uncle Ben Howard, and then went to Ellie, I know for some time he lived there. They ALL lived with Sally Lundy at some time . Mother remembered him living with Uncle Ben. I think Uncle Ben took him first.Mother spent more time with Aunt Ellie than anyone else, though she spent some time with Cousin Sally when she had a school" . 1 Doris Diggs Osborne informs Mamie, her sister Bea and brother Ben were shuffled around as children, although well provided for by their father. However, the children's needs were accounted for carefully, and no finances remained for them when they were ready for advanced schooling. For some time they lived with Sally Lundy and her husband Mr. Williams, in Black Hawk Missippi, they later apparantely lived with Eleanor "Ellie" . They were seldom together in the homes that housed them, except for a period of time in Sally's home. Mamie last saw her brother Ben when he travelled south to Black Hawk Mississippi from New York State to visit her in 1919. Never again."1 She spent her last years living in Oklahoma City near her daughter and son in law.

Spouse Graham Wall DIGGS1 Birth 24 Dec 1879, Acona Miss1 Death 4 Aug 1939, Wetumka, Okla1 Father William Harris "Harris" DIGGS (1856-) Mother Mary Elizabeth "Betty' WALL (1857-1932) Marr 21 Apr 1910

Children Doris (1915-) married Graham Wall Diggs. Had no children.  Graham Wall, Jr (1921-1943) [died in service to the United States during WWII and in his bomber over the north sea. His body was never recovered. He was unmarried at the time of his death ]

1.3 Benjamin  Patterson HOWARD SEE HIS DEDICATED PAGE for wife, progeny and bio. Birth 31 Aug 1889, Birmingham, Alabama6 Death 28 Nov 1932, New York Burial Silver Mount Cemetery, Staten Island, NY. Occ Telegraph Operator Desc named for his uncle Benjamin M Howard, according to Doris