Shade Shadrach Ishmael Jr.

Shade Shadrach Ishmael, Jr. was born November 18, 1869, in Bright Star, now known as Sulphur Springs, Hopkins County, Texas. His parents were Shade Shadrach Sr., born 1823, Giles County, Tennessee and Minerva McCracken, part Indian, born 1826, in Illinois.

S. S., Sr. and Minerva had nine children: Martha Jane, Henry Campbell "Cam," William, Mary, Dorcas M., Elizabeth "Lizzie", Julie L., Nancy M., and Shade Shadrach Jr.

At one time, S. S., Sr. owned the property in downtown Sulphur Springs where the Court House and the old Presbyterian or Baptist church once stood. Later, he and his family settled on a large ranch in southwest Hopkins County, near the little community of Shirley.

After the death of Minerva, S. S., Sr. married Miss Mary E. "Mollie" Forsyth, and had twelve more children: Emma Flossie, Benjamin, Grover Cleveland, Johnnie, Naomi M. "Omy," Sterling Marvin, Maggie Elender and Minerva Irene. Four children, including one set of twins, died at birth, unnamed. With the two wives, he had a grand total of twenty-one children.

Shade, Jr. was married December 21, 1891, at the Kemp Ferry on the Red River, Fannin County, Texas, to Miss Margaret Josephine Forsyth, born August 9, 1869, in Texas. She was a sister to Mollie, the second wife of S. S., Sr., and upon her marriage became Mollie's daughter-in-law. That made her a sister-in law to Shade Jr.'s half-brothers and half-sisters who were already her nephews and nieces-thus, she affectionately became known as "Aunt Sis."

Shade, Jr. and Maggie settled for a time In Calera, Bryan County, then known as Sterrett and Cale, Indian Territory; then Durant, Indian Territory. They came to Atoka County in 1906.

They, at one time, owned the land in Atoka and Coal counties, more recently known as the Curtis Noel place, presently owned by Royce Thomas, just west of the golf course. Later, they settled in northern Atoka County, approximately seven miles north of Atoka.

To this union was born five children: Cliffie Lucille, 1892-1967; Hubert, 1894-1905; Annie Myrtle, 1896-1976; Ethel A., 1899-1901; and Melvin Shade, 1902-1975. Hubert and Ethel died when young and are buried at Calera and Durant, respectively.

Cliffie married Delbert Charles Jenkins in Atoka, December 16, 1920, and had one daughter, Mary Ellen Jenkins Snodgrass of New Mexico. Mary Ellen has one daughter, Melinda Mairlyn Snodgrass.

Annie eloped with Ernest Silvin Lovlnggood of Midway, in Atoka, November 15, 1920, and had one son, Jack Richard Lovinggood of Princeton, Texas Jack and his wife, Frances Elaine Bagwell, have four children Steven, Richard, Margaret Lynn, Cathy Jo Lori Ann.

Melvin was married four times.

Maggie was a member of the Church of Christ and took her children to worship with the little congregation that met for a time in the East Tellico Schoolhouse just down the road from them. Cliffie and Ann used to laugh and tell about the lime their Mother spanked Anne for dressing up. She used for a stem lecture to quote the scripture, Deut. "The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do are an abomination to the Lord thy God."

Maggie died November 13. 1945 at her home and is buried in the Atoka West View Cemetery.

Shade Shadrach Jr. was said to have been able to ride any wild horse he got on and had quite a reputation for breaking horses in his home state of Texas. He died April 18, 1952, a short time after suffering a stroke and is buried beside his wife in the West View Cemetery on the hill

- Ruth Ishmael

Some information on Shade Jr. came from Ted Cox's tree at http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=Search&includedb...