Society General Meeting

Saturday, January 9, 2010, 2:00 p.m.

Tyler Public Library—Taylor Auditorium

Speaker: Don Ramey

Program: "Martin Varner, Texas Pioneer 1785-1844"

Don Raney was 1st place winner at the 2009 TSGS Awards luncheon in San Antonio, under the category of Family Histories for the story he wrote about his ancestor, Martin Varner, a true Texas pioneer. His story begins with Martin Varner traveling down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers by flatboat to Arkansas Territory in 1815. He married in 1818 and settled in Oklahoma territory until soldiers from Fort Smith burned their homes to evict 200 settlers from Indian Territory in 1819. He next joined Stephen F. Austin at Washington-on-the Brazos, settling near the present town of Independence, where he received a league and labor of land. Varner participated in the Battle of Velasco, and went on to participate in the Battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836. Martin Varner then traveled to Lamar County, Texas, rejoined his family and settled east of Fort Lyday.

In 1840 next door to us here in Smith County, he cleared the first road into present Wood County. Martin Varner and his only son, Stephen Austin Varner were later involved in an altercation with their neighbor, Simon Gonzales. Stephen Varner and Gonzales died on February 11 and Martin Varner died on February 14, 1844 from wounds suffered in the altercation. Come hear this colorful tale about an early pioneer, and the hardships families endured in Texas.

Donald Raney is a sixth generation Texan, an active genealogist for over 30 years, and has been a frequent speaker at many societies in East Texas and around the state and in Houston and the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. Nationally, Mr. Raney has lectured at GENTECH, Federation of Genealogical Societies, Angelina College Genealogy Conference and The Genealogical Institute of Texas. He is a life member of the San Jacinto Descendants and past director of GENTECH and the Dallas Genealogical Society’s Computer Interest Group. Raney is a registered professional engineer, graduated from SMU with a BS degree in Civil Engineering and completed a long professional career with Lone Star Gas Company before retiring in 1997 as Chief Engineer. Currently, Mr. Raney teaches Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced Genealogy courses at Richland College.

Handouts:   Varner Book Summary,   500 Best Genealogy Sites

~.~

Computer Interest Group

There will be no CIG meeting on this date.

Copyright 2003-2010 by East Texas Genealogical Society

All rights reserved. This site may be freely linked to but not
duplicated in any fashion without permission.