The Washington Wiggins Albritton Family

Facts from Lavinia Albritton Monkress

Washington Wiggins Albritton was the son of John F. Albritton and Mary (Polk) Albritton. His mother was the sister of President James K. Polk. His father was one of three brothers who left their parents, Enoch and Penelope Albritton, in England, and came to this country in 1827. There were nine children born to John and Mary, but only Washington Wiggins came to Texas.

W. W. Albritton married Mary Ann Theresa (Turner) in Poplar Springs, Pontotoc County, Mississippi, in 1868. One year later, they arrived in Texas and purchased 500 acres of land between Nacogdoches and Gushing. Washington was pastor of Old North Church in Nacogdoches, one of the oldest churches in Texas, which still is in existence. They were the parents of seven children. As the children became of school age, they moved to Alto and later, to Rusk so that the older children could attend Rusk College. Mr. Albritton was the Baptist district missionary in Rusk and died there in 1900.

By 1902, the oldest child, Martha Ann Albritton, had married L. A. Pritchett and they had moved to Ironton; Amanda Virginia had married John Jones of Rusk and they were living in Gallatin. The rest of the children including Fannie Laura, a school teacher, Benjamin Jackson, Minnie Ola, Penny Ann Lavinia and William moved to Jacksonville with Mrs. Albritton.

Fannie Laura married E. D. McCall, a contractor, brother of Mrs. Sam A. Cobb. They moved to Wells and later, to San Antonio. Both are deceased and so are three of their four children. Their daughter, Lucy B. McCall, is a retired teacher now living in San Antonio.

Benjamin Jackson Albritton (deceased) was well known as an educator in Jacksonville. He was superintendent of the public schools for sixteen years and then president of Jacksonville College for eighteen years. Upon his retirement from the educational field, he served as City Judge until his death in 1956. Mrs. B. J. Albritton was Ora Dee Chester and the four children of this union were: B. J., Jr., (Jack), who is a Jacksonville business man; Elizabeth (Mrs. Windsor Crim) is now deceased; Chester, senior vice-president, First National Bank in Dallas, lives there with his wife and three children; Nell (Mrs. Frank Young) is a widow and now lives in Jacksonville with brother, Jack. Mrs. Albritton died in 1971 at age 90.

Minnie Ola Albritton married Frank M. Loper of Jacksonville. They are both deceased, and their son also is dead.

Penny Ann Lavinia, known to almost every family in Jacksonville as Miss Lavinia, taught the first grade here for 42 years. She probably influenced the character of every Jacksonville school child from 1910 until she retired in 1952. Miss Lavinia married V. P. Monkress in 1917 and he died in 1921. She continues to live in her home at the corner of South Jackson and Nacogdoches, a Jacksonville landmark. She now is 86 years of age and continues to be very active in her many endeavors. Her home is filled with priceless antiques and mementoes. She works in her church Sunday School and the Women's Missionary Society of the Central Baptist church. She is a "pink lady" at Nan Travis Hospital and has a perfect record of attendance for her assigned hours of work. She is a member of the Wednesday Study Club, Past Matron of the Eastern Star and charter member of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society. Miss Lavinia is so well known here that she modestly said, "the postman knows where to bring my mail even if some of my old students address the envelope with just 'Miss Lavinia'." Her distinctive tall figure with her curl hair-styling is a familiar sight as she hurries from one worthwhile activity to the other. She continues to drive her car but she limits her driving to the daytime.

William (Will) Albritton is a retired insurance man and rancher. He lives in Jacksonville with his wife, Ila Martin Stevens and they have two children, Bill Albritton, Jr. of Houston, and Martha (Mrs. Bruce Wilson) of Monroe, La. Mr. Wilson is manager of the Carbon Black plants in Texas, California and Canada. They have three sons. Mrs. Will Albritton has two other children, Frances Stevens (Mrs. Dan Dodd) who was the queen of the last Tomato Bowl Festival held in Jacksonville; Henry Grady Stevens is a technician at Denton College and lives there with his wife and children.

Other Albritton descendants who live in Jacksonville are Lewis Jones and his wife, Mayme Lou (Wade); and J. T. Jones, who married Verma (Darby), who teaches in Jacksonville Junior High School. They have two sons.

The reputation for fine schools in Jacksonville is a tribute to the Albritton family members who contributed so much to our educational facilities.

Lavinia Albritton about 1910 when she started teaching the first grade.

Washington and Mary Albritton with their seven children: clockwise, Will, Minnie, Fannie, Martha, Jennie, Ben and Lavinia.

The seven Albritton sisters and brothers in 1921. Top row: Ben, Will, Fannie, Jenny. Bottom: Lavinia, Minnie, Martha.