The John Mark Simpson Family

By Mrs. Jack Moore

John Mark Simpson was born in Mobile, Alabama, in 1853. At the age of seven, he came to Texas with his parents, who settled in the Friendship or Corine community. Mark had three brothers and three sisters. The brothers were Byrd, Wesley and Josh; and the sisters were Ellen (Maddox), La-vicia (Morris) and Latisha (Embry).

Mark Simpson grew up in the Corine community and married Sarah Ann Horton, who came to Texas from Tennessee. Seven children were born to them, five sons and two daughters. The sons were Daniel, William Dennis, John, Lee and Edd; the daughters, Elizabeth (Durrett) and Delia (Gray).

For a number of years, Mark Simpson was a mail carrier. He carried the mail on horseback from a pick-up station at Corine to Reese. Later he engaged in farming. All through his life he was a recognized leader in the Baptist church.

Two of the boys, Danny and Dennis Simpson, attended Professor Orr's famous Summer Hill Select School at Omen. Afterwards they both taught school in the rural communities of the county. One of the daughters, Delia, was also a teacher. Danny later became a postal clerk and then a rural mail carrier in Jacksonville.

Shortly after World War I, three of the boys, Danny, Lee and John, bought and operated the store known as the Jacksonville Mercantile Grocery. Later the name was changed to Simpson Brothers Grocery. After doing business for about 25 years, the firm was sold to Tell Simpson in 1945. The business was located on Bolton Street, in the building now occupied by Moffeit's Antique Shop.

Lee Simpson was a lover of sports and he actively supported the teams of the public schools and those of the two colleges, giving financial assistance when needed. At the time Jacksonville was sponsoring professional baseball, Lee Simpson served on the board.

John Simpson has served as a member of the Jacksonville City Council, and for several years he was chairman of the Board of Deacons at the First Baptist Church.