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Thomas Berry (T. B.) LANHAM, was born 29 March 1882 ^{[1] [2]}, at Rockwall, Rockwall County Texas, a son of Hiram Demarcus (Henry D.) and Sally Green (Jacks) Scott Lanham.

He married Mattie Elizabeth ASHLEY, 15 November 1903 ^{[1] [4]}, at Rockwall. Mattie was the daughter of Cassandra Minerva Jane (Sisk) Ashley.

Mattie was born 14 November 1880, at Bean Creek, Franklin County, Tennessee, which is near the Tennessee-Alabama line. T. B. and Mattie moved from Rockwall to Jolly, Clay County, Texas, about 10 miles east of Wichita Falls, late in the year of 1906 or early 1907. A tax receipt and poll tax receipt indicates payment received from T. B. Lanham Jr., a farmer of Rockwall RFD No. 2, dated 19 November 1906. All previous tax receipts from Rockwall also carried the Jr., they probably thought he belonged to the Thomas Benton Lanham family. ^[1]

At Jolly, Thomas Berry worked for the Day Land and Cattle Co., (his pay was $1.00 per day), on the well known Day Ranch, which covered most of the land south of Red River in that area.^[1]

In the fall of 1911 they again loaded up the wagon and moved this time to Martha, Jackson County, Oklahoma. For a time here he ran a dray wagon, hauling freight etc. to and from the railroad depot. The remaining years were devoted to farming in the Martha Community.^[1]

When Thomas Berry (T.B.) moved away from Rockwall, Texas to Martha, Oklahoma, there was no Church of Christ so they became members of the local Methodist Church. T. B. and Mattie and family were members of the Methodist Church in Martha. ^[1]

Thomas Berry and Mattie had one daughter, Cliffie Marie and two sons, Wortha Leon and Oran Stroud Lanham. ^[1]

(i.) Daughter, Cliffie Marie LANHAM, was born 25 October 1905 at Rockwall, Texas. She attended and graduated from the Martha High School in 1924. After finishing high school, attended the Altus Jr. College, Southern Methodist University and Southwestern State Teachers College at Weatherford, Oklahoma, where she graduated July 1930. Cliffie taught school at Pleasant Point, Hess, Gracemont and Hobart, Okla., prior to accepting a position with the Oklahoma State Department of Pensions and Security in Idabel, McCurtain Co., Oklahoma where she worked until retirement in 1969. ^[1]

Cliffie married James Bedford RAY of Idabel, 8 November 1940, at DeQueen, Arkansas, ( See photo). James a son of Walter L. Ray and Grace C. (Sims) Ray, was born 3 June 1913 at Idabel, Okla. They have two sons: Thomas Lee and Kenneth Lanham Ray. Cliffie Marie Ray died 5 June 1992, and is buried in Idabel, Oklahoma . See The James B Ray Family for details. ^[1]

(ii.) Son, Wortha Leon LANHAM, was born on the Day Ranch, Jolly, Clay County, Texas, 7 July 1907. He graduated from the Martha High School in 1925, and married Jessie Kate SHIPMAN of Martha, 17 August 1927, a daughter of Jasper Newt Shipman and Callie Roxanna (Laney) Shipman. Jessie Kate was born 12 July 1910 at Pella, Texas, and attended Martha School. Wortha had been involved in farming operations near Martha throughout this time with the exception of a short time when they lived in Amarillo, Texas in the early 1930’s. See The Wortha Lanham Family for details.

(iii.) Son, Oran Stroud LANHAM was born on 13 Dec 1916 in Green Cotney Farm, Jackson, Oklahoma, USA. He died on 15 Dec 1996 in Dothan, Houston, Alabama, USA. He was buried on 17 Dec 1996 in Memory Hill Cemetery, Dothan, Houston, Alabama, USA. Oran married Oleta COLBATH daughter of Adrian Alford COLBATH and Altus Oleva WILLIAMS on 15 May 1937 in Altus, Jackson, Oklahoma, USA. Oleta was born on 13 Oct 1917 in Hess, Jackson, Oklahoma, USA. She died on 15 Jun 2006 in Dothan, Houston, Alabama, USA. See The Oran Stroud Lanham Family for details.

T.B. and his family attended the First Christian Church of Rockwall, Texas prior to moving to Martha, Oklahoma. Martha only had two churches, Methodist and Baptist. T.B. and his family joined the Methodist church in Martha.^[1]

T.B.'s grandson, Clifford W. Lanham visited T.B. and Mattie in 1964 on the way to Europe. T.B. was residing in a different house located only a block from the Methodist church. Cliff were not able to visit T.B. and Mattie again until 1967. ^[8]

Thomas Berry Lanham died 20 June 1971 and Mattie died 26 November 1972, and both are buried at Martha, Oklahoma. ^{[2] [4]}

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