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Funeral services for Pennie Wills Adkins, 52, a former Cotton Valley resident, will be held at 10 a.m. Friday at the First Baptist Church of Mineral Wells, Tex. Burial will be in Woodland Park at Mineral Wells.

Mr. Adkins, a native of Cotton Valley, moved to Mineral Wells in 1941. He died at 10:15 a.m. Wednesday at Palo Pinto General Hospital in Mineral Wells after a sudden illness.

He was the owner of Grantham-Adkins Insurance and Abstracting Agency in Mineral Wells.

He attended Cotton Valley High School and the former Northwestern State Teachers College at Natchitoches.

He was veteran of World War II and a member of the Lions Club, the Rotary Club, the Palo Pinto Sheriff's Posse, the Mineral Wells Citizens Advisory Committee, the Mineral Wells Chamber of Commerce, the Masonic Lodge, the Dallas Consistory Mosiah Temple, and the Palo Pinto Shrine. He was chairman of Baylor University Development Committee and president of the United Fund in Mineral Wells.

Survivors include his widow; two daughters, Mrs. David Cleveland and Mrs. Bruce Edwards, both of Mineral Wells; two brothers, G.R. Adkins of Price, Texas, and J.E. Wills of Cotton Valley; three sisters, Mrs. Isha Cloud and Mrs. Guy Bigham, both of Dallas, and Mrs. Ruth Service, Vivian.

Bumgartner Funeral Home of Mineral Wells is directing arrangements.

(Published in The Shreveport Times on September 16, 1971)

Pennie married Donalita Faye Grantham 5 Mar 1942, Mineral Wells, Palo Pinto County, Texas, USA. Donalita was born 10 Aug 1920, Mineral Wells, Palo Pinto County, Texas, USA; died 6 Jul 2010, Mineral Wells, Palo Pinto County, Texas, USA; was buried 9 Jul 2010, Woodland Park Cemetery - Mineral Wells, Texas, USA. [Group Sheet]

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MINERAL WELLS - Donalita Faye Grantham Adkins, 89, died July 6, 2010, in a Fort Worth hospital.

Service is 10 a.m. Friday, July 9, at First Baptist Church of Mineral Wells with Dr. Bruce Edwards and Rev. Nathan Buchanan officiating. Burial will follow in Woodland Park Cemetery. Visitation is 6-8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.

She was born Aug. 10, 1920, in Mineral Wells, the daughter of O.H. and Celia Theresa Johnson Grantham, and she married Pennie Adkins on March 5, 1942, in Mineral Wells.

Mrs. Adkins was a 79-year member of First Baptist Church where she taught Sunday school for many years and was active in other areas of the church. A 1941 graduate of Mineral Wells High School, she received her Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Baylor University in 1941 and her Baylor University Golden Diploma in 1991. She was past president and a 56-year member of the Mineral Wells Zonta Club, a former member of the Bible Study Club and a life member of the Mineral Wells Woman's Club. She was co-owner of Grantham Adkins Insurance Company/Palo Pinto County Abstract Company and worked for the Mineral Wells Area Chamber of Commerce for 20 years.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Pennie Wills Adkins; and her son, John Wills Adkins.

(Published by Baum-Carlock-Bumgardner Funeral Home of Mineral Wells, TX)

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J.F. Adkins, Sr. Succumbs at 73

Funeral services will be held at New Sarepta Baptist Church for John Franklin Adkins Sr., 73, of Sarepta, who died in a Shreveport hospital at 2:30 a.m. Sunday.

The Rev. R.O. Bazer, former pastor, will officiate. Burial will be in the Old Sarepta Cemetery under the direction of the Brunson Funeral Home of Bossier City.

Mr. Adkins was a farmer and well-known property owner.

Surviving are his widow: three daughters, Mrs. Lillian Bigham and Mrs. Isha Cloud, both of Shreveport, and Mrs. Ruth Service of Rodessa; three sons, Houston Adkins of Price, Tex., John F. Adkins Jr. of Cotton Valley, and Penny Adkins of Mineral Wells, Tex.; five stepsons, J.E. Wills of Cotton Valley, Trebanion Deloach of Delhi, Tom Deloach of Sarepta, James W. Deloach of Dallas, and J.A. Deloach of Shreveport; four stepdaughters, Mrs. Margaret D. Clark of Napoleonville, Mrs. Elizabeth D. LeCroy of Sarepta, and Mrs. Charlene Sullivan and Mrs. Doris Sullivan, both of Benton; and three sisters, Mrs. W.E. Wiley, Mrs. Lena Delafield, and Mrs. Abit Moore, all of Sarepta.

Pallbearers will be Gwen Adkins, Billy Service, George Cloud, J.A. Deloach, Jack Clark, and Robert Stokes. Honorary pallbearers will be nephews.

(Published in The Shreveport Times on August 9, 1954)

John married Esther Houston 2 Sep 1903, Webster Parish, Louisiana, USA. Esther (daughter of Lazarus Lafayette Houston and Frances Viola Campbell) was born 13 Dec 1874, Shongaloo, Webster Parish, Louisiana, USA; died 14 Apr 1937, Cotton Valley, Webster Parish, Louisiana, USA; was buried 15 Apr 1937, Old Sarepta Cemetery - Sarepta, Louisiana, USA. [Group Sheet]

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Funeral services for Mrs. Esther Houston Wills Adkins, who died at 10:50 a.m. Tuesday in a Shreveport sanitarium, were held in the Baptist Church of Cotton Valley at 10 a.m. Wednesday with the Rev. S.E. Ellis, of Gladewater, Texas, and Dave Coyle, of Cotton Valley, officiating.

Interment was made in Sarepta, La.

Mrs. Adkins is survived by four sons, J.E. Wills of Cotton Valley, Houston Adkins of Henderson, Texas, John F. Adkins, Jr. of Cotton Valley, and Pennie Wills Adkins of Cotton Valley; three sisters, Mrs. Egan Hodges of Shreveport, Mrs. Porter Cochran of Sarepta, and Mrs. Ben Pugh of Sarepta; six brothers, Dr. W.M. Houston of El Dorado, Ark., G.O. Houston of Baton Rouge, I.N. Houston, Lonnie Houston, V.E. Houston, all of Shreveport, and Lee Houston of Sarepta; and four grandchildren, Audrey, Jean, Patricia and George Hunter Cloud, Billy Ray Service and Gwen Pee Adkins.

(Published in the Webster Review on April 16th, 1937)

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Lazarus L. Houston, 84-year old pioneer resident of this section and the head of a large and prominent North Louisiana family, died at his home near Sarepta, La. Mr. Houston was born near Cuthbert, Randolph County, Ga. The son of Samuel T. and Esther Martin Houston. He was the sixth of a family of 13 children. When a boy he moved with his parents to Webster Parish, La., where they settled on a homestead tract near Sarepta. There his mother gave the name Sarepta to the town that sprang up near their home. Mr. Lazarus L. (Lat) remained until his death on the Houston homestead where he and his wife reared a large family. He was married March 16, 1871, to Fannie Viola Campbell. His wife and ten children survive him. He was a devout member of the Baptist Church."

Children: G. O. Houston, Lonnie, I. N., Vester, Mrs. Egan Hodges, of Shreveport, La.; Mrs. Ban Pugh and Lee, of Sarepta; Mrs.. Porter Cochran, of Springhill; Dr. W. M. Houston, of Eldorado, Arkansas; Mrs. John F. Adkins of Cotton Valley. There are also 41 grandchildren and 8 great grand-children. Others who survive him are a brother, Dennitt M. Houston, of Shreveport, and a sister.

(Source: Sarepta LA., dated March 5, 1931)

Lazarus married Frances Viola Campbell 16 Mar 1871, Webster Parish, Louisiana, USA. Frances (daughter of John Burchfield Campbell, Sr. and Ruth Elizabeth Cavett) was born 1 Sep 1854, Rocky Mount, Bossier Parish, Louisiana, USA; died 31 Jul 1931, Sarepta, Webster Parish, Louisiana, USA; was buried 1 Aug 1931, Old Sarepta Cemetery - Sarepta, Louisiana, USA. [Group Sheet]

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PIONEER WOMAN DIES AT SAREPTA

Mother of Local Resident Dies After Illness of One Month.

Funeral services for Mrs. Fannie Campbell Houston, 76, widow of the late L.L. Houston, were held Saturday afternoon at Sarepta, Webster parish. Mrs. Houston, who is the mother of G.O. Houston, assistant superintendent of Caddo parish schools, died Friday afternoon at her home near Sarepta. Mrs. Houston was the mother of 16 children, 10 of who survive her.

Mrs. Houston's husband died four months ago. Mr. and Mrs. Houston were pioneer residents of Webster parish. Mrs. Houston became ill a month ago and her death was expected.

Mrs. Houston was Miss Fannie Viola Campbell. She was born at Rocky Mount, Bossier parish, Sept. 1, 1854. She was married March 16, 1871.

Survivors are the following sons and daughters: Dr. W.M. Houston, El Dorado, Ark.; I.N., L., G.O. and V.E. Houston, all of Shreveport; Lee L. Houston, Sarepta; Mrs. J.F. Adkins, Cotton Valley, La.; Mrs. G.E. Hodges, Shreveport; Mrs. Porter Cochran, Sarepta; Mrs. S.B. Pugh, Sarepta. A brother, the Rev. T.M. Campbell, of Shongaloo, 43 grandchildren and nine great grandchildren also survive.

Funeral services were conducted by the Rev. Joel McCann at the Sarepta Baptist church where Mrs. Houston was a member.