William Thomas Green

William Thomas (W.T.) Green was born 22 June 1879 in South Carolina, probably in York County. His father was John Green and mother Maggie Ann Hardin. His family migrated to Texas where he married Rhoda Melvina Seelbach on 14 August 1896.

W.T. and Rhoda had five children as follows:

1. Tommy Green was born 24 May 1899 and died Christmas Day December 25, 1918 at the age of nineteen, possibly of pneumonia.

2. Sallie Mae Green was born 7 December 1900 and married Albert Warren (A.W.) Bell, who served as a longtime county judge in Nacogdoches County (1941-46; 1949-1952; 1959-1962). She died November 14, 1975 as the result of an auto accident that occurred as she and Judge Bell pulled into the path of an oncoming car while entering the driveway of their home. Apparently, the setting sun obsurced the oncoming vehicle.

3. Jerry Prophet Green, born September 13, 1902 and died 29 April 1983, married Velma Kirkley on January 10, 1923.

4. Jesse Lee Green was born July 21, 1905 and died April 21, 1985. She married Lee Jesse Bailey.

5. Willie Mae Green as born on April 20, 1918 in Appleby, Texas and married Homer D. Russell on August 20, 1936. She has lived in the house that her father built for her entire life.

W.T. Green lost his leg below the knee as the result of an infection after an injury sustained while working on the roof a house. With the help of a prosthesis, he was still able to get around ably. He was as a teacher with the Stamps Quarter School of Music and served as president of the Nacogdoches County Singers Association for a number of years. In addition, he wrote two songs that appear in the old gospel hymnal The Garden of Song by the Hartford Music Company. He served for four years as Precinct 3 County Road Commissioner in Nacogdoches County, Texas and was running for re-election when he died August 12, 1932. He was only 53 at the time of his death.