John Bruce Cotton born, 07 Jan 1887, Kaufman County, Texas married Mattie Foster, 01 Oct 1910 in Greenville, Hunt County, Texas. Mattie was born 21 Mar 1888, Caddo Mills, Hunt County, Texas. John spent some time in Gould, Oklahoma before their marriage as proven by a post card, from that town, dated 21 Aug 1910 and sent to ‘Miss’ Mattie Foster, Caddo Mills, Texas. John Bruce Cotton was age 23 and Mattie Foster was age 22 at the time of their marriage.

Mattie Foster’s parents were Marcus Foster and Mary ‘Polly’ Ann Dobbs. Marcus Foster enlisted as a Private on 04 November 1862 in Louisville, KY in the Union Army of the Civil War. Enlisted in Company H, 12th Infantry Regiment Kentucky on 15 December 1862 in the Union Army and mustered out on 11 July 1865 in Greensboro, NC. Mary Dobbs was given her mother’s maiden name. In the 1860 census she is residing, as a female domestic, in the home of Peter and Margaret Burk. Peter and Margaret had no children of their own. Marcus and Mary are residing next to Peter Burk in the 1870 and 1880 Wayne Co., Kentucky Federal census. On or about the first of May 1876, near Parmleysville, Kentucky, Marcus was defending his wife from a slanderous attack from another man. Another man held Marcus while the first man struck Marcus in the head with a rock. As a result, Marcus received a broken skull and lost the sight of his left eye. Peter Burk's will, signed 17 Aug 1876 named Polly Ann, wife of Marcus, as heir to all his land. On 21 Sep 1883 the land was deeded to Marcus and Polly A. On October 11, 1883, Marcus and Polly Ann sold some, or all, of the property to William Kidd for $800 (Source: Charlie Blaine, half-brother to Arlie Cotton). Marcus and Mary then moved to Hunt Co., Texas.

John Bruce and Mattie Foster Cotton resided in Kaufman Co., Texas until after their first child Vera Mae Cotton was born in 1911. Their 2nd child, Arlie Lee Cotton’s delayed birth certificate indicates that he was born in Van Zandt County in 1914. However, an original birth record was found stating he was born 26 July 1913 in Sanger, Denton Co., Texas. Carl Weldon Cotton, their 3rd child was born in Edgewood, Van Zandt Co., Texas 29 Aug 1915. By 1919 they have moved to Cabaniss Township, Pittsburg Co., Oklahoma where their son Eldon Lloyd Cotton was born. The 1920 US Federal Census for Pittsburg County, Oklahoma shows that Eldon was 8 months old and born in Oklahoma. John Bruce Cotton died 20 Feb 1920 in Pittsburg Co., Oklahoma just 1 month after the 1920 census was taken. He died leaving four young children between the ages of 9 years old and 10 months old.

John W. Cotton, father of John Bruce Cotton, was born, 18 Mar 1846, in either Neshoba or Noxubee Co., Mississippi. He married Martha Weaver, 30 July 1881 in Kaufman Co., Texas. Martha Weaver was born March 1863, in Kaufman County, Texas. John W. Cotton was age 35 and Martha Weaver was age 18 at the time of their marriage. Their children were: Maggie A., Abner Attis, William P., John Bruce, Jesse Reuben, Jasper Newton and Henry Loften Cotton.

John W. Cotton’s parents were Abner D. Cotton and Amanda Thomas. Amanda Thomas’ parents were Elijah Thomas and his 2nd wife Mary Mahan. Elijah Thomas’ father Robert Thomas served as a Petit Juror which qualified him with Civil Service in the American Revolution. Abner died after 1850 and his wife Amanda Thomas Cotton married 2nd by 1860 as his 2nd wife James A. Stovall. It is not clear when James Stovall died but Amanda is residing in Van Zandt Co., Texas in 1880 with her daughter Mary Cotton who had married James Stovall’s son Tillman Stovall. Amanda’s son, John W. Cotton, was residing in Kaufman Co., Texas in 1880. John W. Cotton died 25 Feb 1896, Kaufman County, Texas and is buried in the Weaver Cemetery, Terrell, Kaufman Co., Texas. His headstone reads: "FAREWELL MY WIFE & CHILDREN ALL, FROM YOU A FATHER CHRIST DOES CALL". John W. Cotton died leaving seven young children between the ages of 14 years and 3 years old.

Martha (Weaver) Cotton’s father, Addison Noblite Weaver, was an early settler of Kaufman Co., Texas. His name, as well as his father, Casper, and his brother, Jasper, are listed on the 'Wall of Honor' - Kaufman County Library North Wall as 'Pioneer Settlers of Kaufman County. The federal government did not grant pensions to Confederate veterans or their dependents, however, southern state governments granted pensions to Confederate veterans and widows. Veterans filed for pensions in the state where they were living at the time, not the state from which they served. Martha Norton Weaver filed a Widow Pension naming her husband Addison Noblite Weaver. Addison enlisted July 1862 and served in Company H, Crump’s Regiment of the Texas Cavalry until 1865.

Addison Weaver, Martha Weaver Cotton’s father, married 04 Jun 1857, in Kaufman Co., Texas Margaret Anne Norton, born Jan 1832 in Breckinridge Co., Kentucky daughter of Aaron Norton and Mary ‘Polly’ Ann Basham. Mary’s grandfather, Obediah Basham was a Private in Capt. John Lee, Joseph Carrington * Taliaferro, Col. Parkers Regiment of Virginia in the Revolutionary War. Margaret Norton’s family goes back to Nicholas Norton, born about 1562 Broadway Parish, White Lockington, England. Her ancestral line was in Weymouth, Plymouth Co., Massachusetts by 1638.

(updated 1/21/2018)