Walter Saxon Simmons

Personal and Family Information

Walter was born on 7 Dec 1889 in Tupelo, Jackson County, Arkansas, the son of Benjamin Fletcher Simmons and Lucy James Rotenberry.

He died on 23 Feb 1960 in Tupelo, Jackson County, Arkansas.^{[Note 3]}

His wife was Mary Lucille Gardner, who he married on 7 APR 1928 in Tupelo, Jackson County, Arkansas. Their only known child was Betty Jo (1930-?).

Pedigree Chart (3 generations)

Events

Event	Date	Details	Source	Multimedia	Notes
Birth	7 DEC 1889	Place: Tupelo, Jackson County, Arkansas Type: draft card shows 7 Dec 1889 birth date
Death	23 FEB 1960	Place: Tupelo, Jackson County, Arkansas Age: 71y, 2m, 16d Address: struck by car near Tupelo Post Office 2/23/1960 per D.C. grave marker has 1959		DeathCert-Simmons,Sax 1960	See Note 3
Census	1 JUN 1900	Place: Jackson County, Arkansas Age: 11 Address: Breckenridge Twp, dwelling 8, family 8 with father, grandmother, 6 siblings, and 3 cousins	Census 1900 Arkansas, Jackson County, Breckenridge,ED 53 Union ED 61 Source: Census 1900 Arkansas, Jackson County, Breckenridge,ED 53 Union ED 61 Publisher: Twelfth Census of the US	Census-1900-Arkansas, Jackson,Breckridge A Census-1900-Arkansas, Jackson,Breckridge B
Census	22 APR 1910	Place: Jackson County, Arkansas Age: 21 b Ark Address: dwelling 109, family 113 with father and stepmother Agency: census 1910 Ark	Census 1910 Arkansas, Jackson Cty Breckendridge ED 63 and Union ED 73 Source: Census 1910 Arkansas, Jackson Cty Breckendridge ED 63 and Union ED 73 Publisher: US Department of Commerence
Census	13 JAN 1920	Place: Jackson County, Arkansas Age: 30 b Ark Address: Breckendidge Twp, dwelling 21, family 22 single with brother and his family Agency: 1920 Census Ark	Census 1920 Arkansas, Jackson County , ED 71 Newport, ED 181 Breckendridge Twp Source: Census 1920 Arkansas, Jackson County , ED 71 Newport, ED 181 Breckendridge Twp Date: JAN 1920 Publisher: US Deptartment of Commerence
Census	2 APR 1930	Place: Tupelo, Jackson County, Arkansas Age: 41, b Arkansas, Address: Breckenridge Twp, dwelling 2 family 2 rented and shared with brother Felix, Agency: 1930 census Ark	Census 1930 Arkansas, Jackson Cty, Tupelo, Breckenridge Twp ED 34 -6 and 34 -8 Source: Census 1930 Arkansas, Jackson Cty, Tupelo, Breckenridge Twp ED 34 -6 and 34 -8
Census	5 APR 1940	Place: Jackson County, Arkansas Age: 51 Address: Tupelo, Breckenridge Twp, dwelling 65 Simmons, Saxon, head mw married, 12 yrs school, born Arkansas, lived same house 1935, farmer __ , M. Lucille wife fw 30 married 12 yrs school, born Arkansas, same house 1935 __ , Betty Joe, daughter fw 10 single 4 yrs school born Arkansas, same house iin 1935
Burial	FEB 1959	Place: Newport, Jackson County, Arkansas Age: 70y, 2m, 18d Address: N35° 36.894' W91° 16.165' beside grandfather HF Simmons Walnut Grove Cemetery, section F row 7 Find A Grave Memorial# 33240775 Agency: tomb stones confirmed by A Bowie 29Jun00		Cemeteries -Jackson County Arkansas Grav-SimSax Walnut Grove, Lot description and burials, by Walter Heard Simmons, HF, family group of 10 spaces
Other Event	ABT 1917	Type: Military Service Address: WWI per 1930 census Agency: WWI Draft regist card, roll 1530465		Draft Registration -Simmons, Saxon W	See Note 4

Attributes

Multimedia

Simmons, Sax	Sac at Salem...	Gran, Miss J...	Peabody Scho...	Bio-SimmonsB...	Peabody Scho...
Simmons, Sax...	Simmons, Sax...	Simmons, Sax...	Simmons, Sax...

Notes

Note 1

"Pocket full of rocks,

Head full of knowledge,

Rather to to Peabody,

Than any other College."

Sac wrote this school yell for the one room school he taught in according to notes on back of photo supplied by Bobbie Lewis of Flordia.

Sac picked up his cousin Sherra Simmons when she was about 4, turned her upside down, and put her head in a cow pattie. Gran made him wash Sherra's hair really good afterward!

Note 2

Betty Jo remembers her father working two farms while she was growing up in Jackson County, Arkansas. One farm was south of Tupelo and the other was north of town. Each day he walked to one in the morning, came back home mid day to eat and rest, then walked to work the other farm in afternoon.

Facebook discussions Feb 2012:

Bobby Simmons ok I knew it was something like that. June that was Conners grocery next to Mary and Willies. Sax or Sack we called him lived in a place between the pool hall and the store on the corner . the theather was behind them.

Jim Simmons Bobby, that was Colmer's store. We called him Jick Colmer. That's where we could buy comic books and other good things that kids liked.

Alcorn Ferguson was of the Augusta family that owned the house we've all discussed. He was born in that house, and he died there in the same room and on the same bedstead where he was born.

Arthur, I thought Sax was hit in front of the post office in Tupelo which was only two doors down from where he lived. Of course I could be wrong.

Jim Simmons ‎@Arthur. I said in one of the posts above that Lon moved in the "late" 40's. I meant "early" 40's. The mind does play tricks in our old age. I remember when they lived there the little girls had a tricycle. They had page-boy haircuts and their hair was the same color as mine. We called it white back then, but now we call it platinum blonde. After they moved, the Clyde Henderson family moved into that house. The Overcup school house was on the south side of the road just a little west of there.

Note 3

Sept 2008, one of the letters in BBB collection said that Sax died of injuries as he was leaving Post Office and was struck by a car. 2012 - Others who lived there and knew many of the Simmons family recall the car accident was at Tupelo Post Office, near Sax's home.

I think letter is from Aunt Sally Simmons and is in file box with lots of BBB notes and correspondence.......

Note 4

WWI Draft regist card, roll 1530465

Tupeolo, Jackson County Ark June 1, 1917

medium height, medium build, blue eyes, brown hair.

Saxon W Simmons age 28

Home Tupelo Ark

DOB Dec 7, 1889 at Tupelo Ark

Occupation Farming at Tupelo

single, caucassion

Note 5

Betty Jo remembers her dad worked two farms, one north and one south of home in Tupelo. He worked one in the morning, came home at noon, and then worked the other in afternoon. He walked back and forth every day, may have been barefoot in summer....

Sources

1. Census 1900 Arkansas, Jackson County, Breckenridge,ED 53 Union ED 61

   Source:	Census 1900 Arkansas, Jackson County, Breckenridge,ED 53 Union ED 61
   Publisher:	Twelfth Census of the US

2. Census 1910 Arkansas, Jackson Cty Breckendridge ED 63 and Union ED 73

   Source:	Census 1910 Arkansas, Jackson Cty Breckendridge ED 63 and Union ED 73
   Publisher:	US Department of Commerence

3. Census 1920 Arkansas, Jackson County , ED 71 Newport, ED 181 Breckendridge Twp

   Source:	Census 1920 Arkansas, Jackson County , ED 71 Newport, ED 181 Breckendridge Twp
   Date:	JAN 1920
   Publisher:	US Deptartment of Commerence

4. Census 1930 Arkansas, Jackson Cty, Tupelo, Breckenridge Twp ED 34 -6 and 34 -8

   Source:	Census 1930 Arkansas, Jackson Cty, Tupelo, Breckenridge Twp ED 34 -6 and 34 -8