Alice Hendry Hull Family

Alice Hendry Hull Family
By Spessard Stone




Alice Lee Hendry, daughter of James Madison Hendry and Mary Jane Payne, was born January 10, 1863, either at Chicora (Bradley), Polk County, Florida or Fort Green, Manatee (now Hardee) County, Florida; died January 30, 1942, Pine Level, DeSoto County, Florida. In Manatee County on June 13, 1878, she was married by her father to Daniel Webster Hull, second of nine children of Rev. Ezekiel Josiah Hull (1827-1897) and Mary Miller (1834-1901). Webster was born January 14, 1854, Georgia, perhaps Burke County; died December 9, 1932, probably at Pine Level. He was a farmer. They are buried in New Zion Cemetery, Ona, Hardee County, Florida.

An unidentified newspaper, probably the Tampa Morning Tribune of Saturday, January 31, 1942, reported:
"Mrs. Alice L. Hull, DeSoto County Native, Dies, 79
"Arcadia, Jan. 30---(Special)--Mrs. Alice L. Hull, native of DeSoto county who had lived at Pine Level 23 years, died suddenly at her home there today. She was the widow of D. W. Hull, and one of the pioneers of this section.
"Survivors include three sons, S. J. Hull, Sarasota; C. F. Hull, Arcadia, and Willie Hull, Pine Level; three brothers, C. E. Hendry, Bowling Green, J. N. Hendry, Wauchula, and B. B. Hendry, Florence, S. C."

Issue of Alice Lee Hendry and Daniel Webster Hull:

1. Solon J. Hull, born Aug. 30, 1879; died Dec. 13, 1960; married Rebecca "Becky" Tatum, daughter of William Harvey Tatum and Laura Fredonia Redd. She was born Feb. 22, 1892, Manatee (now Sarasota) Co., FL; died June 8,1987. They are buried in New Zion Cemetery.
Obituary of Rebecca Hull, The Herald-Advocate, June 18, 1987:
"Rebecca Tatum Hull, 95, of Sarasota, died Tuesday, June 9. She was born Feb. 22, 1892 in Sarasota. She was a homemaker and a member of the Bee Ridge Baptist Church.
"She is survived by three daughters, Mrs. E. M. Powell and Mrs. Eldon Messer, both of Sarasota, and Mrs. William Dillinger of Winston-Salem, N.C., one son, E. J. Hull of Ft. Myers; one sister Clara Mae Nash of Sarasota; ten grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
"Funeral services were Friday, June 12 at 11 a.m., at Toale Brothers Colonial Chapel. Burial was at 2 p.m. at the New Zion Baptist Church with the Rev. J. B. Smith officiating."
Obituary of Eldon Messer, The Tampa Tribune, March 24, 1986:
�Eldon Messer, 87 [born April 14, 1898], of Sarasota, died Sunday [March 23. He was a lifelong resident of the area. He was a retired building contractor and a member and deacon of Sandy Baptist Church.
"He is survived by his wife, Ola; a daughter, Sylvia Winters of Sarasota; two sisters, Oralee Layton of Arcadia and Florence Wilson of Mulberry; and two grandchildren."
Obituary of Ola Belle Messer, The Tampa Tribune, March 30, 1988:
"Ola Belle Messer, 75 [born July 15, 1911], of Sarasota, died Monday [March 28]. She was born in DeSoto County and was a lifelong resident of this area. She was a homemaker and a member of Sandy Baptist Church.
"She is survived by a daughter, Sylvia Winters of Sarasota; a brother, E. J. Hull of Fort Myers; two sisters, Opal Powell of Sarasota and Serrill Dillinger of Winston Salem, N.C.; and two grandchildren."
Obituary of Ezekiel James Hull, Highlands Today, Friday, July 27, 2001:
�Ezekiel James Hull, 78, of Fort Myers died Tuesday. A native of Pine Level, he moved to this area from Arcadia. A veteran serving in the U.S. Air Force, he piloted his own plane. He was Baptist by faith. He is survived by two daughters, Linda Jane Denty, of Fort Myers, and Connie Lee Meade, of Fort Pierce; two sons, John Steven and James Daniel, both of Fort Myers; two sisters, Opal Powell, of Roswell, Ga., and Sheryl Dillinger, of Alparetta, Ga.; and five grandchildren. Ponger-Kays-Grady Funeral Home, Arcadia.�

2. Cecil Floyd Hull, born Jan. 2, 1882; died Oct. 24, 1952; married on Feb. 27, 1916, Ona Griffin, daughter of S. L. Griffin and Pauline Smith. Ona was born 1901, Lake City, FL; ; died 1969. She married (2) _______ Sloan. They are buried in New Zion Cemetery. No issue.
Cecil received his education in the public schools, then one term each at Madison and Gainesville. From 1903-1918, he taught school with the summer given to farm operations near Ona. For two years afterwards, he was engaged in a general store near Zolfo Springs, Florida. In 1920 he was elected DeSoto County Tax Collector; his tenure in that office has not been learned.

3. Samuel E. Hull, born 1885; died 1934; buried New Zion Cemetery; married Nov. 17, 1928 Effie Lee Farabee, daughter of Millard I. Farabee and Sallie M. Strawn and granddaughter of Rev. Theodore Farabee. Effie was born June 2, 1907; died Nov. 30, 1967. Samuel and Effie had no issue. Effie married (2) George McSwain �Doc� Rodgers. He was born May 10, 1903 & died Aug. 16, 1996. Effie and Doc are buried in Mt. Ephraim Baptist Church Cemetery, Owens, DeSoto Co., FL. They had issue.
On 14 & 15 Apr 2002, Jeffery R. Griffis, 5288 N.W. Coker Rd., Arcadia FL 34266, 863-494-3479, e-mailed:
�Samuel was my Grandmothers first husband and they had no children. Sam was 20 years older than my grandmother and I have very little information on him. My Grandmother was Effie Lee Farabee and she married Sam in 1928. After Sam's death she married my Grandfather George (Doc) Rodgers. I have three old snapshots of Sam taken in the 1920s . I would think that the Hull family might have some old pictures of him and with luck may have a picture of my Grandmother as well.
�I think I have three or four pictures of Sam taken in the 1920's. I can tell you that Sam is a very big man that has a very towering apperance among other men. He always wears a large revolver in the pictures I have of him. I have a group picture of Sam standing with other men wearing a big white hat and his pistol. Another photograph he is sitting in a model A, with a woman who is said to be my grandmother and on the back of the picture is written our wedding day 1928. My grandmother died Nov. 1967 but as a young boy she told me that Sam died a slow painful death due to his Appendix and he tore the bed sheets in pain...�

4. James Hull, born Nov. 2, 1887; died Feb. 2, 1889; buried New Zion Cemetery.

5. Willie Porter Hull, born Nov. 29, 1890; died Oct. 29, 1944, Pine Level; buried Pine Level Campground Cemetery; married __________.
Inscribed on the tombstone of Willie Porter Hull is: "Fla, Pvt. 102 Infantry, 25 Div., WW1."


Tombstone of Rev. E. J. Hull, Pine Level Campground Cemetery


Tombstone, New Zion Cemetery


Tombstone, Pine Level Campground Cemetery


Cecil Floyd Hull, courtesy of Evelyn Hendry Blackmon


Samuel E. Hull, courtesy of Jeffrey R. Griffis


Samuel E. Hull & Effie Lee Farabee, Nov. 17, 1928, courtesy of Jeffrey R. Griffis


Samuel E. Hull, courtesy of Jeffrey R. Griffis, who commented, "The woman on the right may or may not be my grandmother just don't know."


Samuel E. Hull, courtesy of Jeffrey R. Griffis, who commented, "The man standing far right with white hat and black coat is Sam."

March 22, 2002, April 18, 2002, March 21, 2011 (tombstones)