Liz was born to Jim and Lou King on 20 Jan 1859 in Greene County MO. Apparently she was named for her grandmothers, Sarah Bailey Thompson and Elizabeth Clark King. Liz lived in Missouri until she was about six years old. Throughout her life she retained the memory of an incident that took place in Missouri during the Civil War, when Union soldiers came to Jim and Lou's home and killed their chickens and livestock for food.
Around the time the Civil War ended, Liz moved with her parents to Franklin (then Titus) County TX, where she was to live the rest of her life. During the long trip to Texas, Lou often let Liz get her exercise by running and playing behind the covered wagon as it moved slowly along.
Liz married Jordan Baker Stinson in Franklin County on 2 Mar 1876.
Baker was born to John and Martha Williamson Stinson 27 Oct 1855 in
Pike County AL. Liz and Baker had ten children:
+ Jessie Lee Stinson born 30 May 1877, died two years
later
+ Minnie Effie Stinson born 14 Apr 1879
+ Eula Bell Stinson born 2 Sep 1882
+ John Chester Stinson born 7 Feb 1884
+ Myrtie Ivy Stinson born 18 Mar 1886
+ Louisa Hey Stinson born 9 Aug 1888
+ Mattie Vera Stinson born 31 Jan 1891
+ Sam Stinson born 17 Mar 1893
+ Fannie Stinson born 22 Mar 1895
+ James Baker Stinson born 14 Sep 1897, died 22 Jan
1900
Liz and Baker owned a farm near Purley, but not long after their last child was born, Baker decided to move his family to Florida. He traveled there and picked out a place for them to live, then returned home. The children were excited at the prospect of moving, especially when Baker told them about oranges growing on trees near the house they were going to buy. Before the move could take place, however, Baker became ill and died 22 Dec 1898.
Baker's death placed the family in a difficult situation, since only one of the children was grown and married, and Liz was left to support eight children between one and sixteen years of age. Only one of the boys, Chester, was old enough to do farm work, so Liz took in young men and boarded them in return for their work on the farm. All the girls did their best to help out as well. They earned a reputation as hard workers, hiring out to neighbors when their own work was done.
In later years Liz kept the farm rented out and lived with her children. Vera's daughter Elizabeth (whom Liz, for reasons unknown, always called "Patsy") remembered Liz's visits of about two weeks at a time, when she always brought lemon-drop candies for her grandchildren.
When Liz visited Minnie's daughter Olivia's family, Olivia's daughter Mary Nell loved to comb Liz's waist-length hair, then watch Liz braid it and pin it up on the back of her head.
Liz spent her last years living with her daughter Myrtie's family.
Myrtie's daughter Geraldine considered herself "the luckiest kid in
the world" to have her grandmother living with them. On the very hot
day--13 Jul 1932--when Liz died, the family members were fanning her with
hand fans, since there was no electricity at their farm. Family members
recall Liz as a sweet-natured person, always pleasant, with a gracious air
that caused people around her to feel at ease. Almost thirty-four years
after Baker's death, having successfully completed the work they had begun
together, Liz was buried beside him at Providence Cemetery in Franklin
County.
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