David Rinsey Livengood
Front L-R: David Rinsey, Era, Alta Katy, Mary Amanda, D.R. "Dee".
Rear: Mary Alice, Pope, Ethel
David & Mary Amanda Livengood by Hess & Dorothy Hartsfield
It is not known for sure when David Livengood and his wife, Fanny Shoaf, came to Haskell County, but he began to buy acreage during the 1890's. He had several children but only two sons, David Rinsey Livengood (Hess' grandfather) and Robert Lee Livengood. A great-grandson, Stevan Livengood, son of Homer & Fern Livengood, is still farming his great grandfather's land. David Rinsey Livengood was patented land from the State of Texas and we assume he and the others homesteaded - or perhaps just bought land.David Rinsey Livengood is Hess Hartsfield's grandfather. He and wife, Mary Amanda Pope, had only two children before they arrived in Haskell County. They were born in 1887 and 1890. They died - Asher on Aug 7th and Fannie on Aug 13, 1895. The day the little boy was buried, the little girl got sick and died 6 days later. After their deaths, there were 6 more children born: Ethel Livengood who married B. F. David, Calvin Pope Livengood (married Beatrice Jones), Mary Alice Livengood (married Henry Giles Hartsfield), Era Livengood (married Ira Davis), D. R. Livengood (married Ruth Densmore) and Alta Katy Livengood (married H. A. Gipson).
This family settled in the Post Community which is now called Paint Creek. The Howard Cemetery is located in this area.
David and wife, Fanny, are buried in the Stamford Cemetery and David and Mary Amanda are buried in Willow Cemetery, Haskell. David Rinsey Livengood was coming home from a trip to Haskell in his buggy and had a heart attack and died on a road that adjoined the Hartsfield land in the Paint Creek Community. Mary Alice (Hess's Mother) was 15 years old when her Dad died. Hess was 12 years old when his Dad was killed in a car accident.
Copyright © Hess & Dorothy Hartsfield, 2006