“Memorial and Biographical History of Dallas County,” published:  
Chicago;  The Lewis Publishing Company, 1892.

FRANCIS M. WHITE,  an old and highly respected citizen of Lancaster, Dallas county, 
was born in White county, Tennessee, a son of Woodson P. and Nancy (Mitchell) White, 
natives of Virginia.  The father accompanied his parents to middle Tennessee at an early 
day, settling in White county, where he live and died, in 1840.  He was a successful 
farmer and merchant and a man of public note, having served his county in the State 
Legislature a number of terms.  His father, John White, was a Revolutionary soldier, and 
an early settler of middle Tennessee.  Our subject’s mother, nee Nancy Mitchell, was 
born in Tennessee, near Knoxville, a daughter of David Mitchell, where she lived until 
her death.  She was married to Woodson P. White, in that county, in 1810, and died there 
in 1871.  Mr. And Mrs. White had the following children:  Dyer P., who died in White 
county, Tennessee, leaving a family;  Elizabeth, deceased, was the wife of Martin Young;  
Byrd, who went to Alabama after reaching his maturity, where he died before marriage;  
Louisa, living at Tulula, Menard county, Illinois, was the wife of William G. Green;  
Martha, who died at Sparta, White county, Tennessee, was the wife of Edward Murray;  
William L., deceased, a sketch of whom will be found in this work;  Mary, the wife of 
Joel B. Coolidge, of Lancaster, this county;  Francis Marion, our subject;  Maria, wife of 
S.D. Mitchell, living two miles west of Lancaster; and John Rufus, a farmer near 
Lancaster.

The subject of this sketch, Francis M. White, was born October 18, 1828, and was reared 
in his native county to the age of nineteen years, after which he went to Menard county 
Illinois.  Two years later, in 1851, he came to Texas, and made his first permanent stop 
about five miles east of the present village of Lancaster, where he had friends and 
acquaintances.  After prospecting for a time he purchased 580 acres of land of Robert 
Sloan, which he improved.  Mr. White remained on this purchase until about 1869, when, 
having reduced a large part of it to cultivation, and having accumulated some means, he 
sold out and came to Lancaster, and began the mercantile business.  He bought out his 
brother’s interest in an establishment in the village, and the new firm became Ellis & 
White.  In 1879, he sold out, since which time he has been engaged mainly in farming, 
and he now owns one of the best improved places in the vicinity of Lancaster.

Mr. White was married in May, 1853, to Martha J. Gray, a native of Montgomery county, 
Illinois, and a daughter of A.K. Gray, a pioneer settler of this county.  The wife and 
mother died in June, 1867, leaving four children:  Louisa, wife of M.M. Miller, of 
Lancaster;  Florence, the wife of R,M. Clark, of Oak Cliff;  Emma, now Mrs. J.A. Boyd, 
of Lancaster; and Wayne L., at home.  Mr. White was again married, in November, 1870, 
to Miss Mattie T. Trigg, a native of Alabama, and a daughter of Mrs. M.B. Trigg, a 
resident of Amarillo, this State.  Mr. And Mrs. White have four children living, viz:  
Maud, Forest, Lester and Stella.  Mr. White has held the usual number of small offices in 
the community where he has resided, and is a member of the Methodist Church, as was 
his former wife; the present Mrs. White is a member of the Baptist Church.

*****Footnote:  While visiting a local cemetery, I walked thru the older section and 
wrote down listings of my family names and unusual names or listings from unusual or 
ornate stones.  Amongst my listings I found the following listings for the White family 
that tie into this biography.

Edgewood Cemetery on Nakomis Road
Lancaster, Dallas County, Texas
Date of listing:  Spring 2000
Lister:  Linda Pingel

Forrest M. White
April 7, 1879
July 29, 1902

Frank M. White   (this would be Francis M. White, the subject of this biography)
Oct. 18, 1828
Sept. 17, 1900

Mattie Trico (spelling of last name not the same as in the bio – stone may be worn)
“wife of F.M. White”
Dec. 5, 1845
June 26, 1920

F.M. White
Oct. 19, 1875
June 4, 1877

Marion White
Feb. 25, 1874
June 8, 1874

L.M. White
July 25, 1872
Feb. 24, 1873

T.S. White
Aug. 3, 1871
Aug. 11, 1871

Woody Lee Ferguson
Mar. 10, 1890
Apr. 18, 1968

Stella White Ferguson
Sept. 15, 1889
Dec. 23, 1982

Woodrow G. “Woody” Ferguson
Jan. 5, 1958
July 24, 1994

Please note:  These names should be researched & verified for family relationship. 
However, the listings are not random; they are taken from a single area (seems to be a 
family plot) of the cemetery.

Submitted by L.Pingel