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Husband: James Jarrell SENN (1)
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         AKA: J J SENN, J J SINN, James Jarrell SINN
   Birthdate: 13 Jan 1910 - Holland, Bell, Texas, USA (2,3,4)
  Death date: 6 Jul 1952 - Austin, Travis, Texas, USA (5)
     Address: Austin State Hospital, Travis County, Texas
      Buried: 8 Jul 1952 - Austin, Travis, Texas, USA (5)
     Address: State Hospital Cemetery, Travis County, Texas
      Father: Frederick Doyle SENN (1875-1930) (6,7,8)
      Mother: Emma Beatrice WILLS (1878-1937) (9,10,11,12)
    Marriage: 20 May 1940                    Place: , Milam, Texas, USA (13)
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   Wife: Virginia MATCEK (14,15)
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         AKA: Virginia Stewart CRAIN,(16) Jennie MATCEK (17)
   Birthdate: 15 Aug 1903 - , Washington, Texas, USA (18)
  Death date: 31 Dec 1940 - , Milam, Texas, USA (15)
      Buried: 1 Jan 1941 - Rockdale, Milam, Texas, USA
     Address: Oaklawn Cemetery, Milam County, Texas
      Father: Frank MATCEK (1863-    ) (19,20)
      Mother: Virginia ??? (1879-    ) (21,22)
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Other Spouse: Robert Louis STEWART (Abt 1900-    ) (23)
              Date: 26 Oct 1934 - , Milam, Texas, USA (23)
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Children
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1  M  Ed SENN (24,25)
   Birthdate: 30 Dec 1940 - , Milam, Texas, USA (26,27)
  Death date: 19 Dec 1973 - Rockdale, Milam, Texas, USA (28,29)
     Address: Richards Hospital, Milam County, Texas
      Buried: 20 Dec 1973 - Rockdale, Milam, Texas, USA
     Address: I O O F Cemetery, Milam County, Texas
      Spouse: Irene Mildred BUCHANAN (1944-1962) (30,31)
  Marr. Date: 9 Oct 1960 - , Milam, Texas, USA (30)
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General Notes: Husband - James Jarrell SENN
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James died at 42 from Huntington's disease in Austin at the state hospital. He was married and
had one child. He always spelled his last name SINN.

Lived at Sharp until he got sick. They lost a baby, then JJ went to the hospital when she was
pregnant with the next baby. She died in childbirth. Her brother raised the baby. The son died
at age 32 of Huntington's. Her brother was injured in the war - lost a leg, had one child of his
own. [Ima Holder Senn]

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General Notes: Wife - Virginia MATCEK
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Her death certificate was signed by J G Senn. I think it's supposed to be J J - James Jarrell
(Gerald?) Ed's death certificate says her name was Virginia Browder.

63 Dead In Milam Co., S5,000,000 Damage Bailey Turner And H. C. Sullivan Drowned In Floods
   Their House in the Forks of Brushy and San Gabriel Swept Away in Monster Flood of Friday
Night . . . Known Dead Now Totals Sixty-three
   The known dead in the floods of Milam County from Sept. 8 to Sept. 15, 1921, totaled 63 as
follows:
   Bailey P. Turner, Rockdale; H. C. Sullivan, Rockdale (Body not recovered) Fred Kennedy,
Tutner's farm hand; Grandma Bonner, age 85, at Green Camp unknown white woman found in San
Gabriel River below Sheckels bridge Maynard Robinson and F. W. Leatherbury, Santa Fe railway
offcials, drowned at the Santa Fe bridge on Little River; Roy Cass, white, son of Elijah Cass of
the Liberty Hill community; Hardy Huff, Negro boy, on Bailey Turner place; a Mexican at San
Gabriel town; twenty-three Mexicans in Laneport community five Mexicans at the Redville gin on
Alligator, two miles from San Gabriel Mrs. M. L. Brown and son, Lee, at the Redville gin, Mrs.
Lee Brown rescued from a tree top; eleven Mexicans at San Gabriel town; two white children at
the Hogue crossing on Brushy; Negro woman and two children at the Lawrence crossing on Brushy,
southwest of Thorndale; five Mexicans on the Minor farm; three Mexicans on the Watt farm....
   ...One of the most thrilling experiences and narrow escapes from death recorded in the floods
was that of "Comrade" Ed. A. Green and the two sons and one daughter of Mrs. Minton Arledge, all
of whom were caught at the Green sawmill camp in the San Gabriel bottom below Sheckels bridge. A
saddening feature of their experiences was found in the death of the grandmother of the
children, Mrs. Bonner, who at the advanced age of 85 years was forced to endure the sickening
hardships incident to spending a night in a tree, wet to the skin and so weakened by exposure
and fright that it was necessary to bind her to a tree, and who finally succumbed and dropped
into the raging torrent, to be swept away.
   Mr. Green in relating his experiences said that they were not anticipating any high water,
and that the water was two or three feet deep when they discovered it about 2 o'clock Friday
night. The rise came so rapidly that there was no chance to get out, and it was only an hour or
two until they were forced to climb to the roof of the house. About 3:30 a. m. the water reached
its crest and they felt the house begin to give way. A large whiteoak tree extended a convenient
branch over the shack, and they all climbed into its branches. Just as he lifted the old lady up
to one of her grandsons the house floated off about 60 or 70 feet and lodged against some trees.
After daylight dawned Saturday the waters fell and the house seemed to settle on the ground, and
in settling the current was so divided as to make swimming possible, so Mr. Green and the young
people swam to the house where a more comfortable perch was had on its roof. During Saturday,
however, another rise came and the house again became dangerous, so they again took to the
trees. Mr. Green swam back and forth to the old lady a number of times, trying to make her more
comfortable and cheer her up, but he observed that she was getting much weaker and he bound her
to the tree with a blanket. Night came on, and some time during the night the grandmother became
delirious, untied herself from the tree, and exclaiming " I am gone," allowed herself to drop
into the dark waters. The balance of the party spent their time alternately on the roof and in
the trees. Mr. Green climbed to the top of the big whiteoak Saturday morning and attempted to
signal for help, but could see no help from any direction.
   Mr. Green said that during the early hours of Saturday morning before daylight he heard shots
and cries from the Bailey Turner place further on down the river, and he felt sure both Turner
and Sullivan, his partner, were drowned shortly after that hour.
   Sunday morning about 9 o'clock Buck Hillin and another man came to the Green camp in a small
boat. They could only carry two passengers so they took the girl and one of the boys, coming
back later for Mr. Green and the other boy. Green said that the relaxation from the nervous
strain and sleepless hours was so great that both he and the boy lay down on the roof of the
shack, which was two or three inches deep in slimy mud, and went sound asleep, sleeping until
Hillin came back. During their thirty-six hour vigil in the trees the party had nothing to eat
except a five pound can of sugar, and nothing to drink except the muddy river water.
   Hillin carried the rescued party to high ground on the other side of the river and went on
looking for others who might be similarly marooned. Two or three hours later a rescue party
composed of E. V. (Gene) Marshall, Charley See, Martin Whiteley, Henry Seelke and Harry Moody,
in two boats, showed up, and brought the Green party across the river, landing them on the hill
this side of the Holtzclaw bridge.
   The young folks were named Matcek, the girl's first name being Virginia, and Mr. Green said
this girl showed unusual grit and vitality. She kept her brothers awake throughout the long
hours of the night, frequently slapping and pinching them into wakefulness when to fall asleep
meant death.

Cameron Herald, 15 Sep 1921, pg 7
More Than 100 Lives Lost In Valley Lands of Williamson and Milam Counties In Flood
   More than 100 bodies of flood and storm victims in the lowlands along the San Gabriel river
in and Milam counties have been recovered, according to the correspondent of the San Antonio
Express at Taylor, who telephoned a report. The correspondent telephoned the following: "One
hundred and nine bodies have been recovered from flooded lowlands along the San Gabriel river in
Williamson and Milam counties as the result of more than 20 inches of rain between last Friday
anil Saturday mornings, which caused a rise of 40 feet. Most of the dead are Mexican farm
laborers." Lists from different towns and communities are as follows: Thorndale, 45 bodies
recovered, Mexicans. Laneport, 23 bodies recovered, Mexicans. San Gabriel, 8 Mexicans. Alligator
Creek, 5 Mexicans. Roy Bland farm near Taylor, 1 Mexicans. Elm Grove, 29 Mexicans on Jake
Bowers' place seven miles southeast of Taylor. Another dispatch to the Express from Rockdale,
Milam county, says: "More than twenty families in the Brazos bottoms between Gause and Valley
Junction are reported to have been lost. Five persons are known to have drowned on the Ed Green
farm in the San Gabriel bottoms. "More than twenty feet of water rose over the roads in the
Brazos bottoms and nothing has been heard from the twenty families living there. "Virtually
every bridge in Milam county, both railroad and highway, has been destroyed." Property losses
will exceed $1,000,000, the report said. Conditions along the Brazos between Rockdale and Hearne
are nil- known. Ed Green, the farmer on whose land several were drowned, was rescued after being
in a tree 36 hours. Two white boys and a girl were rescued at the same time. The Taylor
correspondent said that the rainfall from 3:30 a. m. of Friday to 1 a. m. Saturday was 21.5
inches, the heaviest in the history of the weather bureau, established at Taylor twenty years
ago. All wagon and railroad bridges out of Taylor in every direction are gone. Only one train
has run since Saturday night. The property loss in the town of Taylor is estimated at $450,000
to $750,000. No lives were lost in Taylor. The two children drowned in Brushy creek clung to a
tree for two days and were drowned just as help was in sight. Their names are not known. W. D.
Barfield of the county road force was going to their aid when they became exhausted and fell
into the water. Six other children in the vicinity were rescued by Barfield. At Hutto,
Williamson county, a tornado, accompanied by heavy rains, struck the negro district. Fifteen
dwellings and the negro Baptist church were wrecked.


Last Modified: 7 Jul 2016

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Sources
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    1. Senn, Ima Holder, James Jarrell "JJ" Senn. I had several telephone interviews with Ima
         from 2000-2002. We discussed her family and Wiley's family. She had an incredible
         memory and she had "notes" about things she was afraid she would forget. I don't know
         what happened to her notes and I wish I had recorded our conversations. She is my
         grandmother.
    2. Senn, Ima Holder, James Jarrell Senn.  abt 1910.
    3. 1910 Federal Census, Texas, Williamson, ED 131, pg 448.  age 4 mos, Texas.
    4. Death Certificate, Senn, James J #36052.  13 Jan 1910, Holland, Texas.
    5. Death Certificate, Senn, James J #36052.
    6. Senn, Ima Holder, Frederick Doyle Senn.
    7. Death Certificate, Senn, Fred #41888.
    8. 1880 Federal Census, New York, Genesee, ED 16, pg 11-12 (661C-D).  Frederic Sinn.
    9. Senn, Ima Holder, Emma Beatrice Wills.
    10. 1880 Federal Census, Texas, McCullough, ED 108, pg 14 (522B).  E B Wills.
    11. 1900 Federal Census, Texas, Bell, ED 20, pg 15A.  Beatrice Senn.
    12. Death Certificate, Senn, James J #36052.  Emma B Wills.
    13. Milam Co, Texas Marriage Book, bk 22 pg 552.  James J Senn to Virginia Stewart Crain.
    14. Texas State Birth Index, Senn, Ed.  Virginia Matcek.
    15. Death Certificate, Senn, Virginia #56898.
    16. Milam Co, Texas Marriage Book, bk 22 pg 552.
    17. 1910 Federal Census, Texas, Milam, ED 51, pg 5A.  Jennie A Maceh.
    18. Death Certificate, Senn, Virginia #56898.  Aug 15, 1903, Washington County, Texas.
    19. Death Certificate, Senn, Virginia #56898.  Frank Mateck.
    20. 1900 Federal Census, Texas, Washington, ED 115, pg 3B.  Frank Marzek.
    21. Death Certificate, Senn, Virginia #56898.  Virginia Arledge.
    22. 1900 Federal Census, Texas, Washington, ED 115, pg 3B.  Virginia Marzek.
    23. Texas Marriages, 1837-1973 (FamilySearch.org), Stewart, Robert Louis.  to Virginia
         Crain, 26 Oct 1934, Milam County.
    24. Senn, W William Jr, Ed Senn. Personal interview
    25. Texas State Birth Index, Sinn, Ed.
    26. Texas State Birth Index, Sinn, Ed.  30 Dec 1940, Milam County.  Milam Co Births
         SINN, ED  -VIRGINIA  MATCK  - J.  SINN  - 30 DEC 1940  m.
    27. Death Certificate, Sinn, Ed #101654.  30 Dec 1940, Milam County.
    28. Texas Death Index, 1964-1998 (FamilySearch.org), Sinn, Ed.
    29. Death Certificate, Sinn, Ed #101654.
    30. Milam Co, Texas Marriage Book, bk 25 pg 480.
    31. Texas State Birth Index, Buchanan, Irene Mildred.

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My Notes
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If there is no SOURCE, I have no PROOF! If the source is a PERSON, the information is HEARSAY!

James inherited Huntington's Disease from his father. The disease causes uncontrollable movements
of the body and sometimes uncontrolled emotional outbursts and urges.