Three Standefer Brothers here
James Williamson Standefer
William Bailey Standefer
Jacob Littleton Standefer
(For sister, Sarah, see Women's Biographies on the Contents page).
Taken from Indian Wars and Pioneers of
Texas by John Henry Brown; p. 384-5:
More than a century ago, three brothers of the name of Standefer, came from England, and settled in this country, one in Virginia, one in South Carolina, and one on the Western Frontier. From this last Anderson Standefer was descended, being probably a son. About the beginning of the present (19th) century he married and moved to that part of Illinois known as the "American Bottoms," where he lived till his death some eight or ten years later. He left surviving him a widow, three sons, James Williamson, William Bailey and Jacob Littleton, and a daughter, Sarah. Shortly after her husband's death, the widow Standefer moved from Illinois to Alabama, and settled in Franklin County. From there the family came to Texas ten years later in 1827, and for a time (about a year) lived near the line of what s now Brazoria and Ft. Bend Counties, then designated by the general name of Austin's Colony. In 1828 they moved up on the Colorado, and the widow having married Leman Barker, they all settled in what was then called Barker's Bend of the Colorado, about five miles from the present town of Bastrop. That was then on the extreme frontier of Texas, and the three sons of this pioneer family, James Williamson Standefer, William Bailey Standefer, and Jacob Littleton Standefer, becoming identified with the history of the country, bore an honorable part in the same during the struggles which followed. All three of them were in Houston's army, and took part in the battle of San Jacinto, besides serving in numerous Indian campaigns, under those distinguished leaders, John H. Moore, Matthew Caldwell, Ed Burleson and the McCulloch brothers, Ben and Henry. They never held any public positions of note, though the eldest, James W., was a commissioner in connection with the capital location proceedings at Austin, when that place was first made the temporary seat of government. But in the military defense of the country they were active and in some degree conspicuous. James W. Standefer married just previous to the family's coming to Texas; the other two, William B. and Jacob L., and the daughter, Sarah, married after settling in Bastrop County.
William
B. Standefer died in Bastrop County some twelve or fourteen years since, an honored and
respected citizen, and Jacob L. still lives there, being a resident of Elgin, where he is
held in equally high regard. James W. Standefer after the death of his wife, Sarah
Kive Standefer in 1879, went to Lampasas, where he made his home till his death February
19, 1892, being then in the eighty-fourth year of his age. He was one of those
brave, generous, patriotic men to whom Texas is so greatly indebted for what it now is as
a State and who profited so little by his long residence and arduous services. He
has been for more than forty years previous to his death a member of the Christian church
and for about fifty years a member of the Masonic fraternity.
The sons and daughter of James W. and Sarah Standefer who became grown, thirteen in number were: Elizabeth, now widow of David Scott; Mary, widow of Jonathan Scott, both residing in Bastrop County; William Johnson Standefer of Lampasas; Thomas Standefer of Burnet County; Sarah, widow of N. B. Scott, residing on the line of Lee and Bastrop Counties; James Standefer who died some years since in Bastrop County;Jane, the widow of W. C. Lawhon, of Bastrop County; Richard N. Standefer, who died in 1889 in Bastrop County; Elvina, Mrs. Kemp of San Antonio; Arminta, widow of Richard Favors of San Saba County; Arinda, widow of Thomas Wolf, of Burnet County and Ellen, the wife of George Wilson, of Williamson County.
The data is not at hand to give in this connection the names of the descendants of William B., Jacob L. and Sarah (Mrs. J. L. Litton) Standefer but the following facts concerning James W. Stander's descendants may be added. His three sons William J., Thomas and Richard N., were soldiers in the Confederate army during the late war, the eldest as a member of McMillen's Co Company, Nelson's Regiment, with he he served a year when he raised a company of his own for frontier service, and the other two as members of Capt. Highsmith's Company, Parson's Regiment. Thomas Standefer was wounded at Cotton Plant, Arkansas, and Richard V., at Yellow Bayou. All were good soldiers and all are or were good citizens.
Richard Vaughn Standefer, born in Bastrop County, Texas, December 30, 1838, was reared in his native county and there spent his entire life except the time he was in the Confederate army. September 11, 1866, he married Miss Tex Gatlin, of Bastrop County, and shortly afterwards taking up mercantile pursuits (being incapacitated for active outdoor work by wounds received during the war) was engaged in merchandising in Bastrop County till his death May 1, 1889. He met with good success and left his family well provided for. A widow and six children survived him, though a son and daughter have since followed him to the grave. His children are Nannie Olive, now Mrs. M. L. Hines; Woody Allison who died in 1892 at the age of fifteen; Lula Love who died in 1895 at about the same age; Charles Herbert, Dick Hunter and Grace Vaughn.
Mrs. Tex Standefer widow of Richard V. Standefer also comes of old settled families, her father Thomas Gatlin, having come to this country in 1840 and her mother, Nancy R. Christian, in 1832. She being a daughter of Thomas Christian who was killed by the Indians at the time Wilbarger was scalped. (See account of this elsewhere in this volume).
