Mittie wrote: I was born at Whitesboro, TX, June 19, 1868 and was educated at Catholic Academies at Denison and Sherman, TX. The building at Denison stands as a beautiful monument of those days of 1884. I visited it fifty years afterwards and recalled many memories of those kind dear teachers, the nuns of the Catholic Church.Mittie attended St. Joseph's Academy at Sherman and finished school at St. Xavier's Academy at Dennison, TX. The photo is from History of Grayson County, Texas, Volume I.
Mittie's mother Mary Catherine Sarver was raised in Catholic church in New River area, Montgomery County, Virginia. Mary married Pearis Olinger, May 12, 1859 Montgomery County, Virginia. Mary and Pearis were living in Gainsville, Cooke County Texas in June 1860 living next door to Mary's half-sisters Luemma Poff, and Liona Souder and their families. Pearis died during Civil War at unknown location.
Mary married George Wesley Stephens, November 11, 1864 in Grayson County, Texas. George Stephens was a store clerk in Whitesboro, Grayson County, TX. Mittie had two brothers, William, born 1865, and James, born 1870. Mary died January 4, 1874, age 32. George then married Fannie (Fairchild) Edsall on May 7, 1874. Fannie was a widow of a Union soldier with six children, Bart, Henry, C. W., Ben, Icy and Sarah. Mittie was delighted to have new sisters. Sarah was Mittie's age, born August 1868. In 1941, Mittie writes letters and visits with Sarah's daughter Essa Pafford Simmons.
