"I will speak of family on my father's side first, as well as I remember.

"My grandfather Daniel Paine was a native of Virginia. My great grandfather, whose name I think was Daniel also, came over from England at the time the Mayflower did, as my Grandmother (SILVEY Combs) told me Pa's father was a young man when the Revolution broke out. She told me a great many things about the Torries.

"I think just after Grandfather's marriage he moved to McMinnville, Tennessee. My father was born in McMinnville. While he was a babe, in the same year the Indians were being moved from several of these old states, my Pa's father moved to Blount County Alabama.

"My grandmother (SILVEY) told me all this. She said they camped on a creek and a lot of soldiers with those Indians came up and camped also. She said that while Grandpa was unloading the wagons to put up a tent a cloud came up. She was sitting on a sack of corn holding Pa (FLEMING GORDON PAINE) in her lap. Lightning struck a tree, knocked her on her face but did not hurt Pa. She said after it cleared the Indian's gave them a dance.

"My Grandpa lived in Alabama until after Pa was grown then he went to Illinois, settling in Hancock Co. As well as I remember all of Grandpa's children but two or three married in Alabama. His youngest daughter was Aunt Alta Ivers she married the day they started (for Illinois). Pa's oldest brother was Mason Paine, the next William, Merrel, hisself, and Carrel which was the baby. His sisters Nancy Owen, Millie Pool, Sarah Wilson, and Betty.

"She never married but lived with us until she died, which was during the (CIVIL) war. Surely, some of you children remember her.

"My father had three half brothers -Thomas, Larken, can't remember the name of the other one. My father's mother's maiden name was Silvey Combs.

"Pa said our family descent was English, Welsh, Scotch, and Irish.

"My pa (Fleming G. PAINE) was the father of 18 children. The oldest Sarah E. GARY, Alta V. HOGELAND, myself Eliza A. SANFORD, Emma C. GRAGORY, Margret A. BOON, Malissa O. HASLETT, Silvy Ellen PAINE and Addie PAINE. My father's boys - oldest Mahlon Hall, William C., John H., Ruphus, Daniel and Albert. My father helped drive the Blackhawk Indians from that state. Took an active part in all political questions, being county judge for several years; he was sent to the legislature two years; he was a physician by profession."

"My father built one of the first houses in Clinton [DeWitt Co] and we lived there until 1845 or 6 when we moved to Iowa. Lived at Ft. Maddison [Lee Co, IA], then we went to Charlston [Lee Co], Iowa and lived until '49 at which time my father became afflicted with rheumatism. He had a large practice and that being such a cold country he suffered so bad he decided coming south for fear of being disabled from his practice. In last day of Oct. '49 we took a steamer at Keokuk for Memphis [Shelby Co], Tennessee. We were eleven days on the water. After getting to Memphis decided going on into Mississippi as he had a brother there. He sent wagons for us so we got there a few days before Christmas the year '49."

"Lived there until the year 1856 then came to Texas, first stopping in Falls Co. The same year your Pa (Balaam SANFORD) and I were married under a big oak tree three miles from Waco."

"My mother's father, Mahlon HALL, was a native of Kentucky. He sold out his plantation in that state and moved to Illinois in the early settling of that state…"