Townes Van Zandt Biography

Excerpts: full text available at http://www.sweetslyrics.com/bio-Townes%20Van%20Zandt.html

...Townes was born on March 7, 1944. He lived in a number of areas growing up, but is most strongly associated with the Houston/Austin axis of the '70s, and has lived in Nashville since the 1980s. Although none of his recordings sold extremely well, several of his songs have been major hits for other artists ( especially Pancho & Lefty and If I Needed You). He toured the world regularly, usually appearing alone with his guitar, although he has appeared with Guy Clark on some tours, and fronted various acoustic and electric bands, mostly throughout the 1980s.

More on Townes' lineage and biographical data (provided by the Van Zandt Society and Jeanene Van Zandt, updated 5/26/01 with info provided by Robert Hardy):

...Jacob Van Zandt Sr. was born about 1750, came from Holland with the Moravian Colony that settled in Pennsylvania and later moved to North Carolina. He married Catherine Moon of Virginia who was born in 1751. About the beginning of the 19th century they moved to Franklin County, TN. Both are buried in Salem TN.

Jacob Van Zandt Jr. was born in 1786 and died in 1834. He married Mary Isaacs, born in 1795 and died in 1840. Both are buried in Salem TN.

Isaac Van Zandt was born in Franklin County, TN July 10, 1812. In 1833 he married Francis Cooke Lipscomb born 18 in 1816. He died October 11, 1847 and is buried in Marshall, TX. She died in Fort Worth in 1909 and is buried in Oakwood Cemetery there.

Isaac Lycurgus Van Zandt was born January 5, 1840. He married Ellen Henderson who was born in 1849 in Shelby County TX. He died in 1935 and both are buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Ft. Worth.

Townes' paternal grandparents were: William Liscomb Van Zandt was born Feb. 3, 1875 in Tarrant County TX. He married Bell Wiliams [born June 30, 1882] also of Tarrant County TX. He died April 8, 1948. She died in Feb. 24, 1965. Both are buried in Dido Cemetery, Tarrant County.

Townes' parents were: Harris Williams Van Zandt born 1913 in Dido Community, Tarrant County, TX. He married Dorothy Townes of Houston, TX in 1940. He died in Houston in Jan. 1966, and she in Sept. 1983. Both are buried in River Oaks Cemetery in Houston.

...Townes third and final marriage was on March 14, 1983 in Austin to Jeanene Munselle, who was born in Corpus Christi, TX . on February 21, 1957. They produced a son and daughter, William Vincent Van Zandt born March 24, 1983 and Katie Bell Van Zandt born February 14, 1992, all living as of 2001. They were divorced May 2, 1994 and lived apart for the last three and a half years of Townes' life, she in Smyrna, Tennessee, and he in Nashville (briefly), and then in Mt Juliet, Tennessee.

Townes died at his house on the lake in Mt Juliet, TN of either a heart attack or a blood clot following hip surgery on New Years Day, 1997, the same day his idol, Hank Williams, passed away. Some of his remains (ashes) are buried in Dido Cemetery, Tarrant County, Texas.

Much more biographical information can be found on the Blue Sky and Lone Star Webstation websites.

Townes Van Zandt - Blue Sky Homepage:

http://pnwpest.org/coopl/tvzindex.html

A Lone Star Webstation:

http://www.lonestarwebstation.com/townesdex.html

Jeanene Van Zandt's website
Townes Van Zandt Central:

http://www.townesvanzandt.com/

The Official Townes Van Zandt MySpace Page (Townes Van Zandt Central):

http://www.myspace.com/townesvanzandtcentral

Will Van Zandt (Townes' son), showcasing his artwork:

http://www.willvanzandt.com/

Jeanene Munsell and John "Townes" Van Zandt

Descendants of Harvey Otto (H. O.) Munselle:

Jeanene Munsell (Melvin2, Harvey Otto (H. O.)1) was born on 20 Feb 1957 in Nueces Co., TX. She was the daughter of Melvin Munsell (1928-2003) and Delores Pauline Zoch. Jeanene married John "Townes" Van Zandt, well-known musician and poet, on 14 Mar 1983 in Austin, Travis Co., TX, son of Harris Williams Van Zandt and Dorothy Townes. John was born on 7 Mar 1944 in Houston, Harris Co., TX, died on 1 Jan 1997 in Tennesse at age 52, and was buried in Dido Cemetery, Tarrant Co., TX.

Children from this marriage were:

1. William Vincent Van Zandt, born on 24 Mar 1983 in Austin, Travis Co., TX.

2. Katie Bell Van Zandt, born on 14 Feb 1992 in Austin, Travis Co., TX.

Line of Harvey Otto (H. O.) Munselle:
1. Lorenzo Dow Munselle (1828-1907) of Richland Springs, San Saba Co., TX and 1st wife, Phydelia Smith (1830 - )
2. James Lawrence (Jim) Munselle (1864-1934) and 2nd wife, Margaret Josephine (Maggie) Patterson (1875-1837)
3. Harvey Otto (H.O) Munselle (1894-1974). Harvey Otto (H. O.) Munselle married Mattie Jewell Neyland (1894-1976), daughter of Warren Joshua Neyland and Martha Bernetta Winn.

Thanks very much to Nancy Cunningham for sharing her excellent research on this family.

Aaron Prescott: Ancestor for the Daughters of the Republic of Texas

From: Nancy Cunningham cunningb@flash.net
4/13/2008 8:44 AM
Subject: FW: Maxwell or Prescott Family

Maxwell comes in with Eddie Cleo [Munsell] dau of LD Jr. [Munsell] and Winnie Bollinger
As you can see anyone descended from that group would become a daughter of the Rep of Texas

From: Leonard Oliver lloliversr@yahoo.com
Sent: Sunday, April 13, 2008 9:27 AM
To: Nancy Cunningham
Subject: RE: Maxwell or Prescott Family

Thank you for sending me the info on the Prescott's. I recently proved Aaron up as an ancestor for the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. Anyone descended from him would be eligible. If you or any of the relatives you are in contact with would be interested I would be happy to help you. I am the organizing President and Registrar of a Brady [Texas] Chapter. I recently met our cousin Georgia Cowart and she gave me many Prescott pictures most of which I have posted in Ancestry.Com. not all yet.
Sincerely,
Mary Ann [Maxwell] Oliver
your distant cousin

LINE OF EDDIE CLEO MUNSELL

1. Lorenzo Dow Munselle of Richland Springs, San Saba County, Texas and second wife Margaret Emily Dirickson Bodine
2. Lorenzo Dow Munsell, Jr. and Winnie Bolinger
3. EDDIE CLEO MUNSELL
Born: 12 July 1915
Richland Springs, San Saba County, Texas
Died: 27 Feb 1984
Crane, Crane County, Texas

Spouse: Beason D. Sheppard
Born: 10 June 1910
Texas
Died: 12 Jan 1974
San Saba, San Saba County, Texas

Married: 29 July 1933

Parents of Beason D. Sheppard:
Father: Thomas J. Sheppard
Born: 1878
Texas

Spouse: Leona M. Maxwell
Born: 28 June 1881
San Saba County, Texas

Married: 25 May 1902

Parents of Leona M. Maxwell:
Father: Thomas Wallace Maxwell
Born: 09 Apr 1856
Abingdon, Washington County, Virginia
Died: 27 Jan 1946
San Saba County, Texas

Mother: Texana Prescott
Born: 24 Mar 1860
Goldthwaite, Brown County, Texas

Married: 18 Apr 1877
San Saba County, Texas

Parents of Texana Prescott:
Father: Aaron Prescott
Born: 1822
Alabama
Died: in San Saba County, Texas
Burial: IOOF Cemetery (now San Saba City Cemetery)

Mother: Arzula May Feazle
Born: 1838
Louisiana
Died: 14 Sep 1913
San Saba County, Texas

Married: 1854

For more information on the Munsell(e) family, see:

http://griffincunningham.net/munsellFAQ/munselltree.htm

Munsell(e) and connected families Obits

We have just acquired a collection of Munsell(e) and connected families obituaries from San Saba County, Texas. They are on the Munselle Family website at:

http://griffincunningham.net/munsellFAQ/munselltree.htm

We have obituaries for the following persons:
T.W. Maxwell - 7 Feb 1946
Thomas Wallace Maxwell - 31 Jan 1946
John Munsell 11 Apr 1930 (from IL)
Lorena Munsell - 14 Mar 1998
Louis Edgar Munsell - 6 Apr 1939
Lusetta Holliday Munsell 8 Feb 1930 (from IL)
Margaret Emily D. Munsell - 11 Dec 1902
Sarah Jane Estes (Mrs T.T.) Munsell - 10 Mar 1910
Ransom Munsell - 6 June 1929 (One and Two)
Thomas T. Munsell - 1 Aug 1923
Willie Pearl Munsell - 30 Mar 1939
Mrs Tom Munselle
May (Mrs W.O.) Shipp Munselle - 4 May 1916
Beason Sheppard - 17 Jan 1974
Marion Shipp - 31 Apr 1966 (One and Two)
Jack Spurlock - 25 Aug 1966
Julia Terry - 12 Jul 1934

Announcing the End of an Era

From: Ancestry.Com
Dec. 19, 2007

Online Family Tree is retiring shortly - but don't worry, we've got a plan in place to help you transition to the free and easy to use Ancestry Member Trees.

You can make the transition anytime between now and March 2008. After that point you'll no longer be able to open or edit your file using Online Family Tree.

Questions? Concerns? Comments? Check out our blog post on this topic to get more information:

http://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2007/12/19/Online-Family-Tree-Announcement

NOTE*: The moving process looks complicated at first but it's really very easy. Just follow the links! I moved all nine of my trees yesterday and it went without a hitch.Don't put off moving your family trees until it's too late.

A Mansel Ghost Story from Wales

NOTE: Thanks to Roger Mansel. This story is from his late brother's website at:

http://www.kidwellyhistory.co.uk/

There are a number of other Mansel references on this site, for those interested in the history of the Mansel family in Wales.

SPUDDER'S BRIDGE GHOST

There is a legend attached to the bridge over the River Gwendraeth Fawr, near Kidwelly, which is worth while noting; not for the story itself, which is one of the ordinary or extraordinary romances so common in Wales; but on account of certain allusions to the Mansel family.

The legend recounts how that Nest, the beautiful daughter of one Elvidir Dhu, then in possession of Kidwelly Castle, fell in love with a young Norman knight. After the customary complications with rival lovers and so forth, the young man, meeting the lady at this bridge, was ambushed by a hired ruffian, transfixed with a long arrow, and hurled into the stream before the eyes of his sweetheart, who thereupon promptly threw herself after him. All this is quite in accordance with legendary precedent, as is also the allegation that her white spirit afterwards haunted the bridge and upon being approached, "vanished, with a piercing scream, into the dark waters of the river." The bridge, according to Mr. A. G. Bradley's "Highways and Byways of South Wales", is to this day known as "The Bridge of the White Spirit."

The interest of the tale, with regard to this present work, lies in the name and residence of the young Norman knight. Mr. Bradley, in the course of his narration, says: "Now at Margam, still a noted country house in Gower, there then lived one of the Mansel family, Sir Walter, young, handsome, and gallant, like all the gilded youth of those days. He had conceived an affection for the fair Nest, etc.

Margam is not, of course, in Gower, and Kidwelly is some five-and-thirty miles distant from it but the allegation that a certain Sir Walter Mansel dwelt at Margam in the twelfth century, for this is a legend of crusading times, and that there was then existing, not long after the foundation of Margam Abbey, a "country house" there, is interesting. The story may, of course, be an entire invention, the name of Mansel being subsequently introduced as a compliment to the family but on the other hand, it points to the possible existence of this Sir Walter, somewhere about the period at which the name of Mansel first appears in a Welsh charter, or a little later. It thus tends to confirm the theory already evolved from other sources, that the Mansels settled in Wales during the latter half of the twelfth century, or possibly at an earlier date.

-Adapted from *History of the Family of Maunsell (Mansell, Mansel)* by Edward Phillips Statham. London: Kegan Paul Trench & Co. Ltd. 1917

[Maunsell was our original family name in England; Munsell and Munselle are variations.]

FreeOnAncestry.com Closed Down by Legal Threats

From: Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter
April 29, 2007

FreeOnAncestry.com Closed Down by Legal Threats

If you go to the web site FreeOnAncestry.com, you will find the following sad words:

The website "FreeOnAncestry.com" was forced offline by The Generations Network, the parent company of Ancestry.com.

FreeOnAncestry.com was originally built with the approval of the previous affiliate marketing staff of MyFamily.com, the same company before the name change to The Generations Network. They felt a site like FreeOnAncestry.com was a great way to create a positive image and branding to the genealogical community by highlighting the free tools and databases available to the public. It was a way to show genealogists that Ancestry.com was not just a big greedy cash cow that everyone seems to think it is, but a site that does in fact give back to the community.

But the new marketing staff didn't agree. They threatened us with legal action if we didn't take the site down. They claimed that the domain name, "freeonancestry.com" is a violation of their trademark, because it contains the word, "ancestry.com". AS IF they have rights to any and all domain names with the word "ancestry" in it.

Bottom Line

So, we've taken the FreeOnAncestry.com site down, because The Generations Network is still the primary source of income on our flagship website, Interment.net. We can't afford to jeopardize that relationship. There just isn't another source of income that can provide us with the funds that Interment.net requires.

- Steve Johnson, Clear Digital Media, Inc.