My name is JaNell and I was born to Willie Mae Blackwell Thompson and Luther James Thompson. Luther's paternal grandmother was Caroline Ray. She married William "Bill" Thompson on January 8, 1875 in Colbert County,Alabama. According to the 1880 census Caroline was 19 years of age so she was born in 1861. She and Bill had three children, John William b.12-14-1876, James Owen b. 1878 and Docia who was 8/12 on the census. Caroline and Bill had seven children in all. Besides John William, James Owen, and Docia, the other children were: Robert H.(Bob) b. 1882, Emma b. 1885 d. before 1905, Roy E. b. 1892 and Eva Lena b. 12-29-1888 d. 7-7-1989. Caroline and William met in Colbert County, Alabama. In the 1870 census their families lived close to each other in Newburg township, Colbert County. Caroline was the oldest daughter of William James and Rebecca Jane Sherrill Ray. Caroline was born around 1858-61. George was born in 1863 and James Willis was born 1865 and Jesse Allen was born in 1869. Texanna was born in 1872 after that census record. They had an older half brother, Tandy R. Sherrill, who was born to Rebecca Jane before she married William James Ray. Caroline and William Thompson followed the Thompson family to the Paris, Texas area in the early 1880's. Their last three children were born there. Willis, Allen and Texanna all married in the Colbert, Lawrence counties area of Alabama and remained there most of their lives. Caroline died soon after her last child, Roy E. Thompson, was born and was probably buried in the Paris, Texas area. Caroline's and William's sons all settled in the Pontotoc County, Oklahoma area. Caroline's brothers, Willis and Allen, made trips to Oklahoma to visit Caroline's boys. John William, James Owen and Roy are all buried in Pontotoc County, Oklahoma.