Isham Alfonso "Al" Steele Family

Isham Alfonso "Al" Steele (1870-1934)

Isham Alfonso "Al" Steele, the son of Francis Marion "Frank" and Lucinda Chisum Steele, was born November 20, 1870 in Limestone County, Texas.

Other children born to the marriage of Frank and Lucinda Steele were:  Lula, 1866-1955 (m. Henry H. Stubbs); Lydia Francis, 1867-1941 (m. Silas A. Greer); Louella "Ella", 1868-1954 (m. Walter A. Walling); Mary Allye "Madie", 1872-1961 (m. Henry R. Eaton); Lena Rhoda, 1877-1960 (m. James "Jim" McLelland).

Lucinda Chisum Steele

Frank Steele

Al Steele was the grandson of Alfonso Parcutt Steele and Mary Ann "Polly" Powell Steele. Alfonso Steele  was the last survivor of the Battle of San Jacinto.  A portrait of Alfonso hangs in the San Jacinto Monument, another in the Texas Senate Chamber and another in the Texas House Clerk's Office.

Alfonso and Polly Powell Steele

Alfonso Steele Portrait, Texas Senate Chambers

In the late 1800s, Al Steele immigrated to Sicily Island from Thornton, Texas.  It took him two weeks to make the trip by horseback.  After arriving here, he worked for his uncle, Tom Chisum.  

Mary Virginia "Mollie" Blackman Steele

Al  married Mary Virginia "Mollie" Blackman on April 13, 1898.  Mollie, the daughter of Joseph A. "Frank" Blackman and Virginia "Jennie" Smith Blackman, was born September 17, 1876 in Harrisonburg.  

Her mother died when she was two months old and her father when she was two years old.  She and her sister, Henrietta "Nettie", were reared by their grandparents, James Luther and Henrietta Smith.

About 1890, Al Steele had his wife's grandfather, James Luther Smith, build the Steele house pictured below.  The house was originally a four room house with a back and front porch.  He planted the pecan trees that continue to shade the yard today.  

On the side of the house there was a partially raised storm cellar built about 1900 by an Irishman who was here on the Island for awhile.  It had walls and floor about 16' thick made of concrete.  It was used so many, many times.  Occasionally, they were joined by neighbors, so grateful to be safe during tornado conditions.  After the death of their parents, Allye bought her sisters' inheritance in this house and she and her husband, Bruce Edmonds, lived here for several years.  In the late 1950s, Allye decided to let her son, Bruce, and his wife Mildred and their family live here.  This was their home until the house burned in the early 1990s.

Steele-Edmonds House as sketched in 1977

Steele House, early to mid-1900s

After working for his uncle, Tom Chisum, for awhile, Al Steele built a store and went into general merchandise business.  About 1910 he sold the store and moved his family to Childress, Texas but only stayed there a little over a year, before coming back to Sicily Island.

Al and Mollie Steele had the following children:

Edna, 1899-1899
Mary Allye, 1900-1969 (m. Bruce Edmonds)
Clara Lucille, 1902-1993 (m. John Wesley "Wes" Ogden, Jr.)
Lena Juanita, 1914-1982 (m. William Smith Peck, III)

Al and Mollie Steele with daughters, Allye and Lucille

When Al Steele returned to Sicily Island from Texas, he purchased property consisting of about 140 acres from Mr. Allie Hopkins, who had inherited it from his aunt, Mary Glover Doniphan who was the second wife of Thomas Alexander Slaughter Doniphan.

There was originally a log house here where T.A.S. Doniphan lived.  Al Steele had the house, pictured below, built on this land.  It consisted of seven rooms with a front and back porch.  There was a double fireplace that opened in the living room and a bedroom.  

When Allye Steele had completed the 11th grade, Mollie and children went to Natchez, where Al Steele rented a house so Allye could graduate from the Natchez Institute.  Lucille also went to school there that year.  Al Steele stayed on the farm and made trips back and forth to Natchez.

Many years later, Allye Steele Edmonds, bought her sisters' inheritance in this house and did some renovating.  She and her grandchildren loved going to spend the day and sometimes their visits would stretch into several days.  Her grandchildren named the place Green Acres after a popular television program.

About 1917, after Allye's graduation, they returned from Natchez.  Al Steele built a store in town.  He ran the store and rented the farm out and they lived in the house in town.

This store was later owned by Wes Ogden (Al's son-in-law), O. G. Wynn, and Gordon Higgins, to name a few.  The photograph to the left was taken when the store was owned by Wes Ogden.  Virginia Ogden, daughter of Wes and Lucille Ogden, is seated on the far left.

Mollie Steele with granddaughter, Evelyn Ogden

The above photograph was taken in the front yard of the Steele House.  Mollie Blackman Steele is seated on the right.  Seated on the left is Lena Steele McLelland.  Lena is holding Charles Wesley Caston, the son of Virginia Ogden Caston, grandson of Clara Lucille Steele Ogden (standing) and the great grandson of Mollie Steele.

Mollie Steele's initialed hatchet by which many a chicken met their fate

Mollie Steele's dinner bell..."Fried chicken is ready"

Al Steele and his uncle, Tom Chisum, both died on December 4, 1934.  A transcription of their obituaries is below:

Obituary – Thomas Jefferson Chisum and Isham Alfonso Steele – December 4, 1934

Sicily Island, LA ---Two of Catahoula parish’s most valuable citizens, Thomas Jefferson Chisum, 81 and Isham Alfonso Steele, 64 died here Tuesday morning.

Mr. Chisum and Mr. Steele came to Sicily Island 45 years ago from the same town in Texas to build themselves into prominence among people of this locality.

Mr. Steele, who was a nephew of Mr. Chisum, died at 3 o’clock Tuesday morning and Mr. Chisum died just three hours later.  Mr. Steele was a prominent merchant and landowner having started his career in life working in the store of his uncle and after working several years, he went in business for himself and acquired success as a business man and most valuable citizen.  He is survived by his wife, three daughters: Mrs. Bruce Edmonds, Mrs. Wesley Ogden, and Miss Juanita Steele of Sicily Island and one foster-son, Ted Steele of Houston, Texas.

Funeral services were held at the home in Sicily Island, Wednesday afternoon with Masonic ceremonies at the grave in Pine Hill cemetery where interment was made.  Rev. E. W. Day, pastor of the Methodist church here officiated.

Mr. Chisum came to Sicily Island more than 45 years ago riding horseback, driving a drove of horses which he sold after arriving here at a loss.  Mr. Chisum opened a mercantile store here a number of years after he came here and operated it until 1912 when he retired from the mercantile business.  He acquired several hundred acres of land during his climb up life’s ladder.

Mr. Chisum, as did Mr. Steele,  came here from Thornton, in Limestone County, Texas.

Mr. Chisum assisted in the organization of the Sicily Island State Bank and was vice-president of the institution at the time of his death.  Among the various enterprises in which he engaged was that of stock raising, which he took great pride in and his opinions along this line were considered authoritative.

During his many years of residence at Sicily Island, Mr. Chisum was a useful and public-spirited citizen, an encourager of local enterprises and a supporter of sound business institutions.

He was a charter member of Keystone Masonic Lodge here as was his nephew, Mr. Steele.  Both uncle and nephew and their families were members of the Methodist church here.

Mr. Chisum is survived by his widow, two sons, E. W. Chisum and E. D. Chisum of Sicily Island and two daughters, Mrs. C. J. Gordon and Mrs. J. G. McNair of Sicily Island.

Funeral services were held at Pine Hill church at 10 o’clock Wednesday morning with interment in Pine Hill cemetery.  Rev. E. W. Day, local Methodist pastor officiating.

Old Pine Hill Cemetery

Mary Virginia "Mollie" Blackman Steele passed away on July 19, 1945.

Old Pine Hill Cemetery

One of many pecan trees Al Steele planted over 120 years ago