Rev. Itrel T. Monroe

Notes:

Itrel's grandfather, George Ervin Monroe, was a very religious man in his old age and endeavored to pass his fervor on to his young grandson. The old man often would render his prayers aloud in the barnyard. He would call young Itrel to himself, place his hands on his head, pray over him (some would say anoint him) and announce that Itrel would grow up to be a preacher, which he did.

Itrel's father sometimes cooked up some home made whiskey. It was customary in those days to use pine knot "lightard" (leitard) wood for this purpose. Young Itrel was ordered to collect the wood but refused to do so. His mother, no doubt remembering the prediction of her father-in-law, would gather the wood so Itrel would not get a "whooping" from his father. Some speculate that mama liked to indulge a little, also.

Itrel's punishment was to be stationed to sound the alert in case the revenuers came to investigate. He took advantage of this opportunity by mounting a stump and practicing preaching. Of course, no self-respecting God fearing revenuer would think that a young lad preaching the gospel would be the look out for a still.

Other preaching drills were carried out while plowing with the family mules. His siblings complained that he had trained the animals to be Christian and as such they would no longer obey commands that contained profanity, which was an insurmountable problem for some of them.

Itrel dropped out of school during his first year of high school, which seemed to be the custom in those parts. When he was approaching eighteen years of age, he announced that he had "received the call to preach." Some of the good brothers at the Baptist Church explained to him that he could prove the legitimacy of the "call" by getting an education, which was not a practice in his family. Itrel explained that he could not go to school and raise his cotton at the same time.

The members of the school board persuaded Itrel that the Lord had opened a way for him to get his education and support himself at the same time. They offered him the job of school janitor and disciplinarian while earning his high school diploma. He accepted.

The school board had been having difficulty in keeping teachers because of sexual harassment from the farm boy students, so they offered jobs to two cousins from Hagewood, Louisiana who did not yet have full teaching certificates.

The first day of school, before Itrel had met the new teachers, he received word that discipline was breaking down in one of the new teacher's classrooms. As he approached the room, he considered his predicament. He was well acquainted with the culprits. Besides not being a fighter, he was outnumbered. The price for being humiliated in a farming area was hard to bear. He had thought that the Lord would spare him such agony.

His anxiety was assuaged when he looked through the window of the cloakroom and saw the new teacher repeatedly banging the head of the unruly student against the wall in "jack hammer" fashion. The teacher explained that she had been taught to always remove the troublesome student from the class so she had invited the student into the cloakroom which he accepted gladly. He was delighted at the opportunity to be alone with the new girl teacher. As soon as she got him alone she proceeded to pound his head against the wall, not something he had experienced or expected. He lost the mating urge immediately. Itrel said he had an easy year. No disciplinary problems at all.

Itrel then introduced himself to the lady who later became his wife.

Itrel's Social Security number was 433-18-9330

Compiled and edited by Allen Alger, Genealogist, Clan Munro Association, USA

Birth:
Itrel's birth certificate lists his birth place as Winnfield, Louisiana, which is the city that the family used for business.

Itrel married Angie Sanders on 11 Jun 1928 in Bunkie, Avoyelles Par., Louisiana, USA. Angie was born on 20 Apr 1903 in Hagewood, Natchitoches Par., Louisiana, USA; died on 23 Mar 1987 in Niceville, Okaloosa Co., Florida, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Living
2. Living
3. Aetna Irene Monroe was born on 24 Jul 1931 in Tioga, Rapides Par., Louisiana, USA; died on 27 Jan 1997 in San Destin, , Florida, USA.
4. Ada Inez Monroe was born on 9 Feb 1933 in Ward One, Livingston Par., Louisiana, USA; died on 11 Feb 1933 in Ward One, Livingston Par., Louisiana, USA.
5. Living
6. Living
7. Living

Notes:

Compiled and edited by Allen Alger, Genealogist, Clan Munro Association, USA

Died:
Steven died in a Natchitoches hospital.

Buried:
Steven was buried in the Goldonna Cemetery.

Steven married Zillie Ann Conley on 20 Apr 1901 in , Natchitoches Par., Louisiana, USA. Zillie was born on 12 Oct 1876 in , Bienville Par., Louisiana, USA; died on 6 Dec 1963 in Goldonna, Natchitoches Par. Louisiana, USA; was buried on 14 Dec 1963 in Goldonna, Natchitoches Par. Louisiana, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Zillie was the daughter of Steven and Alice (Rice) Conley. Her mother married (2) Mr. Moore and they had a daughter, Donnie (Donne) who married George W. Monroe.

Compiled and edited by Allen Alger, Genealogist, Clan Munro Association, USA

Died:
Zillie died in a Natchitoches hospital.

Buried:
Zillie was buried in the Goldonna Cemetery.

Notes:

Compiled and edited by Allen Alger, Genealogist, Clan Munro Association, USA

George was called a "homesteader". It would appear very probable that he homesteaded land in the Goldonna area or perhaps it was the custom at that time to call anyone that cleared new land a "homesteader". His holdings in his old age were divided between his youngest son, Steven Lafitte Monroe and Steven lafitte's brother-in law, James Isom Conley. Steven Lafitte's brother, George Columbus Monroe's eldest son, George W. Monroe lived on the adjacent property. George Ervin's great grandson's Erve and Elton Monroe, Tilmon Monroe's sons, eventually owned most of the land that passed to Steven Lafitte.

George had tax receipts from Laurel, Mississippi and Goldonna, Louisiana for the year 1871 in his papers.

He was very religious in his old age. He would call his grandson, Itrel, to him, place his hand on the boy's head, pray for him and announce that Itrel would serve the Lord by becoming a great preacher. Itrel became a Baptist preacher upon graduating from Louisiana College.

Compiled and edited by Allen Alger, Genealogist, Clan Munro Association, USA

George married Nancy Frances Wilson in May 1853 in Koscuisko, Attala Co., Mississippi, USA. Nancy was born in Jun 1835 in , Walton Co., Georgia, USA; died on 5 Dec 1924 in , Sunflower Co., Mississippi, USA; was buried in Drew, Sunflower Co., Mississippi, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Nancy was the daughter of Riley and Rebecca (Fowler) Wilson. The Wilsons were neighbors of the Monroes in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.

After George's death, Nancy was denied a widow's pension because the bureau said that George had been AWOL (absent without leave) from 7 Aug 1863 until the end of the American Civil War.

Compiled and edited by Allen Alger, Genealogist, Clan Munro Association, USA

Buried:
Family lore says that Nancy's son, George Columbus Monroe, who lived in Mississippi with his third wife and family, went to Louisiana and took Nancy back to Mississippi for a visit. While she was there, she died and was buried there. George Columbus Monroe lived in Drew, Mississippi, near the "Quiver River" on what was called the Monroe Plantation because of the length of time they had farmed the land. It is assumed that this is Nancy's burial place.

Notes:

This may be the same person as George [43574].

Compiled and edited by Allen Alger, Genealogist, Clan Munro Association, USA

Birth:
Estimate: This birth date is an estimate based on the birth dates of nearest relatives or contemporaries, or based on other clues such as christening date, marriage date, birth order, etc.

Robert married Sarah H. (Sally) Burnett (Bernett) on 28 Apr 1827 in , Grainger Co., Tennessee, USA. Sarah was born about 1802; and died in , Grainger Co., Tennessee, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Compiled and edited by Allen Alger, Genealogist, Clan Munro Association, USA

Birth:
Estimate: This birth date is an estimate based on the birth dates of nearest relatives or contemporaries.