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            Alice was the first child born after the move to 5 Mile Creek, Dallas County, Texas.

            Her future husband George Anderson Denton came to Hutchins, Texas (5 miles from present day Lancaster) in 1880 from Sparta, Tennessee, and in 1883 they moved to Martin Springs community, which was about 2 1/2 miles west of downtown Pottsboro in Grayson County, Texas. George's father, Overton Denton died shortly thereafter. George drove a wagon to Georgetown community, about 10 miles away, to pick up a coffin to bury his father. His grave did not have a permanent marker and construction has covered the sight. Soon the family moved back to Hutchins.

            George worked for a wheat thrashing crew and was working in the Houston School community where he met Alice about 1892. They were married the next year on October 12, 1893 in Lancaster. George and Alice built a two room house on part of the Houston land on Danieldale Road. He was eventually give 60 acres by her father Henry Wilson Houston when he divided the land among his children shortly before his death in 1899.

            George was a hard worker and skilled farmer. He kept adding to his land parcels, buying out other Houston heirs who were not interested in farming. By 1939, George had accumulated 270 acres. He needed four or five boys but only had one to help. That was Clyde Overton Denton, their only child, born December 11, 1895. Two other baby boys were still births. George acquired a steam engine and thresher and was threshing wheat and oats from Ellis County line to northern Dallas County. They had up to 15 bundle wagons and a chuck wagon with cook for the crews. They worked from the first week of June into the later part of July. Clyde fired up the boiler of the steam engine early in the morning, working from 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. many days. Cotton farming was also a main portion of work along with raising some beef and milk cattle and hogs. He also had 8 to 10 mules to deal with.

            In 1917 Clyde married Berta Lee Rawlins an soon thereafter was drafted into the U.S. Army in October, 1917. He served in combat with Company F of the 359th Infantry Battalion of the 90th Division. He was gassed in the Battle of St. Mihiel in the Argonne Forest. He was on the way back to the front line in November of 1918 when the Armistice was signed. He served occupation duty in Metz, Germany and was honorably discharged in 1919 with a rank of Sergeant.

            Clyde and Berta lived with George and Alice, his parents, and all six of their children were born in that house. It soon became overcrowded and George and Alice decided in the 1920's to buy a new home in Lancaster. Alice was one of the best cooks, especially fruitcakes. She made about 10 every year around Thanksgiving and Christmas, and gave them to her neighbors, friends, and Clyde and Berta. Alice was only 5'1" but weighed around 230 pounds, and had very high blood pressure, a common trait among the Houston family members. George had good genes and liked salt and pepper on his food in large proportions but he remained tall and thin all of his 91+ years. He survived a ruptured appendix but after 21 days in the hospital in Dallas he returned home. He had adhesions from the operation which left him slightly stooped the rest of his life.

            Alice had a severe stroke in February of 1945, the day after she learned that her grandson Page Eugene Denton had gone ashore on Iwo Jima with the 28th Marines of the 5th Division. His company and the other companies of the 28th Regiment took Mt. Suribachi in 4 days. He was fortunate to live through the 45 days of hand to hand combat, being one of 50 men in his company of 250 to survive. Alice became paralyzed and was later put into a nursing home on Carroll Avenue in Dallas. Her last words in November of 1945 were to ask when Page was coming home. She passed on December 1, 1845 at the age of 74.

            Alice was a good wife and read the bible regularly. She did have an occasional spell of depression, possibly because of her obesity. She loved to listen to the radio, and her favorite programs were Will Rogers, The Grand Ole Opry, Amos & Andy, Edgar Bergen & Charlie McCarthy, Jack Benny, and Al Jolson & Molasses White. She kept a picture of Will Rogers over her Cabinet radio. On Christmas morning, Billy Joe would remember her coming to the back door and hollering "Christmas gift". This meant that you had to give her a present first.

            George continued to live in the home in Lancaster until late 1946 when he moved back into his original home on Danieldale. That home was sold and the notes on the land were paid off. He continued to work until he was almost blind from cataracts. He had surgery, but it didn't help much. His health began declining in 1962 and in November he volunteered to spend his last days at Lancaster Nursing Home where passed away on the afternoon of August 12, 1963. He was generally a pleasant person to be around and loved to tell stories of bygone days. He was a sensitive person with a good heart. He loved his family, the land he worked and not least, the loved the Lord.

Alice Houston Descendants

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