James Washington Estel Paxton was the oldest son of William Paxton and Ruhama Jane Cobble, and grandson of Alfred Paxton and Catharine Keasling. He was born 10 Aug 1887 at Mosheim, Greene Co, Tennessee. In Jan 1901, he came to Custer Co, Nebraska with his parents, who located in Antelope Valley, south of Sargent, Custer Co, Nebraska. This man was known in the area as "Estel" Paxton and was my cousin on my dad's side of the family. On 19 Feb 1911, he was united in marriage to Arminda Fellows and they were the parents of one son, Ethen Rex Paxton. Arminda Fellows was my great aunt on my mom's side of the family so he was my great uncle. Following their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Paxton resided on a farm until March 1920, when they moved into Sargent where they made their home. Estle was a big man billed as "the largest cream buyer in Nebraska". At 38 years of age, he was 545 lb, and 6ft-6 tall. A write-up from the Omaha World Herald tells about him: WHERE THE BIG MEN GROW J.E. Paxton, Sargent, Neb. weights 635 pounds and growing at 50 pounds a year; may be world's largest man. Revealing to himself the possibilities of farming in Nebraska, J. E. Paxton came from Sargent to Omaha Sunday night. Mr. Paston, whose right to the title, "Nebraska giant" is not disputed, tips the beam at 635 pounds. With Mr. Paxton are his wife, and his son, Ethen, who is 11 years old. Mrs. Paxton is smaller than the average woman, and Ethen has neither hope nor ambition of equaling his father in size. They are guest at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Charles McDonald, 617 Park Avenue. For breakfast Monday morning Mrs. McDonald served the giant an even half dozen of fried eggs, side rashers of sausage, several cups of coffee, and generous slices of bread and butter. "He has a hearty appetite", said Mrs. Paxton, "but he eats a lot less than some very thin men I have known". Mr. Paxton's bulk is largely fore and aft, rather than up and down, as he is only slightly above six feet. His girth is tremendous, so that attempts to get him into a closed automobile were immediately abandoned. Paxton is 37 years old. He was born in Tennessee, and came to Nebraska in 1901. Last summer Mr. Paxton, aided only by his wife and son did his farm work. He raised ninety acres of corn, besides some oats and hay. Farm labor only increases his weight. Drafted when the was began in 1917, he then weighed 325 pounds, and was rejected for that reason, although he says, the doctors declared he was one of the soundest men they had examined. He's been gaining at least fifty pounds a year since then. According to Manager Hartung of the Orpheum theater, Mr. Paxton can well lay claim to being the biggest man to the world. Hartung knows of none other weighing as much as 6 hundred pounds. J.E. Paxton died suddenly while doing his chores on Saturday evening, 8 Jan 1944 and was laid to rest on 12 Jan 1944 at the Mount Hope Cemetery, Sargent, Custer Co, Nebraska. Arminda Fellows Paxton was one of 6 children born to Henry and Ella Fellows on 24 Jun 1889 and passed away 11 Apr 1970 and was laid to rest on 14 Apr 1970 at the Mount Hope Cemetery, Sargent, Custer Co Nebraska. If anyone out there has any information on this line, I would love to trade. I have lots of information to Alfred Paxton, then the line stops. The 1850 census of Greene Co, Tennessee shows Alfred Paxton to be 24 and born in TN and his parents?? born in TN and Catharine to be 23.