I am trying to find information on William Hugh Shannon and Amanda Homes (3/1849). One son (there is at least one other) was born James Luther Shannon 5/21/1875 in Joplin, Newton County, Missouri. I believe they moved to the Denton County, Texas area when James was about 5. I don't have much other information. My mom says her dad (James) would not go to church because he told her he was forced to go every time the doors were open and she is under the impression his father (William Hugh) was an extremely religious man. My mom also remembers her dad telling her that he was taken out of school when he was about 5-6 because his dad needed him to help work on the farm. I did find out that James had a brother, Everett Shannon that was born abt 1879 but where is unknown. I know he lived as an adult in the Abilene, Texas area but died many years ago. I tried sending mail to names similar and got a reply back from a lady who stated that Everett's widow had sold their business and left town to live with one of her children, but she did not where. I can't seem to find information anywhere. I know James spent most of his young adult to the end of his life in Oklahoma and Texas. He married first a woman that died in childbirth and my mom remembers him carrying the woman's clothes with him in a trunk and he was deeply sentimental about her until the day he died. He also was rumored to have had in his trunk papers from the Oklahoma Land Rush about 1895 that he told her he was part of. He was married to Hester Jane Burrow (1885-1972) and they had many children. He was married last to my grandmother, Ruth Seber. This is my mother's dad and she knows very little about him. He was over 60 when she was born and then her parents divorced. I did manage to reach some of the step siblings this last summer and found lots of new relatives but no one knows anything about James except his date of birth and that his father was William and his mother Amanda. Amanda's place of birth is unknown. Place of marriage is unknown. It also does not look like James Luther ever had a birth certificate issued. Any help would be greatly appreciated.