Notes:

The Metropolitan Church Association, an offshoot of the Methodist Church in the northern states, established itself as a haven for those who felt their church was becoming too formal. Its headquarters was in Waukesha, Wisconsin. It was also referred to as the Society of the Burning Bush. Having established communal colonies in Virginia, West Virginia and Louisiana, plans were made in 1912 to create a colony in Texas. In that year, 1,520 fertile acres were acquired near the town of Bullard. The land was ideal for agriculture that developed into the main source of income for the colony. The colony, however, was never self-supporting and created a financial drain on the Association. To meet its financial obligations, the land was sold in 1919 and the colony's residents dispersed. Today, none of the original buildings remain and the pecan orchard directly across the street from the present-day Bullard High School primarily marks the site of the former town. SUBMITTED BY: Henry Chenoweth


Buried:
Linthicum Cemetery

Preston married HOLDER, Susan Ellen on 8 Jan 1874 in Monroe, Indiana, USA. Susan (daughter of HOLDER, Solomon and DAVIS, Nancy) was born on 12 Aug 1852 in Monroe, Indiana, USA; died on 20 Nov 1885 in Indian Creek, Monroe, Indiana, USA; was buried in Indian Creek, Monroe, Indiana, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Preston married LINTHICUM, Martha C about 1884. Martha (daughter of LINTHICUM, Elijah and CONDER, Amanda) was born on 12 Dec 1864 in Indiana, USA; died on 4 Jul 1892; was buried in Indian Creek, Monroe, Indiana, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Preston married DAVIS, Sylvine about 1894 in Indiana, USA. Sylvine (daughter of DAVIS, Jesse and DIX, Rachael) was born on 22 Mar 1862 in Perry, Lawrence, Indiana, USA; died between 1900 and 1910; was buried in Indian Creek Township, Monroe County, Indiana (Linthicum Cemetery). [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Alice married SMITH, Glen Warren on 16 Jun 1921 in Waukesha, Waukesha, Wisconsin, USA. Glen was born on 5 Aug 1898 in Nevada, Vernon, Missouri, USA; died about Aug 1986 in Brownsville, Cameron, Texas, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Alice married MILLS, Russell Cecil on 13 Jun 1918 in Waukesha, Waukesha, Wisconsin, USA. Russell was born on 10 Mar 1894 in Roanoke, Pennsylvania; died on 12 Feb 1919. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Birth:
From grave stone transcription

Buried:
Prairie Home Cemetery

Died:
From grave stone transcription

Notes:

Frank B. Brassfield (1898-1987) was born October 21, 1898 in Indiana to Sylvine (Davis) (1862-1903?) and Preston Brassfield (1850-1911). According to the Waukesha Freeman article, Frank grew up in the Metropolitan Church association (MCA) orphanage in Waukesha, Wisconsin with three sisters Alice, Gail and Elsie following his mother's death around 1903. (Alice appears to have been a half-sister, having a different mother than Frank) The MCA was apparently pacifist and some used membership in that church to avoid being drafted into World War I.(1) The MCA apparently had ties to the Free Methodist Church. Despite this upbringing, Frank enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. After the US entered World War I, Brassfield was a Bugler for part of his service in France. According to the Freeman, he became bored with the job and worked on machine guns instead.

News article from The Waukesha Freeman

Frank was awarded two Silver Star medals during World War I for valor in combat while serving in the Marines 6th Regiment. The Silver Star is the third highest medal in the US Military awarded for valor, behind the Navy Cross and the Medal of Honor. At the time, the Silver Star was a newly created award.

On October 9, 1918, Brassfield was fighting in the Champagne sector in the Battle of Blanc Mont. For his bravery under fire during the battle, he was awarded the Silver Star. According to the citation, he was "bringing up machine gun ammunition through the enemy barrage."
The Waukesha Freeman article from February 1919 says that France also awarded him the Croix de Guerre (Cross of War) medal. The article describes his actions as

"Although exhausted, he volunteered to carry ammunition from the front line to an advanced post under violent artillery fire, thus permitting the machine gun to continue its action."
In a letter to his sister, reprinted in the Freeman article Brassfield says that it was awarded for action at Chateau Thierry which was in July 1918. However the citation is nearly identical to the Silver Star citation from Blanc Mont and the Clark book says he received a "SS CdG-P" at Blanc Mont. SS for Silver Star and CdG-P for Croix de Guerre. Whatever the case, he certainly served heroically under fire. According to the Freeman, the legendary Marine Major General John A. Lejeune personally pinned the Croix de Guerre on Brassfield during a ceremony in November 1918.

According to Decorated marines of the Fourth Brigade in World War I by George B. Clark p 123, Brassfield also received a Silver Star for actions in the Battle of Belleau Wood in June 1918. I have not been able to locate a citation for that Silver Star medal.

I'm not too clear on any of the details beyond that, but it appears that he died in January 1987. According to the Social Security death index, he last resided in Staunton, Macoupin County, Illinois not far from St. Louis, Missouri.