Steve Andrew Yancy (1884-1962)
Biography by Jerry L. Preas

THE BLUE-EYED YANCY'S Steve Andrew Yancy (1884-1962) (Black Dutch, Cherokee, Irish or Scotch-Irish, and perhaps English and Swiss) was born in Cornhill, Texas. In 1909 he married Linnie Bea Hicks.

Shortly after their first child, Ila Bea, was born, they moved to Coleman County, Texas where he was a diversified farmer-rancher with two farms to tend. There he remained the rest of his life. He and Linnie Bea had seven children - Ila Bea, Clifton Andrew, Ima Lee, Janie Lou, Frankie Louis, Steve Louie, Dorothy. During the later stages of World War II, Steve was drafted into the army, even though a father with seven children, and a son in the navy, due to the heavy losses during the war. He left Coleman on a train headed for New Orleans, Louisiana, crossed the river on a ferry, and boarded another train on the other side. A few days later armistice was signed ending the war. Steve then returned home after only a short hitch in the army. Steve took pride in his "Yancy blue eyes" and often referred to them when he met a relative who had the same characteristic blue eyes. He was also proud of his Indian lieritage and often spoke of his mother's Indian and Dutch blood. He said she was Cherojee and Black-Dutch (the dark complected Dutch).

Steve and his wife celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary in 1959. A few years later Linnie Bea died of complications from diabetes and asthma. Steve retired, leased out his two farms, which were located 6 miles due east of Coleman divided only by a county road, and moved into a house in Coleman owned by his son Clifton Andrew. Steve's father was Steve Archibald Yancy (1850-1939) and his mother was Lucindy (Bowen) Yancy (1846-1929) who was born in Georgia. The couple arrived in Texas with their children in 1882. Their children were James, Minnie, Annie, Charles Franklin, Eldridge Asberry, Steve Andrew, Mary, William Rudolph, and Sara. Some of their children were born in Texas.

Steve Andrew's grandfather was Stephen James Yancy, born in 1819, (father and birthplace unknown). His grandmother was Polly Ann Holbrook (1830). Their children were Steve Archibald, Bud Louis, Nan, and Martha. Steve Andrew spoke with conviction when he said that the Yancy's and the Yancey's were relatives. He also told the story that four brother's of the Yancy line came to this country with Ogelthorpe's colony. He would laugh and say they were "horse thieves" and had a choice of coming here or being hung. It was hard to say how serious he was about the reasons for their coming, because he liked to joke and make fun of things like that. If they came with Ogelthorpe's colonists, it is likely they were unable to pay taxes they owed to the crown and were recruited as colonists on that basis. Steve died from exposure to extreme cold and complications from a broken hip in an Abilene, Texas hospital.