"In 1853 Charles Moores Norvell, born in 1816, with his wife and family moved from Tennessee to Austin, Texas. His wife was Sarah Scruggs Norvell born in 1824. They had a large family but only two sons survived infancy and early childhood. These two were John Elam Norvell, born in 1843, and Eugene Norvell, born in 1846. Charles Moores Norvell died in Austin in 1857, leaving a widow and two sons.

To support the family, J. E. Norvell secured a job in a store in Nacogdoches, Texas, where the widow and her family had moved. He continued in this job until the outbreak of the Civil War. He was fourteen at the time of his father's death.

At the age of seventeen or eighteen, J. E. Norvell enlisted in the Texas Cavalry, McNally's Company, Green's Brigade. The theater of operation for this unit was around Galveston.

At the conclusion of the war, J. E. Norvell returned to Nacogdoches. Times were hard; the blight of Reconstruction lay heavy on the South. The young man secured a job as a blacksmith in a shop in Mt. Enterprise owned by William G. Ross, a prominent and wealthy citizen of that town. Often when J. E. Norvell was working in the blacksmith shop, the young, red-haired daughter of the owner of the shop, Kiziah Ross, would come by and make eyes at the young man from Nacogdoches. This resulted in their marriage in 1867 in the home of the bride. The minister officiating was A. S. Hayter.

J. E. Norvell had received little, if any, schooling, His bride, a schoolteacher educated in Virginia, became a teacher of her young husband. He became an avid reader of newspapers and periodicals. Under the tutelage of his wife, J. E. also learned to read and write in Latin.

The children born to this couple were: Ross Norvell, Tom Norvell, Charles Norvell, Mary Norvell (died at age two), Sallie Norvell, Margaret Norvell, John Abe Norvell, and William Eugene Norvell.

J. E. Norvell entered upon a business venture in Mt. Enterprise that was not successful. This was to leave him with debts that were a burden on him for many years before he paid them off. In 1871 he became a candidate for the office of sheriff of Rusk County. He was elected and served in this position for two terms. He was the first sheriff from the Democratic Party after the days of Reconstruction. As was customary at the time, he was also the collector of state and county taxes. The descendants have among their papers a State and County Tax Receipt signed by J. E. Norvell, Sheriff.

Long after his term of office had expired, J. E. Norvell retained an active interest in county politics. His family have in their possession an ebony gentleman's cane with a gold handle inscribed: "1898-Presented to J. E. Norvell Dem. Chairman-(by) Rusk County officers."

After his terms as sheriff had expired, Norvell entered the employ of the firm of Endel and Brachfield. He remained with this firm until he entered into a partnership with E. M. Dotson to open a mercantile business. In 1885 these two purchased from J. Harvey Turner the building, which they occupied under the trade name of "Dotson & Norvell-Dry Goods, Groceries." This building still stands near the intersection of Main and South Marshall and was formerly occupied by J. B. White Company. Behind the metal façade of the present building the names of Dotson and Norvell still remain. (South Marshall was then named Johnson Street.) This building had once been the site of the Wheaton Hotel, which had burned. In the same block were another mercantile building, two confectionary stores, and a saloon. Dotson and Norvell paid Turner $1,500.00 for the property--$500 down and the remainder in a note.

This mercantile firm was successful. In 1890, J. E. Norvell took over the sole ownership of the business having bought out his partner for $3,000.00. The name of the firm was changed to J. E. Norvell & Sons. This firm continued in business until J. E. Norvell retired from the mercantile business to enter the banking business.

The descendants of J. E. Norvell have in their possession many promissory notes issued to J. E. Norvell & Sons by various individuals, many of them farmers. It was the custom of the time for merchants to furnish farmers on credit to be repaid when the crops were gathered. On the backs of many of the notes there are notations of payments on the note; the backs of other notes are blank indicating no collections were ever made. J. E. Norvell was a lenient creditor, not foreclosing on the lands of delinquent debtors.

J. E. Norvell was partially deaf and therefore often spoke in a loud voice. He was gruff and abrupt, never hesitant to speak his mind; there were occasions when he could be impolite. He was puzzled one day by an item in an invoice for a shipment of merchandise. Finally he gave up and shouted out in a voice heard all over the store (some have said even out in the street), "What are these things called Ladies Brassieres?"

In 1902 Norvell was elected to be a director of the first Board of Directors of The First National Bank. J. C. Hickey was the President of this bank and E. C. Oberthier was a Director. Both of these men were later to be domino-playing cronies of J. E. Norvell.

In 1884 Norvell purchased from J. S. Mathis for $1,800.00, nineteen lots facing South Main Street and extending west to South Standish. The Church of Christ now occupies a part of this land. On the land was a two-room log structure with a kitchen attached; it had originally been built by Mr. David Gage. J. E. Norvell added additional rooms and a second story. A feature of this house was the basement with three-layered brick walls. Because of this the temperature in the basement remained constant in winter and in summer. It was in this basement and on the long enclosed back porch with a well at one end that the grandchildren of J. E. Norvell loved to play. This house was the home of J. E. Norvell at the time of his death.

In 1905 the Farmers and Merchants National Bank was established with J. E. Norvell as the chief executive officer. He was to retain this position until his death in 1923. The motto of the bank was "Don't forget the Cow, the Sow, and the Hen." This bank later was to become The Citizens National Bank.

Because of his gruff personality, J. E. Norvell was known to intimidate many customers of the bank. One day a man came in to borrow money with which to open up a new business. The reply of the bank president was heard all over the building, "No, I won't let you have the money. You don't have enough sense to run a business. In six months you'll be broke." The applicant secured the money elsewhere and opened his business. Surely enough, within six months he was broke.

J. E. Norvell was member of the Board of Stewards of the Methodist Church for forty years. One Sunday this church was having a special financial drive. A steward would call out the name of a member and that person would state aloud what he would give. J. E. Norvell did not approve of the open, public auctioneer manner of fund raising. The steward called out, Mr. Norvell, what will you give?" J. E. replied in a loud voice, "Not a cent, sir, not a cent." The congregation was stunned. Later in private, J. E. Norvell gave generously.

In the latter years of his life, J. E. was semi-retired from the bank. He would gather with his friends, E. C. Oberthier, J. C. Hickey, and Sam Gaut to play dominoes under a sycamore tree on the lawn of the courthouse. There were others who also would play there. This informal social gathering became known in town as "The Sycamore Club," and often these friends would argue loudly over the game.

Norvell died in 1923. The editor of the local newspaper wrote a long obituary full of praise. For his funeral all business in Henderson was suspended. He was buried in the Old Cemetery in a lot, which he had purchased in 1891 for $12.00.

J. E. Norvell was unique. The Henderson Insurance Agency now occupies the Farmers and Merchants National Bank Building." (From "Rusk County History" published in 1982; Source biogrqaphy of John Elam Norvell prepared by Charles Alford Norvell. www.http://boards.ancestry.co.uk/thread.aspx? mv=flat&m=266&p=surnames.norvell )