This is the third in a series of posts about the descendants of Stephen and Sally (Acock) Talkington in California

After the death of her husband, William Thomas Lester, Mary Elizabeth Talkington Lester (Stephen and Sally's eldest daughter) moved to Selma in central valley of California, near where her niece and great niece had settled with their families.

Margaret's daughter Mary Sharp Lester (10/2/1840, Crawford, AR - 12/17/1908, Selma, Fresno, CA) and her husband Benjamin Sharp Shipley (11/9/1835, Sullivan TN - 8/18/1922, Selma, Fresno, CA) joined her, with some of their 9 children (Alice, William Nathan, Samuel S, Walter, Margeret, Benjamin Franklin, Virginia Mae, Harrison Edmond).

Margaret's daughter Cynthia E Lester moved to nearby Sanger in Fresno Co, CA with their children Virginia Parlee, William B, and Roach M.after the death of her husband John Sevier Matlock in AR.

Margaret's daugher Lavenia B Lester (2/6/1845, Cedarville, Crawford, AR - 7/2/1935, Laton, Fresno, A) and her husband William Franklin Lynn (3/4/1842, KY - 1/25/1912, Laton, Fresno, CA) moved to neaby Laton in Fresno Co, CA with their 8 children: Sarah Elden, Ellen, Virginia Margaret, Wallace L, Joseph C, Mary Bernetta, Charles Edward, and Floyd C.

Margaret's daughter Nancy E Lester (7/31/1847, Cedarville, Crawford, AR - 8/16/1906, Selma, Fresno, CA) moved to Selma between ~1889 with her husband Enos Coleman (10/1840, Hickman, TN - 7/1904, Selma, Fresno, CA) and their 5 children: Margaret F, Maggie, Serena, William Lee, and Norman P.

Margaret's son Mark Bean Lester (7/27/1854, Cedarville, Crawford, AR - 10/27/1943, Sanger, Fresno, CA) and his wife Louisa Adeline Kimes (5/22/1854, Crawford, AR - 11/15/1934, Selma, Fresno, CA) moved to Selma at the same time. They had four children: Cynthia D, Ollie, Sena, and Lois.

Margaaret's son Joseph Paschal Lester (3/3/1857, Cedarville, Crawford, AR - 10/3/1931, Sanger, Fresno, CA) moved to the Selma.CA area in the late 1890s with his wife Margaret Letitia Matlock (11/27/1859, Crawford, AR - 5/15/1936, Sanger, Fresno, CA) and their 8 children: John William, Hugh David, Minnie Lee, Virginia Ethel, David Valentine, Edwin Earl, Clyde Oral, and Floyd Matlock.

Margaret's great nephew (Richard Steven (aka Stephen R), son of her brother James Allen Talkington) also moved to Selma between 1892 and 1894 by way of Indian Territory (OK) with his wife, Susan Vivian Fry. They died within three months of each other in the fall of 1903 in Tulare, CA leaving 7 children: Lamar E, Lonzo B, Lentz John, Eva L, Luther M, Mary, and Stella E. between the ages of 24 and 1. (They are supposed to be buried together in the cemetery in Readley, Ca, but I wasn't able to find their headstones.) Lamar took over raising most of his siblings, living in the remains of the Utopian community of Kaweah in the foothills. The children owned a small home and supported themselves by working at odd jobs. Luther was adophed by the Martin family. Lamar was shot by his wife Bertha in 1934 in Merced, CA.

Mary members of this family are buried near Mary Malissa Talkington Reed Looney in the North Selma Cemetery.