Children of Isaac B. Payne and Sarah Foster Kidd Payne: Brack Payne

Joseph Braxton Payne (or Brack/Brax Payne) was their fourth child. Like his older brother, Joel, Brax Payne had a strong influence on his Winn Parish community. There are many descendents of Brack and Della Elizabeth Garr Payne who probably know much more about their direct ancestors than I do, and I hope one or two will add more to what follows.

Brack Payne's wife Della was a niece of Lucy Margaret Garr who married Joel Payne (or Brack's older brother). The Garrs and Paynes were perhaps the two most prominent families in their part of Winn Parish around the turn of the twentieth century. Brack Payne and Rev. W. M. D. Garr were the ones who established the Hudson Camp Meeting in 1899. They contributed land and building materials to construct the Hudson Tabernacle and the later college. Brack owned and ran saw mills in the area and purchased timber for his mills. Since Dr. I. B. Payne died in 1879, when his many of his children were quite young, the older boys such as Joel, Ed, and Brack assumed responsibilty for helping provide for their family. Brack and Della Payne, in particular, took care of the youngest son Buddy and his mother Sarah during the hard times. Buddy worked later for Brack in his commercial interests (sawmills, cotton gins, etc.), and by 1906 Brack, Jim, and Buddy Payne were contracting together for timber teams to cut pine trees in the area. During the Great Depression and much later, Brack Payne loaned money to his brother Buddy to try to keep his community store going and his family well. Later when Buddy tried to repay these loans, Brack and his family wouldn't accept his payment.

Buddy Payne's children described their uncle as a hard-working and very loving family man. Brack's daughters, particularly, were affectionate and very devoted to their father. There were eight children in that family: Waymon Bertus, Luther Maldon, Bernie Lee, James Osborne, Hazel Hurst, Mildred Elizabeth, Sarah Arlene, and Joseph Buren. One of Brack's sons, Luther Maldon Payne, served as mayor of Dodson from 1946 to his death in 1949. Brack and Della Payne were very active members for many years of the Dodson Methodist Church. Brack died in 1955, and Della died in 1963.