TheSaterfiels.com
c. Glenn Luttrell
Last updated April 17, 2022

The James Wesley Saterfiel Family

James Wesley Saterfiel was born January 13, 1885.  He was the son of James Henry Saterfiel, a primitive Baptist minister in Newton County Mississippi, and Mary Rebecca Jones.  On November 15, 1903 he married Bertie Dean.  She was born 
December 17, 1885, in Scott Co., Mississippi.  Her parents were Jefferson Davis Dean and Nancy Elizabeth Thrush.

James Wesley and Bertie Dean Saterfiel had 9 sons -- Clarence A. (b. Jan. 6, 1905 - d. Dec 18, 1988)
Ollie Lee (b. Jun 25, 1908 - d. Nov 9, 1980 )
Cecil Calvert (b. Jun 23, 1910 - d. Sep 24, 1971), 
Troy N. (b. Sep 7, 1912 - d. Mar 6, 1930), 
Hermon Buford (b. Oct. 14, 1914 - d. Mar 11, 2001 ), Howard A. (b. Nov. 24, 1916 - d. Aug 21, 1932)
James Dean (b. Aug 14, 1920 - d. Mar 9, 2002 ), 
Carlos Maloy (b. Dec 17, 1922 - d. Dec 24, 1922) and 
Earl (b. Oct. 18, 1924 - d. Oct 28, 1998).

Like his father, James Henry, and brother, Fred Lee, James Wesley Saterfiel was a Baptist preacher, having surrendered to preach in 1903.  According to his obituary, he ministered in churches in Mississippi and Louisiana for 40 years.  From his home in Newton County, Mississippi, Rev. Saterfiel would travel to Vicksburg where he would take the ferry across to Louisiana where he would lead church services.  

According to his grandson, Herbert Saterfiel, James Wesley Saterfiel brought his family from Newton County, Mississippi to West Monroe, Louisiana about 1918.  He had 80 acres on Jim Arrant Road, southwest of West Monroe, where they erected a large tent to live in while clearing the land and building a home.  Rev. Saterfiel and his sons would work on clearing the land during the day and he would work on the house at night using the day's cut wood for his firelight.

From Monroe News Star, Nov. 9, 1922 – an article stating
Notice for publication, Dept. of the Interior, U. S. Land Office at Baton Rouge, La., Sept. 22, 1922.
“Notice is hereby given that J. W. Saterfiel of Monroe, Louisiana, who, on Oct. 29, 1919, made homestead entry, No. 09288, for west half of southeast quarter of section 26, township 17 north, range 2 east of Louisiana Meridian has filed notice of intention to make three year proof, to establish claim to the land above described, 
before U. S. Commission at Monroe, La., on the 
10th day of November, 1922.  Claimant names as witnesses: J. E. Rutledge of Monroe, La., R. F. D. No. 2; 
W. B. Inabnet of Lapine, La.; W. D. Gewin of Monroe, La. 
R. No. 2; W. H. Futch of Monroe, La. R. No. 2.  
George J. Reiley, Register
The land patent for 80.06 acres was granted on 
January 9, 1923

Rev. Saterfiel farmed the land during the week and would travel to various churches to preach on the weekend.  Usually he went by horse or carriage but he sometimes would walk to catch a bus on the Jonesboro Road to get to where he was going 
to preach.  It was about 1925 before he ever received any money for his preaching.  He would get paid in vegetables, eggs, etc.  His first cash payment was a quarter--two bits.  In addition to farming, Grandad Saterfiel did carpentry work to help support his family.  While working on Mt. Vernon Baptist Church (date unknown), near West Monroe, after a tornado, 
Rev. Saterfiel fell off a ladder and suffered a serious skull fracture.  On Christmas Eve, 1922, the week-old infant son, Carlos Maloy, died.  The Saterfiels would lose two more sons in their teens.

In 1927 Wesley began building the house, which still stands, at 136 Saterfield Road on the opposite side of the 80 acres from the original house -
the "d" on the name was required by the parish when the road's name was changed as there was already a "Saterfiel" Rd in northeast Ouachita Parish - where Clarence Saterfiel lived. 
 Grandad brought some of the materials from the original house to the new house. One of the reasons for the move was because of the unavailability of well water at the original location. They tried several wells unsuccessfully. Granny Saterfiel would have to carry laundry and containers several hundred yards to a spring to get drinking water and wash clothes. 
 The new home was built close to this spring.

On March 6, 1930, Troy, the fourth born son of Wesley and Bertie Saterfiel died six months before his eighteenth birthday.

The 1930 US Census shows Wesley and Bertie Saterfiel living in Union Parish with sons, Herman, Howard, Dean and Earl. Wesley is shown as “clergyman” for “Baptist Church” and living in a rented house.

On August 21, 1932, the family lost another son, Howard, three months before his sixteenth birthday.

 In the mid-1930's, the height of the Great Depression, some of the Saterfiel boys--Herman, Ollie, Dean and Earl--moved to Detroit to work at the Ford plant.  On Sept. 1, 1936, Grandad and Granny Saterfiel sold their 80 acre homestead to their third son, Cecil, and moved to Detroit also.  They didn't stay long before moving back to West Monroe.  On Apr 22, 1937, the local paper, the Monroe News Star, shows J. W. Saterfiel serving as Elections Clerk for Ouachita Parish, Ward 8, Precinct 1.  

Wesley and Bertie purchased 80 acres at the west end of (present day) Emmett Arrant Road, about 1/2 mile from their former home.  Both James Wesley and Bertie Saterfiel died from cancer, James in 1949 and Bertie in 1961.  The property now belongs to Clarence's
descendants.  
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Rev. and Mrs. J. W. Saterfiel with grandson Herbert Saterfiel.
Click here to see a larger image of this photo
Click to see article and obituary of James Wesley Saterfiel
Rev.James Wesley Saterfiel
Bertie Dean Saterfiel
Herman (son), Melvin (brother), Cecil (son), James Wesley and Charles (brother).
CLICK TO SEE LARGER IMAGE
(Standing - l to r) Herman, Cecil, Ollie, Clarence. (Sitting - l to r) James Wesley, Dean, Bertie. (front) Earl.
CLICK TO SEE LARGER IMAGE
J. W. Saterfield - Candidate for Representative of Ouachita Parish 
not sure why the "d" on the name.

From Monroe News Star, Oct 15, 1935
J. W. Saterfiel is shown as qualifying to run for State Representative of Ouachita Parish. Other qualifiers were J. Porter Burgess (incumbent), Hilyer S. Parker, 
W. B. Inabnett, Paul Fink and F. L. Cox.

Rev. Saterfiel apparently withdrew     
from the race as Monroe News Star article of Feb. 4, 1936, does not show him in the election results.

About forty years later, while running for the same position as my great-grandfather, I talked with some older men at a barbershop in downtown West Monroe who remembered him.  One of the men recalled Rev. Saterfiel as a "stern preacher" and also that "many folks didn't think a preacher should be involved in politics."  (GL)
Ministry of
Rev. James Wesley Saterfiel

In La., we can document Ouachita, Union and West Carroll Parishes as places JWS pastored in the 1930s and 1940s. I have found no records for his places of ministry prior to 1930.  His obituary states he ministered in churches in Mississippi and Louisiana for 40 years after surrendering to preach in 1903.

The US Census for Union Parish, Louisiana in 1930 shows Wesley and Bertie Saterfiel living in Union Parish with sons, Herman, Howard, Dean and Earl. Wesley is shown as “clergyman” for “Baptist Church” and living in a rented house. Wesley and Bertie’s son, Ollie, is shown with his wife, Nettie, and two daughters also residing in Union Parish in 1930.

From the records of the Ouachita –Morehouse Baptist Association (GL transcribed 170818) - records for several years were not available.

Rev. James Wesley Saterfiel is noted as a “Pastor” in West Monroe in 1933 although the specific church was not identified. The 1934 Association Annual Program was not available. In 1935 J. W. Satterfield is shown as Pastor of Fairbanks Baptist Church. His son, Clarence, was listed as the “messenger” from that church. Also from the 1935 Association’s record, “, using I Corinthians 4:2 as his text, Rev. J. W. Satterfield preached the Doctrinal Sermon. His subject was “Stewardship”. In 1936 J. W. Satterfield is shown as “Other Ordained Minister” (not pastor of a specific church, I presume). 1937 was missing. 1938 JWS was not mentioned. J. W. Satterfield is listed as “Ordained Minister” (church not specified) and Messenger for Mt. Vernon B C in 1939. He was not listed in the 1943 program and other books were missing. The record for 1945 shows him as “retired, West Monroe, Mt. Vernon”.

Ministry by sons Cecil and Clarence -

Cecil Saterfiel was a “messenger” (delegate) to the convention in 1933, 1936 and 1938 (records for all years not found). He is noted as Mt Vernon Baptist Church “clerk” in 1932 and “treasurer” in 1936. C. A. (Clarence) Saterfiel was shown as “Messenger” from Fairbanks BC in 1935 and 1939. He is listed as “Treasurer” in 1938 and 1943. 

Hermon, the fifth son of Wesley and Bertie Saterfiel, was an ordained Baptist minister (Conway Baptist Church, Union Parish, LA) and retired after many years of ministry.
Rev. James Wesley and Bertie Dean Saterfiel
Rev. James Wesley Saterfiel performing a baptism - probably in the 1930s in Union or Ouachita Parish, LA
Bertie Dean Saterfiel with 3 siblings, Betty, Bruce and Fronie.
Ollie and Nettie Saterfiel
Troy and Dean Saterfiel
Rev. Hermon Saterfiel and his youngest brother, Earl in 1995
Cecil Calvert Saterfiel
Rev. James Wesley Saterfiel with siblings, Melvin, Ora, Lula and Charles. This photo was made at his home outside of West Monroe, LA just a short time before passed away in 1949.