Texana was likely born in Tennessee, [however her Texas Death Certificate with information from her daughter says Texas] the daughter of William L Massey and Susan Cratilda P Smith. It is believed that her parents died when she was relative young. She likely married William Anderson Mays in ca 1866-1868 in Grimes Co, Texas [or Dallas County] and moved with her husband and his family to Dallas in ca 1867-1868. She and her husband, William A Mays lived in downtown Dallas when they first arrived in Dallas with the extended Mays family and he was farmer then a merchant in downtown Dallas, but by 1880 they were farming near Fair Park in Dallas. This area because an incorporated area called East Dallas, then later became part of the city of Dallas. They lived on this farm until about 1904 when they sold the farm likely in housing lots [William dabbled in selling Real Estate according to newspaper notices] and moved to the 4500 block of Gaston Avenue where she was living when she died in 1922. Her grave is not marked at present. According to the Sexton at the cemetery, old records indicate that at one time there was an Oak wooden marker or maybe cross, but no remnants of it survive today. The wood has rotted away, or is buried under the soil on her grave site. She was the mother of four known children, but one [Ethel] of them died young, two [Robert and Caddie] of them relatively young, and the third one [Randa] in 1957 in California. None of the children married, and there were no grandchildren known. During her life, two of the children worked and lived with her in Dallas, but one child became a professional banjo player and toured the US and Europe until ca 1906.

Texana C Massey Mays obit from Dallas News 3-29-1922

Mrs Texana C Mays, 78 died Tuesday at her home 4512 Gaston Avenue. She was survived by one daughter, Randy Mays of Dallas, Texas. Funeral services will be held from the residence at 4 PM Wednesday, with burial in Grove Hill [now Greenwood] Cemetery.