Robertson County
Texas

 

 

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TXGenWeb Robertson County Books & Master's Theses

H E A R N E   O N   T H E   B R A Z O S

By Norman Lowell McCarver, Sr. & Norman Lowell McCarver, Jr.
Century Press Of Texas, San Antonio, Texas
© 1958 by Norman Lowell McCarver
Lone Star Printing Company, San Antonio, Texas

Used with permission of Norman Lowell McCarver, Jr.  These electronic pages may not be reproduced in any format by other organizations or individuals.

 

Biographical Sketches - B

BACKSTONE, WILLIAM DENNIS was born in Georgia, October 8, 1880 and came to Hearne, Texas to make his home in 1912.  His first employment in Hearne was with R. R. Cole's General Merchandise Store and this employment was continued until 1919.
   
In 1919, in partnership with Herman W. Wilkerson he went into the retail grocery business for himself, this firm being located on Magnolia Street.  He later bought his partner's interest in this business and continued in the retail grocery business until 1943.  After discontinuing his retail grocery business he was a traveling salesman for a wholesale grocery firm for several years.
   
Always active in all phases of civic life, he served on the Hearne City Council for 22 years and was later County Commissioner of Precinct No. 2.
   
He was married to Miss Fanny Wilkerson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Wilkerson.  The following are children of Mr. and Mrs. Blackstone: William Dennis Blackstone Jr. Ralf Blackstone, Alan Blackstone, Billy Blackstone, and Frances Blackstone Wood.
   
Mr. and Mrs. Blackstone were members of the Methodist Church where he served for many years on the Board of Stewards.  He was a former member of the Hearne Rotary Club, served as chairman for the Robertson County Red Cross Chapter, and a Director of the Hearne Chamber of Commerce.  He was one of the most ardent sports fan in the the community and followed the Hearne High School athletic teams for many years.
   
William Dennis Blackstone died in 1952 after serving a very useful life to the Hearne community. 

BANKS, CHILDRESS F. SR. was born in Wayne County, Tennessee in 1854, and came to Hearne in 1893.  He and his family settled on their farm located about five miles east of Hearne near the Blackjack Community.  In the late years of his life he moved into Hearne where he spent his remaining years.
   
He acquired considerable farm land in Robertson County and for many years engaged in farming, cattle raising, and vegetable farming.
   
Childress F. Banks was married to Miss Melinda Fuller who was also born and reared in Wayne County, Tennessee.  Children born to Mr. and Mrs. Banks were: Jess C. Banks, W. Otis Banks, C. E. Banks, Clarence F. Banks Jr., Ollie Banks Tullous, Ethel Banks Dotson, Maude Banks Harrigan, and Cornelia Banks Barlett.
   
Childress F. Banks died August 8, 1933 and is buried in the Bethany Cemetery.

BARLETT, JOHN RALPH, was born in Forest, Ohio, May 1, 1882.  His parents were pioneer settlers in Ohio and were formerly from New York.  His father constructed one of the first lime kilns in the state of Ohio.
     He moved to Hearne, Texas in 1906 and worked as a switchman in the Hearne yards for the H. & T. C. Railroad Company.  In 1914 he moved to Boyce, Louisiana and went into private business.  Later in that same year he returned to Hearne and worked for the I. & G. N. Railroad Company.
     In 1915 he was employed as a salesman for a flour company and traveled throughout Central Texas in this work.
     During the 1920's, in partnership with Max Dotson, he owned and operated one of the first drive-in service stations in Texas, this business being located on the corner of Market & Fourth Streets in Hearne.  In the late 1930's he owned and operated the Mecca Tavern in Hearne and later constructed and operated the Acme Tourist Courts on Brown Street.
     After the death of his first wife he was married to Cornelia C. Banks, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C. F. Banks of Hearne.  Cornelia Banks Barlett was born January 22, 1883 and died August 9, 1932.  A daughter, Beth Barlett Campbell, was born to John Ralph Barlett and Cornelia Banks Barlett.  Two other daughters, Dorothy Barlett West and Pauline Barlett Hornsby were born to John Ralph Barlett and his first wife.  After the death of Cornelia Banks Barlett, John Ralph Barlett was married to Ruby Dodson Long, a widow.  Ruby Dodson Long Barlett has a son, Raymond Long.
      John Ralph Barlett was most active in the Masonic Lodge.  He first joined the Masonic Lodge at Boyce, Louisiana, October 2, 1914 and his membership was transferred to the Golden Rule Lodge of Hearne, Texas, November 12, 1914.  In the Golden Rule Masonic Lodge of Hearne he served as Senior Deacon, junior Warden, Senior Warden, Senior Deacon, and Worshipful Master.  He was made a Life Member of Golden Rule Masonic Lodge of Hearne, Texas in 1948.  He was a member of the Scottish Rite of Galveston, Texas and a Charter Member of the Ben Hur Shrine of Austin.  In 1949 he was Shriner of the Month and served as Deputy Potentate of the Ben Hur Shrine Temple of Waco in 1953.
      John Ralph Barlett died May 27, 1954.

BEAUMONT, HARRY DAVID was born at Cuero, Texas, March 4, 1880.  His father was David Greenleaf Beaumont of Mississippi and his mother was Emily Lipscomb Beaumont.  She was born in Alabama.
   
Mr. Beaumont attended private school in Cuero and later attended the public schools in that city, His father died in 1890 when Mr. Beaumont was a very young boy, so he had to go to work to help support the family.  His early employment was in a bank in Cuero and he worked for ten dollars per month.  This job lasted for three years and then he worked the next ten years in the office of the Cuero Oil Mill.  He worked for two years for the Cuero Telephone Company, four years for the Buchel Light & Power Company of Cuero, and in 1909 came to Hearne and worked for the Hearne Light & Power Company, a privately owned company, for two years and then returned to Cuero to work for the Western Electric Company installing equipment.  He also worked for this same company at Mart, Texas.  In 1912, he worked for the H. & T. C. Railroad Company in Hearne and in 1913 began working for the City of Hearne as Superintendent of Utilities.  This employment lasted for 37 years, Mr. Beaumont retiring January 1, 1951.
   
Mr. Beaumont became a member of the Hearne Masonic Lodge in 1910 and served for 22 years as secretary.  During his time of membership in this organization, he has held every office in the local lodge.  He was a member of the Hearne Volunteer Fire Department from 1913 through 1942 and also served as Fire Marshal for the City of Hearne for 37 years.
   
He was married to Miss Bertha Gode at Beaumont, Texas, August 6, 1913.  Mr. and Mrs. Beaumont have two daughters: Marjorie Beaumont Quick and Louise Beaumont Richards.
   
Mrs. Beaumont attended Incarnate Word Academy in Houston and Texas State Women's College in Denton, Texas.  She served as secretary to Judge J. Felton Lane, a Hearne attorney, for 20 years, and since 1939 has been Secretary of the Hearne Building & Loan Association. 

BECKHAM, BEVERLEY W. "BEV" was born in Hearne, February 15, 1885, the son of Beverley W. Beckham and Sidney Carr Beckham, and spent his entire life in Hearne and the Brazos Bottom.  His parents were early planters in the Brazos Bottom.
   
He attended private school in Hearne and in his later boyhood attended school at Bingham College in North Carolina.
   
He was married to Miss Lillian Easterwood, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. H. B. Easterwood.  Two sons were born to Mr. and Mrs. Beckham: Bevely W. "Beck" Beckham and Henry Lawrence Beckham.
   
Bev Beckham was one of Hearne's "old timer's" and operated large farming interests in the Brazos Bottom for many years.  He was prominent in business circles in Hearne.
   
For a number of years he owned and operated an automobile agency in Hearne, later selling this business but continuing in this type of business with another firm up to the time of his death.
   
He became a member of the Hearne Masonic Lodge upon reaching manhood and held several offices in this organization.  Bev Beckham was the quiet, unassuming type of person who went about attending to his own affairs and accumulated a legion of friends in this area.
   
The passing of Bev Beckham, October 4, 1951, marked the end of a career long prominent in the great Brazos Valley, his family having been among the original planters and settlers that accumulated and put into cultivation large acreages of cotton.
   
Mrs. Beckham died in 1944. 

BECKHAM, SIDNEY CARR, the daughter of Lewis Whitfield Carr and Sidney A. Westbrook, was born in Mississippi in 1857 and came to Hearne in childhood with her family to make her home.  She was educated at Nazareth College in Kentucky and was married to Beverly W. Beckham, a native of Virginia.  Her husband, Beverley W. Beckham, was born in Virginia, April 11, 1845 and died in Hearne October 5, 1888.
   
Three children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Beckham; a son Beverly W. Beckham, and two daughters; Floy Beckham Robinson and Lee Beckham Grogan.
   
Mrs. Beckham was a member of the Baptist Church, the Woman's Missionary Union, and a charter member of the Norwood Cemetery Association.  She possessed a sweet and Christian disposition and was greatly loved by family and friends.  Mrs. Beckham died in 1930.

BERRYHILL, ROY EDWARD, son of Frank Berryhill and Gertha Morrison Berryhill, was born May 7, 1912 at LaRue, Henderson County, Texas.  He was reared in Corsicana, Texas and attended the public schools of that city, graduating from Corsicana High School with the Class of 1929.
     Upon graduating from high school he attended horology schools in Oklahoma and Illinois.  In 1939 he established a jewelry store business in Tishimingo, Oklahoma and continued his business in that city for three years.
          In 1941 he moved to Hearne, Texas and established a jewelry store and watch repairing business.  In 1942 he entered the U. S. Army Air Corps as a private.  He served in the European theater during World War II and received his discharge from military service as a staff sergeant in January 1946.
     He was married to Eulala Jayroe, daughter of James I. Jayroe and Lela McDonald Jayroe of Corsicana, Texas, March 24, 1932.
     Roy Edward Berryhill has been a member of the First Baptist Church of Corsicana since 1924.  He has served as a member of the Board of Education of the Hearne Independent School District; is a former member of the Hearne Rotary Club; is a member and Past Master of the Golden Rule Masonic Lodge of Hearne; is Past President of Norwood Cemetery Association; a member of the Miles Scriviner American Legion Post of Hearne; a member of the Scottish Rite at Austin; Vice President of the Scottish Rite Association at the Sul Ross Lodge of College Station, Texas; served on the Board of Tax Equalization for the City of Hearne; served as a deputy sheriff of Robertson County, Texas; a member of the police force of the City of Hearne; and a member of the National jeweler's Board of Trade.

BISHOP, ANNIE LAURIE KIRKSEY was born in Talladega, Alabama, January 11, 1876, the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. William Kirksey.
   
Her family moved to Dawson, Texas when she was a small girl and lived in that city during her girlhood.  The family then moved to Hearne shortly before the turn of the century in 1898 and it was here that Annie Laurie Kirksey met William Charles Bishop.
   
On February 11, 1901, Annie Laurie Kirksey and William Charles Bishop were married at Corsicana, Texas and made their home in Hearne.  Mr. and Mrs. Bishop had two children: John Kathryn Bishop and Thomas W. Bishop.
   
With the exception of the period between 1909 and 1917 when the family moved to Palestine, Texas, Mr. and Mrs. Bishop resided in Hearne during the remaining years of their lives.
   
Annie Laurie Bishop was a long time resident of Hearne and for many years was a familiar figure in the business and social life of Hearne.  As a member of the staff of the Hearne Democrat for 23 years and as a correspondent for several of the state's daily newspapers, she was widely known as a newspaper woman of unusual ability.  She was a resident of Hearne for more than 50 years and she had a large number of friends in church circles and women's clubs in Hearne.  She was actively engaged as associate editor of the Hearne Democrat until January 1, 1948, at which time she retired due to failing health.  After her retirement she retained her interest in newspaper work and continued to serve as correspondent for some of the state daily newspapers.  Her church membership was with the Methodist Church.  During World War I, she taught a kindergarten school in Hearne.  Annie Laurie Bishop died August 8, 1950.

BISHOP, LONNIE CALVIN, son of Webb Bishop and Losia Guynes Bishop, was born February 13, 1892 at Bishopville in Robertson County, Texas.  He attended the rural school at Elliott, Texas.  When he was a boy, he farmed with his father.
     In 1921, he began cotton farming on his own at Elliott and farmed at this location until 1935.  In 1935, he moved to Hearne and farmed on the Wilkerson farm on the Blackjack road east of Hearne.  In 1940, he returned to Elliott and farmed there through the latter part of 1945.  In 1945, he moved back to Hearne, Texas and on May 8, 1946 accepted employment with the U.S. Post Office.
     Lonnie Calvin Bishop married Morine Murry, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Murry, December 13, 1921.  The marriage was performed in Moody, Texas.  The following children were born to Lonnie Calvin Bishop and Morine Murry Bishop:  Emily Jo Bishop, who married Glenn West; Mary Elizabeth Bishop, who married Jack Seelye; and Calvin Webb Bishop.
     Both Lonnie Calvin Bishop and Morine Murry Bishop are members of the First Baptist Church of Hearne.
     Lonnie Calvin Bishop entered the U.S. Army, Company C, 359 Infantry, April 22, 1918 and served during World War I.  He served 10 months overseas duty and saw action in France.  He received his discharge from military service April 7, 1919.  He is a former member of the Miles Scriviner American Legion Post of Hearne.

BISHOP, WILLIAM CHARLES was born February 2, 1872 at old Boonville, a few miles from where the present city of Bryan, Texas is now located.  He was the son of Peter Bishop of Kentucky and Catherine Golden Bishop, a native of Louisiana.
   
He came to Hearne as a mere youth, and his fine intellect and excellent clerical ability aided him in securing employment with business concerns as bookkeeper and clerk, prior to his entering railroad clerical employment in his early manhood.
   
William Charles Bishop was married to Miss Annie Laurie Kirksey, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. William Kirksey, February 11, 1901.  Two children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Bishop, a daughter, John Katheryn Bishop and a son, Thomas W. Bishop.
   
Six years of his married life was spent in Palestine, Texas in the employment of the I. & G. N. Railroad Company, in clerical lines.  He returned to Hearne to accept employment with the H. & T. C. Railroad and this employment continued for the remainder of his life.
   
In addition to his railroad work, he found time for various other activities, having served two years as editor of The Hearne Democrat, during the time this paper was owned by his brother, Judge John E. Bishop of Hearne; served two terms as justice of the Peace of the Hearne precinct; served as a member of the Hearne School Board and as Secretary of the Board; served the local K. P. Lodge as Chancellor Commander and as Keeper of Records and Seals.  He was a member of the Methodist Church.  Mr. Bishop was one of the most scholarly and widely read men who ever lived in Hearne, his reading covering a wide range, extending from classical literature and ancient history, down to all of the latest topics engaging the public mind.
   
During his editorship of The Hearne Democrat, his vigorous editorial policy and discussion of public questions, and his activity in combating local evils and corrupt local and county politics which were in vogue in that day, made his paper widely read and discussed throughout the county.  His paper wielded a wide influence for good government and for civic betterment.  He was a quiet and modest man, and in his passing November 6, 1934, Hearne lost one of its noblest and best citizens.
 

BIVIN, HARRY, son of William Worth Bivin and Elizabeth Peel Bivin, was born January 12, 1874, at Hearne Texas.
   
He began his work with the railroad as a mere lad, continuing with the same company, the Houston & Texas Central Railroad which later became the Southern Pacific Railroad, over a period of 52 years, said to have been the longest record of continuous service known to the company.
   
In his railroad career he never left the Hearne yards in his operation of locomotives.  He held the throttle of all types of yard engines ranging from the locomotive 30-tonners of the early days to the giant locomotive of the 1940's.
   
Wood, coal, lignite and oil had been the fuels used in engines up to the time of his retirement in 1941.  No accident more serious than a derailment occurred during his long years of service at the throttle.
   
He was married in August of 1909 to Miss Annie Cook, daughter of Professor Jacob E. Cook and Augusta Cook.  Mr. Bivin brought his bride to Hearne that same year.  Mr. and Mrs. Bivin had one child, a daughter, Dorothy Bivin Murchison.  Mr. Bivin was a member of the Methodist Church, Masonic Lodge, and Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers.  He died July 24, 1946 and Mrs. Bivin died in 1936.   
 

BIVIN, WILLIAM WORTH was born at Monroe, Alabama, December 21, 1849.  In early manhood he came to Hearne, Texas where he was married to Miss Elizabeth Peel.  His wife passed away in 1907.
   
After the death of his wife he continued to reside at the family home on the corner of Easterwood and East Fourth Streets with his daughter Mrs. Clara Shaw.
   
During the more than half a century of Mr. Bivin's residence in Hearne, he filled many positions of trust.  For thirty years he was an employee of the H. & T. C. Railroad.  In 1921 he retired from the railroad to give his entire time to the office of City Secretary, which office he managed for a number of years along with his railroad duties.  Altogether, Mr. Bivin looked after the City's affairs as city secretary for thirty years, serving also at different times as a member of the City Council and a member of the school board.  He was cited in the local newspaper just prior to his death for his many years of faithful public service.
   
He was known to everyone of Hearne and was affectionately called "Judge" Bivin by his many friends. Judge Bivin was a pioneer member of the Hearne Methodist Church.  He passed away November 28, 1924.  He was the father of W. Harry Bivin and Clara Bivin Shaw. 

BLACK, DR. JOHN W. was born in 1888 at Dallas, Texas and came to Hearne in 1911 and practiced medicine in Hearne until 1919, then moved to Bryan, Texas where he continued his practice for 18 years.
   
In 1912 he was married to Miss Mattie Belle Scott, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Scott of Hearne.  Children born to Dr. and Mrs. Black were: Mary Martha Black, John Black, and Albert Scott Black.
   
Dr. Black was more nearly the type of what has been termed the 'family' physician than many of the present-day members of the profession he honored.  He was a physician rather than a specialist.  While a busy man, he still had time for longer visits with his patients than only medical advice required, and the psychological effect of his kindly and cheery manner and of his encouraging words and attitude has been of inestimable value to many of his patients.  The character of the man was reflected, too, in the confidence children showed in him.  He had that quality which made them unafraid when in his care, regardless of what new experience they might be facing.
   
As a citizen of the community, Dr. Black had an abiding interest in its upbuilding and he was active in many movements for economic, social and cultural improvements.  He was a firm friend of the public school system and had been active for many years in the Rotary Club.
   
He was one of the organizers of the Brazos-Robertson County Medical Society, which he served as President and Secretary, doing all possible to develop this organization into a service not only to the membership but to the clientele of the members.  He was a member of the Methodist Church and served on the Board of Stewards as well as being active in the church choir.
   
In all the relations of life, Dr. Black was a man of charity and was quick to respond to calls for help.  Though he passed away in the prime of life in 1937, at the age of 48 years, he left his family and friends the legacy of years well spent and of a service to his fellow man that always was sincere and unselfish. 

BLAKE, CHARLES EDWARD, son of Fred G. Blake and Alma Kurtzmann Blake, was born at Trinity, Texas, February 8, 1913.
   
He attended the public schools of Houston, Texas and later attended Texas A. & M. College.  In 1933 he moved to Hearne.
   
He was married to Miss Naomi McMillian of Houston in 1932 and Mr. and Mrs. Blake have two sons: Thomas Charles Blake and Richard Edward Blake.
   
After serving thirty-five months active duty with the U. S. Navy during World War II, he returned to his home in Hearne and formed a partnership with A. E. Malone known as the Blake-Malone Insurance Agency.  Prior to his entry into naval service he operated a service station and a freight delivery agency in Hearne along with his interests in the agriculture and cattle field.  In addition to the operation of his personal enterprises, he served as Assessor & Collector of Taxes for the Hearne Independent School District.
   
During his entire residence in Hearne he has been a tireless worker on many projects for the benefit of the general public.  He is a former Secretary of the Hearne Rotary Club and is incoming President of this organization in 1958; a Past President of the Hearne Chamber of Commerce; Past Worshipful Master of the Golden Rule Masonic Lodge; and Past District Deputy Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Texas.
   
Charles Edward Blake is active in American Legion Work: President of the Navasota River Improvement Association.  Of all the honors that have been bestowed upon him he is particularly proud of having been made an honorary member of the Lone Star Farmers of Texas due to his untiring work with the Future Farmers of America organization. 

BOGUSKIE, DR. WILLIAM MICHAEL, son of Mr. and Mrs. W. F. Boguskie, was born March 10, 1900 at Anniston, Alabama and at the age of 12 his family moved to Kingsville, Texas where he was reared.
   
After graduating from high school in Kingsville, he attended pre-medical school at Southern Methodist University at Dallas where he was a member of Delta Sigma Chi fraternity.  He attended Baylor Medical School and was graduated May 27, 1929.  At Baylor Medical School he was a member of Phi Chi Medical fraternity.  His internship was at Herman Hospital in Houston, Texas.
   
He was married to Miss Thelma Stovall, daughter of Mr. and Mr. Robert Stovall of Abilene, Texas, May 29, 1929.  Mrs. Boguskie received her nurse training at Baylor Hospital at the time Dr. Boguskie was receiving his medical education.
   
Upon completion of his interneship in 1930, Dr. and Mrs. Boguskie came to Hearne where their daughter Janis Boguskie was born October 13, 1931.  Janis married Lawrence David Brady, son of Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Brady of Hearne.
   
Dr. Boguskie took over the practice of Dr. S. J. Alexander during the time the latter was attending medical clinics.  In Hearne, Dr. Boguskie served the town as a doctor during the depression of the 1930's and gave his services whether he got paid or not to deserving poor people.
   
In 1943 he built Hearne's and Robertson County's first hospital on Third Street and later made several additions increasing the capacity for caring for the sick and injured.  He always kept pace with advances in the medical profession and his hospital was equipped with the latest type of equipment for anything other than major surgery.
   
He enlisted in the U. S. Army at the age of 17 and served as a Corporal in World War I. At the outbreak of World War II, he offered his services and was ordered to duty with the 45th Division, which was in training then at Camp Barkley in Abilene, Texas.  While undergoing the strenuous training there, he suffered a heart attack which led to his hospitalization and eventual medical discharge from the army.  At the time of his discharge, he held the rank of Captain.  It was one of the greatest disappointments of his life, that he could not serve his country in its armed forces in World War II.  However, he returned to Hearne, and despite his physical condition, drove himself to continue to serve the people of his community throughout the critical period.
   
Dr. Boguskie was a prominent citizen and widely known, both in his professional field and as a Hearne civic leader.  He had many hobbies but he loved practicing medicine most of all.
   
The fact that he was loved and respected by the citizens of this area is evidenced through the many honors and public positions he held.  He served as President of the Hearne Chamber of Commerce after serving several years on the Board of Directors of that oganization; President of the Brazos-Robertson Medical Society; City Health Officer; Member of the Board of Stewards of the Methodist Church; President of the Hearne Rotary Club; Division Surgeon in Hearne for the Southern Pacific Railroad Company; Resident Physician for the Missouri Pacific Railroad Company; and was a licensed civilian pilot and member of the N.A.P.A.
   
     Dr. William Michael Boguskie, affectionately known to his many friends as "Dr.  Bill," died suddenly of a heart attack November 15, 1947 while he was on a deer hunt in San Saba County, Texas, thus ending the career of a great man and doctor who had a very sympathetic and understanding attitude toward his fellowman.  He had the capacity for making friends and being a friend.  His courage was unwavering in the face of the knowledge of his physical condition as he carried on to the end looking after the physical welfare of the citizens of the Hearne community. 

BOSWELL, RICHARD was born on a farm between the line of Milam and Burleson counties April 12, 1847, and continued to live at the farm home until he was sixteen when the Civil War called him into the Confederate Army as a volunteer under the command of Captain Murray of Bonham.  Later he was assigned to Carr's Company, Giddings Batallion for service on the Texas-Mexico border.  His record shows that he was at Brownsville, Texas under Lieutenant Means, guarding cotton wagons from the interior, seeking markets at Matamoros, Mexico and in various other positions of trust.  Much of this cotton was shipped from the Hearne area during the Civil War.  While never on the firing line in battle, his post of duty forced him into rough and exciting conditions which as a patriot he met with the courage the time demanded.
   
Returning from the war, he sought the home of his parents, which during his absence had been changed to Robertson County, where he claimed a home for the remaining seventy years of his life.
   
He engaged in farming and stock raising at his new home at Elliott.  In 1879 he was married to Miss Eugenia McGaw.  He was very successful in his chosen field of work, and, when with his wife and children he moved to Hearne in 1902, the family was able to enjoy advantages that were denied at the farm home.
   
In later years, he was known affectionately to his many friends as "Uncle Dick," and was a number of times honored by Robertson County citizens and Hearne citizens in his election to offices of public trust and responsibility.  As County Commissioner, Flotorial Representative in the Thirty-First Texas Legislature, member of the Hearne City Council, and member of the Hearne School Board, he demonstrated his ability and worthiness of office in all his dealings.
   
For many years as the last survivor of Camp Moorman United Confederate Veterans, in which he registered as a charter member along with Dr. W. H. Kirksey, Captain C. C. Stone, Major R. H. Martin, T. W. McNeel and Judge Albert G. Cobb, he held dear the memories of the lost cause and his association with comrades of the 1860's.
   
Mr. and Mrs. Boswell had five sons: Ancil Boswell, Ran Boswell, Norman Boswell, Raymond Boswell and Henry Boswell; daughters, Inez Boswell Biggerstaff and Estelle Boswell Lacy.
   
"Uncle Dick" Boswell passed away January 5, 1930 ending the life of a great and noble Texas and Southern gentleman.

BOUNDS, THEOPHILUS HUBBARD, son of Henry Oliver Bounds and Sarah Ella Tilley Bounds, was born August 1, 1892 at Rusk, Texas.  His family moved to Hubbard in Hill County, Texas and he attended the Hubbard public schools.
     On October 1, 1913, he moved to Hearne, Texas and accepted employment with the R. A. Allen & Son Hardware Company and worked as a combination plumber and sheet metal worker.  Early in 1918, he left his job and went to Ellington Field and worked during World War I.
     Later, he returned to Hearne and went to work as a mechanic at the Brazos Valley Garage which was owned by Randle Miller.  In January 1921, he moved to Cameron, Texas and went to work for Hubert Hefley Motor Company.  During the latter part of 1921, he returned to Hearne and worked as a mechanic for J. W. Sanders Doge & Buick Dealer.  In 1925, he went to work for Charles Merchant Ford Dealer in Hearne.  In 1926, he entered into business with Charles Merchant, Dr. H. W. Cummings, and Charles Griesenbeck and established the Brazos Chevrolet Company in Hearne.  This firm was located on Fifth Street.  In 1929, he formed a partnership with Houston L. "Lightning" Tidwell and opened a garage on the corner of Magnolia and Fifth Streets in Hearne.  He sold his interest in this business October 1, 1930 and moved to Baytown, Texas.  He owned and operated a garage in Baytown until June 15, 1937.  On that date, he went to work for the city.  On March 1, 1942, he was appointed Fire Marshall of Baytown.
     He married Anna Millicent Ward, daughter of James Alyosisous Ward and Elizabeth Bickett Ward of Hearne, Texas May 27, 1917.  The marriage was performed in Hearne.  Anna Millicent Ward Bounds was born at Hearne Texas, January 21, 1896.  The following children were born to Theophilus Hubbard Bounds and Anna Millicent Ward Bounds:  Millicent Elizabeth Bounds, James Henry Bounds, Robert Hubbard Bounds, and William Hatch Bounds.
     Theophilus Hubbard Bounds is a member of the Baptist Church; a member of the I.O.O.F. Lodge; a charter member of the Baytown Y.M.C.A.; a member of the Baytown Volunteer Fire Department Emergency Corps; and formed served as Red Cross First Aid Insructor at Baytown.

BOYD, ALFRED BOYCE was married to Miss Della Hitchins, daughter of M. Hitchins and Martha Jane Hitchins.
   
Mrs. Boyd was born at Rusk, Texas.  After their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Boyd made their home at New Birmingham, Texas near Rusk.  New Birmingham was a "boom" town and at one time produced minerals in large quantities.  Mr. Boyd established a drug store in this town and operated it for several years.
   
Mr. and Mrs. Boyd moved to Hearne in the early 1890's and for 53 years Mr. Boyd owned and operated Boyd's Drug Store that was located on the corner of Magnolia and Third Streets.  Boyd's Corner was one of the most popular gathering places for Hearne citizens for many years.  It was a very common expression in Hearne to hear someone say, "OK, I'll meet you on Boyd's corner."
   
Children born to Mr. and Mrs. Boyd were: Alfred B. Boyd Jr. and Ruth Boyd Welborn.  Grandchildren were: Robert Boyd, Arthur Boyce Boyd, and Betty Ruth Boyd.
   
Mr. Boyd died in 1946 and Mrs. Boyd died in 1957.

BOYD, DR. ELVIN MARVIN, son of Carroll E. Boyd and Luc Whitener Boyd, was born December 2, 1914, in Dawson, Texas.
  
He spent his boyhood in Oklahoma and attended public schools in that state.  Entering the University of Texas in 1939 he attended this school through 1943 when he received a B. S. Degree in Pharmacy.  From 1943 through 1947 he attended the University of Texas School of Medicine at Galveston and here received his Medical Degree.  His internship was at Wichita Falls Clinic-Hospital at Wichita Falls, Texas.
  
He enlisted in the U. S. Army in October 1942 during World War II and was discharged in March 1945.  Since 1949 he has served in the Texas National Guard as Medical Corp Officer, and in 1958 was serving on the Staff of the Commanding General of the 49th Armored Division as the Division Psychiatrist with the rank of major.
  
He moved to Hearne in December 1947 where with Dr. Henry C. Guynes he purchased the Hearne Hospital that had been established by Dr. W. M. Boguskie.  Later, in 1952, he and Dr. H. C. Guynes built the Hearne General Hospital.
  
He was married to Miss Vera Ione Reagan, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Reagan of Marquez, Texas, August 20, 1941, the marriage being performed in Austin, Texas.  Two children were born to Dr. and Mrs. Boyd: a son, John Reagan Boyd; and a daughter, Nancy Ann Boyd.  Dr. and Mrs. Boyd and their children are members of the Hearne Church of Christ where he serves as a teacher.
  
Dr. Boyd, a physician and surgeon, is a member of the Medical and Surgical Clinic of Hearne where he is associated with Drs. Gallagher, Cruse, and Varvel.  He is a partner in the operation and ownership of the Hearne General Hospital with Dr. H. C. Guynes.
  
He has served as Robertson County Health Officer since 1949, is a member of the American Medical Association, the Texas Medical Association, the Brazos-Robertson County Medical Association, the American Academy of General Practice, Fellow American Geriatric Society, and a former member of the Hearne Rotary Club.  In 1957 he helped to organize the First State Bank of Hearne where he is a stockholder and a member of the Board of Directors.  He is also very active in the Hearne Parent-Teacher Association.

     BRADY, ALFRED BERNARD, son of Peter Louis Brady and Jessie Mathews Brady, pioneer citizens of Hearne, was born November 18, 1901 at Hearne, Texas.
   
During his boyhood he attended the Hearne Public Schools and was graduated from Hearne High School with the Class of 1921.  When he was a young boy he worked at his father's mill and cotton gin becoming acquainted with the cotton business which he later found employment as a cotton buyer.
   
After graduating from Hearne High School he attended the University of Texas from 1921 to 1924.  In 1924 he was employed by the firm of Adkisson k Martin Cotton Buyers at Hearne and was connected with this firm until 1928.
   
In 1928 he organized a retail grocery business that operated under the name of Brady Brothers, a partnership being formed with his brother E. M. Brady.  The firm of Brady Brothers also operated a cotton gin at Valley junction for several years.  After a serious fire completely destroyed the grocery store located on Fourth Street, he built a modern super market on the corner of Fifth & Cedar Streets, this business being the largest retail grocery business establishment in Robertson County.
   
In 1935 he was honored by the citizens of Hearne in being elected to serve on the Hearne City Council, and in 1938 he was further honored by Hearne citizens in being elected to the office of Mayor of the City of Hearne, he being the second member of his family to hold this office, his father having been in this office for many years.  Many of Hearne's improvements were planned and constructed during his administration as Mayor of Hearne.
   
Alfred B. Brady has always been active in the civic, religious, and business affairs of Hearne, having served several terms as a Director of the Hearne Chamber of Commerce, a former member of the Hearne Lions Club and a communicant of St. Mary's Catholic Church.  He was elected Robertson County Democratic Chairman in 1946 and again in 1948.  A further honor in his political career came in 1948 when he was elected a delegate from the Sixth Texas Congressional District to the National Democratic Convention which was held in Philadelphia.
   
He was married to Miss Alice Ballerstedt of Manor, Texas, June 15, 1926.  The following children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Brady: Alice Claire Brady, Anne Therese Brady, Genevieve Brady, Alfred B. Brady Jr., and Mary McGovern Brady.

    BRADY, BURT OLIVER LAWRENCE, son of Abner Charles Brady and Andrea Anderson Brady, was born July 26, 1905 at Georgetown, Texas.
     He attended the Georgetown public schools and after completing his schooling he became associated with A. C. Brady & Son, Contractors, in Georgetown.  His association with this building contracting firm began in 1925 and continued through 1938.  During 1938 he moved to Hearne, Texas and went into the building contracting business in his own name.  He served as general building superintendent on the construction of the Hearne City Hall building; the Municipal Clubhouse and other construction work in the building of the Hearne Municipal Park and Golf Course; the construction of the Hearne High School gymnasium; the remodeling of the Hearne Municipal Power Plant building; and other public buildings.
     In 1947 he purchased half interest in the C. & S. Grain & Lumber Company of Hearne in partnership with Willie F. Sander.
     He was married to Dollye Baker, daughter of William Elsworth Baker and Sabrina Simmons Baker of Georgetown, Texas, March 27, 1925.  A son, Lawrence David Brady, was born to Mr. and Mrs. Brady.  Lawrence David Brady married Janis Boguskie, daughter of Dr. William M. Boguskie and Thelma Stovall Boguskie.  A son, William Lawrence Brady, was born to Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence David Brady.
     Burt Oliver Lawrence Brady is a member of the First Baptist Church; a member of the Hearne Chamber of Commerce; a member of the Hearne Golfer's Association; and a former member of the Odd Fellow Lodge of Georgetown, Texas.  He also has served on various local boards of tax equalization.

    BRADY, EDWIN MATHEWS SR., son of Peter Louis Brady and Jessie Nora Mathews Brady, was born at Hearne, Texas, November 27, 1893.
    He attended the Hearne public schools and farmed with his father during young manhood.
    In 1911, he took over the bookkeeping and seed buying job at his father's gin in Hearne.  During 1914 he worked with the county engineer in the good road program for Robertson County.
    In 1918, he entered the U.S. Army during World War I and was stationed at Camp Travis in San Antonio, Texas.  He was attached to the Depot Brigade.
    After his discharge from military service, he returned to Hearne and farmed on the Adams Plantation in the Hearne Brazos Bottom.  He continued his farming and cattle raising business and worked at the Brady Gin until December 1928 when in partnership with his brother, Alfred B. Brady, he purchased the grocery store and gin owned by the R. O. Demming Company at Valley Junction in the Brazos Bottom.  This gin was remodeled into one of the finest in the Brazos Bottom and in the fall of 1942, this gin won first prize for making the best grade and staple in ginning for the six surrounding counties.  The first cotton dryer in this district was installed in this gin.  In 1931, he purchased the Branchville Gin in Milam County and operated it until 1946 when it was sold.
    During 1932, the Brady Brother's firm established a grocery store on Fourth Street in Hearne.  In 1936, this partnership opened Brady's I.G.A. Store.  After his father's death in 1935, Edwin Mathews Brady became the owner of Brady's Gin located on the corner of Fifth & Cedar Streets in Hearne.
    During 1946, he sold his interest in the Brady Brothers business and purchased the E. R. Vaughan farm on Little Brazos River.  At this location, he expanded his farming and ranching activities.  During 1950, his gin in Hearne burned and he purchased the Woodall-Fagan Gin at Calvert, Texas.  In 1958, he is one of Hearne's biggest cotton and cattle raisers.
    He was married to Evelyn Catherine Darnell, daughter of Edward Franklin Darnell and Maggie Nanny Darnell of Stamford, Texas, April 26, 1932.  The marriage was performed at Walters, Oklahoma.  Evelyn Catherine Darnell Brady attended the public schools at Wichita Falls, Texas.
    The following children were born:  Ruth Marie Brady, who married Earl White; Edwin Mathews Brady Jr., who married Josephine McNeil; Jesse Edward Brady; John Alfred Brady, who became a Baptist minister and married Yvonne Scott; and Charles Darnell Brady.  The following are grandchildren of Edwin Mathews Brady and Evelyn Catherine Darnell Brady: Edwin Mathews Brady III, Paul Bernard Brady, Nancy Marie Brady, Scott Lloyd Brady, and John Alfred Brady Jr.
    Edwin Mathews Brady is a communicant of St. Mary's Catholic Church and Evelyn Catherine Darnell Brady is a member of Grace Methodist Church.
    All of the E. M. Brady children are graduates of Hearne High School.

BRADY, PETER LOUIS JR. was born at Hearne, October 20, 1886, the son of Peter Louis Brady and Jessie Mathews Brady, his father being born in St. Louis, Missouri and his mother in Alabama.
   
"Uncle Pete," as he was affectionately known to one and all, attended school in the Hearne public schools, and during his boyhood and young manhood he worked with his father in the Brady Gin and helped with the work around the Brady farms.  He was also employed at his father's light plant from 1902 until the plant was sold in 1906.
   
During 1906 he obtained a working interest in his father's gin in Hearne and this employment along with his farming interest was carried on until 1912.
   
On May 13, 1906 he was married to Miss Olive McWilliams, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. R. McWilliams of the Blackjack Community.  The following children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Brady: Peter Louis Brady 111, Robert McWilliams Brady, Patrick Brady, Eleanor Brady Reed, and Alice Brady Schwethelm.
   
He was in the grocery business from 1912 to 1919, this firm being located on the corner of Fourth and Cedar Streets in Hearne, this firm being operated along with his farm interest.
   
During the year 1921-22 he moved to Rogers, Texas with his family and operated a gin and an ice plant in this town, returning to Hearne in 1922 and farmed in the Brazos Bottom from 1922 through 1934.  It was also in 1922 that he leased the White Switch Gin in the Brazos Bottom and in 1928 he bought this gin and continued to operate it until 1938.  During 1938 he leased the Brady Gin in Hearne and operated this business from 1938 to 1943.
   
"Uncle Pete" was honored by the citizens of Hearne in 1941 by being elected to serve on the City Council.  During the time he was serving as a member of the City Council, he was elected by the people to the office of County Commissioner of Precinct No. 2, Robertson County, and upon the expiration of his term of office as city councilman took over the new duties as county commissioner January 1, 1943.
   
He was further honored by the citizens of Hearne when he was elected to the office of Mayor in 1953, becoming the third member of his family to be so honored; his father P. L. Brady Sr. and his brother Alfred B. Brady having served as Mayor of the city prior to his election to this office.
   
"Uncle Pete' was a member of a pioneer family of Hearne, his parents and grand-parents having moved to Hearne in the early days when Hearne was just a "boom town" railroad station.
   
Peter Louis Brady Jr. died February 24, 1957. 

BRADY, PETER LOUIS SR. was born in St. Louis, Missouri, October 31, 1859 the son of Daniel and Mary Brady.  With his parents he came to Hearne, Texas to make his home in 1869 and lived here for the remainder of his life.
   
He was married to Miss Jessie Mathews and to this union was born four sons; Peter Louis Brady Jr., Dr. Jesse J. Brady, Edwin M. Brady, and Alfred B. Brady, and four daughters; Mary Brady Carson, Sister Irene Brady, Katherine Brady Hughes, and Elizabeth Brady Thompson.
   
An outstanding figure in Hearne, he was a worthy, upright, conscientious and forward looking citizen.  He was called to various posts of honor and responsibility during his long and useful life, serving the City of Hearne as Mayor from 1896 to 1919 and for many years serving as Precinct Chairman of the Democratic Party.
   
In his private business, Peter Louis Brady devoted his attention to his farming and gin interests.  He built the first electric power plant in the city under private ownership and was Mayor of Hearne at the time the city built the first municipal power plant.
   
Mr. Brady was a Communicant of St. Mary's Catholic Church in which faith he was reared by his parents, and in which he was followed by his family.  The record of many years of public service makes Peter Louis Brady stand out among Hearne's pioneer citizens.
   
He died as he sat by his fireside at his colonial home December 4, 1935.  This home was very near the site where the Brady family settled upon coming to Hearne in 1869.  Mrs. Brady died in 1933. 

BRADY, WILLIAM, son of Daniel and Mary Brady, and brother of Peter Louis Brady, was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1868.
   
He came to Hearne with his family to make his home in 1869 when Hearne was in its infancy and was a part of Texas considered a mecca for many who envisioned bright prospects for the future.
   
William Brady, affectionately known to all as "Uncle Big Willie," adopted the trade of machinist, and for many years followed this trade in connection with his work at cotton gins.  He was considered an expert in both of these lines of work.
   
Mr. Brady, a bachelor, lived in Hearne from the time he was a boy until his death that occurred March 30, 1935. 

BRASHEAR, ALBERTA WADSWORTH was a native Texan, born in Matagorda, September 16, 1855, one of eight children of the household of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Wadsworth, Texas pioneers who succumbed during the Yellow Fever scourge in 1862.
   
The male members of the Wadsworth family being at that time engaged in the Civil War, the daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Wadsworth made their home with friends until the conflict was over and the home re-established.
   
In 1868, Mrs. Brashear, then in her early teens, came to Hearne with her sister, Miss Mollie Wadsworth, to visit with another sister, Sarah Wadsworth Wilkerson, who shortly after the close of the Civil War had married Jonathan Gideon Wilkerson.
   
It was during 1868 that the H. & T. C. Railroad was built through Hearne.  Mrs. Brashear did not return to Matagorda after the Civil War.  She was married to James F. Exum who died three years after their marriage, leaving the widow and one daughter, Sallie Exum Smith.
   
The second marriage was to T. F. Brashear and was solemnized in 1880, and shortly afterward Mr. and Mrs. Brashear moved to Calvert where two sons and a daughter were born to them; Ghent Brashear McNabb, Thomas F. Brashear Jr., and William C. Brashear.  Some years later they returned to Hearne with their family and it was here that Mr. Brashear died and he is buried in Norwood Cemetery.
   
Mrs. Brashear was affectionately known as "Grannie" and she helped to organize St. Philips Episcopal Church and was one of its most active Communicants.  She also helped to organize Norwood Cemetery Association, being a charter member of this organization and the President for many years.  Mrs. Brashear died August 12, 1935.

BRASHEAR, THOMAS E., son of Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Brashear, was born in Cameron, Texas, March 17, 1924.
  
He attended the public schools in Cameron and was graduated from Yoe High School in Cameron with the Class of 1941.
  
Upon his graduation from high school he entered the U. S. Navy and served during World War II, receiving his discharge in 1946.  He entered Duke University at Durham, North Carolina in 1946 and attended for two years.  In 1948 he accepted employment as a bookkeeper in the First National Bank in Cameron.  He was promoted to assistant cashier and later was made cashier.  During 1952 he resigned his position with the bank and accepted employment with the Shell Oil Company at Pasadena, Texas where he worked for two years.  In 1954 he returned to Cameron and went to work for the Industrial Generating Company at Rockdale, Texas.  He worked for this company until July 1, 1957 when he accepted employment with the First State Bank of Hearne, Texas as cashier.  He assisted in the planning of the new bank that opened September 6, 1957.
  
He married Harriet Dodson of Cameron, Texas, January 14, 1950.  Mr. and Mrs. Brasher have two children; Linda Brashear and Thomas E. Brashear Jr. Both Mr. and Mrs. Brashear are members of the First Baptist Church.  He is a member of the Masonic Lodge; is District Finance Chairman of the Arrowmoon District of the Boy Scouts; and is a member of the Hearne Chamber of Commerce.   

BRASHEAR, THOMAS F., the son of Thomas F. Brashear and Alberta Wadsworth Brashear, was born July 13, 1882, and was a resident of Hearne the major part of his lifetime.
   
He was married to Miss Annie Griffin, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Willis Griffin of Hearne.  Mr. and Mrs. Brashear had two children: a daughter Ann Brashear Newton, and a son, Thomas F. Brashear.
   
Until his retirement, he had been a representative for the Frost Lumber Industries for over fifty years, traveling out of Hearne and Austin.
   
During his many years of residence in Hearne, he was active in community affairs, was a member of the Hearne Masonic Lodge, and a communicant of St. Philips Episcopal Church, serving many years on the Vestry.
   
Thomas F. Brashear died in 1955 and is buried in Norwood Cemetery in Hearne.

    BRAZELTON, ANDREW JACKSON, was born November 2, 1903 at Houston, Texas, the son of Enos William Brazelton and Mollie Mills Brazelton.  Later his family moved to Palestine, Texas where he attended the Palestine public schools and was graduated from Palestine High School with the Class of 1921.  After completing high school he attended Texas A. & M. College for three years and the University of Texas for six years.  While attending the University of Texas he played the piano in the Steve Gardner orchestra.
     In 1930 he returned to Palestine, Texas and engaged in the insurance business until 1940.  During 1940 he moved to Houston, Texas where he served as an accountant with the Houston Shipyards, Crown Central Petroleum Company, and Knox Drilling Company.  He also worked as an auditor for the LeBlanc General Contractors and later joined the W. S. Bellows Company as field accountant.  In 1951-53 he worked for the W. S. Bellows Company in San Antonio, Texas.  During 1953 he moved to Harlingen, Texas where he became Chief Accountant for McKelvey Industries.  During the latter part of 1953 he accepted employment as an accountant for the Lucien Reed Motor Company in Hearne, Texas but made his home in Franklin.  On August 1, 1957 he moved to Hearne, Texas.
     Andrew Jackson Brazelton married Annie Ruth Bush, daughter of Judge Henry A. Bush and Annie Mae Powell Bush of Franklin, Texas, August 24, 1930.  A daughter, Janis Carroll Brazelton, was born to Andrew Jackson Brazelton and Annie Ruth Bush Brazelton.  Janis Carroll Brazelton married Louis Grinnell Gray of Franklin, Texas.  Two children were born to Janis Carroll Brazelton Gray and Louis Grinnell Gray,: Rena June Gray and Joyce Ruth Gray.
          Mr. and Mrs. Brazelton are both active communicants of St. Philips Episcopal Church; Mr. Brazelton being a member of the Vestry and Superintendent of the Church School.  He is a member of the Hearne Lions Club and while attending the University of Texas was a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity.  Mrs. Brazelton is active in church work and is also a member of the Green Thumb Garden Club and the Hearne Shakespeare Club. 

BREEDLOVE, IVERSON D. was born at Florence, Arkansas, November 1, 1871 and attended school at this location.  On February 31 1892, he was married to Miss Mary Catherine Aycock who was also born and reared at Florence, Arkansas.  Mrs. Breedlove was born November 22, 1872, and her parents were Sam E. Aycock and Elizabeth Aycock.
   
In 1900, Mr. and Mrs. Breedlove moved to Hearne to make their home, Mr. Breedlove being employed by the H. & T. C. Railroad Company.
   
In 1918 he moved to Houston where he entered the retail furniture business and continued in this business until his retirement in 1940.
   
Both Mr. and Mrs. Breedlove were members of the Methodist Church and Mrs. Breedlove was a member of the Royal Neighbors of America.
   
Four sons were born to Mr. and Mrs. Breedlove: Neuland Breedlove, Garland Breedlove, and Roy Breedlove, all of whom died in infancy.  The fourth son was Iverson D. Breedlove Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Breedlove also had two daughters; Elizabeth Breedlove Easterwood and Eddie Breedlove Biggs.  Mr. Breedlove died August 5, 1944 and Mrs. Breedlove died March 27, 1949.

BROCK, JOHN WASHINGTON was born Calvert, Texas, July 14, 1872, the son of Richard Brock and Fanny Strong Brock.
     In 1890, he moved to Wheelock where he farmed and ranched.  In 1898, he farmed at Fairview, in Wilson County, Texas.  In 1899, he farmed in the Brazos Bottom near Bryan, Texas.  In 1902, he was employed as overseer on the Hubert Lewis plantation on Little Brazos River near Hearne.  During the flood of 1913, he was caught by the flood waters and was marooned in the Adams farm home for nearly a week.  In 1914, he was employed by Fred L. Wood and was the overseer for the Glass plantation in the Brazos Bottom.  He returned to the Hubert Lewis plantation at Valley Junction in 1915 and was overseer for this plantation un Hubert Lewis until 1919.  During 1919, the Hubert Lewis plantation was acquired by the Demming Investment Company of Oswego, Kansas.  After this plantation was purchased, John Washington Brock continued to be the overseer until his retirement in 1944.  The retirement of John Washington Brock as an overseer, brought to a close a career in this profession that lasted over 40 years.
     After his retirement, John Washington Brock moved to his country home on the Blackjack road east of Hearne.  He does no farming but continues to raise livestock.
     John Washington Brock married Nancy Ellen Merchant, daughter of John Henderson and Amanda Tullous Merchant, July 11, 1895.  The marriage was performed at Wheelock in Robertson County, Texas.  Nancy Ellen Merchant Brock was born in Wise County, Texas near Decatur, January 6, 1878.  She moved to Wheelock in Robertson County, Texas with her family in 1890.  No children were born to John Washington Brock and Nancy Ellen Merchant Brock, but they reared two nieces and nephews; Merchant Wheeler and Wally Smitherman.  Their nephew, Merchant Wheeler, was killed when he was struck by lightning while rounding up cattle in the Brazos Bottom on the Lewis plantation in 1927.
     In the 1921 flood, he had to drive a team of mules over the railroad bridge at Little Brazos River in order to escape the flood, the wagon bridge being covered by the flood water.  John Washington Brock and Nancy Ellen Merchant Brock have had rich experiences in their many years in the Hearne Brazos Bottom and are typical of the pioneers of the Brazos Bottom country.

BROCK, SAM B., was born November 17, 1878 at Wheelis Prairie in Robertson County, Texas near Calvert, the son of Richard Brock and Molly Strong Brock.  His parents were native Texans.  His early days were spent on the family farm.
     He attended the Morgan rural school during his boyhood.  With his family he moved to Wheelock, Texas in 1893.  He continued his work in farming until 1910 when he became a rural mail carrier from Hearne to Wheelock.  He was rural mail carrier for 19 years.  During the time he was employed as a mail carrier he had a very unfortunate experience in the fall of 1926.  As he was on his route he stopped at a rural mail box to deliver some mail and two masked men stepped out of the bushes near the mail box on the roadside and attacked him and robbed the mail sacks he was carrying in his Model T Ford.  He retired as a rural mail carrier in 1929.
     Sam B. Brock married Maggie Jane Melton, daughter of William Melton and Nancy Jane Garrett Melton, December 18, 1898.  Her parents were pioneer citizens of the Wheelock community.  The following children were born to Sam B. Brock and Maggie Jane Melton Brock: Annie Mae Brock Roberts; Bertie Brock Boyd; Aubeatrice Brock Wilson; Katie Brock Hairston; William Worth Brock; Woodrow Wilson Brock; and Jane Brock Clark.
     Sam B. Brock and his family moved to Hearne in 1924.  After his retirement as a rural mail carrier in 1929 he continued his farming and stock raising activities until 1940 when he retired.  He is a member of the First Baptist Church of Hearne and serves on the Board of Deacons.  He is a former member of the Woodmen of the World.

BROCK, WILBURN WORTH, son of Sam B. Brock and Maggie Jane Melton Brock, was born July 4, 1916 at Wheelock, Texas.  His parents were pioneer citizens of the Wheelock Community in Robertson County.
  
He attended grade school at Wheelock and when the family moved to Hearne, Texas in 1925 he entered the Hearne Public Schools and was graduated from Hearne High School with the Class of 1933.  He was prominent in athletics and was Captain of the Hearne High School football team in 1932.
  
Upon graduation from high school he was employed by the Pat Hall Company, an automobile agency in Hearne and worked for this firm until 1939 when he opened a service station on the corner of Market Sc Brown Streets.
  
In 1944 he enlisted in the U. S. Army and served 13 months in the Pacific area during World War II.  Upon receiving his discharge from military service in 1945 he returned to Hearne and operated a service station on the corner of Market and Fifth Streets.
  
He married Elaine Campbell, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Campbell, of Rogers, Texas, July 21, 1940.  Children born to Mr. and Mrs. Brock are: Linda Katherine Brock, Robert Neil Brock, and Charles Benton Brock.
  
Mr. and Mrs. Brock are members of the First Baptist Church of Hearne and Mr. Brock is a member of the Hearne Lions Club, the Hearne Chamber of Commerce, the Miles Scriviner American Legion Post, and Veterans of Foreign Wars.  Mr. Brock was a member of the committee that organized the Little League Baseball program in Hearne.  He is very active in this organization and other youth work of the community.

BROWN, CHARLES E. was born in Halletsville, Texas, July 17, 1877 and his family moved to Robertson County in 1880 when he was three years old.  He attended school at Wheelock during his early boyhood.
   
When he was 13 years of age he went into the cattle business for himself and did a lot of riding and roping for George Dunn and Sam Cavitt, two prominent ranchers of the Wheelock community.
   
He helped build the first home on the old Cavitt Ranch in 1904.  In 1915 he left the county for the next twenty years during which time he served on the police forces at Beaumont, Texas City and Port Arthur, Texas.  He returned to his home near Hearne in 1934 where he re-entered the cattle and farming business.
   
In 1954, at the age of 77 he moved into Hearne to establish his home and on September 15, 1954 he took over the duties of Constable for Precinct No. 2.
   
Upon assuming the duties of Constable, on account of his pleasing and cordial disposition, he immediately was referred to by all as "Uncle Charley" Brown.
   
In talking about his many years of experience as a police officer, "Uncle Charley" said that be never killed a man, had never lost a prisoner, and had never gone after a man that be did not bring in.
   
On September 10, 1924, he was married to Miss Eva Chapman in Galveston, Texas.  Mr. and Mrs. Brown are active workers in the Hearne Church of Christ.  "Uncle Charley" has three children: Mrs. Beuna Brown Lawson, Charles E. Brown Jr., and Mrs. Ruth Brown Huedepohl.

BROWN, LEONARD S. SR. was born October 28, 1908 a Madisonville, Texas, the son of Simpson J. Brown and Willie Estell Leonard Brown.  He attended the public schools of Madisonville and Madisonville High School.
     After his high school days, he became employed with the State Highway Department as an inspector.  He moved to Hearne, Texas in October 1935 to continue his employment with the Texas Highway Department and in 1958 is the Chief Inspector for the State Highway Department in the district.
     Leonard S. Brown married Christine Connor, daughter of Ruben Westmoreland Connor and Minnie Mael Nichols Connor of Madisonville, Texas, July 22, 1911.  She attended the public schools of Madisonville and was graduated from Madisonville High School with the Class of 1928.  She later attended Sam Houston State Teachers College at Huntsville, Texas.
     A son, Leonard S. "Pat" Brown Jr., was born to Leonard S. Brown and Christine Connor Brown.  Leonard S. Brown Jr. attended the Hearne public schools and was a member of the Hearne High School Eagles football team for three years, playing in the quarterback position.  He was graduated from Hearne High School with the Class of 1950.  He enrolled at Texas A&M College and was graduated with the class of 1954 with a degree in Civil Engineering.  Leonard S. Brown Jr. married Wanda Frost, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Tom Frost of Hearne, Texas.  Two children, Cara Lynn Brown and Steven Dean Brown, were born to Leonard S. Brown Jr. and Wanda Frost Brown.
     Leonard S. Brown and Christine Connor Brown are members of the Hearne Church of Christ and the Hearne Parent-Teacher's Association.  She is a member of the Hearne Garden Club.

BROWN, RHUEL EMMETT, son of Thomas Greenwood Brown and Beulah Carolyn Tamplin Brown, was born July 16, 1893 at Hearne, Texas.
  
He attended the Hearne public schools.  After completing his schooling he was employed for five years with the Planters Cotton Oil Company in Hearne.  On October 1, 1921, he began work with the Southern Pacific Railroad in Hearne as a locomotive fireman.  Most of his years of railroad service have been in the Hearne yards in switch engine service.
  
On March 26, 1931 he was married to Mable Lou Carson, daughter of Robert Calep Carson and josie Mattie Copeland Carson.  The marriage took place in Calvert, Texas.  A son, Rhuel Emmett Brown Jr., was born to Mr. and Mrs. Brown.  Rhuel Emmett Brown Jr. married Elaine Anderson, daughter of Roy Leonard Anderson and Ernerline Laura Lee Sterns Anderson of Houston, Texas.  Two children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Rhuel Emmett Brown Jr.: Belinda Brown and Jill Brown.
  
Rhuel Emmett Brown is a member of the First Baptist Church; a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen & Enginemen; a member of the Golden Rule Masonic Lodge of Hearne; a member of the Hearne Chapter Order of the Eastern Star; and a member of the Scottish Rite and Shrine.
  
Mrs. Brown is an active member of the Grace Methodist Church of Hearne; is Past President of the Women's Society of Christian Service; a member and Past Matron of the Hearne Chapter #722 Order of the Eastern Star; Secretary of Hearne Chapter O. E. S.; Grand Examiner, Deputy Grand Matron of the Grand Chapter of Texas, Order of the Eastern Star; a Charter Member and first President of the Hearne Study Club; a member and Past President of the Hearne Shakespeare Club; Past President of the Hearne Parent Teachers Association; and a member of the Hearne Study Club.  Mrs. Brown has also been employed in various secretarial positions including bookkeeping and clerical work for the Hearne Building & Loan Association.

BROWN, SAM was the son of Jim Brown and a nephew of Code Brown who ran the old stagecoach inn that was located in the north section of Hearne.  He was also a nephew of Greenwood Brown who was a partner in the early Hearne firm of Brown & Wilkerson.
   
Sam Brown was appointed to fill the unexpired term of Constable at Hearne in 1896 and served through 1927.  He was constable in Hearne during the wild and wooly days and was famous as a peace officer.  Many times he teamed with Chief Griffin in the capture of criminals in this area.
   
He was married to Miss Nettie Lockett, sister of Shad and Victor Lockett.  Two children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Brown: Travis Brown and Mervin Brown Fulton.  Mrs. Brown died in 1897.

BROWNING, ALTON CARL, son of William Osborn Browning and Edna May Pond Browning, was born October 10, 1911 in the Theo community in Falls County, Texas.  He attended school at the Theo rural school and the Temple, Texas public schools.
     After finishing his schooling, he opened a general garage in Temple, Texas and operated this business for three years.  In 1933, he became a plumber and was employed by the H. L. Kabella Company of Temple.  He moved to Groves, Texas in 1935 and employed by the Atlantic Pipe Line Company for six years.  In 1941, he was employed doing industrial pipe work with several major oil companies in the Port Arthur, Texas area, and continued this work until November 1945.
     He moved to Hearne, Texas, November 11, 1945 and established a plumbing contracting business on Third Street.
     Alton Carl Browning married Alvera Bostert of Belton, Texas, February 9, 1935.  Alvera Bostert Browning was reared at Belton, Texas and attended the public schools of that city.  The following are children of Alton Carl Browning and Alvera Bostert Borwning:  Rosemary Lawler Rowan, Gerald Alan Browning, and Gene Irwin Browning.  Grandchildren of Alton Carol Browning and Alvera Bostert Browning are:  Patricia Rowan, Susie Rowan, Rosemary Rowan, Kathleen Rowan, Elizabeth Rowan, and Roberta Rowan.
     Alverta Bostert Browning is a member of the First Baptist Church of Hearne.  She was employed as a bookkeeper in 1951 by the Farrar Lumber Company.  In 1952, she became cashier for the Monarch Grocery Company in Hearne.
     Alton Carol Browning is a member of the First Baptist Church of Hearne; a member of the Master Plumber's Association; and is a former member of the Hearne Chamber of Commerce.

BURNEY, WILLIAM MORROW SR., son of Patrick Shields Burney and Sallie High Burney, was born at Madison, Georgia, April 28, 1892.  His parents were native Georgians and his father was prominent in business and political circles on the local and state level.
     He attended the public schools of Madison, Georgia, and the Agricultural & Mechanical College in Morgan County, Georgia.
     In February 1909, he came to Hearne, Texas to make his home and lived with his brother-in-law and sister, Isaac David Hall and Libbie Burney Hall.  His first employment in Hearne was with the electric power plant owned and operated by P. L. Brady and Gerald Fitzgerald.  He served this firm as a fireman and engineer.  He also worked with the Industrial Cotton Oil Mill and the utilities department of the City of Hearne.
     In 1912, he was employed by the H. & T. C. Railroad Company and worked at the Hearne roundhouse of this company.  During this same year, he became a locomotive fireman and fired on the switch engine of the H. & T. C. Railroad Company in the Hearne yards.  He went on the road as a locomotive fireman for this same railroad in 1913 and worked on all divisions.  He was promoted to engineer in October 1921 and served in this capacity until his retirement January 30, 1958, closing out 45 years, 11 months, and 24 days of railroad service.
     William Morrow Burney enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1919 and received his military training at Camp Travis in San Antonio, Texas.  After receiving his discharge from military service, he returned to Hearne, Texs to continue his employment with the H. & T. C. Railroad.
     William Morrow Burney married Ruth Moss, daughter of John H. Moss and Adda Mathews Moss of Hearne, Texas, November 17, 1920.  Children of William Morrow Burney and Ruth Moss Burney are Jack R. Burney and William Morrow Burney Jr.  Both Jack R. Burney and William Morrow Burney Jr. graduated from Hearne High School where they were star football players on the Hearne Eagles football team.  William Morrow Jr. graduated from the University of Texas.  He was born December 26, 1926.  William Morrow Burney Jr. married Jean Florence of Tyler, Texas.  The following children were born to William Morrow Burney Jr. and Jean Florence Burney:  William Morrow Burney III, Cynthia Burney, and Carolyn Burney.
     William Morrow Burney and Ruth Moss Burney are members of the First Baptist Church of Hearne.  He is a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, and a member of the Miles Scriviner American Legion Post of Hearne.

BUSSA, EDD, son of Alfred Bussa and Fannie Jones Bussa, was born May 4, 1892 at Milano, Texas.  He attended the Liberty Rural School in Milam County.
     He was reared on the family farm and after finishing his schooling he continued to farm in Milam County until 1926.  On November 24, 1926, he moved to Hearne, Texas and accepted employment with the Humble Pipe Line Company at the Hearne station.  He continued his employment with this company until his retirement May 3, 1957, completing nearly 31 years of service.
     Edd Bussa was married to Altha Silvey, daughter of William Silvey and Lizzie White Silvey of Milano, Texas, August 29. 1914.  Two children were born to Edd Bussa and Altha Silvey Bussa:  Mercer Lynn Bussa, who married Lois Cox of Hearne, and Katherine Bussa, who married William Young.  Grandchildren of Edd Bussa and Altha Silvey Bussa are:  Eddie Glenn Bussa and Rene Kay Young.
     Edd Bussa is a member of the Humble Employees Federation and Altha Silvey Bussa is a member of Grace Methodist Church in Hearne.

 

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