1918 :: Death of B.V. Arnold

B.V. Arnold died at his home just north of the city limits Sunday night at 10:45 o'clock, after an illness which confined him to his bed only for a few days, but succeeding several years of what might be termed the gamest fight ever made by a Johnny Reb for his life. . . . He enlisted in the Confederate cause in December, 1861, in the Army of Northern Virginia, Longstreet's Corps, Hood's Texas Brigade, 18th Georgia Regiment, Company F, as a private soldier. . . . Mr. Arnold was for many years a regular attendant upon the annual reunions of the Hood's Brigade, and two years ago last June, he had the honor and satisfaction of serving that command as its president at its annual reunion held in Rockdale, having been elected president at the previous year's meeting at Floresville. . . . Thus passes one of Rockdale's most interesting characters. B.V. Arnold was a fine type of the Southern gentleman. With a heart naturally as gentle as that of a child, yet with convictions which when aroused brought forth all the old ante-bellum fighting blood, he was a type of the Old South which is rapidly passing to the Great Beyond. . . . Peace to his ashes. The Rockdale Reporter and Messenger (Rockdale, Tex.), Vol. [45], No. 46, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 17, 1918 Page: 4 of 8 

1918 :: Living in Gaither cottage

R.L. Scarbrough has sold his mercantile business at Hicks to J.S. Armstrong, late of Chilton, and has moved back to Rockdale and is living in the Gaither cottage just east of Mineral Park. Lee says he is going to have such a big crop this year he wont have time to sell goods. The Rockdale Reporter and Messenger (Rockdale, Tex.), Vol. [46], No. 5, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 4, 1918

1944 :: Dana Andrews Remembers Rockdale

"Dana Andrews' most vivid and lasting impression of a home is the parsonage in Rockdale, a two-story frame house of the vintage 1910."

The above quotation is from a story, "Portrait of a Minister's Son," in a recent issue of Photoplay Magazine. The writer was speaking of Dana Andrews of the films, who might be better known in Rockdale as "Hoddy" Andrews, who spent his young boyhood in Rockdale when his father, the Rev. C.F. Andrews, was pastor of The First Baptist Church of Rockdale a number of yeras ago. 

The Rockdale parsonage, a two-story frame house, which the Andrews family lived in, is now a modern white bungalow and would probably not be recognized by Andrews should he visit it now.

Dana's father, Rev. C.F. Andrews, died in 1940. He served as Baptist pastor in Rockdale, as well as in San Antonio, Uvalde and Huntsville. Dana's full name is "Carver Dana Andrews," and Rockdale citizens remember his as Carver, or the nickname "Hoddy," given him by his father for the way he said "Howdy" as a youngster.

Young Andrews graduated from Sam Houston State Teachers College, Huntsville, worked as a plumber's apprentice between high school and college age, worked for an oil company in Houston, and was working for a filling station in Van Nuys, Calif., when his first break for the movies came. Among his pictures was 'The Purple Heart,' in which, according to the Photoplay magazine writer, he gave a "magnificent performance."

Andrews told the magazine author that he visited his old home in Rockdale fifteen years ago at which time he visited the old two-story frame house and a favorite childhood hiding place -- underneath the ground floor, between the central beam and the floor, where he found undisturbed after fifteen years things he had cached there: a monkey wrench, a jackknife and a mess of marbles. Rockdale Reporter and Messenger, November 16, 1944 

1918 :: The "flue" in our community

Sandy Creek - Oct. 27 - The "flue" is thought to be giving away in our community. There have been three burials in the Sandy Creek cemetery this week. One very uncommon thing happened in regard to one of Lewis Blackman's children. An order was given for a grave to be dug for the child. But before anything was done about digging the grave, word came not to dig it as the child had come to and is thought to be improving. . . . Mr. Will Williams brought his wife back from Rock Port and she was buried in the Sandy Creek cemetery. Lewis Blackman has had two daughters buried this week. We are sorry to hear of one of our Sandy Creek girls death in South Texas -- Mrs. Annie Cloud Mullins, Mrs. D.A. Cloud's daughter. We extend sympathy to the bereaved ones. HAWK. Rockdale Reporter and Messenger, October 31, 1918

1918 :: Death of O.A. Bowen

O.A. Bowen who was formerly in the grocery business at Rockdale died at his home in Hamlin, Jones County, last Sunday, January 20th. Mr. Bowen was 62 years of age and was a highly respected citizen. He is survived by his wife and two children. The funeral was held at Hamlin on Monday of this week. Mr. Bowen was a brother-in-law to Joe Westmoreland of this city. Cameron Herald, January 24, 1918

1918 :: Death of Carlyle Brothers

Hicks Carlyle and James W. Carlyle lived in the Hamilton Chapel community just southeast of Rockdale. They died in action in France on Oct. 8, 1918, just 30 days before Germany's surrender ended the war. Carlyle Post first met upstairs at the Coulter building, corner of Main and Cameron. Later the post met at City Hall. In 1935, Post 358 purchased the former Wolf Hotel, one of Rockdale's most historic turn-of-the-century structures. The hotel, at the corner of Main and Milam, was renovated and served as Carlyle Post's home for more than 60 years. Carlyle Post has been through periods of inactivity but still retains some membership and has plans for a new building. The old Legion building (Wolf Hotel) has been razed. That project was completed earlier this year. The Rockdale Reporter, November 15, 2001

1918 :: Death of Dr. G.W. Mullins

Dr. G.W. Mullins of Milano, died October 19th of pneumonia, following an attack of influenza, aged 53. He was born in Harris County, Ga., came to Texas at the age of 14 and was married to Miss Mary L. Shepherd of Burleson County in 1887. He graduated in Medicine from Louisville Medical College and had practiced for 22 years, 15 of which were at Milano. He was a member of his county and State medical societies for a number of years and of the W.O.W. Lodge for the past 14 years. He is survived by his wife, one daughter and two sons. [obituary from Google eBook, 1919 Texas State Journal of Medicine, Volume 14]

1918 :: Death of Captain John B. Wolf

Cameron, Texas. Feb. 10 . -- Captain John B. Wolf, an old resident of Milam County, died Friday night. He was born in Arkansas in 1840; enlisted in the Confederate Army in 1861 as a private and served four years, coming out as Captain. In 1869 he moved to Milam County and had lived here ever since. In 1878 he was elected Sheriff and Tax Collector. When these two offices were separated he was elected Tax Collector, and held this office for more than twenty years. He was one of the founders of the old Knights of Honor in Texas and for years was a grand officer. He was also a prominent Mason. He leaves a wife and seven children, all of whom were with him at the last, except one son. Dallas Morning News, February 11, 1918.

1918 :: Death of John A. Shapard, Postmaster

Special to The News. Shapard. -- Rockdale, Texas, Jan. 24. -- The funeral of John A. Shapard, Rockdale's postmaster for the last four and a half years, was held Tuesday at the Presbyterian Church by the Rev. W.E. Copeland. Mr. Shapard was 67 years of age and died last Friday, the body being held for the arrival of a son in the United States Navy. Another son is with Pershing in France. He was a printer by trade, and worked on the local newspaper almost continuously for thirty-two years. Dallas Morning News, January 25, 1918 

See also . . . Postmaster's Sudden Death Last Week Came as Shock . . . The Rockdale Reporter and Messenger (Rockdale, Tex.), Vol. [45], No. 47, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 24, 1918 Page: 1 of 8 . . .