1904 :: Death of Dr. Sprott

Dr. A.C. Sprott, an old and respected citizen of Rockdale, died very suddenly at his home last Sunday about noon. . . . Dr. Sprott came to Rockdale in the early days of the town's history, and had been a resident continuously ever since. The remains were buried Monday morning at 10 o'clock at the old cemetery, his former comrades, the Confederate Veterans, performing the last sad rites. . . . Dr. A.C. Sprott was born in Alabama in 1818 [sic]. He moved to Texas when quite young and settled at Cold Springs, in East Texas. He came to Rockdale in 1876, 27 years ago. . . . He was a Confederate soldier during the war between the states, and joined Sam Davis Camp, Confederate Veterans, when the camp was first organized in 1890. . . . A.C. Sprott, who was of company K, 14th Texas, Randle's brigade of Walker's division of the Confederate army, in which he volunteered in February, 1862, . . . It was on October the 2nd, at noon when the summons came to him to get ready for that great reunion beyond, . . . The Rockdale Messenger. (Rockdale, Tex.), Vol. 32, No. 37, Ed. 1 Friday, October 7, 1904 Page: 8 of 8

1920 :: Family Reunion

Galveston Daily News
Galveston, Texas
22 August 1920

Two Families Hold Reunion:
187 Descendants are Present.

Special to the News. Thorndale, Tex., Aug. 21.-- A most delightful occasion was the reunion of the descendants of Mr. and Mrs. A.J. Jackson and Mr. and Mrs. E.C. Caffey, two of the pioneer couples of Milam County. These two families came to Texas from Alabama in 1874 and located in Bastrop County. Mr. Caffey and family moved to Milam County in 1875, and Mr. Jackson and family in 1876, and located in the community which has since been their homes. Mr. Caffey is 83 years old and Mr. Jackson 76. Their wives are sisters and are a few years their junion. Both Mr. Jackson and Mr. Caffey are confederate veterans.

There are 187 descendants of these two families. In the Jackson family there are twelve children, seventy-one grandchildren and sixteen great-grandchildren, and in the Caffey family there are seven children, forty-four grandchildren, and thirty-eight great-grandchildren. Four generations were in attendance at the gathering that day. About 200 relatives and friends were in attendance. A bounteaus dinner was spread.

1930 :: Death of Grandma Cain

Rural News. Cole Springs. Grandma Cain passed away last Monday evening. She had been helpless and bed-ridden since last October. She was ready and anxious to take her departure. She knew in whom she believed, and she was not afraid to die. "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints." Mrs. Cain was a native of Alabama. She was 88 years old the 8th of last December. She leaves one daughter, Mrs. J.M. Pounder(s) of Tanglewood, and a host of grandchildren and great grandchildren to mourn her departure. Rockdale Reporter, Thursday, July 10, 1930

1914 :: Death of Mrs. P.A. Lewis

Rockdale, Apr. 30th. -- The funeral of Mrs. P.A. Lewis, who died at the home of her granddaughter, Mrs. Fred H. Graves, Wednesday at 2 p.m., while sitting in an easy chair, were held Thursday afternoon at 5 o'clock from the newly dedicated Presbyterian church, Rev. W.E. Copeland, the pastor, conducting the ceremonies. 

Mrs. Lewis was born in the state of Alabama, and was at the inauguration of the President of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis. At the time of her death she was 79 years, 8 months and 29 days old. She had resided with a daughter in Rockdale, Mrs. E.S. Loper, for the past 27 years, where her life had been marked by a strong devotion to duty. 

Last January she suffered a fall from which she had never regained her former activity. To break the monotony, she would spend each alternate week with a grand daughter, which fell upon Monday. Each vied with the other in showering her with attentions. 

Her cherished prayers were that she might live to witness the dedication of the new church in which her labors had played so important a part, and to be able to walk without assistance. Both were granted. On Sunday, April 19, she was tenderly borne to the place, and given an honored seat amid an environment of palms, ferns and Easter lilies, when her choice anthem was sung. And the day she died, she walked to the midday meal alone. 

The last services were held at sunset in the Old City Cemetery. Probably no greater tribute was ever paid another than that extended to this favored daughter. Mrs. Lewis is survived by two daughters, Mesdames E.S. Loper of Rockdale, and Mattie Werner of Houston, fifteen grand-children, of which is Mr. Henry T. Werner [sic] of the Associated Press, Houston, and 30 great-grand-children. Cameron Herald, May 7, 1914

1906 :: Death of Grandpa Hargrove

Grandpa Hargrove died suddenly at Rockdale Monday at the home of his daughter Mrs. Simms. He was 81 years old and an Alabamian. Cameron Herald, September 20, 1906

1949 :: Death of Mrs. Emma York Hudson

Funeral services for Mrs. Emma York Hudson, 88, an early resident of Highland Park, will be held at 10 a.m. Monday at Sparkman-Brand Chapel, 2115 Ross. Dr. Marshall Steel will officiate. Burial will be in Oakland Cemetery. A native of Alabama, Mrs. Hudson was brought to Texas by her family when she was still in her teens. They settled in Rockdale, Milam County. She was married there and later lived in San Angelo. She moved to Dallas thirty-five years ago. Her husband, the late J. Sid Hudson, was manager for the George P. Ide Company, shirt manufacturers who were on Commerce Street for many years. Mrs. Hudson and her husband were among the first to move to Highland Park when the development was opened. Her home was at 3715 Gillon. Later, she moved to 322 East Tenth, where she died Friday. She is survived by a daughter, Mrs. Burt C. Blanton; a sister, Miss Jennie Lynne York; a granddaughter, Mrs. Jeanne Freeman, and a great-grandson, all of Dallas. Dallas Morning News, August 21, 1949

1923 :: Uncle Boyd Taylor

Uncle Boyd Taylor of Milano is 83 years old. He scorns the ease of modern day transportation and rides his gray charger as in the days when he followed Nathan B. Forrest, the peerless cavalry leader of the South. Uncle Boyd rode to Cameron from his home near Milano. He sets his horse as straight and graceful as in the days when he rode to the defense of Dixie. "I can ride a horse ten miles further in a day than any man in the country," said Uncle Boyd when asked if his advanced age did not interfere with his going. He came to Texas from his native state of Alabama. He was born April 6, 1840, and on last Friday was 83 years old. Cameron Herald, April 12, 1923

1880 :: Accessions to Population

Rockdale has had quite a number of accessions to her population; they are all from Barbour county, Alabama. Brenham Weekly Banner, February 13, 1880 

1896 :: Death of Dr. Letcher

Dr. Joseph Stephens Letcher, who died yesterday at his home in this city, was born in Alabama forty-six years ago, and has ended peacefully a remarkably active and useful life. He leaves a devoted wife and three interesting and promising children. As a physician he has, by unceasing labor and the best opportunities discovered by himself, arisen from obscurity to the first place in his profession, and as a Christian gentleman he was honored and beloved by a large circle of friends. His medical experience was varied, having practiced eleven years in Milam* county, Texas, six years in Lampasas and since 1889 in the city of Dallas. During this later period and prior to the appointment of Dr. C.M. Rosser to the position now held they were associated professionally together. His practice has been general, including surgery. He was surgeon for railroad companies and vice president of the Texas Railway Surgeon's association, as also of the Texas State Medical association. He was examiner for nearly all insurance companies located here, and for three of them was medical referee for Texas. Dr. Letcher was a man of great head and heart, affectionate with his friends and true to all men. He was of cheerful temperament and, being given much to the happiness of others, was universally beloved. Perhaps the most signal service attained here, and longest to be remembered, was that which attended his efforts for the establishment of the charity hospital now in course of construction. In this he was ably seconded by the local profession, but to his energy and zeal is largely due the gratitude of the people for this blessing. The funeral services will be held in the second Baptist church to-day, and the burial will follow at Oakland cemetery. . . . Dallas Morning News, December 1, 1896 [*He was enumerated in Maysfield on the 1880 census.]


 

1892 :: Death of Rev. Dr. James H. Stribling

Dallas, Aug. 15. -- [To The News.] -- The announcement in yesterday's News of the death of the Rev. Dr. James H. Stribling of Rockdale at Eureka Springs, Ark., on the 12th instant, recalls to my mind the old aphorism, that when "a good man dies the people mourn." 

Having known and loved this man for fifty-two years, none will gainsay my right to mourn -- the more so as I knew and loved his father and mother, his brothers and sisters. 

Born in Alabama, he came with his parents to Washington county, Texas in 1837. He was one of the first students of Baylor university, and in his youth resolved to be a minister of the gospel, in which service he died fifty-two years later. He was not only intensely religious, but intensely patriotic.

When but twenty years old he and his cousin, John Tremier, were the only men from east of the Colorado valley who participated in the battle of the Salado on Sept. 18, 1842. He was in the subsequent pursuit of the Mexican army under Gen. Wool, and was in the charge on its artillery on the Arroya Honda on the 22d of the same month. Late in the same year he was in the famed Somervell expedition against Mexico, and only abandoned it when his command returned home. 

Resuming his studies he persevered until about 1845, when he received ordination as an elder in the Baptist church. He has since been a pastor at Gonzales, Tyler, Rockdale and other places, and everywhere by the people and all the different churches has been held as a pure and spotless man.

His father, Benjamin H. Stribling, was one of the first judges of Lavaca county. His mother was truly a "mother of Israel." His brother, Thomas H. Stribling, died a distinguished lawyer in San Antonio. A younger brother, Cornelius K. Stribling, has been county judge and representative from Shackelford county. All of the brothers and sisters have been worthy of him. 

The good he has done in these fifty years will be his passport to the life to come.

As a printer boy in Missouri in October, 1844, the first paragraph I put in type read: "The United States sloop of war Peacock, Commander Cornelius K. Stribling, has arrived at Norfolk, Va., after a three years' voyage around the world." That commander was a brother of Mr. Stribling's father. When the war between the states began in 1861 he was Commodore Stribling of the United States navy in command of the navy yard at Pensacola.

Blessed be the memory of James H. Stribling. 

John Henry Brown. 
Dallas Morning News, 
August 16, 1892 

1939 :: Death of E.B. Phillips

Dallas Morning News. September 2, 1939. E.B. Phillips, 67, Died; Leader at Rockdale. Special to The News. Rockdale, Texas, Sept. 1. -- E.B. Phillips, 67, widely known businessman of this city, died in a hospital at Brenham Thursday night. Funeral services will be held here at 10 a.m. Saturday. 


Mr. Phillips was born in Alabama, but came to Texas when a young man and had been active in the progress and development of Rockdale, Milam County and this section of Texas for forty years. He taught school in his early years. He had served as trustee of the Rockdale School Board and had been president of the Milam County School Board many years, holding that position at the time of his death.


His varied career had included the hardware business, coal mining and farming. He also was a mortician and for the past several years had devoted most of his time to that work. He was president of the Burial Associations Union of Texas.


Mr. Phillips is survived by his wife, Mrs. Minnie Perry Phillips; two daughters, Mrs. Laurence Warren of El Paso and Mrs. J.B. Newton of Rockdale, and one brother, R.K. Phillips of Weatherford.