On Monday morning between the hours of 1:30 and 6 o'clock the Angel of death hovered close to earth and carried away the spirit of one of the best men that the Great Ruler has seen fit to let live among us, Captain Frank Clements. At 1:30 Monday morning a coughing spell came over the deceased and his son came to his bedside to administer that loving care with which he and his brothers and sister had been giving him through his last days, after the spell was over his son saw him peacefully asleep again never to awake any more.
Frank Clements was born in McNairy County, Tenn., on October 3rd, 1831. At the age of 24 he was married to Miss Martha Bryant. In 1870 he with his family moved to Milam county and has resided here ever since.
Eleven children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Clements one of whom died in infancy and five after they were grown. Those who survive are Mrs. J.H. Bonds of Rockdale, F.J. of Austin who is connected with the State Comptroller's department; Sam, cashier of the Thorndale State Bank; Jack B., a rural mail carrier out of Thorndale and Jones who is connected with the grocery department of the Thorndale Dry Goods and Grocery Co.
The funeral services were conducted at Salty church which the deceased had built many years ago, by Rev. C.E. Garrett of the Thorndale M.E. church and interment took place immediately following in the Salty cemetery. Masonic honors were bestowed upon Captain Clements at the cemetery. Thorndale Champion. Cameron Herald, May 3, 1917
Rockdale, Tex., May 24. -- Dr. T.E. Riddle, 95, died Wednesday night. Funeral services were held Thursday. Dr. Riddle a native of Tennessee, came to Texas with his parents when 10 years old. He was a Confederate Veteran, and served in McCoy's Frontier Regiment, Company F. In January, 1868, Dr. Riddle came from Lavaca to Milam County and settled where he has since lived and died. Dr. Riddle had practiced his profession in Rockdale and community for more than 60 years. He was a familiar figure on horseback as he answered calls until the past eight years. Sept. 2, 1933, Dr. Riddle celebrated his 95 birthday with a dinner. Oct. 19, Dr. and Mrs. Riddle celebrated their 62nd wedding anniversary. Surviving him are his widow, and the following children: Ed and Jack Riddle of Rockdale, Dr. Howe Riddle of Coweta, Okla., Scudder Riddle and Mrs. Billy Senne of California, Mrs. Lilly Tumey of New York and Mrs. John Moses of Ralls, Tex. San Antonio Express, Friday, May 25, 1934
A man at Rockdale has shipped a barrel of horns to Clarksville, Tennessee. Hands working in the tobacco patches in that neighborhood will be called to dinner by the blowing of a Texas horn. Brenham Weekly Banner, February 10, 1881
The Rockdale Messenger chronicles the death of Mr. Jason Carter [sic] Wilson aged 88: He was born in Williamson county, Tennessee, Feb. 13, 1804. That country, then was infested with Indians, and he was born and the family often lived while he was a child in a blockhouse for protection. His recollection of those perilous times was vivid to the last. In 1842 in company with the celebrated Kit Carson and a party of about eighty, he went on a hazardous trip across the plains to New Mexico. After many exciting and bloody adventures he found himself in Texas at that early day. He was in California in 1849, and could interest one for hours with personal reminiscences of those days. Ten years before the war his home was at Marshall, Tex. Dallas Morning News, February 2, 1892
Special to The News. Cameron, Tex., Sept. 5. -- George W. Thach, who had resided in this county since 1856, died at his home yesterday after a brief illness. He was born in Marion County, Tennessee, in 1825, and belonged to a pioneer family who in the latter part of the eighteenth century pushed westward from Tennessee and formed the new State of Franklin, the short-lived precursor of the State of Tennessee. His father was a soldier both of the Revolutionary War and that of 1812, having been with John Sevier at Kings Mountain and with Jackson at New Orleans. George W. Thach was a veteran of the Mexican War, having served in a Tennessee regiment under Gen. Taylor, and participating in the battle of Buena Vista and the capture of Monterey. The regiment being mustered out at New Orleans, Mr. Thach re-enlisted in a Louisiana regiment, was present at the siege of Vera Cruz and went with Gen. Scott to the City of Mexico. Mr. Thach upon the discovery of gold in California went to that country, where he remained for several years. Dallas Morning News, September 7, 1900
