They endured the cold, too (part two)

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They endured the cold, too (part two)

Wed, 03/03/2021 - 07:39
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Weather has been a popular topic of conversation for the last two weeks and was on my mind when I sought a Musings topic. Currently Volume 1 of Madison County history is not available for purchase, but we are working to convert it into a searchable computer document that will later be available for purchase on a USB flash drive, or, for you non-techies, an inexpensive computer plug-in device. I took advantage of what we have so far and searched “weather”. I’m sharing some of what I found.

John Sidney Winters (1868-1925) came to Madison County from Old Waverly in Walker County. He farmed, ranched, and raised a family in the Greenbriar Community. His father, Sidney Sherman Winters (1839-1905), came to Madison County to attend a funeral in 1905. There had been a bad storm and he got wet crossing Bedias Creek. He was at the home of his son, John Sidney, when he suffered a stroke and died on March 13, 1905. The weather was too bad to take his body back to Old Waverly, so he was buried in Greenbriar Cemetery. Years later, granddaughter Bess Winters Whitmire and husband Loyd raised their family there in the Greenbriar community, and later generations still reside in the county.

John Karber (1818-1914) was born in Arkansas and Kerber came to Texas in 1852, settling in the Connor community. He and his first wife had five daughters, one being known as Hilda or Hulda (1871-?). Her first husband, John Winborn, died after contracting pneumonia while helping a family move in freezing weather. He died January 17, 1891, at the age of 24, leaving a daughter not yet three years old plus another daughter to arrive May 7 after his death.

Selina Gillaspie (1810-1891) was born in Virginia, but as an infant, her parents moved the family to Franklin County, Tennessee. In 1832, Selina married James Sidney Roseborough there in Franklin County. They had six children born in Tennessee and in 1854 they sold that property and moved to Walker County, Texas. James fought in the Civil War and was discharged by special order in January 1862, either gravely ill or wounded. He soon died and is buried in Oakwood Cemetery with only a stone marking his grave, no dates. They had several daughters, of which a few returned to Tennessee but most stayed in Texas. In 1858, daughter Frances “Fannie” married Andrew Jackson Farris (1827-1883), and they settled in Madison County. Her sister, Pauline, married three times and lived here too. As a widow, Mother Selina moved to Madisonville and shared her time between her daughters. In the cold of winter on January 15, 1891, Selina died. She is buried in the Farris Cemetery because road conditions made it impossible to take her body to Huntsville to be buried beside her husband. Farris descendants here now are plentiful.

Joseph Valenta (1827-1898) and wife Anna (1833-1907) came to America from Czechoslovakia, landing in Galveston harbor in 1872. With five children, they moved to Madison County in 1877 and four years later they bought a 100-acre farm near North Zulch. Many times during planting and harvesting seasons, the young Valentas had to work in the fields in lieu of attending school. When the work load allowed for schooling, the children walked to school in North Zulch. If the weather was especially nasty, Joseph took them in a wagon, covered it with a tarp, and set a bucket of coals in the wagon bed to keep them warm.

Lena Robinson (1892-1968) was born in and grew up in Elwood. On a sleety December 19, 1909, she married Spencer James Kirkwood (1887-1964). Afterwards, it was a dark cold drive in a wagon to the house where the newlyweds set up housekeeping. Do remember that Madison County did not enjoy electrical power 1909.

I was amazed I found nothing about big snows and bitter weather like we had last week. Were they tougher than we are, or did they forget? If you will write your memoirs of the recent cold and hardships, I’ll start a file in the Museum.

Madison County Museum, located at 201 North Madison Street, is open to the public Wednesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The mailing address is P.O. Box 61, Madisonville, TX 77864. You also might enjoy the Madison County Museum Facebook page, which we try to keep busy with old photos and facts.