George Henry Allen - Family Histories

     The history of this Allen family in Coleman County begins with Daniel Washington Jackson (born September 9, 1829; died July 14, 1904; buried Weimar), a surveyor who worked in various parts of the state and took his fees in land. He lived in Colorado County, having come to Texas from Warren County, Georgia. Among tracts of land in Coleman County which he acquired was the place near Echo about 12 miles northeast of Coleman to which his daughter Alice, and her husband George Henry Allen moved about 1889. In 1892, George Allen patented an apparent vacancy of 114.9 acres known as the Geo. H. Allen Survey #151.

     George (July 8, 1853, in Colorado County-December 15, 1893, in Coleman, buried Weimar) was the son of Clement Allen and Mary Ann Hancock. He married Alice Jackson, July 20, 1882, they had five children: Lee Dwyer, Mary Elizabeth (Bess), Thurman Jackson, George Leslie, and Wiley Douglas. George Henry Allen died in Coleman after developing pneumonia while moving a flock of sheep from Lampasas to Coleman. George served as a Texas Ranger for a number or years. Mr. Audas, who ran a store at Burkett. described him thus: He had the bluest eyes and the hottest temper of any man I've known; fair-minded but not a man to be crossed."

     Alice Jackson (November 20, 1865 in Colorado County-September 24, 1928 in Coleman, buried Weimar) returned to her family home in Weimar at the death of George. On June 17, 1902, she married (2) J. W. Gates from Nova Scotia, Canada, who had come Weimar to pastor the church. The date of their move back to Coleman is not known but in February, 1909, they purchased the two story house at the corner of Pecan Street and Fifth Avenue which was their home until her death. They had one child, Bernice Elise (December 18, 1903-April 15, 1960; buried Flagstaff, Arizona). Alice was an accomplished musician; she played cello and piano. She and her sister did the art work for the baptistry when First Christian Church building was erected in 1916.

     Lee Dwyer (April 13, 1883 near Lometa-1965 in Houston; buried Weimar) married Vida Herder of Weimar. They had one child, George Herder, who never lived in Coleman County. Dwyer owned and operated a store in Novice and lived in the home of . M. Barnett there. After selling this store to the DePrangs, he moved to Valera where he managed a store of the family "chain" of Gates-Star-Allen. Later he moved to Eagle Lake, where he became an automobile dealer, subsequently retired and moved to Houston.

     Mary Elizabeth "Bess" (August 18, 1886, near Lometa-March 29, 1981 in McAllen; buried McAllen) married Clarence C. McDaniel. They operated newspapers in Bay City and McAllen for many years. She never lived in Coleman County beyond childhood. Two children: Clarence C., Jr. and Mary Alice; both are deceased.

     Thurman Jackson (August 13, 1888, near Lometa-December 22, 1967, in Coleman; buried Coleman) married Myrtle O. Tomlinson in Hillsboro, June 15, 1911. He toured several months as tenor with a male quartet on the Chautauqua Circuit before moving with his bride to Novice, where he managed a store for Gates-Starr-Allen. In 1918, the family moved to Coleman where he owned and operated a local insurance agency and livestock farms until his death. He served on the Coleman School Board for over 25 years and subsequently served on the County School Board. An Elder in the Christian Church, he served as choir director a number of years, a graduate of T.C.U. in 1910.

     Myrtle (July 30, 1889, near Sparta in Bell County-October 26, 1975 in Coleman; buried Coleman) graduated from T.C.U. in 1910 with a double major in Music and English Literature. She taught violin and piano in Novice and Coleman for many years. A devoted member of the First Christian Church, she served as pianist and Sunday School teacher. Thurman and Myrtle had three sons:

       (1) William Edward (June 21, 1913 in Novice-February 6, 1974 in Austin, buried Coleman) graduated from Coleman High School and T.C.U. and was admitted to the bar of Texas. He served as Coleman County attorney until moving to Austin in 1956 to join the staff of the Attorney General of Texas. Later he became chief legal advisor, Division of Occupational Safety, Texas Department of Health. He married Wilda Moody in Mineola in 1938. Their two children are Patricia White (February 7, 1942 in Coleman) and Suzanne Gordon (May 17, 1945 in Fort Worth). He was active as an Elder in the Christian Church in Coleman and Austin. His widow resides in Austin.

       (2) Weldon Jackson, born June 14, 1915 in Fort Worth, Texas; graduated from Coleman High School and earned B.A. and M.A. degrees from T.C.U. While an undergraduate, he was awarded the Carnegie Medal for Heroism for rescuing two elderly women from their burning house. He lives in Houston where he is involved with life insurance, casualty insurance and oil-gas investments. In World War Il he was a pilot with the 387th Bomb Group. In 1966, he married Doris Jonas of Houston. They have no children.

       (3) Clyde Dixon, born March 24, 1917 in Hillsboro, graduated from Coleman High School and T.C.U. Since 1939 he has been partner and later sole owner of Allen & Allen Insurance Agency of Coleman. During World War II he served as Naval Officer on the U.S.S. Kalk. He has been a Director and Secretary of Board of Holiday Hill, Inc. (Coleman County Care Center) since 1951. An Elder in the First Christian Church, he has taught an interdenominational adult class more than 20 years. In 1955, he married Doris McIntosh of Brownwood. They have two children: Dorothy Dixon, November 3, 1956, graduated from T.C.U. and has an M.A. degree from the L.B.J. School of Public Affairs (University of Texas); and Clyde Jackson, born September 17, 1959, graduated from Stanford University. Neither live in Coleman.

     George Leslie (March 7, 1890, in Coleman County-1952, and buried in Houston) married Irene Snodgrass of Coleman (see Frank Lee Snodgrass). After managing the Coleman branch of the family firm of Gates-Star-Allen for awhile, he left Coleman. Their one son, Frank S., lived in Coleman several different times as he was growing up and spent his adult years in Fort Worth, where he died and was buried in 1979.

     Wiley Douglas Allen attended T.C.U. and the University of Texas (see W. D. Allen). During World War I he was a lieutenant in the Balloon Corps.