Family Histories of Coleman County, Texas

William E. Bowers
By Sylbia Ransberger

From A History of Coleman County and Its People, 1985 
edited by Judia and Ralph Terry, and Vena Bob Gates - used by permission

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     William Edward Bowers was born in Gillispie County, Texas in 1883.  Eunice Eugenia Warren was born December 16, 1888 in Thaxton, Pontotoc County, Mississippi.  They met and married at Eula, Texas about 1904 and moved to Coleman County about 1911.  They lived north of Coleman on the Morris Ranch, where they farmed, hunted and lived off the land.  They had 11 children. the first three born in Callahan County and the others in Coleman County:

     (1) William Bryon, April 18, 1906, married Eunice Florence Nance, October 29, 1929 at Eula. Children:

       (la) Margie Sue, September 28, 1930, married Bobby Wave Newland. February 8, 1958, at Fort Worth, three children and live in Fort Worth;

       (1b) Kenneth Wayne, October 20, 1932, married Fayrene Frazier, four children, live in Phoenix, Arizona;

       (1c) Bobby Joe, April 8, 1934-July 9, 1937, buried at Eula;

       (1d) James William (J. W.), October 14, 1937, married (Dolly) Rose Marie Crow Dillingham. February 6, 1976 at Atlanta, Georgia, live in Jonesboro, Georgia;

       (1e) Wanda Dephane, August 27, 1938, all these children were born in Callahan County.

     (2) Jefferson Bryan, April 19, 1908, married (1) Juanita Stanphill, December 13, 1932, in Coleman. (See William P. Stanphill).  They had three children:

       (2a) Sylbia Ruth, October 31, 1933, (see William Henry Ransberger);

       (2b) Jefferson Bryan, Jr., (J. B.), December 24, 1934, worked for Geo. D. Rhone Company when he got out of high school in 1954, until he entered the army.  He served in Germany during his time in the service.  He married Cecilia A. Young in Abilene, November 22, 1961.  One son, Jody, December 31, 1965, a senior at Cooper High in Abilene.  J. B. works for Lone Star Gas in Abilene;

     (2) Patsy Ann, July 13, 1936, married C. K. Bradley in 1955 in Coleman (see Green F. Givens).  They moved to Abilene. where they reared three children:

       (a) Gregory Lynn, March 9, 1956, graduated from Cooper High in 1974, married Linda Jenkins of Stamford in 1981.  He is an electrician.

       (b) Marcia Ann, December 27, 1960, a respiratory therapist at Hendricks Memorial Hospital, married Donald Taylor of Abilene in 1981.

       (c) Ruth Ann, November 6, 1968, in the ninth grade at Jefferson Junior High.  After years as a housewife, Ann started to work for the Abilene Public Schools. 

All three of these children were born in Coleman County and graduated from Coleman High School; their mother, Juanita, died of blood poisoning August 4, 1937, buried at Burkett.  The children and their father then lived with the Stanphill grandparents.  Jefferson Bryan became a traveling salesman, selling auto parts to the neighboring towns and counties Jefferson Bryan married (2) Ilene Armstrong, and they had one son. Thomas Michael, March 20, 1945. (See Dodds Family).  He married (3) Loretta Plumlee and lived in Stamford.  He was retired from selling insurance. Jefferson Bryan died September 8, 1983, buried in Coleman.

     (3) Bert Boyd, April 10, 1910, married Jessie Ray Smith, February 24, 1935, at Coleman. Four children:

       (3a) Eddie Boyd, February 5, 1936 in Coleman County, married Wanda Faye Jones, April 28, 1962, at Abilene, two children. Eddie lives in DeSoto;

       (3b) Jackie Lanell, February 21, 1938 in Coleman County, married Paul Provost, November 21, 1954, in San Angelo, six children, live in Loudon, Tennessee;

       (3c) Oleta Gale, March 20, 1939 in Coleman County, married Tommy W. Davis in March, 1956, three children, live at Mineral Wells;

       (3d) Betty Carolyn, May 20, 1946 in Coleman County, married Max Rafuel Atkison, March 20, 1967, two children, live in Burnet.

     (4) Jess Bernard, December 14, 1912, married Addie Lee Hall, July 4, 1935 in Abilene. One daughter, Barbara Lee, May 20, 1942 in El Paso, married David I. Arendts in Del Rio February 29, 1964, two children.  Jess is retired from the Santa Fe Railroad and lives in Del Rio.

     (5) Lera Pearl, born between 1912 and 1917, married (1) Arval (Shorty) Taylor, three children, Betty Sue, Larry and Danny.  Pearl married (2) Pat Adair.  She died June 30, 1971, buried at San Angelo.

     (6) Dalton Aston (Doc), June 16, 1917, married Theo Docia Duggins from Valera September 30, 1935. Children:

       (6a) Alica Eugenia, February 19, 1937 in Eula;

       (6b) Dalton Loyd (Sonny), March 31, 1939 at Coleman, married Leona Mae McGown, November 30, 1956, four children, and live at Bangs;

       (6c) Robert Allen, July 21, 1943 at Ballinger, married Quincy Tuckness October 21, 1967, two children and live at Leander;

       (6d) Glenda Sue, March 9, 1946 at Coleman, married John Louis Gregory, three children and live at Fort Worth;

       (6e) Rita Joy, January 30, 1948 at San Angelo, married Richard Earl Richards, December 27. 1962, three children, live at Fort Hood;

       (6f) Talmage Ray, July 2, 1950 at San Angelo, married Elizabeth A. Smith, December 27, 1966, two children, lives at Leander;

     (6g) Terry Steve, March 24, 1953 at San Angelo, married Sandra Lee Frizzell, Ianuary 30, 1971, two children, lives at Fort Worth.

     (7) Delma Blanche, July 25, 1919, married Wayne Crosby, September 30, 1936, later divorced.  Blanche never remarried, died June 30, 1971, buried in San Angelo.

     (8) Vera La Verne, August 11, 1922, married Floyd L. Gentry, July 2, 1939, one son. Floyd died in 1950 and La Verne married (2) Jimmy P. Phelan, Jr. in 1968, lives in San Antonio.

     (9) Adell Eugenia, November 28, 1925, married (1) Paul Weiss, who was killed in World War II, and (2) Tonv Veninacasa.  She never had children, died September 1, 1972.

     (10) Cecil Eugene, June 6, 1927-September 18, 1976 at Weatherford, married Haro Lynn (Funderburk)
Whitaker, May 20, 1967. Children:

       (10a) Donna E., January 7, 1959 at Oceanside, California;

       (10b) Lynnda A., August 20, 1960 at DeRidder, Louisiana;

       (10c) Sandra A., October 7, 1961 at Oceanside;

       (10d) Dwayne H., March 7, 1963 at Shreveport; (

       10e) Robert D., August 22, 1965 at Pineville;

       (10f) Cecia A., March 4, 1969 at San Antonio;

       (10g) Delma J., July 5, 1972 at Burnet.

     (11) Billie Louise, December 5, 1929, married Warren H. Hunter in 1950.  Children: Paul Howard, December 27, 1953 at Dallas, and Cecilia Michelle, January 9, 1955 at Dallas, married Glen Roberts III, February 14, 1976.  Billie Louise lives Grapevine.

     Later, W. E. and Eunice moved to San Angelo, where he died March 22, 1958 and Eunice, September 9, 1960.  The only remaining descendants left in Coleman County are Sylbia Ransberger and her children. 

 
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