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by Fletcher Overton - North Richland
Hills, Texas
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| Jacob Andrew Estes came to Texas in 1890 from Lascassas, Rutherford
County, Tennessee. He was the second son of John W. and Hannah Mount
Estes of Cainsville, Wilson County, Tennessee. His father went off
to war in 1861 and though he survived, his health was never good there
after. John and Hannah lived and farmed with her parents after the
war until he died at 40 in 1875. Hannah remarried in 1877 and J.A.,
Grandpa Estes or Andy as he was called, and his brother Robert William
or Willie worked for their grandfather, Matthias Mount, or as farm laborers
in around Wilson, White and Rutherford Counties until they left home and
married.
On 8 November 1883 Andy married Lena Frances Dunaway in Lascassas, Rutherford County, Tennessee. She was called Fanny. Fanny was the daughter of a plantation owner, Drury Dunaway and Candice Frances Patterson of Rutherford County, Tennessee. We don't know how they met but we can guess that Andy was working with or for his brother who owned the farm next to Mr. Dunaway’s and then “nature took it course.” Grandpa Estes said that when he and Grandma married, “He had a horse and half a barrel of syrup and nothing else.” Their first child was born in 1884 and three additional children where
added to their family before they moved to Texas. These children
were:
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J. A and Willie Estes
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In 1890 they sold off almost everything they had, packed
up their keepsakes and essentials and loading on the Nashville and Chattanooga
train left family and home for a new beginning in Texas. They arrived
in Waco and began farming near Whitehall, Texas just a few miles south
west of Waco, near his brother, Willie. Here Flora, an unknown infant
daughter and Boss were born. Andy said he was first attracted
to the idea of coming to Texas because his brother could afford a riding
plow and he only had a walking plow.
Andy soon became tried of renting and found affordable land in Coleman County, Texas. So in the fall of 1895 Andy packed up his family again. They loaded everything into two covered wagons and started toward Rockwood. It took them about sixteen days to travel the 160 miles to Rockwood. The older kids walked along side of the wagons, the girls collecting firewood and the boys herding the stock. They arrived in December and set up at their first home just a couple
of miles north of Rockwood in Coleman County just west of the Home Place.
Andy began purchasing land shortly after arriving and continued to buy
and sell farming land for the next twenty five years. The children
born in Coleman County were:
By 1914 Andy had grown successful enough to build a more formal and larger house for his family. So he picked a home site on a high place about a mile west of the original house. There he had a two story house built with kitchen, living room and bedrooms down stairs and a full open loft upstairs which was divided by curtains to separate the boys and the girls. Everyone who slept upstairs slept on corn shuck mattresses on the floor. Built on to the back of the kitchen was a smokehouse. This is the Home Place we all talk about. Andy was a man fascinated with machinery. He liked the tractors and their associated equipment but he loved automobiles. About every two or three years he would trade his car in for a new one. His driving was not as careful in later years as his family would like. He would get Grandma Estes and drive into Rockwood for groceries and the mail. He would park in front of Uncle Boss’ store and Grandma would get the groceries while he walked across the street to get the mail. When they were ready to leave he would back straight out onto the highway that ran though the center of town while his family members held their collective breaths hoping a car or truck wasn't coming. He continued to drive until he was in his mid 90s. |
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Some time in 1937 Andy Estes invited the Reverend Neland and his son Neyland Hester, his son-in-law and grandson, to ride with him to the post office in Rockwood to pick up a registered letter. Neyland rode along in the back seat leaning forward to hear the conversation. By the way, Andy asked Neyland to go along with him to sign his name for the letter. It contained a check for $2,500, and Andy let him hold it; for about five seconds! During the ride to town Neland said, “Mr. Estes, we are all getting older and most of your children are living close, I think it would be a good thing to get us all together once a year for a day of fellowship and thanksgiving. I suggest the first Sunday in June because school is just out and that's the week my family always comes to Rockwood.” Grandpa Estes replied, “Brother Hester, if you think its a good idea, then do it.” At the first reunion there was a short worship service. One of the grandchildren read the scripture, Uncle Boss, gave the prayer, and Reverend Hester gave a short sermon. That first reunion was the beginning of a long lasting tradition. We had our 65th Reunion in 2003. |
J. A. and Fanny Estes
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| Andy Estes continued to farm and work well into his 80s.
Late in December of 1959 Andy fell and broke his hip. A few days
later he developed pneumonia and passed away on the 6th of January 1960
just six months shy of his 100 birthday. Grandma Estes passed away
on the 17 of June 1953 from complications of diabetes as did her mother
and her grandmother. Mostly she was just worn out from a lifetime
of a farmwife and child bearing.
Being the son of a man in poor health trying to make a living didn't allow funds for education so Andy Estes never learned to read or write. He could slowly and difficultly sign his name, but always used a specially made stamp with his signature. He could also do figures enough to run his farms and make a good living but he was not a formally educated man. |
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J. A. and Fanny Estes Family |
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