| James (Jim) Woodson Hipsher was born March 13, 1869 near Thornhill,
Grainger County, Tennessee, the son of William L., 1828-1909, and Delphia
(Leffew) Hipsher, 1837-1918, who married in 1865 in Grainger County.
They had seven children: Archie, John and James (twins), Willis, Mary,
Mattie and Dollie. William L. served in the Confederate Army from
Grainger County. As a young man, James (Jim), taught school and did
farm work. He came to Ellis County, Texas, about 1895 and worked
on a farm owned by Burrell Josephus Park, born April 26, 1844 Columbus,
Mississippi, died October 4, 1932 San Saba County, Texas, and his first
wife, Amanda M. (Falls) Park, born March 14, 1867 Kings Mountain, Cleveland
County, North Carolina, died December 25, 1891 Waxahachie, Texas, who married
March 12, 1869 in Sevier County, Arkansas. Burrell J. and four of
his brothers fought for the Confederacy. Their children: James, Lura,
Walter, Herbert and Edna. While Jim worked there, he met and married
the oldest Park daughter, Lura Rebecca, born November 25, 1872 in Sevier
County, on October 21, 1897 in Waxahachie. Lura attended Mary Hardin-Baylor
College at Belton and played the organ for church services. Jim and
Lura had three children born in Ellis County, Lillian Gladys, April 13,
1899; Ocie, September 27, 1900; and Dollie, died very young. After
Amanda’s death and her estate settled, the Jim Hipsher family returned
to Grainger County in about 1904. Another daughter, Vera Larue was
born February 12, 1906 in the same house where her father and grandfather
were born.
In November 1906, the Jim Hipsher family came to Coleman County by train
from Grainger County and settled a few miles northeast of Coleman.
Ocie and Gladys possibly attended Lone Star School. The family then
moved to the Watts Creek community where Emmett Wilkerson was born November
19, 1909. In 1910, Jim bought a farm southwest of Watts Creek from
D. L. Jenkins and sold this farm to M. M. Godwin in 1911. Vera entered
school at Watts Creek in 1913. Teachers were Ruth Cathey, Lera Couch
and Hugh Devanney. William Burrell was born June 23, 1914.
Jim was a school trustee at Watts Creek School for the 1914-15 term.
The family attended Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church. In 1916, the Hipshers
moved to the Bead Mountain area southwest of Valera and in July 1916, bought
a farm from A. M. Britton and wife, Carrie. Vera, Emmett and Burrell
attended school at Valera. Teachers were Sallie Warnock, Mr. and
Mrs. John Kellitt, Preston Sparks, Ola Griffis and Pauline Pettit.
Vera completed elementary school and the first two years of high school
at Valera. About 1924, the farm was sold and the family moved to
the Lone Star community. Emmett completed elementary school there
and Burrell also attended school there. Teachers were Laura Featherston,
Ruth Lindsey, Zula Abbey and Mrs. John Dunn. In 1927, they moved
to the Watts Creek community where Burrell and Emmett went to school.
In 1933, Jim, Lura and Burrell moved to a farm north of Burkett owned by
Frank and Evie Wright. Jim suffered a stroke in April 1944 and died
November 20, 1944, buried at Coleman. After her husband’s death,
Lura lived with her children; died March 22, 1957 in Los Angeles, California,
buried in Coleman. The children and their families:
(1) Lillian Gladys married George Taylor McQueen, December
4, 1919 (see John Taylor McQueen). Their children, all born in Coleman
County, were: Amy Ruth; Elizabeth Bernice; Emmet W. (Bunk), died January
31, 1931, when only five years old; Vera Pauline; James (Jim) Daniel and
Annie Lura. George died January 6, 1963 in Coleman County, Gladys,
January 21, 1966 in Nolan County, both buried at Talpa.
(2) Vera married Shubert J. Beeler, March 22, 1928 in Coleman (see David
A. Beeler). They moved to a farm near his mother in the Echo community.
(3) Ocie enlisted in the Navy in 1918, during WWI, and after his discharge
served in the Army. After his release from the Army, he worked in
a bank at Ballinger. He went to Needles, California, to work for
the Santa Fe Railroad about 1927. Lura was living with Ocie and his
wife, Stella, when she died. Ocie’s second marriage was to Stella
McKennelly, March 10, 1946 in California. He worked for Santa Fe
about 30 years before retiring. Stella was killed in a car wreck,
March 25, 1961 in California. He now lives with his step-daughter
in San Bernardino.
(4) Emmett went to Needles, California, in 1928 to work for Santa Fe.
He married Dessie Lee Vaughn, daughter of Russel and Irene (Barton) Vaughn.
In December 1940, Emmett bought a home in Coleman where his parents made
their home. Emmett and Dessie Lee did not have any children.
He worked for Santa Fe 45 years, retiring in 1974. They have lived
in San Bernardino 34 years.
(5) Burrell lived with Vera and her family and attended school at Echo.
Burrell went to California and worked for Santa Fe. He served in
the Coast Guard during the early part of WWII and received a medical discharge
and went back to work for Santa Fe. After his father suffered the
stroke, he came home to help care for his father until his death.
Burrell worked for Santa Fe over 20 years. He and Trellys had three
children born in Arizona, Clifton James, Donald Wayne and Doris Ann.
Burrell now resides in Prescott.
(Image to be added)
Lura and Jim Hipsher
Children of Jim and Lura Hipsher - Ocie, Gladys, Burrell, Vera, Emmett.
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