Tommy (Tommie) Hollinger, born in 1855, and Mary Ann (Hamilton) Hollinger,
born 1860, and their son, Aaron, came to Coleman County in the early 1880’s
from Iowa settling first in the White Chapel community. They followed
Mary Ann’s father, J. T. Hamilton, and family. J. T. was the son
of Aaron and Elizabeth Lay Hamilton. Mary Ann’s mother, Martha (McBee)
Hamilton, is buried in Queen City, Missouri (see John
Thomas Hamilton). Nothing is known about Tommy Hollinger prior
to his coming to Texas. He had left home at age 14 and there is no
family knowledge about his parents, whether he had brothers and sisters,
nor even where they lived when he left home. The Hollingers later
moved to the Pleasant Valley community and Talpa. They had three
sons and one daughter: Aaron, born 1878 (Iowa); Floyd, born 1885; Willie
Bee, born 1891; and John T. Jack), born 1894, all born in Coleman County.
They attended Home Creek and Pleasant Valley schools. The children
and their families:
(1) Aaron married (1) Martha Condra in 1904 and they had one
son, Irvin. Martha died August 25, 1909, buried at Glen Cove (see Jack
and Pink Guthrie). He married (2) Annie Kibler in 1911. They
had no children.
(2) Floyd married Annie Ethel Hazle (Hazel) in 1910 (see Reverend
Samuel T. Hazle). They had three children:
(2a) Lillian, born in 1913, attended Talpa schools and married
Yates M. Martin of Talpa, son of Ross and Lena (Clayton) Martin.
They had three daughters: Dorothy Carol; Marion; and Doris Jean.
One son died soon after birth.
(2b) Floyd Lleldon (Muller), born in 1914, attended Talpa and Coleman
schools and married (1) Mamie Riley of Coleman. They had no children.
He married (2) Marjorie (McGraw) Sporrong. They had one son, Floyd
L. Jr., and he has three sons. Muller served in the 36th Military
Police, Army, in WWII.
(2c) Clyde Samuel (Skipper), born in 1916, attended Talpa schools and
married Edith Gwendola Sanders, born 1919, daughter of Walter and Kennie
(Eldridge) Sanders, granddaughter of Benjamin F. and Mattie (Ward) Sanders
and great granddaughter of Richard M. and Mary M. E. (Thomason) Sanders,
buried at Coleman. Clyde and Edith had one daughter, Marianne Gayle.
She married Jim Lanmon and has three children: Barbara (has one daughter,
Jennifer); Samuel (has one daughter, Stephanie); and Glenn.
(3) Willie Bee married Rube McClure and they had two sons, James and Preston
(see Robert Oscar (Bob) McClure and Oliver Merryman). They attended
Talpa school and both served in WWII. James has one daughter and
Preston, a son and a daughter (see Berryman-Gowens-McClure-Mantin).
(4) John T. (Jack) married (1) Bessie Clark. They had a son who
was killed in an accident as a child. He married (2) Billie Steele.
They had no children.
Tommy Hollinger died in 1929; Mary Ann in 1927; Aaron, December 28, 1949;
Annie, April 17, 1960; Floyd, March 6, 1946; Annie Ethel, August 4, 1940;
and Willie Bee McClure, in 1973, all buried at Talpa. John T. (Jack)
died in 1973, buried at Abilene.
During the early years after moving to Coleman County the Hollinger’s
farmed. Later, Mary Ann ran a boarding house in Talpa, while Tommy
continued to farm. Aaron owned a grocery store in Talpa for a number
of years before moving to Brownwood where he had a small ranch.
In 1915, Floyd Hollinger and Lester Freeman began operating the gin
at Talpa. There were two gins at Talpa. They also owned gins
at Eden, Valera and Coleman. They had interest in a gin at Eola with
E. E. Evans and Frank (Babe) Alexander. After Lester’s death in 1937,
all the gins were sold except for one in Talpa. After WWII started,
the gin business slowed due to declining cotton production and difficulty
in obtaining help to operate the gin, closing in 1943. A few years
later, the gin building and machinery was sold and the lot was cleared.
Clyde and Edith lived in Houston forty years. He retired from Hughes
Tool Company in 1982. They built a new house on the old gin site
where they now live.
(Images to be added)
Floyd and Ethel (Hazle) Hollinger (old red gin, south of railroad,
in background)
Ethel Hollinger and Willie Bee (Hollinger) McClure
Lleldon, Lillian and Clyde Hollinger
James McClure, Clyde and Lleldon Hollinger and Preston McClure, in
front
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