Family Histories of Coleman
County, Texas
THE E. L. JENNINGS FAMILY
By Joyce Patterson Kirwin
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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Elza LesterJennings (1886-1964), one of seven children of Tom and Polly
(Osborne) Jennings of Brown County, married Callie Lee Lewis (1885-1947),
one of five children of Pete and Nancy Lewis of Brown County, in 1906.
He and his bride moved from Grosvenor to Camp Colorado, where he worked
for Fox Casey. In 1914, he bought some land in Concho County where
he lived a year or two before returning to Coleman County, living in Leaday,
Novice, and Glen Cove. During this time, he farmed and was a part-time
preacher in the Christadelphian church. “Grandpa” Jennings had a
witty sense of humor, loved to play the fiddle, and was known for his pranks
he would pull on people. “Grandma” Jennings was a petite, quiet,
sensible, self-sufficient little lady that kept everything running smoothly.
Once, Grandpa was working in the fields, leaned over a bin of corn and
was greeted by a rattlesnake, which bit him in the stomach. It was
miles to a doctor by way of horse and buggy. Little Granny fixed
up a potion, which she spread on a clean cloth and held to his snakebite
until they reached the doctor. On arrival, the doctor pulled off
the cloth to see it was green and declared there was nothing more he could
do - his wife had drawn out the venom and saved his life! Later,
they moved to town and Grandpa gave up farming to sell cars and did this
for several years, as well as sell burial insurance for Stevens Funeral
Home. Callie died in 1947 in the Brownwood Hospital, and Elza died
in the Coleman Hospital in 1964, both are buried in Coleman. They
raised four children in Coleman County:
(1) Orville Lester married Loveta Goode of Glen Cove, they
had two children, Orville Lee and Elvin Ray. They moved from Coleman
County and he died in Abilene in 1978.
(2) John Perry married Emma Luen Bible of Eastland County. Their
children, John Dwain, Danny Ray, Lanny Dean and Regina (Smith). John
died in 1977 in the Fort Worth Veterans Hospital.
(3) Vada Lee married William Alexander Meador, son and one of four children
of Ira A. and Sarah Amanda (Lee) Meador of Coleman County in 1925.
They had six children:
(3a) William Doyle, his children: Ricky Doyle, Sheila DeLea
Wise and Dorcia Marie.
(3b) Dorcia Lee (Holtz), her children: Pamala Kay (Roundtree), Shelly
Denyce (Hodnett) and John William III.
(3c) Ira Lester, children: Lester Dale, Randy Darrell and Brenda Elaine
(Jolly).
(3d) Dellene Matilda (Driskill), children: Gary Lynn, David Mark and
Jana Kay.
(3e) Elmore Winifred, children: James Winifred, Nikki Nan, Lee Wayne,
Bethany Hope and K-Trina Sue.
(3f) Melba Ray (Baugh), children: Timmy John, Tammy Jo (Smith), Terry
Wade and Tina Helen (Hensley).
After the death of Willie, Vada married Bill Laws of Glen Cove in 1946,
and still lives in Coleman (see John Bailey Laws). Willie is buried
in Coleman.
(4) Ardell married Loyd Arthur Patterson, one of nine children of Susie
(Harvey) and Jim Patterson of Voss, in 1936. They lived in Coleman
most of their lives, one child, Bevy Joyce (Kirwin). She had two
children, Kami Dee (Bridges) Lusson and Shaun Patrick Kirwin. Arthur
died in the Coleman Hospital in 1982, buried in Coleman. Ardell,
Joyce and Shaun reside in Coleman.
(Image to be added)
Bottom: Callie with baby Vada and husband Elza Jennings; Tom and
Polly Jennings (the mother and father) and John Perkins. Second row:
Ellie (Watson) Jennings and husband Lowe Jennings: Prudie (Jennings) Mods;
Lillie Jennings, Leonard Jennings, Lou Ella (Jennings) Young and Mary (Jennings)
Perkins.
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