A history of Deaf Smith County, featuring pioneer families Page: 68 of 174
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History
Deaf Smith County
PioneersStudents enrolled.
After drouth and the coming of the railroad through
the south-eastern corner of Deaf Smith County caused the
town to be moved to Hereford, the Witherspoons continued
to be town and community builders in the new location.
They had organized the Presbyterian Church at
La Plata and continued active in the church, town, and
county throughout the area's growth.
C. G. Witherspoon went into partnership with Judge L.
Gough in a real estate office at Hereford. His was one of
the first businesses on Dewey Avenue. He set up his business
in a tent until an office could be built. He was very
active in developing the town, arranging for loans to those
Who needed them. He and his wife built one of the finest
homes in Hereford, later known as the Broadwell house
on West Third Street. After serving as county judge, he
was known as Judge Witherspoon. They moved to California
in 1911, where he was active in real estate and land
development in the Imperial Valley. He later helped
develop the Enid, Oklahoma, area, and was living in
Mineral Wells, Tex., when he died in 1916. They had one
Son, Claude, and one daughter, Bertha.
Sarah Frances (Fannie) Witherspoon married Robert Lee
Wilson who farmed in the Summerfield community then
moved to Hot Springs, N.M. Other than their son, Alvie
William, born at La Plata, they had Jessie Edmond, Cecil
Robert, Linnie Lee, Beatrice, Sallie, Vera Mae, and Ona
Annette.
Anderson Witherspoon married Bessie Anderson. He was
a cowhand, rancher, and farmer and was active in the
Presbyterian Church and served as fire marshall inHereford.
They lived at Canyon in later years. Their children
are Lonnie, Evelyn Marie, and Jake Anderson.
Rem Witherspoon married Myrtle Harris. He was a
Cowboy, farmer, and rancher. Their children are: Almeda
Norine (Mrs. C.N. Penman), J.W. (married Inez Easter),
and Raymond Floyd, (married Lois Sparks.)
Thomas David (Tom) Witherspoon married Gertrud
Laughlin; they live in Amarillo. He was a carpenter and
Well driller. Their children are Genevieve (Mrs. George
Christopher) and Henry Guinn (married Mrs. Estelle Duke).
Nancy Rachel Witherspoon married J.H. Weems, anXIT
COwboy and farmer. They lived at Hereford all their
lives. Their children are Henry, deceased; Ray Odon
(married Jennie Mae Creamer), Verna Lucile (Frederick
Schulz), William Franklin (Louise Cloyd), Roxona (Walter
A. Schulz), Eugene (Vada Walden), and Nola Mae (Frank
Ashlock).
Vern Witherspoon was married to Myrtle Cornelia
Bowe in 1906. He served as city commissioner and has
operated an electrical shop in Hereford. Their children
are Beryl William (Grace Duffey), and Frank Gordon
(Myra Hartman).
After the death of his first wife, Bessie Lowe, Hugh Lee
Witherspoon was married to Grace Jones. He was a carPenter.
His children are: Glenn(Bernice Baldwin), Willard
Otho (Grace Smith), Maybelle (Kay Baird), and Grace
Alice (Ray Casebolt).
Roxona Witherspoon (Roxy) was married to Lynn M.
Pertsch, who served as superintendent of Hereford schools
or eight years. They lived in Austin and she died there
in 1949, Their daughter, Pauline, married Arthur Eatman.
Mary Leona Witherspoon married T. Guy Rogers, who
taught here, and in Farwell and laterlivedat San Antionio.
Their daughter, Enna Fay Rogers, taught in Dallas for
Years. Their son, William Brooks Rogers, married Helen
Reinhard.Dewey Avenue about 1905.
61
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Gran and Clarence Womble and Pitts Hamilton
shocking wheat on the old J. C. Womble ranch,
about 1910.
J. C. WOMBLE, 1881
Last Big Indian Scare
The J. C. Womble family arrived in Amarillo by rail on
January 29, 1891, just in time toexperience the last Indian
scare in the Panhandle. After settling his family and others
of their 15-member party in the City Hotel, Womble went
to the depot seeking news of the immigrant car in which
his effects were en route under the supervision of a 14year-old
son, Troy, who was bedded down in a piano box.
While waiting, Womble learned that all the communities
near Amarillo were throwing up barricades against a rumored
Indian raid. Not mentioning the scare to his family,
Womble spent the night on guard with his single-barrel
shotgun ready to fire. Finally, after about two days, word
came that the false alarm had been spread by a woman,
probably fresh from the east. Apparently she had misinterpreted
the shouts of cowboys who had been butchering
a beef.
Of the Wombles' ten children, one daughter, Easter, had
married W. T. (Red) Smith before the family left Huntington,
Tenn. They made the move to the Panhandle about
10 years later. In addition to the four boys and four girls
coming with their parents by passenger train, there were
a J. G. Hamilton, his wife and four sons, and a single
man, Sam Miller.
While the family was waiting to file on Deaf Smith
County land, they were invited to stay with the Sanders
family which had preceded them by some three months.
The Wombles had made a tent of strong ducking to use
for cooking and eating before their new home was completed.
They accepted the Sanders' invitationand stretched
their tent beside their hosts' 14 by 14 foot boxing plank
house. Only a couple of days after the tent was erected, it
was blown away during the night by a sand and snow storm.
For three weeks 15 people lived in the small house until
Womble and the family had erected a 14 by 16-foot house
on his section six miles south of Wildorado. Later he
was able to file on two more sections of land. As the
children married, he helped them get a start in the ranching
business.
Mrs. Joyce Meeks of Amarillo, the only surviving
member of the original Womble family, recalls that her
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Patterson, Bessie. A history of Deaf Smith County, featuring pioneer families, book, 1964; Hereford, Tex.. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth16011/m1/68/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Deaf Smith County Library.