Historic Matagorda County: Volume 3 Page: 235

                                
Ida May  Yeager   (September  18, 1897-September  4,  1961)   taught
school at Gulf,  Texas, where she   met Harry Archie  Swem (August   22,
1890-August 8, 1954). They were married on June 20, 1928. Harry     was
transferred to Newgulf, Texas, and later, promoted as general    manager
of the Texas Gulf   Sulphur Company at  Newgulf.  Bonnie (Swem)   Nelson
was their only child.
Ethel Gusman
ASA YEAMANS
The first Yeamans in America was Edward (1630-1706) of England who
married Mary Button at Haverhill, Massachusetts, on December 6,    1652.
She was baptized on February 23, 1633, at Boston, and was the daughter
of Matthias  and   Lettyce Button.   They  were the  ancestors   of  Asa
Yeamans, son of Revolutionary War veteran Daniel Yeamans and his wife,
Esther Sterling   Yeamans.   Asa  was  born on  October   11,  1772, at
Lebanon, Connecticut,   and he  married Jerusha  Wightman, daughter   of
Revolutionary War   veteran  Benjamin  Wightman and  his  wife,   Esther
Randall Wightman.
In 1829 the  Yeamans family   came to Texas  from New  York with   a
group of colonists brought by Jerusha's brother, Elias Wightman.     Asa
was issued a land grant in Grimes County on July 8, 1831; however,    it
is doubtful that the family ever lived on it. They made their home on
Caney Creek in Matagorda County.
All five of the Yeamans' sons served in the Texas Revolution. The
two younger boys, Elias   Robert and Erastus, were killed with    Fannin
and his  men  at   the massacre  at  Goliad  on March  27,   1836.   The
following petition was   made by Asa  Yeamans to the  Texas Senate   and
House of Representatives on September 28, 1836.
To the  Senate   and  House  of  Representatives  of  the
Republic of Texas
The  undersigned,    your  petitioner,   respectfully
represents to you that he is   now a very old man and   is
in indigent circumstances. That    he had sons, the  hope
and support of his declining   years, youths aged 18  and
20.  That the country called   for the services of  these
in the field, and they answered the call.   They were  of
the garrison of   Goliad. The history   and fate of  that
garrison is well   known to  you. His   sons returned  no
more to him. The humble dwelling which was once cheered
by their presence   is now occupied  by their mother   and
father only. They    are alone. There   is no longer  the
voice of a   child heard  to remind them  of their  happy
days. The blood of their sons has been unlawfully shed,
and it remains  unavenged. He at    whose doing  command,
they were put to death, still lives.   In the old  Jewish
law we read thus (Numbers Chapter 35, verses, 31-32-33).
'Moreover, ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of
a murderer, which is guilty of death, but that he   shall
be  surely  put    to  death,  and   ye  shall  take    on
satisfaction for him that is fled to the city of refuge,

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