The History of DeWitt County, Texas Page: 646 of 874
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Sometime around 1906 A.J. Neal, my grand-
father, Uncle Bennie and my father, H.A. Neal,
made a trip to West Texas, in a horse-drawn
wagon, to buy Dad a ranch. My father, Harry
was the one most interested in stock raising of
the Neal boys. Grandpa was a great believer in
sheep. He said that the men who moved to
West Texas and ran sheep stayed, and those
that depended on cattle went broke. On this
trip Dad was impressed with the Lampasas
country. I believe he said it could have been
bought for fifty cents to a dollar per acre. Dad
said he has never figured out exactly how it
happened, but on the way back home Grandpa
and Uncle Bennie bought a ranch on the Llano
river near Junction and Dad bargained for the
old home place in DeWitt County near Strat-
ton.
Dock Neal used the livestock fire brand
called Heart Vee, The records show it was
registered in DeWitt County in 1874. The
brand was probably used before it was offi-
cially registered. Information handed down
stated that the brand was registered in all
counties south to the coast.
On the open range cattle drifted away from
the cold north winds in the winter. Each spring
they were driven back to their home range. My
father, Harry Neal, used the Heart Vee brand
during his life time (1885-1956). I, Edward M.
Neal, used the brand from 1951 to 1982 and
have it registered in DeWitt, Bee, and Live Oak
Counties. My daughter Sara Jane and her
husband, Allen L. Dunn, are now using the
brand. We have two grandsons, Brett Edward
Dunn (1968) and Neal H. Dunn (1972) that we
hope will keep the brand tradition alive, They
are both good brush cowboys.
A.J. Neal was given a Power of Attorney by
J.R. (Uncle Jim) Benbow dated May 11, 1874,
to drive and sell cattle with certain brands and
ear marks in Kansas. Uncle Jim was no rela-
tion, however, it was the custom to call older
people "Uncle and Aunt'.
Mr. Madison Granberry, who was distantly
related in some way by marriage told me a
story a number of years ago about one of these
trail drivers. Apparently Dock Neal often
played pranks on the other trail drivers. One
day during a noon stop on a river, four men
decided they would even up the jokes. Grand-
father was taking a nap. They picked him up,
one man on each arm and leg and proceeded to
the river. He offered no resistance whatsoever
until they got to the river bank. A big kick took
care of the two leg men and he got up and threw
the other two men in the river. It was a good
story for a young grand-son who was all ears.
Another trail drive story of interest regards his
returning home alone from Kansas with the
money in gold coins carried on a pack horse
along with his bedroll. One night in camp he
was aroused by his horses stirring around.
Grandfather said to his horses, "Hey what are
you doing there?" - A voice answered, "Just
trying to see who you are."
Another story that indicates A.J. (Dock)
Neal's personality or character was about a
stray shoat (pig) that showed up at the Neal
place. In trying to run it off, Grandfather cut its
tail off as it ran under the lot fence. A neighbor
who was not known for truthfulness came over
to check on the stray pig. "Yes Dock, that is my
hog all right, I cut its tail off before it got out of
its mother's bed." Grandfather said "Well this
is not your shoat then, as I cut off its tail.Grandfather said he was convinced the hog
belonged to the man, but he never gave up
possession of the shoat.
636My father, Harry Neal, said that Grandfath-
er also took a very active part in breaking up
the so called inavericking of cattle, or more
correctly, wholesale stealing on the open
range.
It is interesting to note that Grandfather
started buying land during his trail driving
time. It must have been a method of creating
capital. Land purchases were made as follows
by A.J. Neal:
110 A 1/12/74 for a total $330 coin dollars
from Estate of IG. Belcher, Brenham, Texas;
80.5 A 11/21880 total $201.25 from Mrs.
Barsheba Belcher; 79 A 1/12/83 total $135 from
Royal Garey (brother-in-law); 390 & 116 A
611383 total $1,381 from Estate Eugene Wal-
lace; 33.3 A 4/'86 total $350 from C.B. Wil-
liams; 3.9 A 1C2W88 total $39.00 from Royal
Garey (brother-in-law). Records show money
was borrowed from numerous individuals at
10%-12% interest rates.
Edward M. Neal, (1912) present owner,
married Flossie Davis (1917) in 1939. To this
union were born: Judy Neal Stubbs (1943),
Sara Jane (Neal) Dunn (1947) and Diana Neal
Loving (1953).
It must have been rugged, hard, and exciting
times for the old timer's but they built a great
country. It is amazing how they accomplished
all this without someone to tell them when to
tighten their saddle girth or buckle their seat
belt.
by Edward M. Neal
NEWMAN, JOHN
LESLIE (PETE)
F672
John Leslie (Pete) Newman was born on
November 2, 1903 in the vicinity of Stratton in
DeWitt County. He was the fourth child of
John A. and Julia Ann (Terry) Newman, whose
story is given separately.
Pete grew up in and around Cuero and
always considered it home. He was well known
as a brick mason and many of the masonry
homes and buildings in the area were built by
him.
During the 1940s and 1950s he traveled to
other states to ply his trade. Pete made many
friends in his travels. After several years he
returned to Cuero to work in the area. Pete was
a member of Cuero Masonic Lodge, A.F. & A.M.
Pete's first wife was Jerlie Dunn. Jerlie was
born in Stockdale, Texas on June 11, 1905 and
died October 2, 1968 in San Antonio, Texas.
Her parents were G.B. Dunn and Mildred
Adeline (Molly Foster) Dunn of San Antonio.
Mr. Dunn was a grocer for many years in San
Antonio.
Pete and Jerlie had two daughters: Florence
Anita and Mary Loyce. Anita was born Septem-
ber 24, 1923 in San Antonio. She married Joe
Little Jr. on May 4, 1940. Joe's family is listed
under House-Grun. Joe and Anita have two
daughters: Jo Ann, born November 26, 1941
and Peggy Loyce, born September 17, 1943,
both born in San Antonio. Jody married Jim C.
Mollenkopf of San Antonio on February 20,
1965. Jody and Jim have three children. Their
daughter, Tanya Denise, was born the 25th of
January 1969. Sons, Kelly Charles was bornDecember 30, 1970 and Jimmie Charles Jr.
was born on June 12, 1973. They live in the
Adkins, Texas area, east of San Antonio. Peggymarried Charles B. (Shorty) Thompson or
September 17, 1965 and they live in San
Antonio.
Mary Loyce (Honey) was born October 1,
1925 in Cuero, Texas. She first married Clin-
ton McDougal and they had one daughter,
Jerry Lea, born November 7, 1942. Honey's
second marriage was to Maurice Cote. They
had two daughters: Janice Yvette born June 7,
1948 and Darlene Janet born July 11, 1952.
Jerry married Robert T. Armstrong of San
Antonio on March 19, 1971. Janice is married
to Thomas E. Dupree Jr. Janice has three
children by previous marriages. Yvette Mi-
chelle Bierre born December 20, 1965, Sean
Dale Maughan born August 21, 1967 and
Elizabeth Ann Moore born June 30, 1970.
Darlene was first married to Cordell Kirby in
November 1967. They have one son, Kevin
Wayne, born November 15, 1970. Her second
husband is Gregory J. Weiss. They married
October 5, 1979. All of Honey's family live in
Tennessee. Honey died October 22, 1973 and is
buried in San Antonio.
Pete married for the second time in 1929 to
Ethel Wright. Ethel was born July 18, 1911
and died April 11, 1974. Pete died July 28,
1966. They are both buried in the Cuero Ceme-
tery.
by Anita Newman Little
NEWMAN, JOSEPH
TERRY
F673Joseph Terry Newman
The first Newmans in Texas were Joseph
Austin Newman (b.-York County, South Caroli-
na 1780) and his wife, Rachel Rabb (b. Fayette
Co., Pa. 1790), who came to Texas with Ste-
phen F. Austin's "Old 300" in 1822. Joseph died
in Egypt, Texas, in 1831; his widow survived
until 1872. Their son, Joseph Austin Newman,
Jr., was born in Wharton County in 1824. He
married Mary Rice. One of their children, John
Austin Newman, was born in DeWitt County
in 1871. He married Julia Ann Terry, the
daughter of John and Julia A. Middlebrooks
Terry. John Austin died in 1940 and his widow
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DeWitt County Historical Commission (De Witt County, Tex.). The History of DeWitt County, Texas, book, 1991; Fort Worth, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1457266/m1/646/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting DeWitt County Historical Commission.