Bosque County: Land and People (A History of Bosque County, Texas) Page: 192
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chine-Tool, Inc., in 1964 from Waco to the old
Humble pump station on Hwy. 6 between
Valley Mills and Clifton. They commuted to
work from Waco until June 1, 1966, at which
time they moved into their new home in the
Norse community.
Ray had spent his weekends for three years
building fences, stock tanks, barns, clearing
the land of brush in preparation for their new
home. He repaired and remodeled the old
Canuteson house for his mother, Mrs. Belle
Byford, but she suffered a stroke a few
months after moving and spent the last year
of her life in Clifton Lutheran Sunset Home.
In 1973, Emma and Ray purchased the
Jimmy O'Shea land adjacent to their prop-
erty, and Ray proceeded to clear the land of
brush and build new fences and stock tanks.
Part of this land was sold in 1977.
In 1976, because of Ray Byford's failing
health, Byford Machine-Tool Inc. was sold to
C. Barnell Strahan, who had been the shop
Production Manager for many years. Ray
Byford suffered a fatal heart attack on
August 26, 1980, at his home, and was buried
in Oakwood Cemetery in Waco. He was born
in Coryell County on August 25, 1913, the
eldest of three sons of John T. and Belle Seale
Byford, who died in 1946 and 1967 respec-
tively. Ray was the last of his family, as his
brother D. Seale Byford died in 1965, and
J.R. Byford died in 1979. Emma and Ray
Byford had no children.
Ray Byford worked for Wm. Cameron
Company in Waco for ten years, first in the
accounting department, and later as an asst.
branch manager. In 1942, he began working
for Mr. W.L. Trice of O.K. Machine & Tool
Col. in Waco. He became a machinist and a
tool and die maker, and purchased an interest
in O.K. Machine & Tool Co. in 1954. In 1956,
Ray Byford together with C.B. Strahan and
Q.P. Cain started their own business, Byford
Machine-Tool, Inc. After a few years, Ray
and Emma bought out the two partners and
continued to operate the business in Waco
until 1964 when they moved the plant to
Bosque County.
On September 2, 1937, in Marlin, Ray H.
Byford married Emma Watkins, the third of
five daughters born in Marlin, Texas, to
Joseph Moore Watkins and Emma Conner
Watkins, who died in 1941 and 1976 respec-
tively, and whose parents were Falls County
pioneers in the Wilderville and Rosebud
communities. Joe M. Watkins was in the
hardware business in Marlin many years.
Emma Byford worked in the Bureau of
Vital Statistics and as secretary to the
Director of the Waco McLennan County
Health Unit from 1944 to 1950, then as
secretary of the plant manager of Owens-
Illinois for four years, and later with her
husband at Byford Machine-Tool, Inc.
Currently, Emma is active in all phases of
garden club work, is a Master NationallyAccredited Flower Show Judge, a member of
Clifton Garden Club, Clifton Civic Improv-
ement Society, the United Methodist
Church, Lifeliners Club, and Life Member of
Nell Pape Garden Center, and Central Texas
Council of Nationally Accredited Flower
Show Judges.
In 1974, Emma Byford's sister, May Ethel
Watkins Wood, and her husband Norman
Russell Wood, and children Mark, Barry, and
Karen, moved to Clifton upon Norman's
retirement from Federal Service.
Byford Machine-Tool, Inc. under the
192management of C.B. Strahan, owner, and
Anna Marie Lindley, Plant Manager, has
continued to grow. Land has been purchased,
and plans are to build a new plant in Clifton
in the near future.
by Emma W. Byford
BYNUM, A. MOOD
F164
Stephen Ellis Bynum, son of Asa and
Rebecca Elizabeth (Murphee) Bynum was
born in Alabama in 1838. He was married to
Charlotte (Lottie) Jones. To them were born
ten children; Bernice, Radolphus, Edd, Ollie,
Lex, Sarah, Emily, Chatherine, Mood and
Will.
Stephen Ellis was a veteran of the Civil
War. He was in the war for four years and
never had a leave of absence to go home until
the war was over.
In about 1890 they came to the Morgan
area of Bosque County. He operated a gin in
Morgan until his death in 1895. He is buried
in the Morgan Cemetery. Charlotte made her
home with her children until her death.
Edd Bynum, who came to Bosque County
with his parents, was never married. At an
early age he began working on the Logan
Ranch near Valley Mills. Later he was elected
Treasurer of Bosque County and served
several years.
Mood Bynum, born 1875, in Union, Fulton
County, Arkansas, came to Texas with his
parents when about fifteen years old. After
his father's death, he began working for a Mr.
Burgan near Morgan. He worked there
several years before going with the Burgan
family to Floyada. He worked for a dollar a
day and keep. With this income he was able
to buy land.
He later returned to Bosque County and
worked with a brother, Will, below Morgan
on Steele Creek. Then he began working for
the State as a guard at the Steiner Valley
prison farm. J. D. Black was superintendent;
his wife, Maggie, was matron. Maggie's sister,
Kate Jones, of Rusk visited her and met
Mood.
Mood and Kate were married in 1912. They
had two children; a son, Roy Burnett, who
died in infancy, and a daughter, Dorothy.
Soon after their marriage they bought the
Larkin Johnson farm in the Union Hill area
where they resided until their death. Mood
died in 1959. Kate died in 1974. Both are
buried in the Kopperl Cemetery.
Dorothy was born in the Union Hill
community where she went to school. Later
she went to Sam Houston State University,
then to Clifton College. There she met Floyd
Moffatt. They were married in 1933. To them
was born one son, Danny, whose vocation is
radio communications. Floyd was in WorldWar II in the Air Force for four years.
He spent years in the refrigeration and air
conditioning business. He died in 1983 and
is buried in the Kopperl Cemetery.
Dorothy worked in dentistry for several
years before retiring to her native home near
Kopperl, where she presently resides. She is
employed at Meridian Hospital. She is active
in the Kopperl United Methodist Church and
Bosque County Historical Commission and
is president of the Union Hill Alumni Associ-
ation.
by Dorothy MoffattBYNUM, WILLIAM D.
F165
William D. (Will) Bynum, youngest son of
Ellis and Charlotte (Jones) Bynum, was
married to Nannie Love Coats, whose chil-
dren are Jonnie Lee, Carneal, Bill Logan,
Bruce, Ray, Morrell, James B., Wendell,
Durward and Jack. The children of Will and
Nannie were born and reared in the Steiner
and Union Hill community. All of them
attended school at Union Hill where they all
were active in athletics.
When coming to the Union Hill community
from Steiner they resided at the Tom Frazer
place, which he farmed, and he owned and
operated a meat market in Morgan. He was
a school trustee and active in the Union Hill
Baptist Church. He was extremely interested
in the athletic activities of his sons.
Johnnie Lee married Burrell Johnson.
They had a son, Charles, and three daughter-
s:Katherine, Louise and Nannie Jo. Kather-
ine married Henry Maden; Louise married
Mike Eades. They had three children,
Brenda, Johnny and Michael. Nannie Jo
married Lewis Rowe and they had two
children, Mary Ann and Bobby Lewis.
Carneal married Lucille McDonald. They
had one son, Bobby Carl.
Bill married Leone Hickox and they had a
daughter, Ann.
Logan married Aline Hughes and they had
four children: Virginia, L. A., Jeffie and
Linda.
Bruce married LaVerne Sheppard. They
had two children, a son, Sammy, and a
daughter who died in infancy.
Ray married Mildred Janes and they had
a son, John Ray, and a daughter, Barbara. He
later married Jewell Bailey and they had a
son, Donald, and adopted Jewell's daughter,
Brenda.
Morrell C. married Geneva Harris. They
had three children: Jimmy Leroy, Myra Jean,
who died in infancy and Sherry Lynn.
James B. married Ireta Dodson. They had
two daughters, Nelda and Delores.
Wendell married Aline Neil. They had two
sons: Douglas, who died in infancy, and
Jackie. Aline passed away in 1942 when
Jackie was about six months old. Wendell
later married Verna Burns. They had one
daughter, Vernwen.
Durward married Lucille Brant. They had
three sons: Curt, Tim and John.
Jack married Alice Morrell. They had five
children: Paula, Mike, Jackie, Sam and
Sonya.
Nannie Love died in 1930 and was buried
in the Kopperl Cemetery beside Johnnie Lee,
who proceded her in death. The following
have passed away since; Logan, Bill, Carneal
and Bruce.
Will's second marriage was to Ora Free-
man, who had four sons: Horace, Hershall,
Ray and Ross. Will and Ora had a daughter,
Sonya, who is married to Don Daniel. They
had four children: Julie, Stephen, Jamie and
Paul David.Will died in 1948 and is buried beside
Nannie Love in the Kopperl Cemetery. Ora
died in 1982 and is buried in Clifton Memo-
rial Park.
A daughter of Will and Nannie Love
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Bosque County History Book Committee. Bosque County: Land and People (A History of Bosque County, Texas), book, 1985; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth91038/m1/208/?q=campbell: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Denton Public Library.