Gregg County People
If you have any Gregg County biographies
you would like to see added, or information to add to the current
biographies, please email:Etta, Sheila, & Elaine. Click on a small
picture to see it full
size.
S
 Sale-
W.M. Sale owned and operated the Sale Electric Supply
of Longview. They sold and installed electrical wiring
and equipment, and were know as one of the most reputable
companies of its kind. Longview was headquarters for W.M.
Sale, but his work carried him regularly to cities throughout
East Texas installing electrical equipment in many of
the finest public and commercial buildings, and in many
of the best homes. He played an important role in the
developement of Longview by creating a safe athmosphere
and in providing more employment and better payrolls. |
| Scott - In the early 1890's Eugene Couch
Scott and wife Sallie Milam Butts traveled from Milledgeville,
Georgia to Kilgore to make their home. Some relatives
lived in the nearby Elderville Community. Their children
were: Will, Rosa Berchmyer (married Frank Sory), Mollie
(married J.C. Young), Tully C., Nellie (married Gay Fulton
Glover) and Eugene S. (married Mrs. Lavina Freeman McQueen).
[This short bit of information was found in a book titled
Early Kilgore Families] |
 Shepperd
- Alfred (Doc) Fulton Shepperd was the son of
John Henry & Ella Mackey Shepperd. His wife, Bertha
Phillips was the daughter of Ben F. Phillips and Mattie
J. Fambrough. Doc was born in 1885 and Bertha was born
in 1886. Both of their families were among the areas pioneers
to settle in the Gladewater area. They came in the late
1840's to the early 1850's from Georgia, Alabama &
Tennessee.
Doc graduated from business
college at the Tyler Commercial College and Bertha attended
Texas Christian University. She was a school teacher,
bookkeeper and court reporter before she married Doc
in 1912. Doc was a Mail Carried for 5 years, delivering
more than mail. He delivered the mail by horseback or
buggy, and everyone took advantage of any extra space
he might have while on his rounds. He was often known
to deliver medicine, groceries , messages, or anything
else that needed delivering.
Doc was a very enterprising fellow and in 1906
he opened his own livery stable. In 1912 he sold the
livery stable and opened Shepperd's Hardware. He sold
anything from nuts & bolts to caskets, and being
the town's only funeral director, he had a horse drawn
hearse complete with a pair of matching black horses.
In 1916 he bought his first farm, which is where the
Gladewater "Doc Shepperd Field" airport is now. Later
he bought land all around a 3 county area. A.F. Shepperd
General Merchandise opened in 1922 and operated in 3
different locations south of the railroad tracks until
1933. [This information was found among loose papers
in the Gladewater Library] |
(From left to right: 1st Picture:
Gemett F. Shepperd. 2nd Picture: Mildred Oliver Bozman
Shepperd. 3rd Picture: Albert Shepperd. 4th Picture: Alma,
Anne & Ollie Shepperd)
Shepperd
- Gemett F. Shepperd and wife Mildred Oliver Bozman,
daughter of Benjamin M. Bozman, lived on a farm that Mildred
inherited from her father who died in 1888. Mildred was
a native Texan and lived her entire life within 3 miles
of where she was born. Gemett and Mildred's living children
were: Alma, Anne, Ollie and Albert. [This information
was found among loose papers at the Gladewater Library] |
| Shepperd - (October 19, 1915 - March 8, 1990)
A native of Gladewater, John Ben Shepperd began a law
practice in Longview soon after his graduation from the
University of Texas Law School in 1941. After service
in World War II, he gained prominence as national president
of the Jaycees. His public service career began in 1946,
when he was appointed to fill his father's unexpired term
as county commissioner. Governor Allan shivers appointed
Shepperd secretary of state in 1950. He was elected attorney
general in 1952 and was reelected in 1954. As attorney
general, he attacked political corruption in Duval county
and the misuse of state veterans land funds. After retiring
from public office in 1957, Shepperd moved to Odessa where
he practiced law and supported numerous civic and charitable
endeavors. He was appointed to a number of state and national
boards and commissions, including the Texas State Historical
Survey Committee (now Texas Historical Commission). He
was the driving force in the growth and development of
the Historical Marker Program, which became nationally
recognized during his term as chairman. He renovated his
Gladewater boyhood home and farm after his retirement.
He is buried in the family cemetery south of Gladewater.
--Texas Atlas |
| Shipp - E.C. & Flora Phillips
Shipp lived in Gilmer in the beginning. They had married
in 1892 in West Mountain at Flora's parents home, Ben
& Mattie Phillips. They had 4 children in Upshur County
before moving to West Texas. When the oil boom hit in
1931, the Shipp's pick up and moved to Gladewater. They
owned a little B-B-Q stand on North Main & Quitman
during the oil boom time, then retired on the old Shipp
homestead in West Mountain. E.C. &
Flora had 5 sons and 2 daughters: Edgar (married Evelyn
Fry of Big Sandy), Leroy (married Bess George of West
Mountain), Homer (married Exa Mae Vernon), Phil (married
Alta Bearden), Twayne, Clara (married ? Paxton) and
Mattie Ben (married a Simons).
Edgar owned the Whitehouse Grocery on S. Main St.
Leroy had the first 2 story building on S. Main (later
known as the board walk) that held a grocery store downstairs
and a rooming house upstairs. Leroy also owned the Northside
Grocery at N Main and Hwy 80. Homer & Phil later
bought Whitehouse Grocery and Northside Grocery and
opened 2 other stores (one in Wood Heights & one
on Commerce St). They also owned the markets in several
other stores in Gladewater. The Wood Heights store was
the first in East Texas to be open 24 hours a day, 7
days a week. [This information was found among loose
papers at the Gladewater Library] |
 Shive-
John E. Shive was born September 15, 1906 in Waxahachie,
Tx. and attended local schools there. He went to the Shriner
Military Academy at Kerrville, Tx. in 1925. John Shive's
father had a feed business in Waxahachie for years and
John learned the business working with his father. He
arrived in Longview ca. 1934 and opened his own feed business,
The Shive Grane Co., located at 111 East Cotton Street.
He was a member of the Chamber of Commerce, a member of
the First Presbyterian Church, a member of the Rotary
Club, and played a mean game of golf. |
 Sigmund-
Leslie E. Sigmund was employed by a local Longview automobile
agency, then owned and operated his own business in Longview
in the late 1930's. He was considered one of Longview's
outstanding and successful your business men. He took
an active part in the affairs of clubs & civic organizations
such as: Junior Chamber of Commerce, the Longview Kiwanis
club, the Senior Chamber of Commerce and the Gregg County
Free fair. |
| Simmons - T.F. Simmons was a native
of Many, Louisiana. He was a long time evangelist and
minister of Longview, being pastor of the Bethel Baptist
Church. His education came from Bishop College of Marshall,
Texas, Prairie View College, Golden Gate Seminary of Berkeley,
California and Union Theology Seminary of Nashville, Tennessee.
His activities included: an American Woodsman, a member
of the NAACP, a member of the Baptist Ministerial Union,
a 32° mason, serving as a minister in California and
Alaska, and working with the Boy Scouts of America. |
 Skipper
- Dozier Skipper, Jr. was a successful young clothing
merchant in Longview. He gave up his business to run for
the office of Districk Clerk of Gregg County in 1932,
only a month before the first primary. Although he was
not known politically, he was so well known as a businessman,
that he beat out the three opponents to win the office.
At that time the districk courts were so swamped with
legal work that it seemed like an impossible task to do
a competent job. Dozier Skipper began to reorganize the
office, to put in a new record system, and managed to
do such a good job in office that he shortly became established
as one of East Texas' most popular public officials. After
the public learned what a great job he was doing, he went
a number of elections before anyone would even run against
him. |
| Skipper - William Skipper and his wife Sarah
Ann Moore traveled by boat to Jefferson, Texas. From there
they found their way to Gregg County. William & Sarah
were married in Greenville, Alabama in Dec of 1857. Their
children were: William R. (married Mattie McVay), Frank
B., Laurah (married William McVay), Vernilia (married
Jesse G. Moore), Melissa (married William A. Moore), Ida,
the twins Dora & Eugene and Dozier (married Mattie
Elder). (This short bit of information was found
in a book titled Early Kilgore Families) |
 Smith
- B.H. Smith was born in McKinney, Texas in 1904. He began
as manager of the Duke and Ayres in Longview about 1930,
but had been associated with them for a number of years
before 1930. He was an active worker for the betterment
of his community. He was a member of the First Baptist
Church, the Knights of Pythias Lodge and a member of the
Masonic Lodge. |
 Sosland
- Morris Sosland was owner and manager of the Sosland
Diamond and Gift Shop. He founded his career and reputation
on selling only the best quality merchandise, which netted
him the honor of having one of the finest shops of its
type in the state of Texas. The people of Longview recognized
his efforts which was shown by the growth his business
has enjoyed. He was active in many civic affairs and various
jeweler's organizations; Lions Club, Pine Crest Country
Club, the Longview Chamber of Commerce, the Masonic Lodge,
the Texas-Louisiana Jewelers Association and the American
National Retail Jewelers Association. |
 Sterling
- Chalmers Z. Sterling was born Jun 28, 1904 in Anna,
Texas. He completed his High School education at Wesley
College of Greenville, Tx., which was an academic school.
In 1924 he went to Sherman, Tx. where he was employed
at a hotel, later going to Denison, Tx. where he was employed
at a hotel. From there he went to Abilene, Tx and then
to Longview, Tx. ca. 1934. Arriving in Longview, he was
employed by Gay Glover as a salesman for the cleaners. |
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