Chester and Lee (Burks) Crawford
Written by Allene Crawford WatsonSubmitted by Marylee Watson Knight
(Note: The following tribute was written by Allene (Crawford) Watson in 1978. Allene is the daughter of Chester and Lee (Burks) Crawford.)
Eddie Ollie Lee Burks was the daughter of J.J. and Elmina (Mitchell) Burks. She was born in the Brachfield Community in Rusk County. She married Chester Cortez Crawford on Dec. 22, 1909. Chester was the son of Andrew Jackson and Lodusky (Jones) Crawford, and was born in the Brooks Community of Panola County. Their marriage ceremony was performed by Lee's father, who was a Baptist minister and circuit riding preacher. The wedding took place in the open hallway of the Burks home at Brachfield, in the presence of family and friends.
Lee was born and reared in the home where she was married. She was a good reader and often read from the Bible for her father when he was tired from working in the fields. When she finished the school at Patrick, she spent six weeks in Henderson at a summer Normal. That enabled her to get her teacher's certificate and become a school teacher. She taught at Liberty School in Rusk County for two years. Then she taught at Brooks School in Panola County. After a year of teaching at Brooks School she married Chester and devoted her time to rearing her family. She was also an excellent cook and seamstress.
Lee's love of reading was a constant thing throughout the balance of her life. Her knowledge of the Bible and her teaching experience made her an outstanding worker in her church, the First Baptist Church of Beckville. For many years she taught the adult Sunday School class and was a leader in the Women's Auxiliary. Failing health and eyesight forced her to give up her active church work only after she had passed her eightieth birthday. Until after Chester's death Lee always kept a milk cow and took great pride in having a good quality cow and keeping it in top condition. It reminded her of the fine livestock she had helped tend on her parent's farm. Her initial milk cow was a wedding present from her father. She loved flowers and worked tirelessly to keep something blooming almost year round.
Chester was born and reared on the family farm in the Brooks Community. He quit school when he was in the fourth grade, but continued his education by good reading. In 1914 he entrusted his wife and two small children to the care of her parents while he went to Houston to attend a barber college. He and his brother Samuel Scott "Sam" Crawford operated a barber shop in Pine Hill in Rusk County for a few years. As the shop was unable to support two households, Chester and Lee moved back to the Crawford family farm to live. Chester then farmed five days a week and, on Saturdays, worked with his brother Sam at the shop in Pine Hill.
In the fall of 1920 Chester opened a barber shop of his own in Beckville and soon moved his family "to town". He continued that occupation until the fall of 1943 when he went to work as a guard at the Longhorn Ordinance Plant in Karnack. When World War II ended and the guards were no longer needed, Chester returned to his chosen profession as a barber. He began working at the Whiteway Barber Shop in Carthage. Since Chester never owned a car and never learned to drive, he hitchhiked to and from Carthage each work day until he finally retired.
Chester loved sports of all kinds and was a staunch fan of all the Beckville High School athletic teams. For many years, he raised game chickens and delighted in seeing the roosters spar with each other. He also raised fox hounds and enjoyed hunting them. After he reached retirement age, he changed from fox hounds to beagles and delighted in taking them rabbit hunting and listening to the chase.
Both Chester and Lee were devoted to their six children and took great pride in the fact that all of them graduated from high school as that was a considerable accomplishment in the time in which they were raised. As their children grew up, married and moved to other locations, their happiest times were the holiday when their house would overflow with their children and grandchildren. As several of their granddaughters were accomplished piano players, the family gatherings always included hours of hymn singing. In good weather card tables were set up on their front porch or out in the yard and the 42 playing would begin. During these gatherings there was always a lot of laughter, a lot of love and a lot of good cooking.