The Pauley Family - Family Histories

     John Calvin Pauley was born in Madison, Kentucky, December 28, 1832, moved to Boone County, Missouri, near Columbia, and married Esther Crump, April 14, 1853. They had two sons, William J. and James Franklin. Esther died when the boys were quite young.

Susan Margaret Shellnut was born in Georgia, July 29, 1839, and her family moved to Boone County, Missouri. At age 16, she married a Mr. Tailor (1855). He lived only about six months. There were no children. On March 31, 1859, John C. married Susan Margaret. They had four daughters and six sons; first nine born in Boone County, Missouri.

     (1) Melinda, January 1, 1860-January 12, 1916, buried in Coleman;

     (2) John Wesley, August 25, 1861-November 20, 1862, buried in Boone County;

     (3) Eliza Jane, November 8, 1863-July 15, 1865, buried in Boone County;

     (4) Mary Elaine, December 23, 1865-February 1, 1871, buried in Boone County;

     (5) Sylvester Thomas, March 5, 1869-June 3, 1925, buried in Valera;

     (6) George Washington, February 22, 1871-February 27, 1968, buried in Glen Cove;

     (7) Edgar Riley, March 29, 1873-September 5, 1940, buried in Valera;

     (8) Isabelle Frances, September 29, 1875-January 17, 1964, buried in Glen Cove;

     (9) Joseph Wirt, June 9, 1877-August 9, 1960, buried in Zephyr;

     (10) Richard Allen (Dick), March 26, 1882, on the home place, Coleman County-May 16, 1925, buried in Valera. He was Coleman County Sheriff at the time of his death. He was killed in trying to conduct an arrest of an escaped criminal.

     John C. Pauley moved his family from Missouri to Texas because of his wife's health. They came to Erath County, arriving in winter, January 1879, near Hico. James Franklin and his wife came as far as Erath County with the family. After spending a little time in Texas, James F. decided he wanted to go back to Missouri. After a crop failure in Erath County, John moved his family on west. In December of that same year (1879), he moved to the Overall Ranch, five miles east of the present town of Valera. John was a stock farmer and carpenter, so he was much help to Richard Overall on his ranch. He did anything there was to be done around the place. Up until this time, neither the Overalls nor the Becks had ever farmed at all. He brought a turning plow and hoes.

     Melinda Pauley married Fermin Beck, had 2 daughters and 6 sons: Mary; Oscar; Lewis; Maggie; Edgar; George; and Curtis. They lost one son about age 7 (see Fermin Beck);

     Sylvester Thomas (Tom) remained a bachelor, was foreman for many years on the Adam T. Brown Ranch;

     George Washington married Agnes Eugenia Hartsfield, June 12, 1896. They had four children: Agnes Lucille, May 15, 1897, Thomas Andrew, March 28, 1900, George Chester, May 7, 1902, and Eugenia Hartsfield, December 22, 1915;

     Edgar Riley married Nora Dancer in 1905. They had 2 sons: James Earl, 1906, and William Ferman, 1908 (see Thomason-Hughes and

     Ferman [Fog] Pauley);

     Isabelle Frances married Lechmere Cooke. He was descended from Lord Nicholas Lechmere of England. They had 1 daughter and 3 sons: Albert, Barnett, Cora and Robert (see William Lechmere Cooke;

     Joseph Wirt married Florence Azelea Shepherd. They had 3 daughters: Vera, Verna and Marie; and

     Richard Allen (Dick) married Susan Katherine Dancer in 1905. They had one son, Russell Allen, 1907 (see Thomason-Hughes).

     After about 3 years on the Overall Ranch, John filed for a homestead a few miles farther west in the post-oak country, about 4 miles north of the present town of Valera, and ½ mile north of present Centennial School. They needed water and wood for fuel and some farm land where they could raise their own food, have a garden and fruit trees. He sold his place in Missouri and bought 160 acres, later he bought 80 acres more. They built a cabin to live in until they could get a larger house built. He hauled lumber from Abilene to build their house. It had a basement, a main floor and 2 attic rooms. He built a fireplace in the cellar and first floor. They raised some wheat and oats, a good garden for fresh vegetables and a fine, big peach orchard. The Pauley children attended Vaughn School.

     During the summers when he was not in school, George would work on surrounding ranches. He went back and worked some for Mr. Overall, riding through pastures and helping brand cattle. He worked on the Beck Ranch (owned by Firmin Beck) and on the Cleveland Ranch, located just west of Valera. His first permanent job was at the John T.
Warnock ranch where he worked 7 years. He began this job at 18. This ranch was within ½ mile of his homeplace, so he stayed at home or at the Warnock ranch. Mr. Warnock paid him the equivalent of $20 a month, but he gave him only enough money to buy his clothes and other needs, and at the end of each year he gave him a note with 10% interest for the rest of his wages. Then, at the end of the 7 year period, George had enough money to buy some land.

     The E. S. Morrisson family had moved to a farm in the Glen Cove area from Columbia County, Arkansas, near Magnolia, in 1882. Eliza Jane Morrisson had been married to Robert B. Hartsfield, who died about 1877. They had two daughters: Annie Lee (August 31, 1874) and Agnes Eugenia (February 20, 1876). In 1879, Eliza Jane married Elbert S. Morrisson. A son, Andrew was born in 1880, in Arkansas. They came to Coleman County because Eliza Jane's brother, John T. Warnock, and family had moved here a few years earlier, and lived near the Pauley family. The Morrissons had other children (see John Warnock and Jim Simmons and Thomason-Tidmore). As time went on Annie Lee Hartsfield attended college, Normals, Institutes in any way preparing for a career of school teaching. Agnes Eugenia taught at Shady Grove. George had been seeing Agnes for several months, and they married June 12, 1896. He bought 160 acres close to the Pauley homeplace, known as the Noah Clayton place; later bought an adjoining place, the Peter Jones place; later added the Lilly Vaughn place; and still later he bought some acreage from J. T. Henderson and John T. Warnock. Lucille and Andrew were born in the small house on the Noah Clayton place. Chester (Chet) was born at the Peter Jones place. George and family moved to Valera about 1905, to put the children in school, and built a house. A few years later they moved to the Billy Anson (former Cleveland ranch) ranch house, known as the Rock House, a mile west of Valera. The house was later owned by B. C. Howell; H. Z. Parrott; Orin Hoover; and presently by Tom Earl Hoover. They lived there about a year and then built a house at the north edge of Valera, soon after the townsite of Valera was laid off. They later bought some acreage, 5 acres at a time, surrounding the house-about 77 acres. George retained his farming and ranching interests 4 miles north of town along with his other business endeavors-employed by Humphry Lumber Co.-bought a hardware store. George's parents moved to Coleman around 1906. They lived there until 1917, when John was struck by a car, and was never well again. They moved to Valera and lived in the house that George and Aggie had built. Tom, a bachelor, lived with them and helped care for his father, while carrying on his ranching interests. John died October 6, 1918; Margaret made her home most of the time after that with her daughter, Belle, died November 3, 1931, both buried at Glen Cove.

     George and Aggie were both active members of the Valera Baptist Church. She was the first Ladies' Aid president. George was a deacon and Sunday School superintendent. Soon after the birth of Eugenia, Agnes died of pneumonia, January 8, 1916, buried at Glen Cove. Lucille, Andrew and Chet along with the loving father, took very good care of the baby sister. Lucille was then 18 years of age, Andrew 15, and Chet 13. On November 30, 1919, Lucille married S. P. (Simon) Horne of Coleman (see James D. Horne). On September 21, 1921, George married Annie Lee Hartsfield, sister of Aggie. Lee was a school teacher, and taught 33 years. She was also a faithful worker in the Valera Baptist Church and Womans' Missionary Society, in which she served as president for many years. Eugenia attended Valera school, where her older brothers and sister had attended. She took her last two years of high school at Coleman, where she lived with her sister, Lucille and family, graduating in May,1932.

     Thomas Andrew graduated from Valera High School. In 1918, he entered ROTC at Howard Payne College during World War I, but the war was over before he completed his training. He came back to Valera and farmed. On June 10, 1924 he married Opal Lee Line of Valera, and lived about 3 years on the Pauley farm north of Valera. In 1927, the oil boom was developing in west Texas. Andrew went to McCamey and bought 3 trucks. His younger brother, Chester and family were already there. Andrew hauled pipe and other oil field supplies from the railroad in McCamey to Iraan. When the boom began to die down, he put in a feed store to supply ranchers in that area. During the intervening years, they had 3 boys and 1 girl, Pat O'Neal, October 26, 1925; Robert Andrew, April 8, 1928; George David, November 16, 1929; and Janet Loraine, January 12, 1933. After the children grew up and were away from home, Opal had time to carry on her much loved hobby, painting, a talent she had inherited from her father, Dr. R. F. Line, an early day druggist in Valera. Opal died April 12, 1982, buried in McCamey. Andrew is still carrying on his hardware business.

     George Chester attended Valera High School and later studied bookkeeping, accounting, and telegraphy and worked for Santa Fe Railway Co. in Valera. He married la Gene Cain, August 8, 1921 in Belton. He worked as Santa Fe telegraph operator in Tuscola, Winters, Megargle, and went to McCamey in 1927 to work for American Railway Express. Benita Allene was born July 7, 1922 in Tuscola. After retiring from the Railway Express, he became Business Manager for the McCamey Independent School District for 25 years. He died September 26, 1974, buried at Crane. Ila Gene lives with her daughter in Kansas City.

     Eugenia recieved her A. B. degree from Hardin Simmons University, majoring in Latin and Education, minoring in English and math. She later took graduate work in TWU in Denton, and Howard Payne College. She taught school in Leaday, Brown Ranch, Gouldbusk, Valera and Mozelle High School, retiring in 1977 after teaching 28 years. On July 19, 1942, she married Louis Grady Pittard of Gouldbusk (see Edward Eugene Pittard).

     When the draft for military service was instituted in 1940, George said he wanted to be the first one to sign up. Although he was 69 at the time and knew he would not be called to active service, he wanted to make himself available for anything he could do for his country. Some of his interests and works were: trustee in Valera school district; Country Road Commssioner for 14 years-2 years in Precinct 4 and 12 years in Precinct 3; a Mason for 46 years; member of the Woodmen of the World; member of the Rural Board of Directors of the Coleman Chamber of Commerce several years; instrumental in helping establish the Coleman Production Credit Association in Coleman and served as its first president of directors for 2 years, (1934, 1935); an original Director or charter member of Central Colorado River Authority and served for 30 years (1935-1965); a member of Valera Baptist Church for 60 years; and Chairman of the American Red Cross for the Valera community many years.

     Lee and George maintained their home in Valera and were very active until Lee's death, June 1, 1958, buried at Glen Cove. George lived the last 10 years of his life with his daughter, Lucille, and son-in-law, Simon Horne. He died February 27, 1968, buried at Glen Cove between his two wives, a triple tombstone at their graves.