Aunt Mary Ellen's memories

[Marcia Moore]

Me, too.

[larryJ]

Okay, getting close to the end------
24.  Back to Elk Street and south about a block on Pine.  This was the old 99 highway.  This is the birthplace of Menzenita Houser Stephens.  This road took you to the dam and the swimming hole.

25.  Northeast corner of Elk and Pine was home of Bob and Betty Stephens.  Don and Harold Stephens were born there.

26.  On the east side of Pine midway between Elk and Monroe was the home of Ernest and Eunice Andrews Rhodes and the birthplace of Frank Rhodes.

27.  On the east side of Pine between Jefferson and Adams was the home of Beulah and Fred Shepherd at the time of their deaths. 

28.  Northeast corner of Pine and Adams was the Larkin Apartments, home of Frank and Edith Zeleny.

29.  Courthouse square --- between Randolph and Washington and Pine and Cedar.  The original courthouse burned in 1906.  This replacement court house was built at a cost of $47,000.  Edith Zeleny worked as a clerk in the Treasurer's office.  Beulah Shepherd and Mary Ellen Snodderley worked as clerks in the Clerk's office.  Mary Ellen Snodderley also worked in the Superintendent of Public Schools office.

30.  Northwest corner of Washington and Cedar.  Upstairs apartment of Iva, Jack and Kirk Jordan before they moved to Artesia, NM.

31.  On Cedar Street, east of the courthouse is the jail that replaced the one that was occupied by Fordham Houser for four years when he was Elk County Sheriff.  Since he was Menzenita Stephen's father, she lived in the jail for four years.

32.  The big house on the northeast corner of Cedar and Randolph served as a hospital.  Ethel Andrews worked there as a nurse.

33.  The Methodist Church at Cedar and Adams was church home for many of the family.  Some were married there.  Others were married in the previous parsonage that stood south of the church.

34.  Across the street from the parsonage is the house where Frank, Ethel and Alene Andrews lived.  It was built by Frank and Albert Andrews.  A few years ago, someone inspecting the house, under the house and in the attic for termites (there weren't any) told the owner that he had never seen a better constructed house.

35.  Northeast corner of Cedar and Monroe.  Home of Hershel and Leona Stephens, the world's best uncle and aunt.  Edith Zeleny was born here and Bob  and Gene Stephens lived here.  After retirement Bob and Betty lived in the house.

36. Southeast corner Cedar and Monroe -- Van Buskirk apartment.  Edith and Frank Zeleny lived there.

37.  Corner Elk and Oak---Eunice and Ernest Rhodes lived there with his family.  Dorothea Jean Rhodes was born there.  Part of the house was destroyed by fire.

38.  Southwest corner of Adams and Oak--- Home of Wanda Stephens before her marriage to Bob.

39.  Back to Elk Street.  Between Paw Paw and Howard was home of Richard and Florence Andrews when the left for California.  Lee Andrews and Evelyn Sweeden were born there.  House was torn down.

40.  Northeast corner of Paw Paw and Monroe-- home of Grandpa Wm. and Grandma Sarah Gault (Larryj's great-grandparents.)

41.  According to Richard Andrews, they lived on northeast corner of Paw Paw and Jefferson when Grandpa Richard Lynam died in their home.

42.  West side of Paw Paw, second house north of Monroe was home of Fred and Beulah and Lucille Shepherd.

43.  East side of Paw Paw between Randolph and Adams----Criger apartments.  Downstairs apartment was rented by Gene and Menzenita Stephens.  When Gene was recalled to the Navy during the Korean War, Frank and Edith Zeleny live in the apartment, moving out when Gene and Menzenita returned.

44.  Southeast corner Randolph and Paw Paw.  Circular porch built by Albert Andrews at a cost of $1,000.  Emaline  Leonard told me that years ago it was always festooned with red, white and blue bunting in honor of the 4th of July.  It used to be so beautiful.

45.  Between Randolph and Adams and Howard and Jackson is the Jackson House.  I remember Grandma Gault house sitting for the Jacksons.  Emaline Leonard told me she remembered them house sitting in 1916 while the Jacksons toured Europe.  Grandpa Gault used to mow that huge lawn with a reel type push mower.  He mowed many lawns in town.

46.  The area that is now the trailer park and the nursing home was Jackson Park.  I remember the first reunion held in a park was there in 1931.

47.  East side of Hwy 99, north of veterinary office was home of Sant and Alta Anderson.  She was a sister to Albert Andrews.  They also lived in the small house north that was built for their daughter, Olive Vice.

48.  The road east of the vet's office leads to Polk Daniels lake.  Pete Leonard served as care taker.  He and Emaline lived in small house that has been torn down.

49.  South on Hwy 99 is the Elk River bridge that Bob Stephens and Albert Andrews help build.

50.  To go to Grace Lawn Cemetery follow Pennsylvania Ave. pass the swimming pool.  The cemetery is the first road south.  The second road south takes you past where John and Bernadine Weyrauch lived.

Emaline and Pete Leonard also lived in the country.  The house is not livable and may have been torn down.  The owners live in a mobile home.

SO YOU GOT LOST. BIG DEAL.  You like puzzles, don't you?  When God made me he said, "Let's don't give her any sense of direction."  And he did a good job.

_________________________________________________________

I failed to mention that the numbers above are in reference to the map she drew.  I, unfortunately, can't reproduce that for you, but those of you familiar with Howard know where all the locations mentioned are.  I hope this stirred some memories and maybe helped others with the history of Howard.  It wa fun to put it here.

Larryj

[Marcia Moore]

Thanks, Larry.

[sixdogsmom]

What a wonderful legacy, thanks for sharing with us Larry!

[W. Gray]

Can anyone share any information about a hospital at the NE corner of Cedar and Randolph?

[painted]

 Larry, You really have a treasure. Thanks for sharing.

[Leonardcrl]

Larry:
With enough encouragement, and a lot of help, I might be able to re-create Mary Ellen's 1993 tour of Howard on a Google map.  I think I can find most of the locations listed. Since I didn't come on the scene until 34 and essentially left in 57 there are a few faded memories that might be useful.

Any interest?

[larryJ]

Carl, there is always interest.  Do whatever your wizardry can do.  I know you are great at it.  I doubt that I could be of any tec help because I only know how to retype my entries.  But, I sincerely would like to encourage you to jump right in. 

Larryj

[Jo McDonald]

Mary Ellen and Buck were super nice people and close friends of Fred and me.  I still miss them. I drive by their home every day,
and recall lots of memories.
I would love to be able to see more of her "historic tour".

   Jo

[Ms Bear]

A map to go with her memories would be wonderful.  Maybe it could enlarged and hung at the Museum and other people could add more memories to it.  Maybe as a timeline.

We are using the 1910 and 1930 Census along with Texas Death Records to find as many of our local people that served in the military and where they are buried for a card file at our Museum.  It is still a work in progress but shouldn't take to much longer to get it finished.  After the holidays we are going to try to go take pictures at the cemeteries to put with the infomation cards.