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Our pioneer couple of our Evans Chapel, Leon Co., who as first time settlers, helped to establish the highest standards of respectful living. They paved the way for their descendants to carry on with the same dedication of love for God, family and pride of their homeland heritage. John House and Fannie Reed were both born and raised in Evans Chapel, living three miles apart and living their entire lives in Evans Chapel. Both had parents with strict rules in abiding by God's law. John and Fannie had a lot in common. They and their families worked at all necessary tasks of the farm and country life, working every day and into the night for a living. Neither had any idle time. Yet both had great love for their lifestyles of Evans Chapel, families being together, serving and worshipping God on Sundays, great camp meetings, the local people and people from afar coming to the camp meetings and camping out near the brush arbor revivals. Their families were actively in the establishment of Evans Chapel churches and missions of God's ministry. John and Fannie followed along in their parents footsteps with pride of their Evans Chapel community being their homeland. John and Fannie fell in love during their teenage years and planned on being married once they became of age. They planned their lives together and to them no other place but Evans Chapel could be home. John was a very successful farmer who raised bountiful crops of cotton, corn, and other produce. He had a good living selling his produce at the market for his livelihood. John asked for Fannie's hand in marriage the year of 1903 and he with deepest love for her, wanted to give her a proper home and a promising future. He planted huge crops of cotton for the 1903 farm season, but the infestation of boll weevils wiped out his crops. With faith in God, John set out to find work during the off-season farming year. He and other young men went to seek jobs. They first settled in Sour Lake, Texas, finding jobs with the new huge oil find, the Spindletop Field. This lasted for a while. After that they went to work at a sawmill, making the same money and they could work as long as they wanted. John worked every hour available, so he could earn enough money to go home and marry his sweetheart, Fannie All the time John was gone, he wrote Fannie love letters and in return she wrote to him. They both told each other they never had any romantic feelings for anyone else except for each other. John's first letter and all his others expressed his deep love for Fannie and his promises of giving her his best and being worthy of her. He was always telling her that she was the only girl he ever loved and would be as long as he lived. He wrote her father, still asking for Fannie's hand in marriage. John was so homesick to see Fannie. He wrote her many love letters. They both kept every letter written, being treasures of their hearts. These letters were found in 2000 and are now a family heritage of our Terry Keeling of Evans Chapel. Terry discovered these treasured letters that were written in 1903. They are a cherished treasure to him. You see, John and Fannie are Terry's grandparents whom he loved very much. He would spend as much time with them as possible when he was growing up. Terry's grandpa, John, would tell him stories, go hunting with him, walked through the woods on nature lessons and his grandma Fannie would help Terry put his bugs in a jar and put holes in th lids. She always had spwxial treats for him and his grandpa. Terry lived within walking distance of his grandparents house and every chance he got, he would be at their house. Terry realizes he has found a special treasure in these letters. They have a deep meaning for him. These letters are fragile, but still legible. They are now safe and protected by Terry and his descendants for our future generations. Through Terry, our Leon County Genealogical Society with the new Leon County History Book, this treasure will be shared by many people. John had been working at the sawmill in Sour Lake, TX when he heard of better jobs in Redlich, LA. He and other young men caught a train and went there. They worked at hauling rice. Every where John went, love letters were sent to Fannie. On December 7, 1903, John's letter was of happiness and excitement. He was making plans of coming home to marry Fannie. The letter read: "My darling Fannie, We are through hauling and are working on this prairie again. I don't know exactly when I will start home, but it will be on the 17th, 19th, or 21st, as there will be excursion rates to Houston on those dates. You have selected the fourth Sunday for our wedding. That suits me ok. Our courtship is almost at its journeys end. You are the only girl I ever loved. It will not be long before I can say that I am coming home to stay and be with my companion, the rest of my days and happy I will be on December 26, 1903". John and Fannie were married at the Evans Chapel Methodist Church. Rev. W. D. Gaskins performed the ceremony. John vowed he would never again be apart from his beloved Fannie and he wasn't. There would never be any more letters to Fannie because there wouldn't be need for any. John and Fannie loved each new passing year and cherished their love for each other and their years together until their passing away. John and Fannie lived their entire lives in Evans Chapel. They successfully raised crops, farming being their livelihood. They were proud parents of six Children. Wendell was a school teacher, Ruby and her husband Rody Keeling lived in Evans Chapel, Garnett was a Methodist minister, Johnnie (Tisdale) and her husband Walter lived in Evans Chapel, Morris was a district superintendent of the Bryan District of the Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church and Betsy was with the accounting department Air Force Base in Austin. John and Fannie were outstanding citizens of Evans Chapel, bringing great wealth and success. Fannie died in 1965 and John followed after in 1966. The last 25 years of life was spent in a wheelchair due to crippling arthritis. The John and Fannie House legacy is an Evans Chapel heritage that will live on forever. The John House family touched our Flo lives. The Tony House family were our Sand Lake, Flo residents. The had the same legacy. |