In 1902, in Madison County, Texas, a young couple, B. F. and Lula Andrews Authur, with a small baby son, Earl E., were told that Lula did not have long to live unless they moved to the drier climate of West Texas.  Leaving the familiar life behind, a slow wagon train started toward West Texas.  After several days of travel, the small family decided to settle at Talpa in Coleman County.  B. F. became a carpenter and butcher, delivering his meat to the homes early in the morning.  Lula's health seemed to improve and in a couple of years, a baby daughter, Gertrude, was born.  Their lives were the same as other early families.

     In 1913, B. F. and Lula bought 138 acres of land between Talpa and Valera and leased a section of land next to it from the John Sealy Hospital Foundation.  After the family moved to the country, they had sheep and cattle.  The sheep were herded by a Mexican herder and penned at night because of coyotes.  B. F. continued his carpenter work, building many of the homes in and around Talpa, including the Methodist Church in 1916.  The family cared for the livestock and orchards that had been planted while B. F. was away.

     Gertrude married and eventually moved away (see Goss-Pridemore). She had two children, a daughter and son.

     Earl E. Authur married Paralee Jane Brown on May 2, 1924, daughter of Jasper Miller and Racheal Mae (Webb) Brown (see Jas. M. Brown).  Earl and Paralee continued to farm and ranch on the home place. A daughter, La Juan, was born to them.  When she was five months old, they moved to the Horne Ranch and worked for Mr. J. A. Horne for five years.  During the depression years, they moved to Oklahoma and worked on the See Ranch.  Later, they moved back to the home place at Talpa.  La Juan went to school at Talpa.

     B. F. and Lula Authur built a new home on the 138 acres in 1935, but the home burned in the hot summer of 1936.  They moved to Valera and purchased a grocery store from Henry Crenshaw.  Lula Authur died in March of 1947.  B. F. Authur died in November of 1951, both buried at Valera.

     Earl and Paralee Authur continued to live on the home place and leased other land around Bead Mountain and south of Valera. La Juan finished college at Tarleton and the University of Texas. She was teaching in Round Rock at the time of her father's sudden death in June of 1952, buried at Valera. La Juan moved back to Talpa to live with her mother. She taught civics in Coleman High School and coached girl's basketball.

     On February 7, 1954, La Juan Authur and Bill were married.  Bill was the youngest son of Mr. and Mrs.
W. E. Sneed, who came to Coleman in 1942 from Runnels County.  Three daughters were born to Bill and La Juan; Sheila, Sue Ellen, and Sharon. Bill has been associated with the First Coleman National Bank since August of 1955.  Bill and La Juan moved to Coleman in May of 1965 where they purchased a home.  The three girls graduated from Coleman High School, and they were very active in 4-H projects during their school years.  The daughters have either finished college or are still attending.  Sheila married and has one son, Jake Andrew Franke, who is the pride of the family.  Sue Ellen graduated from Texas A&M University and is employed by Prodeco Oil Explorations in Bryan. Sharon married Richard Tongate, and they reside at College Station.  In 1971, the Sealy Foundation decided to sell the land that the Authur's had leased since 1913, and Bill and La Juan purchased it.  Mrs. Paralee Authur continued to live on the ranch until her death in March of 1979, buried at Valera.  The faces, the names, and the years may come and go, but the land remains.