My Life, 1891-1961
F D WALDROP
In a small house north of Grandfather's Horse Gin and 200 yards South of Waldrop Cemetery the stork left me with my parents -- F M Waldrop and Amelia Lowrie -- October 9, 1891, and they soon moved to home where I grew to manhood. Father died when I was six leaving Mother and Sister Essie and I. In due time Mother married a good man, Rev J W Stone, and they had five children: Neoma, Elner, Grady, Lelia Belle and Travis.I started to school at Murray 1899 and had teachers, Mrs Manda Davenport, Mary and Minnie Donovan, and Godalia Stone, then to Consolidated Brooks school with teachers, Sweet Osborne, Mack Brown, and Travis Boren, next to Beckville school with C L Beason, teacher, then to San Marcos College. Taught school five years, seved in 1st and 2nd World Wars.
Jan 1, 1910, married a charming girl, Willie Mae Ross, and we have two daughters Jeanne and Ross. One became a teacher, and the other a nurse. Both married, and we now have two wonderful sons-in-law and seven fine grandchildren.
In 1905 I was baptized by my step father along with eleven other young men, such as, Bud Patterson, Henry Chapman, Dennis Jones, Chester Crawford, Chester Brooks, etc. My first Church work was as tacher at Brooks, later as clerk and S. S. Secretary of 1st Church at Henderson, Church clerk, Deacon and Teacher at Rusk, and still more time as teacher at Calvary Church at Tyler. Have tried to be a faithful servant but I have left so many things undone and have failed in so many ways that I'm ashamed of myself.
As a trade, I have been a watchmaker and Jeweler for many years. For a hobby, wife and I enjoy working on family histories and have gone to see hundreds of people and cemeteries searching for clues regarding our families.
Your friend,
Francis David Waldrop
