WILLIAM JAMES DE BARDELEBEN
William
James de Bardeleben, b February 16, 1850 in Macon County, Alabama, d April 22,
1924 in Marlin, Falls County, Texas and buried there in Calvary Cemetery - was a
son of John A. de Bardeleben and Thalia (Menefee) de Bardeleben of Orangeburg
District, South Carolina - a daughter of Reverend William Menefee. John A. de
Bardeleben moved his family to Alabama, where the son, William, attended
school-later studying Civil Engineering at Eastman Gaines Business College in
Poughkeepsie, New York.
William de Bardeleben came to Texas in the 1870's as a Civil Engineer with the
building of the railroads.
In 1880
in Marlin, Falls County, Texas, William James de Bardeleben married Sarah Leanna
Anders, b July 24, 1860, d July 2, 1888 in Marlin
- a daughter of James Hammett
and Pauline (Yarborough) Anders. For a while, he managed the L. B. Chilton Store
in Chilton; but after the death of his wife in 1888, and of his brother-in-law
(L. B. Chilton) in 1890, he formed a partnership in Amarillo, Texas, where he
reared and educated his two daughters.
He
returned to Marlin, pursuing farming interests in the Brazos River bottom until
his death in 1924 "while sitting under a shade tree."
William
and Leanna (Anders) de Bardeleben had three daughters, but only two were reared
to adulthood: Lucy Leanna de Bardeleben, b July 2, 1882 in Marlin, d July
21,1904 - married L. J. Davis, Sr.; Ida Anders de Bardeleben, b July 16,1884 in
Marlin, d August 30,1974 - married Eugene F. Smith; and Emma Menefee de
Bardeleben, b June 21, 1888, d in September 1888 and was buried in Calvary
Cemetery in Marlin.
William
James de Bardeleben, known as "Captain", was a most unusual and remarkable man.
After his death, Tom Bartlett, Sr. wrote a memorial to him, which gives a true
picture of the man and is worth quoting in this article.
A
Merited Tribute to Capt. W. J. De Bardeleben - One of Falls County's noblest
citizens passed away a few days ago. He was great in ways that few ever attain.
At the time of his death he was not an active member of any church or
denomination. He did not believe in sects, creeds, isms, and dogmas. His
religion was that of Christ - "Love ye one another." No hatred, envy, malice,
prejudice or jealousy lurked in his heart. He believed that God was Love. He
took for his creed “Sermon on the Mount”. He loved all mankind, regardless of
their race, creed or color. I have known him since my earliest childhood, and I
have never known of him to speak evil or say aught against anyone. He always
made amends for wrong - doers, saying that they had never been taught the love
of God. "Cap", as we called him, kept the week day as well as the Sabbath holy.
He had no particular time to pray, but gave thanks and praise to God each morn,
eve and night. He loved nature. Nothing pleased him more than to be on his farm
and close to nature. He enjoyed God's world more than anyone that I know of. And
such a fitting end. He died peacefully and without a struggle, while he balmy
breezes of Spring were blowing for him, while the birds were singing for him,
and while the wild flowers were blooming for him. Surely, his example should be
a heritage to us all.
T. B. Bartlett. Sr.
CORRECTION:
Submitted by: John DeBardeleben:
The family last name is generally written as "DeBardeleben" and not
"deBardeleben"
William James' mother was named "Phala (not Thalia) Sanford Menefee"
Copyright Permission granted to Theresa Carhart for printing the biographies of
these Falls County Families to this Web page.
"Families of Falls County", Compiled and Edited by the Falls County Historical
Commission, page 115 column 2 and page 116 column 1.
Member of Falls County Historical Commission.
