Typed by: Jan Shelfer


FARMER, GEORGE LEE

Surnames: FARMER, HARGRAVE, WEATHERS, EDWARDS, GOODMAN, CANTRELL, WOOTEN, PACK, HENNINGTON, MILES, REED, GWYN, BUSTER, ANDERSON, WAITS

George Lee Farmer, b. June 29, 1872 in Hunt County, Texas, d. 1943 in Durango, Falls County, Texas-was the eldest of ten children of Thomas Cincler and Mary Louis (Hargrave) Farmer, who moved to Falls County, Texas in 1873.

"Lee" attended school at West Falls in a one-teacher school, then went to the three-teacher school at Durango. He grew up on the farm, and bought the old A. H. Davidson place, which was near the school.

Lee married first in 1892 to Martha Weathers (called "Mattie"), b. September 1, 1875, d. November 18, 1902 in Durango-a daughter of James P. and Virginia (Edwards) Weathers-early Falls County settlers. They had four daughters, and both, his wife and his baby daughter, died after the child's birth.

Bertha Lee Farmer, b. August 2, 1893, d. November 8, 1969 in Durango-married Marcus Everett Goodman, b. March 27, 1890, d. March 29, 1950 at Durango-a leading grocer at Durango. They had Eli Goodman, and Carvis Goodman, b. September 22, 1917, of Waco.

Ruth Farmer, b. July 15, 1896, d. September 29, 1976-married H. L. Cantrell, a Marine Corps veteran of World War I.

Lola Farmer, b. October 23, 1898, d. January 12, 1982 in Waco and buried in Durango, married May 13, 1922 to Thomas G. Wooten, b. April 17, 1904.Lola was a teacher for many years; her daughter, Helen (Wooten) Pack, was a North Texas State University graduate and teaches in Waco. Helen's daughter, Paula (Pack) Hennington, a graduate of Baylor University, also teaches.

Jewel Farmer, b. October 19, 1902 in Durango, d. October 29, 1902.

On September 2, 1903, George Lee Farmer was married second to Vesta Miles, b. 1879 in San Gabriel, Milam County, Texas, d. 1970 at Durango, Falls County, Texas, at the age of 91 years. Lee and Vesta had two children:

Ouida Bell Farmer, b. September 16, 1904 in Durango, d. October 20, 1982 at Baytown, and buried in Union Cemetery at Durango-married November 23, 1927 in Falls County, Texas to X. B. Reed, b. 1902, d. November 12, 1980 in Baytown, and buried in Union Cemetery at Durango-a son of Erasmus David and Katherine (Gywn) Reed, and a grandson of James W. Reed, M.D., of Arkansas, and his wife, Frances T. (Buster) Reed. X. B. and Ouida Reed moved to Baytown in 1937, where he worked, and she continued her school teaching career. They were members of the Grace United Methodist Church, and Ouida was active in historical genealogy. Their children were: X. B. Reed, Jr., b. November 5, 1935 in Falls County-a graduate of Texas A&M University, received his degree in Chemical Engineering, who holds a doctorate from The University of Minnesota, and is on the faculty of The University of Missouri. He is married and has two sons, X. B. Reed, III, b. September 30, 1961 in St. Paul, Minnesota; and Jonathan Reed, b. October 24, 1963 in St. Paul, Minnesota.

George Lee Farmer, Jr., b. November 18, 1905, d. October 5, 1970 and buried at Durango-married April 26, 1926 to Irene Frazier, b. February 9, 1909, of Durango. They lived in Durango for several years. Irene resides in Marlin. They had four children.

George Lee Farmer worked tirelessly toward securing a good road to get Durango "out of the mud." He loved his church-the Methodist Church-and rang the bell on Sunday mornings, taught the Adult Sunday School Class, while his wife taught the teenagers' class. His aunt, Jemima (Farmer) Anderson, taught the primary class. A daughter, Ouida, played the piano, as did her cousin, Erra Waits. Lee was a trustee of the School Board for many years, when Durango was an Independent School District. One of the teachers was O. Shivers Lattimore-a son of Reverend John Lee and Sarah (Shivers) Lattimore, of Stranger, and a brother of John C. Lattimore-Falls County's first School Superintendent.

Copyright Permission granted to Theresa Carhart for printing this bio of these Falls County Families to this Web page.
"Families of Falls County," compiled and edited by the Falls County Historical Commission, page 146, column 1.

Member of Falls County Historical Commission