PEDRO GARCIA, D.D.S.

 

 

SURNAMES: GARCIA, FOLGUEIRA, GONZALES, FERNANDEZ, MANZANO, YEAGER, PETERS, PARKER, PLUMMER, JACKSON, COHN, FIFE, BRYAN.

 

 

     Pedro Garcia Gomez, b October 29, 1909 in Ciales, Puerto Rico - was a son of Jose Maria Garcia Folgueira, b 1872, d May 8, 1947, and his wife, Modesta Gomez Gonzales, d June 6, 1955 and both buried in Ciales, Puerto Rico - a daughter of Jose Gomez Gonzales Fernandez and his wife, Maria Gonzalez Manzano of Puerto Rico.

     Jose Maria Garcia Folgueira was a native of Spain, and emigrated to Cuba in 1897, where he enlisted in the Cuban Army as a cook. Before the commander-in-chief of the Cuban Forces, General Gomez, could eat his meals, Jose Garcia had to eat first in order to prove the food was not poisoned, to protect the General's life. From Cuba, Jose Garcia emigrated to Puerto Rico, where he became a mayordomo (foreman) on a coffee plantation owned by Jose Gomez Gonzalez Fernandez and his wife, Maria Gomez Manzano. It was there he met and later married on May 20, 1907 to their daughter, Modesta Gomez Gonzalez. Later, Jose and Modesta acquired their own coffee plantation, and they remained in Puerto Rico the rest of their lives. Their son, Pedro Garcia Gomez, moved to Texas in July 1925.

     In 1934, Pedro Garcia received his Bachelor of Arts degree from what was then Sam Houston's State Teachers College; and in 1936, he received a Master of Science degree from Texas A&M University.

     On June 22, 1937, Pedro married Hettie Pearl Yeager, b August 10, 1915 in Marlin, Falls County, Texas - a daughter of Egbert Chester and Bessie Elma (Peters) Yeager, and a great, great, great granddaughter of Luther T. M. and Rachel (Parker) Plummer - an aunt of Cynthia Ann and John Parker who were captured with her and her son, James Pratt Plummer, on May 19, 1836 in the "Fort Parker Indian Massacre."

Hettie Pearl's ancestors, the Plummers and Parkers, had settled in Texas from Illinois prior to the Texas Revolution in 1836.

     During World War II, Pedro and Hettie Pearl lived in Baytown, Texas, where he was cashier at People's State Bank. He later attended the University of Texas Dental Branch in Houston, Texas, where he received his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree. The couple returned to Falls County in June 1947, where Dr. Garcia established his practice in Marlin which he continued for twenty-seven years. They were members of the Church of Christ, and he was a lay minister and served as an elder for many years.

     Dr. Pedro and Hettie Pearl (Yeager) Garcia were the parents of two children:

     Cynthia Jo Garcia, b October 29, 1941 in Goose Creek, Texas - was named for her famous relative, Cynthia Ann Parker. She married August 11, 1961 to Jimmie Louis Jackson, and they had three children: Christopher Keith Jackson, b November 26,1964 in Irving, Texas; William Bradford Jackson, b November 14, 1967 in Irving, Texas; and Lisa Michele Jackson, b September 11, 1970 in Longview, Texas.

     Nancy Lou Garcia, b December 10,1946 - married August 25, 1967 to Kenneth Doyle Cohn, b March 9, 1946 - a son of Robert Leonard Cohn - a native of Falls County, and his wife, Mattie Mae (Fife) Cohn, a native of Limestone County. Nancy and Kenneth live in Spring, Texas, where he is a Certified Public Accountant, and they have two sons: Stephen Todd Cohn, b July 22, 1972 in Austin, Texas; and Keith Ryan Cohn, b October 11, 1976 in Houston, Texas.

     Dr. Garcia retired July 24,1974- selling his dental practice to Dr. James Austin Bryan - a Falls County native.  Dr. and Mrs. Pedro Garcia continue to make their in Marlin.

 

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 168 column 1 and 2, page 169 column 1.  
Member of Falls County Historical Commission.