Thomas Battle Bartlett, Jr

Surnames: BARTLETT, BATTLE, HARLAN, STEELE, PEPPER, ERWIN

Thomas Battle Bartlett, Jr., October 3, 1913 in Marlin, Falls County, Texas-was the son of Thomas Battle and Elizabeth Graves(Harlan) Bartlett, both natives of Falls County, and descended from early Texas pioneers on both side of his family.

After graduating from Marlin High School, Tom attended Virginia Military Institute at Lexington, Virginia; later attending Law School at the University of Kentucky, where he received his Doctor of Jurisprudence degree in 1936.

While in Virginia, he met and married in 1933 to Anna Byrne Steele, b January 9, 1915 in Fitzpatrick, West Virginia, d July 19, 1983 in Marlin, Falls County, Texas and buried in Calvary Cemetery in Marlin - a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. R. R. Steele of Huntington, West Virginia. The young couple returned to Marlin, where Thomas joined his father in the law firm of Bartlett and Bartlett, and he also served as City Attorney for Marlin.

At the outbreak of World War II, Thomas volunteered for the United States Navy - being discharged as a Lieutenant, after serving three years in both the European and Pacific Theaters of War.

Tom resumed his practice of law in Marlin, and in 1952 was elected District Attorney, a position which both his father and grandfather had held before him. He served as District Attorney for twenty years -longer than any other public servant had served in such office in Falls County. During his tenure of office as District Attorney, many precedents were set. It was a transitory period when for the first time, women and blacks were accepted as jurors. He resumed the private practice of law in 1970; but in 1974, was elected Presiding Judge for the 82nd Judicial District of Texas. He recently retired from this full-time responsibility, but still presides in selected cases.

Mrs. Bartlett attended Southern Seminary in Buena Vista, Virginia. She was a founder of the Presbyterian Day School, where she taught for twenty years. Members of the First Presbyterian Church of Marlin, Judge Bartlett is a Deacon; and Mrs. Bartlett served as an officer and member of the Presbyterian Women of the Church. A civic and cultural leader, she was a member of the Literary Club, the Community Garden Club, and the Not-So-Great Book Club.

Judge Bartlett, like his father, has been a life-long Democrat, and active in many Texas political campaigns. He helped organize the senatorial campaign of Lyndon B. Johnson in this district, when Johnson defeated Coke Stevenson in 1948, and has been a close personal friend of Senator Ralph Yarborough - serving as his county campaign manager. He served as President of the Rotary Club, and as Commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 4693.

Judge Thomas Battle and Anna Byrne (Steele) Bartlett, Jr. were the parents of two daughters:
Martha Bartlett - who married Paul Pepper, an executive with a major oil company, and has three children: Robert Pepper, John Pepper, and Mollie Pepper.

Nancy Bartlett - who married Gene Erwin (Retired Major, U.S. Marine Corps), who now reside in Marlin, Falls County, Texas, where he is administrator of Torbett-Hutchings-Smith Memorial Hospital. Gene and Nancy have three children: Elizabeth Erwin, Melissa Erwin, and Gene Erwin, Jr.

Some biographies from "Families of Falls County", compiled and edited by the Falls County Historical Commission.
Permission granted to Theresa Carhart by the Falls County Historical Commission, for use on this page.