Dr. Whitfield Rites Are Held

Edna and Jackson County this week mourned one of its most respected citizens with the passing of Dr. Walter Eugene Whitfield, 65, a prominent physician here and at Ganado since 1918.

In failing health for several years, Dr. Whitfield died Saturday at 8:15 a. m. at the DeTar Hospital in Victoria, where he had been for several days.

Services were from the First Methodist Church in Edna at 3 p. m. Sunday and burial was in the Edna Cemetery under the direction of Slavik Funeral Home. Rev. I. E. Walker officiated. Pallbearers were Ollie Holloway, Wm. H. Hamblen, O. B. Fenner, D. A. Strane, Fred Mixon and Rolar Watson. The Masons conducted the rites at the grave.

Dr. Whitfield was a native of Dallas County having been born June 9, 1888, a son of the late Daniel and Elizabeth Prigmore Whitfield. He came to Jackson County in 1918 and started practice at Ganado. Seven years later he moved to Edna and maintained a general practice until he became too ill several months ago.

The Whitfields built the palatial home on the Houston Highway recently purchased by the Allan Lays. They since have built a smaller cottage at 211 West Gayle in Edna. Whitfield was a member of the Methodist Church, a 32^nd degree Mason and had been a member of the Rotary Club. His fraternity was Theta Kappa Psi.

Survivors include his wife Mrs. Cordelia M. Whitfield; two daughters, Mrs. H. M. Hargrove Jr. of Liberty and Mrs. Gene Traylor of Victoria; a brother George Whitfield of Plano, and four grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

Edna Herald, February 25, 1954
 

Cordelia Whitfield

Edna – Cordelia Magness Whitfield, 98, of Port Lavaca, formerly of Edna, died Friday, Feb. 1, 1991, in a Port Lavaca nursing home after a lengthy illness.

Funeral services will be at 2 p. m. Sunday at Slavik Funeral Home chapel with the Rev. Ricky Sanderford of Point Comfort Methodist Church following.

Burial will be in the Memory Gardens of Edna Cemetery under the direction of Slavik Funeral Home.

She was born Aug. 17, 1892, in Little Rock, Ark., to the late William Randolph and Azalee Williams Magness. She was a homemaker and a Methodist. She married the late Dr. Walter E. Whitfield of Dallas in 1917 and they moved to Jackson County that year. She was elected a life member of the fourth district of the Texas Federation of Women’s Clubs and served on the board of directors for many years. She organized the Edna Study Club and years later organized another study club for young women, and they named it the Cordie Whitfield Club in her honor.

Mrs. Whitfield was a nominee for the Houston Post Hall of fame of Texas for Red Cross work and during World War II, she sponsored USO entertainment by taking young women to army camps for dances. In order to encourage better citizenship of school children, she instituted essay contests in Edna schools, and Edna placed several state winners.

Surviving are two daughters, Mrs. Gene Traylor of Port Lavaca and Mrs. H. M. Hargrove of Chula Vista, Calif.; two sisters, Mrs. Jacque LeFlore and Mrs. Leon Dargon, both of Malakoff; three grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and nine great-great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband, who died in 1954.

Pallbearers will be Bill and Bo Hargrove, Nolan, Ron and Larry Martin, David Forks and Billy Burt Traylor.

Memorials may be made to the charity of the donor’s choice or the Point Comfort Methodist Church.

Victoria Advocate, February 3, 1991
 

Evelyn Whitfield Hargrove
June 11, 1911 Dallas, Dallas County, Texas
January 25, 1996 Chula Vista, San Diego County, California

Married
Hugh Maxey Hargrove
January 29, 1906 Waco, McLennan County, Texas
May 21, 1993 San Diego County, California

Both buried
Greenwood Memorial Park
San Diego, San Diego County, California

Marian Elizabeth Whitfield Traylor
November 12, 1914 Dallas, Dallas County, Texas
September 12, 2008 San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas

Married
Eugene Call "Gene" Traylor
July 3, 1909 Orange, Orange County, Texas
September 17, 1987 Jackson County, Texas

Both buried
Greenlawn Gardens
Clark Station, Calhoun County, Texas

Marian W. Traylor

SAN ANTONIO — Marian Whitfield Traylor died Friday, Sept. 12, 2008, in San Antonio. She was born in Dallas in 1914 to the late Dr. and Mrs. Whitfield.

She moved with her parents to Jackson County as a small child. After her marriage to Gene Traylor, she lived in several locations in Texas before moving back to South Texas in 1949. She did volunteer work with the Red Cross, as a nurses' aid, during World War II. Later she served on the board of the Red Cross in Victoria. She was a life member of the Methodist Church and the Methodist Women's Society. She was a member of and former board member of the Junior Service League. After moving to Port Lavaca, she was a "Pink Lady" hospital volunteer and once served as president of the organization. She was member of study clubs while living in Austin and Victoria.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Gene Traylor; her daughter, Marilyn Traylor; and a sister, Evelyn Hargrove.

She is survived by her daughter, Carolyn Martin; a son-in-law, Nolan Martin; four grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; and several nieces and nephews.

A service was held at 1 p.m., Monday, Sept. 15, 2008 at Porter Loring Mortuary North Chapel in San Antonio.

A graveside service will be held at 1 p.m. today, Sept. 16, 2008 at Greenlawn Gardens in Port Lavaca.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to any charity of your choice.

You are invited to sign the guestbook at porterloring.com.

Arrangements with Porter Loring Mortuary North, 2102 N. Loop 1604 East, San Antonio, Texas 78232, 210-495-8221.

Victoria Advocate, September 16, 2008
 

Eugene Call “Gene” Traylor
Gene Traylor

Gene Call Traylor, 79, who was a charter member of the Victoria city council, as well as a builder, rancher and businessman in Victoria, Calhoun and Jackson counties, died Thursday at his home on Swan Ranch in Calhoun County, after a long illness.

Mr. Traylor, a member of the city’s first council chartered in 1956, was born July 3, 1909, in Orange, to the late William Lee and Katherine Sells Traylor, and grew up on a Jackson County ranch. He graduated from Cuero High School and attended Southern Methodist University.

He was an engineer for the state highway department in Austin from 1934-1942. During World War II, he was with the Corps of Engineers in Galveston and later headed the district office in Houston where he was also in the construction business.

In 1947, Mr. Traylor moved to Kerrville where he helped establish the Traylor-Hill Construction Co. Two years later, he moved to Victoria to become the contractor for the first housing units for Alcoa in Port Lavaca.

While in Victoria, Mr. Traylor became manager of Anchor Lumber Co. and besides being on the city’s first chartered council, was active in civic, church and social activities.

He was a director of the Chamber of Commerce, Home Builders and Victoria Country Club, a steward of First United Methodist Church, and a member of Downtown Lions Club.

In 1956, Mr. Traylor and Jim Pickering purchased the Point Comfort Building and Supply and changed the name to Traylor Lumber Co., of which he later became sole owner.

He moved from Victoria to Calhoun County to devote his full time to the lumber company and to ranching interests north of Point Comfort in Jackson and Calhoun counties.

Mr. Traylor served on the board of First National Bank of Port Lavaca and as president of the board of Champ Traylor Memorial Hospital in Port Lavaca for many years.

In 1967, he was honored by the Calhoun-Victoria Soil and Water Conservation District as the outstanding rancher of the year.

He was also a member of the Calhoun County Cattlemen Association and the Calhoun County Farm Bureau.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p. m. Saturday at First United Methodist Church in Port Lavaca with the Rev. Austin Frederick, pastor, and the Rev. William Sandberg, former pastor, officiating.

Burial will be in Colonial Gardens Cemetery in Port Lavaca under the direction of Colonial Funeral Home in Port Lavaca.

Pallbearers will be Gilbert Heideman, and Mr. Traylor’s nephews, W. L. Bell, D. L., W. B. and J. P. Traylor, Sam Bradley, B. L. Kennon and Tom Stolhandske.

Honorary pallbearers will be members of the board of directors of First National Bank in Port Lavaca.

Contributions may be made to the Cancer Therapy and Research Foundation of South Texas, 4450 Medical Drive, San Antonio, 78229; the memorial fund of First United Methodist Church of Port Lavaca, or to the charity of the donor’s choice.

Surviving are his wife, Mrs. Marian Whitfield Traylor of Swan Ranch; a daughter, Carolyn Martin of San Antonio, a sister, Mrs. John Y. Bell of Point Comfort; four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Preceding him in death, besides his parents, were a daughter, Marilyn Traylor, and two brothers, D. L. “Dick” Traylor and C. S. “Cap” Traylor.

Victoria Advocate, September 18, 1987