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Photos
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After separate trips to Palacios to test the effect of its climate upon the rheumatism of his wife, John Alexander Harrison and Nancy Laura Brown Harrison moved there in 1910 from their homestead near Naponee, Nebraska. They enjoyed staying in the Wylie Hotel, then bought the farm on the Tres Palacios River that they called "Riverside." Of their four daughters and five sons, Susan L. Jennie E., Charles B., and John L. stayed temporarily; Winifred H. married Lenz A Lovering, son of neighbors George Gay and Auguste P. Lovering, and later resided in Baytown, Texas; George Archie, who also came for health reasons, remained. John A. Harrison was born June 27, 1852, in Forestport, Oneida County, New York, and died at his son George's farm between Dunbar and Prairie Center on December 26, 1921, of diabetes. He was of English stock settled in County Wicklow, Ireland, from whence his father emigrated to northern New York, through Canada in the 1830's. Nancy Laura Brown, born on September 4, 1863, in Daviess County, Missouri, married John on May 4, 1881, in Franklin County, Nebraska. She was of early colonial stock from England and Wales. She worked with her husband to bring the Episcopal Church to Bloomington, Nebraska, and to establish St. Mary's Episcopal Mission in Collegeport, Texas. She died September 2, 1931, in Naponee, Oklahoma. Both John and Nancy Laura were buried in Kingfisher, Oklahoma. George A. Harrison was born on September 20, 1892, in Franklin County, Nebraska, and married Lena Dickert of Simpsonville on November 23, 1914, in Penelope, Texas. He was a farmer with skills in engineering, and the first few years they farmed on land bought from his father. Here their first child, Ruth Perla, was born on July 21, 1916. Later he farmed near Blessing and their second girl, Naomi Helen, was born at the Pear Orchard. Due to deep mud, the roads were impassable, but George found that Doctor J. R. Wagner was treating someone across river, so he brought him over in a skiff. Doctor told George that it was a breech birth and that he must choose between mother and baby, which George refused to do. "Doc" was able to save both and was put to bed exhausted. Naomi married Horace F. Brown and they were the parents of H. F. Brown Jr., of Houston Nancy Laura Brown Brown Liebkemann of New Orleans, Carol Howe Brown Kellerman of California, and Cynthia Lighbourn Brown of Houston. The third daughter, Marion Louise, was born on February 19, 1919, at the "Spooneman Place" near Prairie Center. She married Harley C. Robinson of Alvin, and had two sons, H. C., Jr., and David Harrison Robinson. She died on March 22, 1983, in Galveston and was buried in Alvin. George became the second manager of the Farmers Canal Company and later moved to Palacios from the "Viets Place" near Dunbar where his only son, George Lindsay "Billy" was born on January 11, 1923. Billy married Gloria Gay Slone of Palacios and they had six children. George and Lena's last child, Laura May, was born on May 29, 1924, and married first Paul Jones, Jr. and second Kenneth D. Huddleston. She died on July 6, 1977, and was buried in the Palacios Cemetery. Lena Dickerson Harrison was born to Thomas Fredrick and Sallie A. S. Glymph Dickert on November 11, 1893, near Hillsboro, Texas, their ninth child. Her mother died shortly after her birth. The family migrated about 1885 from South Carolina seeking land and a new start after the Civil War. She was descended from Peter Dickert of Manmheim, Germany, who came to Newberry, South Carolina, in 1752. He obtained, with another, a grant of 100 acres from King George III to establish the still active St. John's Lutheran Church there. T. F. Dickert and some of his family were entered in the Ashby Methodist Church book owned by Mrs. Fred C. Cornelius of Midfield. Those remaining near were Lena and her sister Ida F. who married Charles L. Dorsey and had children: Ray, Donald, and Dorothy.
Lena joined her husband in membership and establishment of the St. John's Episcopal Mission in Palacios and in the Order of the Eastern Star, and maintained a hospitable home while George worked as County Commissioner of Precinct Three for fourteen years. During this time he helped to develop the rice industry and improve the roads, served on the City Council of Palacios, the School Board, was Chairman of the Sea Wall Commission, a Director of the Intracoastal Canal Association, and the South Texas Chamber of Commerce. He was a member of the Texas Good Roads Association; Past Master of the Palacios Masonic Lodge No. 990, the Knights Templar of Bay City, the Texas Consistory at Galveston, and the Arabia Temple Shrine Club at Houston as well as a Past Patron of the Palacios Chapter No. 125, O. E. S., and in H. S. R. No. 236. Read in his memory before the State Legislature, he is cited as "The Honorable George A. Harrison...a real friend of the Gulf Coast Area, an untiring, ceaseless contributor to the affairs of both community and State...and loved and honored him for his great gifts of mind and heart." George A. Harrison died in Bay City on April 17, 1943; Lena in Palacios on December 8, 1977. Both were buried in the Palacios Cemetery.
Historic Matagorda County,
Volume II, pages 213-214 |
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George Archie Harrison, son of John A. Harrison and Laura Brown Harrison, was born near Naponee, Franklin County, Nebraska, on September 20, 1892. He came to Texas at the age of seventeen with his parents, and has made his home at Palacios since that time. On November 25, 1914, he was married to Lena S. Dickert at Penelope, Texas. His first great interest was in farming and he was instrumental in improvement and development of the rice industry here. Later he became actively interested in our need for better roads. In 1925 he became a member of the Commissioners’ Court of Matagorda County and served in that capacity for a period of fourteen years. During this time he served on the City Council of Palacios, was a member of the School Board here, acted Chairman of the Sea Wall Commission, was a Director of the Intracoastal Canal Association, and a member of the Texas Good Roads Association, and a director of the South Texas Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Harrison had been a lifelong member of the Episcopal Church, and has been faithful in his obligations toward it. He was a Past Master of the Palacios Masonic Lodge No. 990, and was a member of the Knights Templar of Bay City, the Texas Consistory at Galveston, and the Arabia Temple Shrine at Houston, Texas. He was also a Past Patron of the Palacios Chapter No. 125, Order of the Eastern Star. He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Lena Harrison, of Palacios, four daughters, Mrs. A. B. Pierce, Jr. and Mrs. Harley C. Robinson of Houston, Mrs. Horace F. Brown and Miss Laura Harrison of Palacios, one son, George L. Harrison of the U. S. Army, stationed at A. & M. College, where he is a Junior in the School of Engineering; two grandchildren, Horace F. Brown, Jr. and Nancy Laura Brown. Brothers and sisters attending the services were Charles B. Harrison and Frank R. Harrison of Naponee, Nebraska; Mrs. Irvin C. Hecht, Republican City, Nebraska; Mrs. Jennie E. Anderson of Hennessey, Oklahoma; and Mrs. Lenz A Lovering, of Baytown, Texas. Unable to attend were Robert L. Harrison of St. Francis, Kansas, John L. Harrison of Norris, South Dakota, and Mrs. Fred W. Duncan of Bloomington, Nebraska. Honorary Pallbearers: Robert Parker, Judge Thomas H. Lewis, Jim Tabb, Guy Johnson, Joe P. Wright, Arthur O. Wright, John Fox, Ted Elder, Roland Burton, Frank C. White, Judge Arthur Harris, John M. Corbett, Col. James A. Murphy, E. O. Taulbee, N. L. Hayes, E. N. Gustafson, Arthur Stewart, Capt. J. Henry Smith, J. C. Lewis, E. L. McDonald, Major E. A. Lindsey, Major Em. H. Knotts, Col. John K. Brown, James W. Gartrelle, Jack Teas, Gov. Coke Stevenson, Hon. Olin Culbertson, C. S. E. Holland, Judge Joseph J. Mansfield, Hon. Roy Miller, Col. Clark Thompson, Dinsmore Sartwelle, A. B. Pierce, Sr., Jack Nivens, H. H. Lindner, Wallace Vest, Guy Claybourn, H. B. Farwell, G. F. Gillespie, A. G. Skinner, W. H. Ramsey, A. R. Matthes, B. W. Trull, Howard Hartzog, W. H. Bauer, Jimmie Phillips, Luther Robertson, V. L. Sandlin, all members of Palacios Lodge #990 A. F. & A. M.
Palacios Beacon, April 22, 1943 |
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Funeral services for Mrs. Lena Sallie Dickert Harrison were held at 2 p. m. Saturday, December 10, at St. John’s Episcopal Church with the Reverend Douglas Cadwallader officiating. Interment was in the Palacios Cemetery. Mrs. Harrison passed away in Wagner General Hospital in Palacios at 11:45 a. m. Thursday, December 8, after a long illness. She was born on November 11, 1893 in Vaughn, near Hillsboro, Texas. Her parents were Thomas Frederick Dickert and Sallie A. S. Glymph Dickert, formerly of Newberry and Anderson Counties, South Carolina. Her mother died shortly after her birth in Hill County, Texas, and the family moved to the Ashby and Simpsonville area, Matagorda County, in 1898. Of this family only one sister, Mrs. C. L. (Ida) Dorsey of Palacios survives her. She was married in 1914 to George A. Harrison, who preceded her in death in 1943. Both were vitally interested in the development of Palacios and Matagorda County. She was a member of the Episcopal Church and a 50-year member of the Order of the Easter Star, Palacios Chapter #125. Their children are Ruth (Mrs. Abel B.) Pierce of Blessing, Naomi (Mrs. Horace F.) Brown of Houston, Marion (Mrs. Harley C.) Robinson of Alvin, George L. Harrison of Palacios, and Laura (Mrs. K. D.) Huddleston of Palacios, all of whom survive except Mrs. Huddleston who passed away July 6 of this year. Surviving also are 15 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.
Palacios Beacon, December 15, 1977 |
Funeral
services for George A. Harrison who died Saturday, April
17, were held at St. John’s Episcopal Church at
Palacios, Texas, April 19, 1943, at 4 P. M., conducted
by Bishop Clinton S. Quin of Houston, Texas, assisted by
Reverend Lucian S. Malone of Bay City, and Reverend N.
Chaffee Croft of Angleton, Texas. The Masonic Lodge of
Palacios had charge of the service at the grave. Active
pallbearers were James W. Sartwelle, Carlton Crawford,
Howard Campbell, J. F. Barnett, Joe Feather, Ed Baker,
Ralph Newsom, and W. C. Gray.
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Married Abel Brown Pierce, Jr. |
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The marriage of Miss Marian Louise Harrison to Mr. Harley C. Robinson, of Alvin, took place in Houston, Wednesday, Nov. 22, and after a short honeymoon trip they returned to Alvin, where they will make their home. Mrs. Robinson, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George A. Harrison, has numerous friends in Palacios where she was reared and attended school. She was a member of the class of ’36 to graduate from the Palacios High School, and later attended school in New York also the University at Austin. She assisted in her father’s office for a time but has been employed in Alvin the past year. Mr. Robinson, a son of Mrs. D. C Robinson, is a prominent young business man of Alvin, where he has lived for many years and is highly esteemed by all who know him. The Beacon joins the many friends of the popular young people in extending congratulations and best wishes. Palacios Beacon, November 30, 1939 Marion Robinson Funeral services for Marion Louise Harrison Robinson, 64, of Alvin, were held March 23 at the Grace Episcopal Church in Alvin with Rev. S. Burford III officiating. Interment followed in Confederate Cemetery in Alvin. Mrs. Robinson was born in Palacios and was a longtime member of Grace Episcopal Church and Order of Eastern Star. Survivors include her husband, Harley C. Robinson of Alvin; son, David G. Robinson of Alvin; son and daughter-in-law, Harley Clifton and Nancy Robinson of Houston; sisters, Mrs. A. B. Pierce of Blessing and Mrs. Horace F. Brown of Houston; and brother, George L. Harrison of Palacios. In lieu of flowers the family requests memorial contributions to the Grace Episcopal Church in Alvin, San Jacinto Lung Assoc., or the Alvin EMS. Palacios Beacon, April 27, 1983
Harley C. Robinson |
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Former Pct 3 County Commissioner and longtime community leader George L. “Billy” Harrison, 68, died Sunday, June 2 at the Gulf Coast Medical Center in Wharton following a lengthy illness. Funeral services were scheduled for 4 p. m. Tuesday (June 4) at the First United Methodist Church with Rev. Herb Wilke and Rev. Bernard Ritchea officiating. Interment was to be in the Palacios Cemetery. Pallbearers were Eli Mayfield, Gus Franzen, Ab Ussery, Mitch Michelletti, Jimmy Smith and Burt O’Connell. In lieu of usual contributions, the family has requested that donations be made to St. John’s Episcopal Church or the individual’s favorite charity. Harrison, who was involved in public service for over 40 years, had served as county commissioner for 28 years until stepping down in 1985. Since that time he had remained active in a variety of community activities, including the Matagorda County Palacios Seawall Commission, the Palacios Economic Development Foundation and the Palacios Chamber of Commerce. He was also active in farming, ranching and mining. He is survived by his wife, Gay Slone Harrison of Palacios; four daughters, Sandra Miller, Holly Claybourn and Shelley Mayfield all of Palacios and Janet Steinmetz of Round Rock, two sons, Slone Harrison of Chattanooga, Tenn. and John Harrison of Houston; two sisters, Naomi Brown of Houston and Ruth Pierce of Blessing; eight grandsons and three granddaughters. Harrison was remembered well by many members of the community especially for his concern and dedication towards the well-being of the Palacios area. “He was always interested in everything,” said City Building Inspector Abel Pierce, a lifelong friend of Harrison’s. “He was always willing to do anything for the community, and I think most people liked and respected him for that.” Former city councilwoman Margaret McElrath said Harrison is someone, “who will be hard to replace in the community. He was certainly a man who had the community foremost in his mind. He will be hard to replace.” “We lost a really wonderful person, someone who really contributed something to this community, said William Reaves, superintendent of the Palacios Independent School District. Irvin Peterson, who served with Harrison on the Palacios Seawall Commission called Harrison a “great man.” City Treasurer Charles Winfield said he has had good memories of Harrison since childhood. “He always had a good word to say about everybody. He always had a lot of optimism, and was a heck of a leader in this community,” Winfield said. Born to George A. and Lena Sally Dickert Harrison on January 11, 1923 in Prairie Center. Harrison attended Palacios schools where he was graduated in 1942. He attended Texas A & M College, then volunteered for army service the day after Pearl Harbor. After three years in the service, he re-entered Texas A & M College and received his degree in Civil Engineering. Following his discharge from the army, he returned to Palacios and engaged in farming and ranching. On July 11, 1948, he married Gay Slone, daughter of Tom and Nellie Slone of Palacios. They became the parents of six children. Following in the footsteps of his father who served 13 years as Matagorda County Pct. 3 Commissioner, Harrison himself was elected to the position in 1956 and served in that capacity for over a quarter of a century until he retired from that public office in January of 1985. During the 28 years that he served as County Commissioner, Harrison was instrumental in the establishment of a hospital in Palacios to provide modern medical facilities for citizens of the area. He also supported the construction of a new Matagorda County Court House and a new county jail. Billy worked with congressional committees in Washington to get the Palacios feeder channel deepened from nine to 12 feet to accommodate heavier vessels. He served on the Resolution Committee of the Intracoastal Waterway which was instrumental in getting 36 feet of water through Matagorda Bay to Point Comfort in order to develop heavy industry, and at the same time secured permanent Federal maintenance for the Palacios ports. After 20 years of land procurement, preparation, and engineering he saw the completion of Turning Basin #3, which was another step in the development of the Palacios area. He also supported navigation of the Colorado River and the Colorado River jetties. Billy was instrumental in enlarging the Drainage District of Precinct #3, which brought about the drainage of the low-lying areas, thus aiding in mosquito control in this section of the Gulf Coast. He was active in getting the state legislature to reactivate the Matagorda County-Palacios Seawall Commission to protect the shoreline of the area from erosion and served as chairman of that commission. He was an advocate of developing a balance between industry, tourism, and agriculture in order to establish a more permanent economic growth for Matagorda County. Active in many civic and fraternal organizations, he was a Director of the Palacios Chamber of Commerce for 28 years, serving as President for two terms; a member of the Bishop’s Committee of St. John’s Episcopal Church for 25 years; a member of the Gulf Intracoastal Canal Association for many years; was a charter member and Past President of the Texas Mid-Coast Water Development Foundation. He was also a member of the Palacios Masonic Lodge #990, Arabia Temple, Gulf Coast Shrine Club, the 100 Club of Matagorda County, and the Matagorda County Fair Association. He was also a director of the City State Bank of Palacios and the Federal Land Bank of Edna. He was an active member of St. John’s Episcopal Church and was also an admiral in the Texas Navy. Billy was chosen as the Palacios Chamber of Commerce’s “Man of the Year” in 1979 for his humanitarian activities during his tenure as County Commissioner. He was given the Chamber’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 1985.
Palacios Beacon, June 5, 1991 |
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February 1, 1929 - September 9, 2014 Gloria Gay Slone Harrison, of Palacios, Texas, entered life eternal Tuesday, September 9, 2014. She was born to Nellie Johnson Slone and Thomas Earl Slone February 1, 1929. She graduated from Palacios High School in 1946, in a graduating class made up entirely of young women, because all the young men had signed up to fight in World War II. Her only sibling, Thomas Earl Slone Jr., was a casualty of the war, dying of leukemia, believed to be the result of radiation exposure that he suffered as he served on a ship close to Hiroshima. She attended Sul Ross University, and in 1948, she married George Lindsay “Bill” Harrison. They had an adventurous start in their marriage, as they lived in the mountains outside Socorro, New Mexico, while Bill worked as a mining prospector. She remembered fondly those days, and for the rest of her life, her idea of a perfect vacation was one spent in the mountains of New Mexico. Gay was 5”1’ of fierce determination. Most afternoons her routine included a drive out through her ranch, and there was often a rifle or shotgun in the backseat that she did not hesitate to shoot out her driver’s window if the right varmint showed itself. She looked forward each year to the start of dove season, and had her gun ready to go and the fields scoped out to see where the most doves were. She was that rarest of creatures, a superstitious Episcopalian. All of her children and grandchildren know the value and good sense of leaving through the same door you came in through, as well as rubbing the ceiling of your car if you drive through an underpass with a train moving overhead. She greeted the first day of each month with “Good morning, Mr. Rabbit,” repeated three times before she said anything else, for good luck. She also surrounded her family with constant prayer, which she knew was more important than any superstition. Gay was a Girl Scout leader for her daughters’ troops, a charter member of the Harmonie Club, a member of the Palacios Trail Riders Association, and was active in the Altar Guild at St. John’s Episcopal Church. She enjoyed playing bridge and dominoes with her good friends. She was also an exquisite seamstress. Gay loved baking desserts, and one of her specialties was chess pie, which she always had ready whenever the family got together. She made beautiful jams, jellies, and preserves, and she instilled in her daughters, daughter-in-law, and granddaughters, a love for making those things as well. She loved fig preserves so much that she rooted many fig trees, passing them along, so that there would always be a good supply for preserving. Gay loved wiener roasts and bonfires, and always wanted to have her daughter Sandy’s homemade ice cream at these events. She was a pyromaniac at heart, and enjoyed watching her son burn off fields in the late winter. She made one Christmas in particular extra special for her grandson, Michael. When he was five years old, she promised him they would burn the Christmas tree once Christmas was over. To everyone’s surprise and Michael’s delight, she stuffed the tree into the fireplace and was overjoyed at the ensuing explosive roar. In her later years, she worked hard to maintain her health through dialysis treatments. She watched her diet carefully, often forgoing food she liked, because she knew she wasn’t supposed to eat it. Her diligence in continuing the difficult routine of dialysis and watching her diet was hard for her, but her family appreciated the efforts that gave them more time with her. As her health failed, and she grew weary, her longing for family members who had gone before her grew stronger than her ties here on earth. She spent her last lucid day enjoying a steady parade of family members and dear friends, and understood that she was seeing them here for the last time. She went to sleep and spent her last day surrounded by family, peacefully slipping through the bonds that kept her with us. After years of struggling with pain, she was blessed with a gentle passing. Gay was preceded in death by her parents; her brother, T. E., her great-grandson, Reid Claybourn; and her husband, Bill. She is survived by her daughter, Sandra and son-in-law Bill Miller; daughter, Holly and son-in-law Clayton Claybourn; daughter, Shelley and son-in-law Kent Mayfield; daughter, Janet Harrison; son, Slone Harrison; and son, John and daughter-in-law Lisa Harrison. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Jason Miller, Jeff Miller and wife Tommie Lynn, Nellie Claybourn, Garrett Claybourn and wife Tera, Lindsay Mayfield, Wade Mayfield, Michael Harrison and fiancé Kenna, L. E. Steinmetz and partner Shelly Hoffmann, Tommy Steinmetz, Daniel Harrison, Ross Harrison and fiancé Hannah, and Slone Harrison. She is survived by great-grandchildren, Zach, Adam, and Josh Riley, Abby Hoffmann, Blaze Miller and Reece Claybourn. Visitation was Thursday, September 11, 2014, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at St. John’s Episcopal Church. Celebration of Life services were held Friday, September 12, 2014, at 10 a.m., at the First United Methodist Church in Palacios, Texas. Her grandsons served as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers were L. E. Steinmetz, Nellie Claybourn and Lindsay Mayfield. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to St. John’s Episcopal Church, the Palacios Community Medical Center, or the charity of your choice. Arrangements are with Palacios Funeral Home.
Online
condolences may be shared with
the family by visiting
www.taylorbros.net. |
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Funeral services were held Friday, July 8, at 11 a. m. at the First Presbyterian Church for Laura Harrison Huddleston, who died July 6 in Wagner General Hospital. The services were conducted by the Rev. Leslie E. Webb. Interment was in Palacios Cemetery. She was born in Palacios May 2, 1924, the fourth daughter and youngest child of George Archie Harrison and Lena Dickert Harrison. She attended schools in Palacios but later attended Junior and Senior High Schools in Austin. She attended the University of Houston and was employed for awhile in her father's office. She was a member of the Episcopal Church, Order of the Eastern Star Chapter No. 125 of Palacios and a past president of the Harmonie Club. She is survived by her husband, Kenneth Darwin Huddleston; her mother, Mrs. George A. Harrison; one brother, George L. Harrison, all of Palacios; three sisters, Mrs. Harley C. (Marion) Robinson of Alvin, Mrs. Horace F. (Naomi) Brown of Houston and Mrs. Abel B. (Ruth) Pierce, Jr. of Blessing and many nieces and nephews. Palacios Beacon, July 14, 1977 Funeral services for K. D. "Buttsey" Huddleston, 72, were held Sept. 21 at 10 a. m. at the First Presbyterian Church with Rev. Doug Blanton and Rev. Ray Boykin officiating. Interment followed at Palacios Cemetery. Huddleston was born July 14, 1913 in Palacios, the son of R. C. and Lyda G. Williams Huddleston. He died Sept. 18, 1985 at Hermann Hospital in Houston. He was a retired rice farmer and the former owner of H & H Chevrolet in Palacios. He was a veteran of World War II and a lifelong resident of Palacios. Survivors include two sisters, Mrs. Billy Holt of Palacios and Mrs. E. F. Ryon of Kingsville; and one brother, Wayne Huddleston on Kingsville. He was preceded in death by his wife, Laura Harrison Huddleston, on July 6, 1977 Pallbearers were Jack Maddox, Joe Jenkins, E. T. Oglesby, Billy Jenkins, Carl Hansen, Tom Simpson, Jimmy Shearer and Sonny Brhlik. Honorary pallbearers were Ed Barrett, Jay Blomer, Fleming Goss, J. O. Thompson, Homer Aparicio and Jack Gillett.
Palacios Beacon, September 26, 1985 |