H
Mason Standish Holsworth Family
 
H

Edwin Arthur Holsworth Family
 


Mason Standish Holsworth Family
 

Mason Standish "Jack" Holsworth came to Texas with his parents in March of 1910, at the age of sixteen. He enrolled in the Academy at the Gulf Coast University until the family arrived in December. After the University was closed, he and his father began farming rice. They farmed three crops before the canal to furnish water was completed. In January, 1915, at the age of twenty-one, Jack bought his first herd of Brahman cattle. Clay McSparran, manager of the Pierce Estate, helped him select his cattle and register his brand. Two years later he sold them to enlist in the army during World War I.

 

Upon his return from the army in 1918, Jack resumed his interest in farming and ranching. He bred another herd of 180 head of Brahman cattle, but after the freeze and ice storm in December, 1924, he had only eighty left. He soon bred another herd of good commercial cattle. In 1947 he began breeding a herd of registered Red Brahmans with the purchase of a registered bull, the son of an imported Brazilian bull--Rio Negro. His long range plan was to breed a herd of big, red cattle. This was the foundation of the present day ranching program.

 

On May 25, 1930, Jack Holsworth married Ethel Sirmon, a school teacher from Markham who was teaching in the Collegeport School. They had four children: Margaret Ann, Thomas Edwin, Phyllis Helen, and Mason Standish II.

 

Ethel Sirmon attended school in Markham and was graduated from the Markham and Bay City schools. She attended Southwestern University where she received her teaching certificate, and after that, began teaching in the Collegeport school. Her second year of teaching was in Pledger, Texas.

 

Jack Holsworth served the First Presbyterian Church as Elder, Treasurer and Chairman of the Building Committee for the Manse. He was a Trustee of the Collegeport School Board, Chairman of the Precinct No. 7 Election Board, and was a director of: the Independent Rice Warehouse, Navigation District No. 1, Hawley Cemetery Association, and Matagorda County Livestock Show. He was a member of the American Brahman Breeders Association and the Pan American Zebu Association.

 

Ethel Holsworth was a member of the Methodist Church in Markham and later the First Presbyterian Church, Collegeport. She was a member of: Woman's Union, Kings Daughters, Woman's Club, Collegeport YWCA, Home Demonstration Club, and held various offices in these organizations. She was also a Trustee and Secretary of the Collegeport School Board, Trustee of the Palacios Independent School District Board, Presiding Judge of Precinct 7 Election Board, and a member of the American Brahman Breeders Association and the Pan America Zebu Association. She was a charter member, the second from the United States, of the Asociation Granadera de Criadores de Cebu en la Republica Mexicana (Mexican Association of Zebu Cattle Raisers).

 

After the lengthy illness and death of her husband in January, 1959, she, with the aid of her two sons, assumed the operation of Holsworth Farms and M. S. Holsworth Ranch. Thomas managed the farm, Mason managed the ranch, and Ethel the office.

 

In order to support three families, it was necessary to expand the rice acreage, add the cultivation of milo, and install their own dryer. With Mason as manager of the M. S. Holsworth Ranch, an outstanding herd of Red Brahman Gyr-type cattle, heavy in imported blood was developed and received International recognition. M. S. Holsworth Ranch exported these cattle to South Africa, Mexico, the Central American Countries and Australia. In 1984, one of the bulls from the M. S. Holsworth Ranch exported to Australia was the sire of an embryo that sold for $9000.00 at auction.

 

Thomas Edwin Holsworth and Mason Standish Holsworth II were active in numerous church, farm, ranch and community organizations.

 

Margaret Ann Holsworth Hodge - 1984

 

Historic Matagorda County, Volume II, pp 252-253

 



Matagorda County Tribune, March 16, 1917
 


A wedding of interest to Palacios and Collegeport was solemnized in Markham Sunday afternoon at 2 o'clock, when M. S. Holsworth was united in marriage to Miss Ethel Sirmon. We extend hearty congratulations to Jack and his bride, and invite them to visit Palacios. They will make their home in Collegeport.

Palacios Beacon, May 29, 1940
 



 


Mason Standish "Jack" Holsworth at Collegeport Cattle Pens

Photo courtesy of Ethel Williams
 


Funeral Services Held In Bay City Sunday For M. S. “Jack” Holsworth

Funeral services for Mason Standish (Jack) Holsworth, 65, of Collegeport were held in the Taylor Brothers Funeral Home in Bay City Sunday, January 25 at 3 p. m. Interment was in the Hawley Cemetery.

Mr. Holsworth, a resident of Matagorda County for the past 48 years, passed away early Friday morning at the Methodist Hospital in Houston.

He was a member of the Collegeport Presbyterian Church and a veteran of World War I.

He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Ethel Holsworth; two sons, Mason and Thomas; two daughters, Mrs. Phyllis Helen Richman, all of Collegeport and Mrs. Margaret Ann Hodge of Dallas; four granddaughters and one sister, Miss Margaret Holsworth of Collegeport.

Palacios Beacon, January 29, 1959


Photo courtesy of Find A Grave Volunteer Chuck Taylor #46593732
 


HOLSWORTH

Funeral services for Ethel Sirmon Holsworth, 90, of Collegeport, Tex. will be 2 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 13, 2000 at the Palacios Funeral Home Chapel with the Revs. William J. Hodge, and Andy and Janell Blair officiating. Interment will follow at Hawley Cemetery in Blessing.

Mrs. Holsworth died Jan. 10, 2000 at Clarewood House in Houston. She was born Dec. 24, 1909 in Markham to the late Richard Thomas and Maude Hardee Sirmon.

She was a member of First Presbyterian Church in Collegeport and a resident of Collegeport since 1928. Mrs. Holsworth graduated from Bay City High School, attended Southwestern University in Georgetown and taught school in Collegeport and Pledger before her marriage to Mason S. "Jack" Holsworth on May 25, 1930.

Survivors include: two daughters and a son-in-law, Margaret Ann and Rev. William J. Hodge of Houston and Phyllis Derrick of Waco; two sons and a daughter-in-law, Thomas E. and Marie Holsworth of Palacios and Mason Holsworth of Collegeport; sister, Inez Chapman of McGehee, Ark; sisters-in-law, Thelma Sirmon of Bay City and Ben Eddie Sirmon of New Braunfels, Tex.; 11 grandchildren; 11 great grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by: her husband, M. S. "Jack" Holsworth; brothers, Carvel, Malcom, Ralph and Earl; and sister Dorothy Jean.

Arrangements are with Palacios Funeral Home

THE DAILY TRIBUNE, Wednesday, 12 Jan 2000


Photo courtesy of Find A Grave Volunteer Chuck Taylor #46593732
 


Special Tribute to Ethel Sirmon Holsworth
Collegeport Day Newsletter of May 2000

 

Ethel Sirmon Holsworth (1909-2000) was a longtime resident of Collegeport, a schoolteacher, farmer/rancher and community activist.  She had an undying interest in the Collegeport community, and was instrumental in preserving the Mopac House when it had fallen into a state of disrepair and non-use.  At one point the Mopac was in deplorable condition with the doors off the hinges and cattle roaming through it.  Jack and Ethel Holsworth hired George Baccus to construct the trusses to straighten and support the walls and roof of the building.  Over the years, other improvements were made.

 

Collegeport Day had evolved as a “covered dish” occasion, and at one point, attendance waned.  In 1945, in an effort to improve attendance and stimulate interest for the homecoming, Jack and Ethel Holsworth donated a calf which was barbecued by John Merck and “Cheatum” Greenwood.  Since that time, barbecuing has become the tradition of Collegeport Day.  In more recent years, boneless beef briskets were used, for the convenience of preparation and serving.  Although there has never been a charge for the meal, the sale of barbecue has been the primary fundraiser for the upkeep of the building.

 

Mrs. Holsworth never lost her zeal for the Mopac House, or her love for our community.  She served as treasurer of the Woman’s Club for 50 years and also served as a trustee of the Mopac House Foundation, which maintains the Mopac House and Library for the benefit of the citizens of our community.  Her enthusiasm and efforts have helped the Mopac House remain vital as a community center in this area of Matagorda County.
 


Thomas Edwin Holsworth

September 22, 1932 - July 26, 2020

 

Thomas Edwin Holsworth, 87, of Palacios passed away July 26, 2020. He was born September 22, 1932 in Bay City to the late Mason Standish Holsworth and Ethel Irene Sirmon.

 

He was a member of St. John’s Episcopal Church where he had served on the Bishop’s Committee. He helped set up the Matagorda County Appraisal District and the Matagorda County Navigation District and was a member of Texas Farm Bureau.

 

Survivors include his wife Marie Holsworth; sons Edwin Holsworth of Houston and John Holsworth of Port Lavaca; sisters Margaret Ann Hodge and Phyllis Derrick; brother Mason Holsworth and grandchildren Michelle Matthewson & husband Zack, Koben Holsworth and Amber Holsworth.

 

Graveside service will be 10:00 AM Thursday, July 30, 2020 at Hawley Cemetery with Rev. Bill Bullard officiating.

 

Taylor Bros. Funeral Home                   Photo courtesy of G. W. Franzen

 


 


Phyllis Holsworth Derrick

February 23, 1934 - October 1, 2020

 

Phyllis Holsworth Derrick passed from this life peacefully in Waco, Texas, on October 1, 2020. She was the daughter of Mason Standish Holsworth “Jack” and Ethel Sirmon Holsworth, and was born February 23, 1934, in Bay City, Texas, the third of their four children. Phyllis Helen grew up on the family farm and ranch in Collegeport, Texas, and attended elementary school there and middle and secondary school in Palacios, Texas, where she graduated from Palacios High School.

After attending Southern Methodist University and Baylor University, she married John Patrick Richman on October 11, 1953. In August 1955, Pat succumbed to polio. Phyllis and their 10-month-old daughter lived with her parents until she married Jesse Allen Derrick in 1959. They made their home in Waco, where their three children were born. Jesse and Phyllis were loving parents and also found time to give to others and to their community. Jesse’s untimely death in 1983 was a loss not only to Phyllis and the family, but to many with whom he had worked and served.

Phyllis had a life-long love of music and was a gifted pianist. She enjoyed playing classical music and hymns on her beloved grand piano. Long after her children were grown, she pursued that passion with intensity, taking lessons from Krassimira Jordan, a Professor of Piano and Artist In Residence at Baylor. Phyllis traveled with Professor Jordan and students from the Baylor school of music to Vienna and Prague two summers to immerse deeply into lessons and lengthy practice sessions. For decades, Phyllis also attended the Waco Symphony, making great efforts to do so in the later years of her life.

Phyllis loved her yard and garden. She spent many of her days for most of her life planting, fertilizing, nurturing and trimming a large variety of trees, shrubs, and flowers. She enjoyed physically laboring, including digging beds, by herself, that were several feet deep so that her azaleas would thrive. Undaunted as her age increased, she alarmed her neighbors, when, in her late 70’s, she climbed a ladder and went out on her roof to trim tree branches.

She was a talented cook as well and enjoyed trying new recipes and techniques and sharing her wonderful meals, breads and desserts with family and friends. As her children were growing up, the family was treated to a true three- or four-course dinner each evening. It was not uncommon for the neighborhood kids to find their way to the Derrick house for dinner to eat her famous “Mashed Potatoes with Creamed Gravy and Fried Chicken.”

Phyllis and Jesse were active members of Lake Shore Baptist Church for many years. Phyllis later became a faithful member of the First Baptist Church of Waco. She loved all of the members of her Sunday School classes there and attended until her health no longer permitted. While she lived at St. Elizabeth’s for seven years, you would find Phyllis attending worship services Sunday mornings at the Providence Park chapel and in a Bible study group during the week.

Phyllis loved her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. They were a source of joy throughout her life, and she greatly enriched theirs.

She had a soft place in her heart for animals and loved her Golden Retrievers, Muffin and Winston. They adored and protected her.

Phyllis’s strength, endurance and resilience in the face of serious and numerous health challenges for more than two decades was remarkable. She faced those challenges quietly and now rests in God’s peace.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Jack and Ethel; her husband, Pat; her husband, Jesse; granddaughter, Elizabeth Claire Lacy; and her brother, Thomas Holsworth.

She is survived by her siblings, Margaret Ann Hodge and Mason Holsworth; her children, Priscilla Richman Owen, Dianne Derrick Hirsch, Nancy Derrick Lacy and her husband, David, and John Derrick and his wife, Ellen; grandchildren, Florence Carter Lacy, Jesse Gaston and his wife, Jennifer, Mark Chernoff, and Cory Hirsch and his wife, Katherine; three great-grandchildren, Zoey Chernoff, Molly Gaston, and Mason Gaston; and many nieces, nephews and their children. She was very proud of her entire family.

The family is thankful for the loving care Phyllis received from Latisha Knight, the staff of St. Elizabeth’s, and, for the last several weeks of her life, the excellent, tender care she received from Uni Murphy and the staff at Lake Ridge Healthy Living.

A graveside service will be held at Hawley Cemetery in Matagorda County, Texas, on Monday, October 5, at 1:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial gifts may be made to the First Baptist Church of Waco Missions, Talitha Koum Institute or the Salvation Army of Waco.

The family invites you to leave a message or memory on our “Tribute Wall” at www.WHBfamily.com.

 

Wilkerson-Hatch-Bailey Funeral Home, Waco, Texas
 


Services Are Held For J. P. Richman; Succumbs To Polio

 

Funeral services were held Wednesday, August 17, at 4 p. m., for John Patrick Richman in the First Baptist Church here with Rev. Rayford Harris officiating and Rev. William Hodge assisting.

 

Mr. Richman, who was 24, died after a brief illness in Jeff Davis’ Polio Center in Houston Monday, August 15.

 

He was born November 17, 1930 in Lane City, Texas, and later moved to Danbury, Texas, finally coming to Palacios while a high school student. Recently discharged from military service, Mr. Richman married the former Phyllis Helen Holsworth of Collegeport in Waco on October 11, 1953.

 

He was a 1949 graduate of Palacios High School and was graduated from Texas A and M College in 1953.

 

A member of Alpha Zeta honorary fraternity while in college, Mr. Richman was also a member of the First Baptist Church and was active in church work.

 

Pallbearers were John Heft, Jesse Allan Derrick, Thomas Holsworth, Leon Shipley, Carl Bergland, Wallace B. Travelstad, Jack Halliday and A. M. Burkett.

 

In addition to his widow, Mr. Richman is survived by one daughter, Priscilla, 10 months, his parents, Mr. and Mrs. P. A. Richman and one brother Phil Richman. Interment was in Palacios Cemetery.

 

Palacios Beacon, August 18, 1955
 

Jesse Allen Derrick

Born
December 18, 1929

Died
September 27, 1983

Buried
Hawley Cemetery
Blessing, Matagorda County, Texas



 


William James Hodge

1920 - 2018

Rev. William James “Bill” Hodge, 97, passed away February 25, 2018 of pneumonia with his wife of 67 years and his daughters by his side. He was the youngest (a twin) of four sons, born to Dr. Russell Lowe Hodge and Margaret Campbell Hodge on September 3, 1920 in Kansas City, Missouri. Bill graduated from Kansas City High School, attended Central Methodist University, and graduated from Kansas University with a B.S. degree in Business Administration. While at KU he earned his pilot’s license and was a member of Phi Kappa Psi. He enlisted in the US Marine Corp and attended the Platoon Leaders Class in San Diego, CA where he received his commission as a Second Lieutenant. After graduation from college he was called to active duty and was assigned to the fourth division, 23rd Regiment where he served the duration of the war. Bill saw action in four campaigns in the Pacific: Roi-Namur, Saipan, Tinian (receiving the Bronze Star & Presidential Unit Citation Fourth Marine Division), and Iwo Jima advancing through the ranks to Captain. On Iwo Jima, he volunteered to take over command of A company, 1st Battalion, 23rd Regiment after it had sustained heavy casualties. In that capacity he received a personal Citation for Valor under bitter fighting and heavy fire. He was promoted to the rank of Major prior to leaving the service.

Bill entered SMU Perkins School of Theology in Dallas graduating in June, 1950, as an ordained Methodist Minister serving for 36 years. After retirement from the Methodist Church he served as Minister to the Houston Brethren Church in the Heights for almost 20 years. Retiring for the second time at age 85, after 56 years in the ministry.

Preceded in death by his parents and his brothers and their spouses: Campbell Hodge (Harriet), Russell Hodge, Jr. (Margaret), and twin brother, Dr. Robert H. Hodge (Anna Mae). He is survived by his wife, Margaret Ann Holsworth Hodge, three daughters: Phyllis Ann Stepp Warriner (Ross), Virginia Sue Botts (Gerald), and Margaret Lynn Kelly (James Tynan), five grandchildren: Meredith Rose (Marc), Thomas Botts, Katherine Botts, Margaret Kelly, and Bill Kelly, and three great-grandchildren: Jackson, Twins, Eloise and George Rose.

A Memorial Service celebrating Bill's life will be held on Friday, March 2nd at 2:00pm in Sanctuary of St. Luke's United Methodist Church, 3471 Westheimer Road, Houston, TX 77027 with reception and visitation to follow. In lieu of flowers please consider memorials to: Including Kids Center for Autism, including kids.org; or St. Luke's United Methodist Church, PO Box 22013, Houston, TX 77227.

Houston Chronicle from Feb. 28 to Mar. 1, 2018

 

[burial at Hawley Cemetery, Blessing, Texas]
 

 

Copyright 2007 - Present by the Holsworth Family
All rights reserved

Created
Mar. 2, 2008
Updated
Mar. 2, 2008
   

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