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Marker picture courtesy of
Renee Huff |
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By Mary Eleanor Louderback McIntyre & Geraldine Louderback Moore
Arthur Edgar Louderback was twenty-five when he arrived in Texas from Valparaiso, Indiana, to begin a new life. Born on September 24, 1883, he was the son of Andrew J . and Matilda "Tillie" Swenhart Louderback. Arthur had worked at various jobs, including stage hand at a Chicago theatre where "Ben Hur" was produced during his sojourn. He told of the horses galloping on stage on huge revolving drums.
Arthur bought land on Turtle Creek at Palacios, with the help of his father-banker, Andrew J. Louderback. Andrew, with his small gold spectacles and stern look was the perfect image of a banker; but his interests extended far beyond banking. He was a tinkerer, an avid collector and reader of books, and a bilinguist--teaching himself. He was graduated from high school at fifteen, and then taught himself German. He prided himself on having the first bathtub in Valparaiso, and also saw to it that Arthur and his family had the same in Texas. He retired and they moved to Texas in 1929.
The first thing that Arthur did after acquiring the land was build a small shack near the creek which he shared with two friends named Perry and Berry. They called him "Jerry," the name he carried the rest of his life. He met and courted a young schoolmistress from Bay City, Eleanor Katherine Harrison. Courting was difficult, but not impossible, and they were married on July 10, 1913. Eleanor was born on December 26,1889, in Cuero, one of eleven children born to Christine Katherine Schmidt Harrison and Francis "Frank" Harrison, both of whom, as young teenagers, were survivors of the 1875 storm at Indianola. (see Francis "Frank" Harrison Family) Christine was called "Teenie," derived from Christine, but surely fit because of her small stature. She had not red hair, but "auburn," she adamantly refused to be called a redhead. Her granddaughter, Mary Eleanor, had that same red hair, and did her first born, the baby girl she took to visit her grandmother shortly before she died.
Jerry and Eleanor K. Louderback built a home on the farm land and lived there for two years. When World War I was in full swing, they went to Beaumont where Jerry worked in the shipyards. There were no teaching positions available, so Eleanor enrolled in business college. Because of a fIu epidemic, she was soon asked to teach, and if she would, she could attend business college free. By 1919, they were back on the farm, Jerry was starting a dairy, and Eleanor was teaching at Carancahua, sharing the ten mile horse and buggy trip each day with a teacher friend.
Mary Eleanor Louderback was born on October 29, 1921 , at Palacios. She married James Jason Bateman of Franklinton, Louisiana, on April II, 1942. He was an Army sergeant and served overseas in the North African-Sicily Campaign of World War II. He returned in 1944 to Fort Meade, Maryland, where their daughter, Donna Lynn, was born. Donna Lynn married Evi Brink IV of Hightstown, New Jersey, on May 22, 1966, and they had: Evi Brink V and Eleanor Marie. The family resided in Morrisville, Pennsylvania.
Mary Eleanor's daughter, Susan Carroll married Henry Glenn Demoulin on August 8, 1970. Their two children were: Michelle Antoinette and Jason Joseph. The Demoulin family resided in Clinton, Louisiana.
Mary Eleanor Louderback Bateman married second James Donald McIntyre on May 10, 1980, and resided in Hammond, Louisiana. He had four daughters, Jackie Reynolds, Jean Hodgkins, Molly McIntyre and Nicole Mclntyre.
Geraldine, born on January 18, 1923, was the second child born to Eleanor and Jerry Louderback. She married Thomas Griggs "Mac" McCrosky on October 14, 1944, in the midst of World War II. After the war was over, Geraldine "Jerry" and Mac bought a grocery store in Markham and had one son Michael James. Mac died of aplastic anemia before Michael was seven months old, and was buried at Hawley Cemetery. On July 26, 1949, Jerry married Irving Moore, Jr., who was then County Judge of Wharton County. They were the parents of two daughters, Janice and Laura. Irving and Jerry Moore resided in Wharton, Texas.
Michael married Caroline Heisler Shain on February 20, 1982, and they resided in West Chester, Pennsylvania. She had a daughter, Stephanie.
Janice Moore married Dr. Bryan Bartlett Beck and they had one son, Brandon Bartlett.
Laura Moore married Antony Ervin Martin on June 17, 1972, and they resided in Wharton with their son, Jess Andrew.
John Jerome Louderback was the third child and first son of Eleanor and Jerry Louderback. He was born on January 15, 1925, and married Jonita Joy Stewart on May 27,1951, and had three children: Linda Katherine who married William Grove Gates on October 16, 1973, and had a daughter Jennifer Lynn; Cynthia Jean, who married Tommy Ray Johnson on June 16, 1979, and had one son, Tommy Ray, Jr.; and Andrew John who married Roslyn Elizabeth Belick on June 5, 1982, and had a daughter, Kara Elizabeth. John and Joy resided in Palacios, Texas.
Arthur Edgar Louderback died on January 23,1964, in Palacios, Texas. Eleanor Katherine Harrison Louderback died on January 14, 1979, in Wharton, Texas. Both were buried in the Palacios Cemetery.
Historic Matagorda
County, Volume II, 1984, pages 328 - 329 |
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My name is Arthur Edgar Louderback but everyone
called me “Jerry.” I was born in 1883 to Andrew J. and Matilda
Swenhart Louderback in Valparaiso, Indiana. My parents had the first
bathtub in that town and saw that my family had the same in Texas.
As a young man, I had various jobs including stage hand at a Chicago
theatre where “Ben Hur” was produced. I remember horses galloping on
stage on huge revolving drums. Oh, those were the days. I arrived in
Texas when I was 25 years old in 1908. I bought land on Turtle Creek
with the help of my father who was a banker. I built a small shack
near the creek which I shared with two friends named Perry and
Berry. They gave me the name “Jerry”. Yep, Perry, Berry and Jerry.
That name followed me the rest of my life. I courted and married a
young schoolmistress from Bay City, Eleanor Katherine Harrsion in
1913. Eleanor was born in Cuero in 1889. Her parents were survivors
of the 1875 storm at Indianola. Eleanor and I built a home on our
farm land and lived there two years when WWI broke out. We moved to
Beaumont where I worked in the shipyards while Eleanor went to
business college. Because of a flu epidemic, Eleanor was asked to
teach. When she accepted, her business college was free. In 1919 we
moved back to the Palacios farm and started a dairy. Eleanor began
teaching at Caranchua, sharing a ten mile horse and buggy trip each
day with a teacher friend. Our children Mary Eleanor was born in
1921, Geraldine (also known as Jerry) born in 1923 and John Jerome
in 1925. I died here in Palacios in 1964. Eleanor died in Wharton in
1979. -- Palacios Cemetery Tour |
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Funeral services for Arthur Edgar Louderback were held Sunday, January 25, at 4 p. m. in the First Presbyterian Church with Rev. Richard Stone of Corpus Christi and Rev. John Berkley officiating. Interment was in the Palacios Cemetery. He was born in Valparisio, Indiana, on September 24, 1883, a son of Andrew Jerome and Matilda Swenhart Louderback and came to this area in 1907. On July 10, 1913, he and Miss Eleanor Harrison were married in Bay City and moved to their farm five miles west of Palacios to make their home. He helped to lay out the first roads in Palacios, sold real estate and farmed. During World War I, the couple moved to Beaumont where he served his country by helping to build ships. After the war, they returned to Palacios where he continued to farm until he retired in 1961. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church and the Palacios Masonic Lodge. Mr. Louderback died Saturday morning in Wagner General Hospital after a short illness. He is survived by his wife; two daughters, Mrs. Mary Eleanor Bateman of Kentwood, La., and Mrs. Geraldine Moore of Wharton; one son, John Louderback of Palacios and eight grandchildren. Card of Thanks The many friends who have remembered A. E. Louderback in his illness and passing with flowers, cards and notes, visits and calls have been an inspiration to all of us. Especially do we appreciate the care and attention given by Dr. Sanford, the nurses, hospital staff and the Pink Ladies.
Eleanor Louderback
Palacios Beacon, January 28, 1965 |
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Her many friends and former students were saddened Monday to learn of the death of Mrs. Eleanor Louderback on Sunday, January 14, at 402 Breezy Lane in Wharton where she had made her home the past couple of months. Funeral services were held at 3 p. m. Tuesday, January 16, in the First Presbyterian Church of Palacios with the Rev. Richard Stone and Rev. J. Elroy Weikel officiating. She was laid to rest in the Palacios Cemetery beside her husband, A. E. Louderback, who preceded her in death in 1965. One of eleven children of Frank and Christine Catherine Schmidt Harrison, she was born December 26, 1889 in Cuero, Texas. A resident of this area for 80 years, she was a teacher for over 50 years years, 38 of these in the Palacios Independent School District. She was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, Order of Eastern Star, Athena Club and Texas State Teachers Association. She is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Irving Moore, Jr. of Wharton and Mrs. Mary Bateman of Kentwood, La.; one son, John Louderback of Matagorda; two sisters, Mrs. Bernice Reed of Miami, Fla. and Mrs. Addie Stacey of Houston; eight grandchildren and four great grandchildren. The family has requested that those wishing to give a memorial that it be to the First Presbyterian Church. Palacios Beacon, January, 1979
School Faculty Honors Two Retiring
Teachers Two retiring Palacios school teachers were guests of honor at a seafood dinner at Crawford's Shrimp Net Tuesday evening. About eighty people including faculty members, with their wives and husbands, honored Mrs. Claire Burton and Mrs. Eleanor Louderback on the eve of their retirement. Mrs. Louderback was born in Cuero, Texas. Her parents were Mr. and Mrs. Frank Harrison. She has four brothers and four sisters. Her brothers are Fred Harrison, San Antonio, Archie Harrison, Freeport, Frank Harrison, Bay City and Earl Harrison, Beaumont. Her sisters are Mrs. B. W. Stubbleman, Cuero, Mrs. G. W. Reed, Florida, Mrs. E. D. McManus, Florida, and Mrs. A. R. Stacy, Houston. She was married to Jerry Louderback in Bay City on July 10, 1913 and honeymooned at Blessing. Mrs. Louderback is the mother of three children, Mrs. James Bateman, Kentwood, La., Mrs. Ervin Moore, Wharton, and John Louderback, Blessing. She has eight grandchildren. Mrs. Louderback's college education began in the Teacher Normal Schools, later called State Teacher's Colleges. She attended Southwestern State Teachers College, Sul Ross, College of Arts and Industries, and University of Houston. She received her bachelor's degree, with a major in elementary education from the University of Houston on August 30, 1952. Mrs. Louderback started teaching at Danevang in 1909, where she taught two years. Other schools were Weber School, Victoria County, 1911-12; Blessing, 1912-13. After a three year absence from teaching she taught at Turtle Bay School 1916-18. After a one year break she taught at Carancahua School three years, 1919-21. A six-year absence was taken from teaching then she taught at Turtle Bay School two years, 1927-29. Mrs. Louderback has been teaching in the Palacios Schools since 1929. Mrs. Louderback has taught a total of 39 years, 29 of which were in the Palacios Schools. During her 29 years in the local schools she spent 20 years as an elementary classroom teacher and nine years as principal of the West Side School. The West Side School was closed in 1952. In addition to her school work Mrs. Louderback has been active in church and community work. She is a member of the First Presbyterian Church, and has served in the various women's civic and social clubs of Palacios and in the P. T. A.
Palacios Beacon, Thursday, May 15, 1958 |
