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The only son surviving him by his first wife married in Alabama, was Edward S. Rugeley, born in 1830 in Alabama. The son also was successful in farming and in 1861 became Captain of a Matagorda company in the war between the states and was stationed at Matagorda to guard the coast. We have, some months ago, printed the tragic story of the destruction of most of this company during a fearful blizzard and gale, the command being ordered to the peninsular to resist a threatened attack by the Federals from a gunboat and the storm coming on just as the party embarked, wrecking the vessel in mid-bay. Edward S. Rugeley was after the war elected County Judge and served most satisfactorily in that position for six years. He was also a member of the constitutional convention in 1875, at the time of the disastrous storm on the coast, and which was so destructive to property at Matagorda and on the peninsular. He was active in the removal of the county seat from Matagorda to Bay City in 1895. Judge Rugeley was married in Alabama in 1845 to Miss Mary E. Smith, and to them were born three sons and five daughters, of whom Frank L., of Matagorda, Mrs. Caroline Blair, of Wharton, and also Mrs. Mary B. Brooks of Wharton are living.
Of the second marriage of John Rugeley also in Alabama, were several children of whom two are still living, prominent citizens of this city, Dr. Henry L., and Frank. Of ex-Sheriff Frank we had a sketch a few weeks ago. Dr. H. L. Rugeley the eldest, was born in the county January 12, 1838, and is therefore 78 years of age, an age it is the good fortune of few men to arrive at in the full possession of physical and mental strength. The Doctor has been a practitioner of medicine for about half a century up to the time he retired a few years ago. He served the people of the county as Health Officer a number of years, and gave good honest service to his people without any of the fol de rols of fancy pay of the modern day of practical politics. He was called to serve one term as County Commissioner. Dr. Rugeley married Miss Elizabeth Elmore in Walker County December 14th, 1865, and these two good people are living happily in Bay City, surrounded by prosperous children and numerous grand children.
The children living are Henry Rugeley of Bay City, Mrs. O. J. Doubek, of Austin, and Rowland Rugeley of Bay City.
The family has furnished to the county many useful citizens and from
John Rugeley’s service in the Congress of the Texas Republic to the
present time there has been faithful and efficient service to almost
every branch of our government from members of this family. The Matagorda County News and Midcoast Farmer, Friday, September 15, 1916 Photo: Dr. Rugeley, Elizabeth Elmore Rugeley, Marshall Elmore, Courtesy of Gerald R. Powell
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Their boys grew to manhood, and Henry L. decided on his career--at the age of 21 years, he graduated from the University of North Carolina with his A. B. degree and went at once to the Jefferson Medical College of Philadelphia, from which he graduated in 1861 with his M. D. degree. Along about this time came the high call to service in defense of his home land. He enlisted in the Confederate army and became a member of Brown's regiment for only a short time. He was transferred to De Bray's regiment where he served as assistant surgeon of the army during the entire war period. Returning to his home he met and wooed the charming Elizabeth Elmore, of Waverly. The real romance of these two lives began on December 14, 1865, when Elizabeth became the wife of the young surgeon, Dr. H. L. Rugeley. From that day their lives were blessings to the community in which they lived. Their services were never sought in vain, and while her doctor husband diagnosed and prescribed, the wife administered and nursed. They had trying times--times of hardship and self denial in their professional lives, but through it all, and from it all, came the grand characters of Dr. and Mrs. H. L. Rugeley. The writer had the honor of the friendship of these two great characters, and many many times have we listened to the Doctor tell of his escapades as a college boy, also of the dreadful scenes of later years in which he served the Confederate army. They were Dr. and Mrs. Rugeley, people of the old South, they believed in her rights--her greatness and her nobility. To the end of their lives, they lived for the Southland. Their life in Bay City, rather in Matagorda County, is part of the history of the county. They helped lay the foundation of the very prosperity we younger ones now enjoy. Their lives were fruitful in that they gave of themselves to all that was for the good and lasting--scorning everything that did not meet with their ideals of honor and chivalry. In the passing of Dr. Rugeley, one of the striking and notable characters of Texas is removed. His heritage was lofty ideals, intelligence, endurance. His father and his father's father put these ambitions into their own lives, and, "like father, like son," the Doctor was fired with the same enthusiastic seal as were his ancestors. Dr. Rugeley lived the life of a Southern gentleman, and died the death of one who had lived his life and served his people. His funeral at the Methodist Church attested the love and esteem in which Matagorda County held him. His going was made less sad by the expression of love and sympathy from the throng of friends assembled to mingle tears, with the sons and the daughters left without father and mother. The children, grandchildren and great grand children have a memory worth all the world in the lives of Dr. and Mrs. H. L. Rugeley, lived so worthily and died in the faith of their christian religion.
Matagorda County Tribune, Saturday, May
29, 1925
Photo courtesy of Gerald R. Powell |
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When Mrs. H. L. Rugeley of Bay City closed her
eyes in the eternal sleep, Saturday morning, Feb. 24, 1923, there
passed into the Glory Land one of God's own gentle noble souls.
On the sixth day of January, 1846, a baby girl
came into the home of Henry Marshall Elmore and Elizabeth
Fitzpatrick, in Mason County Alabama--a little brown eyed girl, and
they called her Elizabeth, for the mother. In a few years this
little baby grew into childhood and came to Texas with their
parents, they choosing for a home the little village of Waverley in
Walker County. There Colonel Elmore builded for himself and family a
typical three-story old Southern home of red brick--surrounded it
with orchards--gardens, servant quarters and everything suggestive
of the Southern Gentleman. It was in this atmosphere that Elizabeth
Elmore spent her girls of days, and had instilled in her heart and
life by Christian parents the noble traits that made Mrs. Rugeley
the grand character she was. Her mother passed over into the Beyond
in 1860, leaving her little daughter the idol and companion of her
father and brothers. In this home gathered man, now famous in Texas
and Southern history, to discuss the trend of the times which they
could see was tending toward war. The older men, like General
Houston, pleading for peace and compromise, against the fiery
argument of the younger men just coming into political prominence.
All these things made deep impressions on Elizabeth Elmore. She
imbibed the very spirit of the South and Southern history. The time
passed. At the outbreak of the war and the call to arms, Col. Elmore
was past the acceptable age to go to the front, so he volunteered as
a private in Capt. Sim's Company. When the 20th Regiment of Texas
was organized, he was elected colonel and went to Galveston, which
he was in charge of all the troops on the island. All during these
months and years the daughter never left her father's side--but was
a ray of sunshine in the camps, in the hospitals administering to
the comfort of the soldier boys. All these experiences made her to
realize that you wrote sacrifices made by the people of the
Southland. She knew the devotion of the men who served with General
Lee. It was natural that she would serve her country and her way.
She came of Scotch-Irish ancestry--a people of strong physique and
vigorous intellect, who were prominent in the early history of our
land. Her grandfather, Gen. Ludlow Elmore of South Carolina was a
soldier in the Revolution. Her uncles served as governors, senators
and many other high political positions, their keen intellects
serving in times of stress to solve many national problems. On
December 14, 1865, Elizabeth Elmore and Dr. H. L. Rugeley were
married at the old Elmore home in Waverley. Too them was granted
long life of happy companionship. Nine children came into their home
of whom Mr. Henry Rugeley, Mrs. O. J. Doubek and Mr. Rowland Rugeley
are left to cherish the memory of a wonderful mother. The eldest
daughter, Elmore, was married to Mr. Frank Compton in 1887, but
death called her away in 1896, and her going left five little ones
motherless. These little children found a mother-heart in their
grandmother, Mrs. Rugeley, who devoted all her days to them and she
was spared to see them all educated and grown. A very peculiar joy
came to her but she was permitted to name her first great-grandchild
Frank Hawkins Lewis.
During the World War, Mrs. Rugeley worked in
unceasingly, knitting in the beautiful even manner she had learned
in her girlhood days. She was ready at any and all times to
cheerfully assist in any way. Such is a brief sketch of a life that was has been a blessing to the world, as she touched people here and there. A woman of very unusual intellect, strong Christian character, undying devotion to her dear old Southland, a patriotism born of inherent principles--a loyal friend, a lover of the true and beautiful, an artist in the crafts of her youth. Mrs. H. L. Rugeley was rightly the center of the community which was honored with her presence. Her later days were full of work in her loved U. D. C. She lived for that, she worked for that--her time was occupied teaching those of us younger in years the sublimity of our Southern inheritance. Her gracious personality made her one to be sought after, and in the early history of Bay City hers was the hand and mind that guided in church work, civic pride, educational lines and social life. She was also the leading spirit in the Cemetery Association. Her going away will cause a vacant chair in many, many places. She had been a member of the Methodist Church since early childhood, and until recent years took a very active part in all religious affairs. From a Bible she received the inspiration that sustained her in the long life of sacrifice that was hers. She possessed to a marked degree Faith, Loyalty, and Optimism. Her family, her home, her friends, her town, her county, her state, her country were the best, and always right. Her children and grandchildren are rich in the legacy she left them--a life without a shadow. Her husband and companion of 57 years is lonely because she is no more. They celebrated their golden wedding a few years ago, at which time many friends met and rejoiced with them. It is given to few couples to do the world the kind deeds that Dr. and Mrs. Rugeley were permitted to do. The U. D. C. has lost its inspiration of all its meetings. We scarcely know how to even try to meet, and plan for the future without her, our Life President. She organized this chapter and has been its very life ever since. Just the day before she was stricken, she called me to “come down” as she had some letters to read to me--letters she received from the Confederate home in Austin, thanking her for our part in installing a radio in the Home for the veterans. She said with tears streaming down her cheeks: “Poor old boys--they get so lonely and this will give them so much pleasure.”
The deep love fell for Mrs. Rugeley was expressed
in the wonderful array of floral offerings sent to make beautiful
and fragrant her last long home,--symbolic of the beauty and
fragrance of her life among us.
Mrs. Rugeley, our leader, we love you, and shall
try our hardest to carry on the work so dear to your loyal Southern
heart. We express our sympathy to them made sad and lonely by your
going. There is an anguish we cannot know. We shall do our best to attain the ideal she set before us in your life--ever looking for the home where “separations come not, and goodbyes are never said,” and where God shall wipe away all tears.
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Rowland Rugeley Dies At 90 Rowland Rugeley, a long-time civic leader and member of a pioneer Matagorda County family, died Thursday at Matagorda General Hospital after a lengthy illness. He was 90 years old.
Rugeley, the ninth and youngest child of Dr. Henry Lowndes and
Elizabeth Elmore Rugeley was born February 19. 1889. He and the
others in the family were lifelong residents of Matagorda County and
Bay City.
He was a 1911 graduate of the University of Texas Law School and has
maintained his membership in the state Bar Association throughout
his life.
He married Lenore Wall on May 11, 1922 and they had one daughter,
Martha, who is now Mrs. Richard Bachman. She and her two sons,
Rowland Rugeley Bachman and Richard Bachman, Jr., are the survivors.
Rugeley served in the Navy in World War I and returned to Bay City
to engage in cotton farming after the war.
Her served several terms on the City Council and was Postmaster for
a number of years. He will also be remembered for his service on the
draft board during World War II.
In 1946 Rugeley was one of the founders and charter members of the
Matagorda County Fair and Livestock Exposition Association. He
maintained an active membership in that organization and was still
an ex-officio member of the board at the time of his death.
He has been a stockholder and director of the First National Bank
since 1955 and a member of the Bay City Cemetery Association since
1958. He also helped found the Bay City Cemetery Trust Association. He was an active member of the Rotary International, the Chamber of Commerce, the Bay City Industrial Foundation and was a charter member of the Matagorda County Rice Farmers Cooperative.
He was one of the organizers of the Bay City Country Club and was a
member of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church.
He was also active throughout his lifetime in the various local
Democratic party activities.
A quote in a family history book 21 Sons for Texas states
that several family members felt that Rowland was the "apple of his
mother’s eye."
“She was extremely proud of his record in both his university career
and in his civic responsibilities. She said quite frequently that he
listened with more apparent interest and more attention than anyone
had ever done in her life.
She added that no matter what her project she could count on his
being really interested if she spoke to him about it.”
The name of Rowland Rugeley has long been synonymous with growth and
progress in Bay City and Matagorda County. And his attitude of civic
pride and responsibility was once again apparent when he requested
the privilege of voting from his hospital bed in the April 7 city
and school elections. Funeral services will be held Saturday, April 21 at 2:00 p. m. at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church with Reverend Milton McWilliams officiating. Interment will be in Cedarvale Cemetery.
Rowland Rugeley, 90, of Bay City died April 19 at the Matagorda
General Hospital. Survivors include: daughters, Mrs. Martha Rugeley
Bachman of Bay City; 2 grandsons, Rowland Rugeley Bachman and
Richard Bachman Jr. Funeral services will be held Saturday, April
21, at 2 p. m. at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church with Rev. Milton
McWilliams officiating. Interment will be at the Cedarvale Cemetery
with pallbearers being: Henry Rugeley, Rugeley Ferguson, Bill
Ferguson, W. Rugeley Livesay, Frank Lewis, and Austen Furse.
Arrangements with Taylor Bros. Funeral Home.
Daily Tribune, Friday, April 20, 1979 |
Henry L. Rugeley was born into the family of John
and Eliza Colgin Rugeley on January 12, 1838 and passed into the
beyond on May 6, 1925. In that span of years a man of great
usefulness walked among men, and then passed them by. His father and
mother lived in Lowdenboro, Alabama, until the year 1846, when they
came, with their children to find fame and fortune in the wilderness
of Texas.
