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(This is another in a series of historical articles providing background for the reunion at Blessing May 3.)
By Mrs. A. B. Pierce
(Special to the Tribune) On the west bank of the old Tres-palacios River where at one time the thriving ranch of Captain Richard Grimes was located is another peaceful and beautiful family resting place--high on the river bank with ancient live oak trees guarding this sacred place. Mr. Tom Poole of Bay City, son of T. J. Poole, Sr. and Fannie Louise Grimes, has enclosed his ancestors' grave with a very nice fence so the cattle roaming these pastures cannot trample the graves.
On the east side of the tall shaft is engraved: Fannie Louise Grimes, wife of T. J. Poole, Sr., Nov. 10, 1860 - Nov. 7, 1888.
On the older grave headstones appears the name of Captain Richard T. Grimes, born in Rocky Hill, Conn., Sept. 29, 1790; died in Tres-palacios, Texas, April 11, 1858. On another stone is Fanny Bradford, born in Rocky Hill, Conn., May 9, 1794; died Trespalacios, Feb. 18, 1862.
Also on the east side of the tall shaft appears the name of Maria Louise, wife of W. B. Grimes (William Bradford Grimes) died Aug. 29, 1876, aged 39 years.
On the north side of the tall stone appears the names of several children as well as on a short row of small stones nearby: Bradford Robbins, b. Oct. 26, d. Nov. 2, 1856, age 7 days; Frederick Robbins, Aug. 1, 1851, d Aug. 4, 1859[1], age 4 days; Richard Robbins, b. Nov. 8, 1862, d. Nov. 14, 1862; George Strickland, son of W. Bradford and Maria Grimes, Oct. 26, 1873, age 1 yr., 5 mo; Nellie Strickland, d. Sept. 1, 1876, age 8 days.
On a small headstone not far from the large family shaft is the name: Patience, a servant, died Sept. 1869, age about 50 years.
The number of small children who died so young will be noted in all cemeteries around this area--from the 1850s and before, up to the late '80s--caused in most cases by epidemics of typhoid, small pox before the era of vaccines. The local doctors were helpless against such outbreaks.
Mrs. Irene Poole Barber and her brother, Tom Poole, Jr., of Bay City inherited the Grimes-Poole Ranch from Tom Poole, Sr. and Fannie Louise Grimes, their parents. The first Grimes in Texas was Captain Richard Grimes of Connecticut, who received this land grant from Mexico and later bought additional land. His son, William Bradford Grimes, was born in Rocky Hill, Conn. in 1825. He liked Texas so well that he returned in 1851 and was married to Maria Louise Robbins of Hartford, Conn. in 1853. They immediately returned to Trespalacios where they lived until 1876 when Mrs. Grimes passed away. This couple had 14 children. The eldest, Bradford R. Grimes, took cattle up the trail several years. He moved to Kansas City after his wife passed away, giving the Tres-palacios Ranch to his daughter, Fannie Louise Grimes, who married T. J. Poole, of Indianola. Their children, Tom and Irene, inherited the ranch.
Clara Isabell Baxter Anthony (Mrs. Anthony now lives in Wharton) recalls where their family lived across the river from the Grimes place; she attended the little one-room school just across the road from the old Grimes house and recalls the Grimes store and the Trespalacios post office nearby. The Grimes home, located back from the road, was torn down years ago and the present home of Mr. and Mrs. Herman Powell is located still farther back from the public road and not far from the banks of the river where the old Grimes meat-canning plant was located.
After an old ferry was supplemented by "the old iron draw-bridge," the Baxters (whose family owned the Baxter Island at old Matagorda) used this method to cross the river to attend the little school, shop for supplies at the Grimes store and pick up their mail at the Trespalacios post office. Homes, canning plant, store and post office, school and even the old iron drawbridge have succumbed to the slow but sure onslaughts of time and are no more.
The Daily Tribune, Monday, April 20, 1959
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Funeral services will be held for Mrs. Fannie Louise Poole Davant, 75, 11 a.m. Saturday at Holy Cross Catholic Church.
Officiating at the services will be Rev. J. P. Shannon. Interment will follow at Grimes Cemetery with private family graveside services.
Davant died February 18 at Matagorda General Hospital.
Survivors include daughter, Laura Lea Jones of Bay City; son, Robert M. Davant of Houston; three sisters, Mrs. Jessie Poole Davis and Mrs. George R. Keen, Jr. of Bay City and Mrs. James Schultz of Austin; five grandchildren: Jessica and Robert Davant, III of Pittsburgh, Pa., Elizabeth Bell of Bay City, Valerie Hundley and David D. Jones of Houston and four great grandchildren.
Pallbearers will be Michael Davis, Kenneth Brand, Bill Lokey, Allen Hundley, Russell Bell and David Jones. Honorary bearers will be Carey Smith, J. E. Davant, Leslie Chiles, Don Haley and Frank Lewis. Services are under the direction of Taylor Brothers Funeral Home.
The Daily Tribune, February, 1982
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Mr. R. M. Davant, 55, died suddenly at his home in Shreveport Sunday afternoon at 6 of a heart attack. He was the divisional superintendent of Pan-American Oil Company at Shreveport.
He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Fannie Louise Davant; one daughter, Mrs. D. D. Jones of Houston; one son, R. M. Davant, Jr., of the Corpus Christi Naval Air Station; three grandchildren; one sister, Miss Hortense Davant of Corsicana and two brothers, J. E. Davant of Corsicana and Phil Davant of Houston.
Services will be from the Riverside Methodist Chapel on North McGregor Drive in Houston with Rev. A. Grady Hollonquist officiating Tuesday at 2. Settegast-Kopf Funeral Directors will be in charge of arrangements.
The Daily Tribune, February 21, 1955
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DAVIS Private graveside services are pending for Jessie Lea Poole Davis, 79, of Bay City, at the Grimes Family Cemetery in Tres Palacios. The family will receive friends at the family home in Bay City, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday March 5, 1995.
Mrs. Davis was born February 18, 1916, in Bay City to Thomas Jefferson and Jessie Lea Logan Poole and died March 2, 1995, at St. Luke’s Hospital in Houston.
Mrs. Davis was a descendant of Captain Richard Grimes, a pioneer cattle rancher who came to Matagorda County in 1837.
A resident of Bay City for many years, Mrs. Davis was a member of Holy Cross Catholic Church. She was a founding member of Bay City Study Club and a charter member of the Bay City Junior Service League. She also served on the board of the Bay City Public Library.
Survivors include her children, Deborah Bradford Davis Brand and husband Kenneth W. Brand of Houston; Michael Logan Davis and wife, Karen, of Houston; grandchildren, Jeffrey Logan Brand, Robert Poole Brand and Katherine Elise Brand, of Houston; a sister, Jeanne Poole Keen of Bay City; nieces, Laura Lea Jones of Bay City and Patricia Keen of Houston; nephews, Patrick Keen of Hong Kong and Robert M. Davant of Houston.
In lieu of the usual remembrances, the
family requests that donations be made to a charity of their choice.
Arrangements are with Taylor Bros. Funeral Home in Bay City.
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Michael Logan Davis passed away peacefully Sunday, August 4, at the age of 63. Born in Houston, Texas on December 28, 1955, to Milam Davis and Jessie Poole Davis, Michael grew up in Bay City, Texas. He was surrounded by a large extended family who have always remained close. He graduated from Bay City High School in 1974 and attended Southwest Texas State University where he received a degree in Journalism in 1979. Michael’s career in journalism spanned many years. He worked as a reporter for a number of years at the San Antonio Express News, and then returned to Houston to have a lengthy career at the Houston Post and the Houston Chronicle. Michael married the love of his life, Karen Rogers, in 1980. Their love of travel took them to many destinations across the United States and Europe. Michael’s keen interest in Civil War History led them to visit all of the battle sites of the Civil War and he maintained an extensive collection of Civil War literature. Michael was an avid reader throughout his life and also found enjoyment in playing his guitar. Michael was preceded in death by his wife, Karen Rogers Davis, his parents and brother, Thomas Poole Davis. He is survived by his sister, Debbie (Kenny) Brand, nephews Jeff (Julie) Brand and Robert (Natalie) Brand, niece Katie (Matt) Harry; great nieces Molly and Emily Brand. Burial will be at a private service at the Grimes Family Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions may be directed to: Houston Hospice, 1905 Holcombe Blvd., Houston, Tx 77030 (houstonhospice.org) or Citizens for Animal Protection, 17555 Katy Freeway, Houston, Tx 77094 (cap4pets.org)
Taylor Bros. Funeral Home |
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Laura Lea Davant Jones, 69, of Bay City
passed away January 7, 1996 at Hospice Texas Medical Center in Houston.
She was born July 21, 1926 in Corpus Christi, to Robert and Fannie L.
Poole Davant. She is survived by two daughters, Elizabeth Lea Howe of
Bay City and Valerie L. Hundley of Richmond, by one son, David D. Jones
of Houston, by one brother, Robert M. Davant of Houston, and by five
grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, Robert and
Fannie L. Poole Davant, and by her grandparents, Thomas J. and Jessie
Poole. A rosary will be recited at 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, January 9, 1996 at
Taylor Bros. Funeral Chapel. The family will receive friends at the
family home in Bay City immediately following the rosary Tuesday.
Private graveside services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, January
10, 1996 at the Tres Palacios Cemetery. Arrangements are with Taylor
Bros. Funeral Home in Bay City.
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Jessie Logan Poole, wife of the late Thomas J. Poole, resident of Bay City for 56 years, passed away at the Citizens Memorial Hospital in Victoria Sunday at the age of 88.
A member of Holy Cross Catholic Church, Bay City, she was the daughter of John Laivson and Odile LaBauve Logan and was born on the Logan ranch near Blessing.
Services will be held from Holy Cross Catholic Church at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday with private interment at the Grimes Cemetery, Tres Palacios.
Mrs. Poole is survived by Mrs. R. M. Davant, Mrs. Jessie Poole Davis, Mrs. George Keen, Jr. of Bay City and Mrs. James Schultz of Austin. She is also survived by seven grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and one great-great-granddaughter.
POOLE
POOLE, Mrs. Jessie Logan, passed away
September 12 in Citizen's Memorial Hospital, Victoria. She was 88 years
of age. Rosary will be said tonight at 8:00 p.m., at Taylor Brothers
chapel. Services will be held Tuesday, September 14 at 10:30 a. m. at
Holy Cross Catholic Church with Msg. C. J. Martin officiating. Interment
will be in the Grimes Family Cemetery. She is survived by four
daughters, Mrs. R. M. Davant, Mrs. George Keen, Jr., Mrs. Jessie Poole
Davis, all of Bay City, and Mrs. James Schultz of Austin. Also seven
grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and one
great-great-granddaughter. Pallbearers will be Joseph T. Dawson, Frank
Lewis, Charles Cobb, Bart Morrow, Leslie Chiles and W. W. Rugeley.
Taylor Brothers Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
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Prominent Area
Rancher Dies Thomas Jefferson Poole, Jr., outstanding rancher and cattleman throughout all of Texas, died Tuesday at the age of 85. He took active interest until just recently in all phases of the cattle business. He resided in Bay City, but owned ranches in Brazoria and Matagorda Counties. Quoting from Texas Industrial Directory, Mr. Poole was “One of the most prominent cattlemen of this area,” and he “was a true Texas pioneer and one of which his community can be justly proud.”
Back in 1929, Mr. Poole looking for new outlets for marketing steers began shipments for the first time from this county to Oklahoma and Kansas. In recent years he had worked in a partnership with his brother, Donald K. Poole.
For over thirty years he served as a director of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association. In 1965 he was made an honorary vice-president of the organization. During his years as a director he served on various committees, and at the time of his death he was a member of the 1969 Legislative Committee.
He served as a Director of the Bay City Chamber of Commerce from 1959 to 1964. He served as co-chairman of the Chamber’s Agricultural Committee from 1960 until his health caused him to retire from the committee. He was presented an honorary life membership of the Chamber in 1963.
Mr. Poole and his partner-brother, Donald K. Poole, were chosen as Outstanding Cattlemen of Matagorda County, by the Chamber of Commerce, in 1961.
In April 1964 he was presented a plaque from the Matagorda County Fair and Livestock Association, with its four other founders, which read: “In appreciation of the efforts and forethought in founding the Matagorda County Fair and Livestock Show in 1944. For your help and promotion and improvement of agriculture thorough youth development and leadership.”
Mr. Poole was a motivating factor in the junior livestock annual show sponsored by the organization, which this year alone had 193 entries and brought to the youth of this county almost $42,000 at the junior auction sale in March.
Mr. Poole was a member of the First Presbyterian Church for over 60 years, and served more than half of those years as an elder of the church. In his church, as in his business, he did much to promote the general welfare of the church, always a regular attendant and always lending his support to the development of youth activities.
Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at the First Presbyterian Church in Bay City. Dr. John Lancaster of Houston and Dr. Joe Cooper of San Angelo officiating.
Private graveside services will be held in the Grimes family cemetery on the Tres Palacios River near Blessing.
Active pallbearers will be Leslie Chiles of Brazoria, Bart Morrow of Sweeny, Stephen Perry Jr. of Freeport, W. W. Rugeley, Barry Barbour and Frank Lewis of Bay City, Dave Sheffield of Victoria and Roswell Burke of Eagle Lake.
Honorary pallbearers will be J. C. Lewis and Roland Rugeley of Bay City, Bob Trull of Palacios, Claude McCann and Bevans Callan of Victoria, Holman Cartwright of Dinaro, Tex., H. E. Lewis of St. Louis, Mo., Dave Scott Jr. of Sealy, Leonard Styles of Kingsville and Fred Cornelius of Midfield.
Ushers will be Don Jean Taylor, Vernon Harrison, Virgil Fetters and Jack Huebner.
He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Jessie Logan Poole of Bay City; four daughters: Mrs. Fannie Louise Davant, Mrs. Jessie Poole Davis, and Mrs. Geo. R. Keen, Jr., of Bay City and Mrs. James H. Schultz of Austin. Thee are seven grandchildren: Robert M. Davant Jr. and Mrs. Laura L. Jones, of Houston, Patrick Logan Keen, Patricia Keen, Mary Keen, Deborah Bradford Davis, Michael Logan Davis all of Bay City. Five great-grandchildren: Mrs. Charles Miesmer, Valerie and David Jones, Jessica Grimes Davant, and Robert Davant III, all of Houston.
He is also survived by four sisters: Mrs. Irene Poole Barber, Mrs. Lane Barbour, Mrs. George Ross Burke of Bay City, and Mrs. Reginald Burbank of New York City. Two brothers: Donald K. Poole, and Dr. Mark K. Poole of Bay City.
The family requests that memorials be made to the T. J. Poole Scholarship Fund of the First Presbyterian Church.
The Daily Tribune, September 3, 1969
Poole Funeral Planned Today BAY CITY--Funeral services for Thomas Jefferson Poole, Jr., 85, of Bay City, noted Matagorda County rancher who died here Tuesday, will be held at 2 PM Thursday at the First Presbyterian Church. Burial will be in the Grimes family cemetery near Blessing.
A fourth generation Texan and cattleman, Poole owned ranches in Matagorda and Brazoria Counties. He began managing the ranch of his grandfather, William Bradford Grimes, in his teens on the Tres Palacios River. After the ranch was sold in the early 1900's, Poole and his father formed the Poole Cattle Co. He was a director of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association for more than 30 years, and was made an honorary vice president of the organization. He was also one of the founders of the Matagorda County Fair and Livestock Show.
Poole was a director in the Bay City Chamber of Commerce from 1959-64, and was vice president in 1963. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church here more than 60 years, 30 of which he served as elder. He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Jessie Logan Poole of Bay City; four daughters, Mrs. James H. Schultz of Austin and Mrs. Fannie Louise Davant, Mrs. Jessie Poole Davis and Mrs. George Keen, Jr., all of Bay City; two brothers, Donald K. Poole and Dr. Mark K. Poole, both of Bay City; four sisters, Mrs. Irene Poole Barber, Mrs. Lane Barbour and Mrs. George Ross Burke, all of Bay City, and Mrs. Reginald Burbank of New York City; and seven grandchildren.
The Houston Post, Thursday, September 4, 1969
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Private graveside services for Beatrice Poole Schultz, 82, of Austin were scheduled for 2 p. m. today at the Grimes Family Cemetery, Tres Palacios.
The family will receive friends at the family home, 2201 Fifth St., Bay City, from 5 to 8 p.m. today.
Mrs. Schultz was born Sept. 6, 1907, in Tres Palacios to Thomas Jefferson and Jessie Lea Logan Poole and died Feb. 23, 1990 at Voss Wood Nursing Home, Houston.
A resident of Austin for many years, she was a former long-time resident of Matagorda County. She was a member of the Catholic church.
Survivors include two sisters, Jessie Poole Davis and Jeanne Poole Keen, both of Bay City; three nieces, Laura Lea Jones of Bay City, Patricia Keen of Houston and Deborah Brand of Denver, Colo.; and three nephews, Robert Davant and Michael Davis, both of Houston, and Patrick Keen of Hong Kong, China.
In lieu of the usual remembrances, donations can be made to a charity of choice.
Arrangements are with Taylor Brothers Funeral Home, Bay City.
The Daily Tribune, February 26, 1990
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James H. Schultz, 70, a resident of Austin passed away in the Breckenridge Hospital in Austin March 22. Survivors include: wife, Mrs. Beatrice Poole Schultz of Austin; 1 son, James Schultz of Columbia, South Carolina; 1 sister, Mrs. Howard Levins of LaFayette Hill, Pennsylvania; 1 brother, John J. Schultz of Norris Town, Pennsylvania; 2 granddaughters. Private funeral services will be held at 3 p. m. Saturday afternoon at the Grimes Cemetery with the Rev. W. D. O'Neal of the First Presbyterian Church officiating. Interment will be at Grimes cemetery with pallbearers being: Leslie Chiles, Don Haley, Robert M. Davant, Patrick Keen, Grady Zachary, and D. Oldham. Services under the direction of Taylor Brothers Funeral Home.
The Daily Tribune, March 23, 1973
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Matagorda County, Tribune, Ashby Anglings, Aug. 5, 1899
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