Alton & Melba Webb
from the Genealogy of James Robert "Jim" Webb

My Uncle Alton was born in Lockney, Floyd County, Texas, the youngest son of James Davis and Mary Araminta (Farnsworth) Webb.    He tells of winters up in the Texas Panhandle being so cold and the house so drafty that his father said if he could ever move, he would!!   Alton remembers bringing the newborn calves into the house to shelter them from the cold.

The Webb family children were:        Mary Lillian Webb  b. 18 Nov 1891 d. 6 Feb 1925
                                                                     Elma Davis Webb    b. 12 Jul 1893  d. 10 May 1953
                                                                     George Evans Webb b. 28 Jan 1895 d. 3 Feb 1895
                                                                     Oran Ewart Webb      b. 26 Aug 1897 d. 4 Apr 1948
                                                                     and Alton, himself,     b. 23 Oct 1905 d. 23 Aug 1983.

James Davis Webb took his family south to Frio County in hopes of finding warmer temperatures and better crop growing conditions.    Alton distinguished himself while in the third grade at Dilley when he was first on the honor roll and had his name published in  "The Dilley Atmosphere",  the local newspaper.  

Haskell High School in Haskell, Texas, was where Alton graduated while living with his brother, Oran, and sister-in-law, Stella (Stewart) Webb.    After that he returned to Floydada to live with his parents who had decided to move back to the north.   

Alton married Melba Cornelius on May 14, 1929, and they chose Brownfield, Texas, to live and raise their family.    They had two children, Lanny Jim and Emma Maurine.   Both children grew up, married and raised their families in Brownfield, also.

As time progressed, Alton became a prominent member of the Brownfield business community having the Case Tractor dealership there.   He was a Brownfield city councilman and mayor pro-tem from 1970 to 1974 and a member of the Brownfield Independent School Board from 1947 to 1954.

He and Melba liked to travel and often went to the Rio Grande Valley and to other parts of the state.   Melba was born 21 Sep 1911 and died 19 Aug 1982 in Brownfield.    A year later, Alton also died on 21 Aug 1983.   He and Melba were members of United Presbyterian Church of Brownfield and are buried at Terry County Memorial Cemetery.     A devoted couple who loved Brownfield, the West Texas High Plains and, especially, their children & grandchildren.

©James R. Webb

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