Tracing Our Bosque County Roots
From The Bosque County News
By: LaDawn Garland
20 June 2001
There was a wonderful turn out for the ribbon cutting of the Bosque County Collection on the 13th, well over 100 guests attended. It was so great to see everyone there to help celebrate the opening of the new location.
August Pederson Reunion Held In Cranfills Gap On June 2, 2001, twenty-five descendants of August Pederson and Martha Johnson Pederson met at the Community Center in Cranfills Gap to celebrate their heritage. An article published in the August 11, 1983 edition of The Clifton Record was read. The publication, written by Mina Pederson Dahl,
described the first Pederson reunion held, at which 112 descendants met. In spite of the small attendance this year, everyone reported having a great time visiting, telling anecdotes, and catching up with news of relatives far and near. The group voted to meet again in 2002, and to encourage better attendance from the extended family. The branches of the family were represented by the following:
Johnnie Pederson family: Billie and Alice Pederson, Mina and Randy Dahl, Paul and Irene Pederson, Alma Pederson Tindall family: Katherine Tindall, Reuben Tindall and Michael Hajas, Virgil and Betty Tindall, Malinda Pederson Huse family: Richard and Janelle Dittrich, Dean Dittrich, Minnie Pederson Knudson family: Imogene Miller, Bob Miller, Minerva and Richard Thomas, Mary Pederson Finstad family: Winona Finstad Calahan, Jewel Christianson, Harry and Ione Blue, Guy and Geneva Finstad and Gracie Knudson (visitor).
There will be a family reunion for the descendants of James Wiley Fields, on June 30th in Commanche Okalhoma, at the Housing Authority located at 9th and Wilson. For more information call Susie Hall at 580-564-3539.
Queries
Trying to locate information on Bosque Co. Indians—1850–1880–We are told that “GrGrandma” was an Indian. She and “GrGrandpa” They were married in Bosque Co. in 1876. What Indians were in that area during that period and where is their Nation today? We can not locate her ancestors.
Joan Parvin—nanobot@oklatel.net
I have been at a major road block quite some time on trying to find my great grandmother’s family. Her name was Sarah (Sallie) Clementine McKinney. I have her on a 1880 Census in Bosque county living with her brother, John W, his wife, Eulee, and her mother Mary J. Sarah was 22 at the time. John W. married Eulee Pearce in 1880. I found them in the Groom/Bride Index for Bosque County. On August 10th 1886 she married John Calvin Scarborough in Bosque county. They had several children and are buried in the family cemetery in Freestone County. Family lore has it that she came from a wealthy family and lived on a large plantation and that she was disowned when she married by GG Grandfather as he was consider to be a marrying her only for her wealth. To the best of anyone’s knowledge she only had contact one time with her brother after her marriage. It was told that he came to see her several years later and gave her money and said “that it wasn’t right that he got everything and she got nothing.” I have been unable to trace her any further than this. This is all the info I have. Thank You.
Judy Baker
judy_baker@juno.com
Items From Old Newspapers
The People’s Tribune
May 7, 1897
Walnut Springs Notes
Dr. Jones is able to be out in town on his sticks.
D.B. Smith, of Rough Creek, was in the City Saturday.
Mrs. S.C. Johnson is attending court in Stephenville this week.
P.W. Desmond visited his uncle and aunt at Moody last week.
Iredell Items
Mrs. Guy Main is on the sick list this week.
Dr. Pedigo and wife returned Sunday from a visit to the capitol city.
Alva Royal was badly hurt while pulling stumps with a stump puller.
Mrs. Rankin left our city Friday for Alexander, on a visit to friends and relatives.
Miss Etta Corley returned home Sunday from Alexander, accompanied by her grandmother, Mrs. Hughes.
Mrs. Bud Mitchell went to Fairy Saturday to visit the bedside of her sick mother, Mrs. Gwin, who is not expected to live but a few days.
HELP Happenings
Will Howard is visiting in the Gap this week.
Sim Scott is in Western Texas visiting his son and daughter.
We understand that Jeff Thomas wants to change the Iredell road by way of Mr. Arrington’s.
H.P. Jones, of this place, got lost last week on the creek, south of here. We understand his hat was found at the office.
Clifton Cullings
A. C. Turner, of Cranfills Gap, was here Monday.
F. M. Lockett, a Brazos farmer, was in the city Tuesday.
R. C. Allen, of Tyler, is in the city visiting his brother W. P. Bruton.
J. P. Heaton and family, of Valley Mills, were in the city Wednesday.
Mrs. O. B. White and little daughter arrived from Tyler last Saturday evening, and with Mr. White are at home at the Kemp hotel.
Morgan Melange
Miss Mamie Cochran who had been visiting Misses Annie and Lena Tinnin for some time returned home Monday.
Mrs. Ed Bartley of Waco, visited Mrs. J. H. Wright this week.
Mrs. A. R. Kuykendall visited Dallas friends this week.
The Talk Of The Town & Community
Mr. Wm. Johnson, father of Eld. J. H. Johnson of this city, has been very sick for the last ten days, but we are glad to learn that he is now able to sit up a little and we hope to report him well again in a few days. “Uncle Billy” as he is generally known is now in his 82nd year, and has been a citizen of Bosque County for over 26 years.
Squire Berry and J. A. Chester of Iredell were in the hub Monday.
W. S. Powell is visiting his daughter Mrs. Frank Baker, at Cameron.
O. H. Graham, of Womack, was here this week.
These newspapers and many more dating back to the late 1800’s can be found in the archives of the Bosque County Collection in Meridian. For more information on their wonderful collection of history you can visit their website at http://www.htcomp.net/bcc.
Here’s my reminder to everyone, talk with your relatives, remember to take the time to record you family history and memories, someday, somewhere some descendant will surely thank you for not letting the past slip away.
If you are researching your Bosque County families online be sure to visit Bosque Co. TXGenWeb site at http://www.txgenweb5.org/txbosque/ you’ll find a wonderful collection of information provided by other researchers, it’squite possible you might just find other researchers there researching your same family lines. This column will also be available weekly at this site.
If you would like to submit a story or query about your Bosque County family, as well as information on reunions, to this column please mail them to:
LaDawn Garland c/o The Bosque County News
P.O. Box 343
Meridian, TX 76665
fax to (254) 435-6335
or email me at garland@htcomp.net.