Bessie was the youngest child of Lewis Pinkney and Cinnie Brooks. She was born and raised on the Brooks homeplace located approximately nine miles west of Graham, Texas. She attended school at the one room Mount Pleasant schoolhouse, completing primer through seventh grade.
She was a very active young lady, helping with all the work around the home. She excelled in horsemanship and was acclaimed the best horsewoman in that part of the country. She was a lover of good horses all of her life.
In 1908 she met William R. Brown who had moved with his family, the John A. Brown family, from Wolf City, Texas to the Martin place in the Mount Pleasant Community. She and William were married December 14, 1913 at the Presbyterian Manse in Graham by the Rev. Gaines Hall, the Presbyterian minister. The Manse was located on the corner of Elm and Second Streets where the First National Bank is now located. It was on a Sunday. After church service, they went to town in the buggy. They met Mittus Brown, Columbus Wragg, Ethel and Roy Mote on the Lower Tonk Road and proceded to the Manse. Lewis Brooks, brother of the bride, rode into town on his horse. So, the wedding guests were Mittus Brown, W. C. Wragg, Ethel and Roy Mote and Lewis Brooks. (Mittus and Ethel were sisters of the groom)
Their first home was a two room house on the C. S. Choate place located approximately seven miles southwest of Graham in the Tonk Valley Community.
In October, 1916 they moved to Crosby County where they lived 3 miles northwest of Crosbyton, Texas. Bessie loved living "on the plains" where they did well in farming. After four years, they returned to Young County where they continued in farming. In 1949 they purchased a washateria in Eliasville, Texas which they operated until they retired in 1959. Upon their retirement, they returned to the Tonk Valley Community.
On March 21, 1978, Bessie lost her companion of sixty-four years. They would have celebrated their sixty-fifth anniversary in December. William's Homegoing left a great void in her life but she continued to maintain her own home for several years in Tonk Valley, a community that she loved and a community that loved her.
She always said that her children were her riches. Proverbs 31:10-31 so aptly describes her, especially verse 28 that says "Her children arise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her".
Bessie and William had nine children, of which seven lived to adulthood; Ray, John, Gordon, Betty, Ina Dell, Dalton and Kenneth.
She was a very active young lady, helping with all the work around the home. She excelled in horsemanship and was acclaimed the best horsewoman in that part of the country. She was a lover of good horses all of her life.
In 1908 she met William R. Brown who had moved with his family, the John A. Brown family, from Wolf City, Texas to the Martin place in the Mount Pleasant Community. She and William were married December 14, 1913 at the Presbyterian Manse in Graham by the Rev. Gaines Hall, the Presbyterian minister. The Manse was located on the corner of Elm and Second Streets where the First National Bank is now located. It was on a Sunday. After church service, they went to town in the buggy. They met Mittus Brown, Columbus Wragg, Ethel and Roy Mote on the Lower Tonk Road and proceded to the Manse. Lewis Brooks, brother of the bride, rode into town on his horse. So, the wedding guests were Mittus Brown, W. C. Wragg, Ethel and Roy Mote and Lewis Brooks. (Mittus and Ethel were sisters of the groom)
Their first home was a two room house on the C. S. Choate place located approximately seven miles southwest of Graham in the Tonk Valley Community.
In October, 1916 they moved to Crosby County where they lived 3 miles northwest of Crosbyton, Texas. Bessie loved living "on the plains" where they did well in farming. After four years, they returned to Young County where they continued in farming. In 1949 they purchased a washateria in Eliasville, Texas which they operated until they retired in 1959. Upon their retirement, they returned to the Tonk Valley Community.
On March 21, 1978, Bessie lost her companion of sixty-four years. They would have celebrated their sixty-fifth anniversary in December. William's Homegoing left a great void in her life but she continued to maintain her own home for several years in Tonk Valley, a community that she loved and a community that loved her.
She always said that her children were her riches. Proverbs 31:10-31 so aptly describes her, especially verse 28 that says "Her children arise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her".
Bessie and William had nine children, of which seven lived to adulthood; Ray, John, Gordon, Betty, Ina Dell, Dalton and Kenneth.
Bessie was the youngest child of Lewis Pinkney and Cinnie Brooks. She was born and raised on the Brooks homeplace located approximately nine miles west of Graham, Texas. She attended school at the one room Mount Pleasant schoolhouse, completing primer through seventh grade.
She was a very active young lady, helping with all the work around the home. She excelled in horsemanship and was acclaimed the best horsewoman in that part of the country. She was a lover of good horses all of her life.
In 1908 she met William R. Brown who had moved with his family, the John A. Brown family, from Wolf City, Texas to the Martin place in the Mount Pleasant Community. She and William were married December 14, 1913 at the Presbyterian Manse in Graham by the Rev. Gaines Hall, the Presbyterian minister. The Manse was located on the corner of Elm and Second Streets where the First National Bank is now located. It was on a Sunday. After church service, they went to town in the buggy. They met Mittus Brown, Columbus Wragg, Ethel and Roy Mote on the Lower Tonk Road and proceded to the Manse. Lewis Brooks, brother of the bride, rode into town on his horse. So, the wedding guests were Mittus Brown, W. C. Wragg, Ethel and Roy Mote and Lewis Brooks. (Mittus and Ethel were sisters of the groom)
Their first home was a two room house on the C. S. Choate place located approximately seven miles southwest of Graham in the Tonk Valley Community.
In October, 1916 they moved to Crosby County where they lived 3 miles northwest of Crosbyton, Texas. Bessie loved living "on the plains" where they did well in farming. After four years, they returned to Young County where they continued in farming. In 1949 they purchased a washateria in Eliasville, Texas which they operated until they retired in 1959. Upon their retirement, they returned to the Tonk Valley Community.
On March 21, 1978, Bessie lost her companion of sixty-four years. They would have celebrated their sixty-fifth anniversary in December. William's Homegoing left a great void in her life but she continued to maintain her own home for several years in Tonk Valley, a community that she loved and a community that loved her.
She always said that her children were her riches. Proverbs 31:10-31 so aptly describes her, especially verse 28 that says "Her children arise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her".
Bessie and William had nine children, of which seven lived to adulthood; Ray, John, Gordon, Betty, Ina Dell, Dalton and Kenneth.
She was a very active young lady, helping with all the work around the home. She excelled in horsemanship and was acclaimed the best horsewoman in that part of the country. She was a lover of good horses all of her life.
In 1908 she met William R. Brown who had moved with his family, the John A. Brown family, from Wolf City, Texas to the Martin place in the Mount Pleasant Community. She and William were married December 14, 1913 at the Presbyterian Manse in Graham by the Rev. Gaines Hall, the Presbyterian minister. The Manse was located on the corner of Elm and Second Streets where the First National Bank is now located. It was on a Sunday. After church service, they went to town in the buggy. They met Mittus Brown, Columbus Wragg, Ethel and Roy Mote on the Lower Tonk Road and proceded to the Manse. Lewis Brooks, brother of the bride, rode into town on his horse. So, the wedding guests were Mittus Brown, W. C. Wragg, Ethel and Roy Mote and Lewis Brooks. (Mittus and Ethel were sisters of the groom)
Their first home was a two room house on the C. S. Choate place located approximately seven miles southwest of Graham in the Tonk Valley Community.
In October, 1916 they moved to Crosby County where they lived 3 miles northwest of Crosbyton, Texas. Bessie loved living "on the plains" where they did well in farming. After four years, they returned to Young County where they continued in farming. In 1949 they purchased a washateria in Eliasville, Texas which they operated until they retired in 1959. Upon their retirement, they returned to the Tonk Valley Community.
On March 21, 1978, Bessie lost her companion of sixty-four years. They would have celebrated their sixty-fifth anniversary in December. William's Homegoing left a great void in her life but she continued to maintain her own home for several years in Tonk Valley, a community that she loved and a community that loved her.
She always said that her children were her riches. Proverbs 31:10-31 so aptly describes her, especially verse 28 that says "Her children arise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her".
Bessie and William had nine children, of which seven lived to adulthood; Ray, John, Gordon, Betty, Ina Dell, Dalton and Kenneth.
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