For Houston's bio, refer to the obit that's posted on the photo section of this memorial site.
His surviving children are convinced that he wrote the lion's share of his own obit because there were several details with which we were only remotely acquainted. He did a good job.
Note on marriages: Houston and WJ Martin issued 2 children, their son, Monte, predeceased his father. They had a 2nd child, Leta Rejean (still alive as of 2015). He married again after he and his first wife divorced. His 2nd wife was N. Belshe with whom he had 2 more children Lee and Helen; 2nd child from 1st marriage, 2nd wife and the issue from that marriage are all still alive as of 2013.
Note on name: A hand-written birth certificate dated March 2, 1918 documents his name as "Frank". That first birth certificate also documented his mother's name as Susie Veal. No one, so far, knows who Susie Veal might've been. It wasn't until Sept. 12, 1942 that a formal affidavit was filed with the state of Texas documenting his name as "Houston Lee Lewis Veal". The spelling 'L-e-w-i-s' is the spelling on the 'corrected' type-written birth certificate. The 'L-e-w-i-s' spelling was recorded on his first son's (Louis Monte) birth certificate, which occurred 8 days after Houston's name change had been submitted. To anyone's knowledge that was the only time that 'Lewis' was used on any official document. He always spelled his 3rd given name as 'L-o-u-i-s'. His headstone at Crowley Cemetery shows 'Louis'.
The best that can be figured is that
- he came into the world as 'Frank Veal',
- in 1942 Frank Veal officially ceased to exist by affidavit which changed his name to 'Houston Lee Lewis Veal' probably to show the correct pedigree for his son on his birth certificate and
- he went out as 'Houston Lee Louis Veal' as is recorded on his headstone and in his obit.
Previously I wrote, "School records from the Bridgeport, Tx school system will document how his name was recorded as he progressed through that system. Those records will have to be checked." Those records recently have been checked. Houston graduated as Houston Lee Veal, even though his name was NOT officially changed to Houston Lee Lewis Veal until 1942, which was about 4 years after he graduated from Bridgeport High School.
There is no record of a 'Frank Veal' ever being enrolled in the Bridgeport school system. That would lead me to think that his name had originally been intended to be 'Houston Lee Louis (or Lewis) Veal', but lacking a birth record in 1924, when he would've likely been enrolled in first grade, his parents gave the HLLV name, the schools just accepted the name as given by the parents without documented verification. After all, if one's parents don't know their children's names, who would?
This whole name, scratch-out, hand-written issue throws into doubt a story that members of Houston's family had been told dozens of times. To wit: "I got the name 'Houston' after Sam Houston. I got the name 'Lee' after Robert E. Lee and 'Louis' happened as my father [Asa Edwin Veal] was filling out the birth certificate, when in walked my grandfather [Louis Allen Zuspann (1870 - 1940)] and he said to my father, 'I give you $5 to name the boy after me.' According to the story Asa Edwin snagged the $5 and scrawled in Louis between 'Lee' and 'Veal' on the birth record information sheet.
The facts that appear to be are that Houston Lee Lewis (Louis) Veal's name did not official take shape until 1942, which was 2 years after Louis (originally 'Ludwig') had died.
Granted it's possible that Louis Zuspann in 1918 did walk in and offer the $5 gratuity to his son-in-law. However, there seems to be no birth record from 1918 that documents the birth of a 'Houston Lee Lewis (or Louis) Veal'. So, the story about how 'Lewis' (or Louis) got plugged in is at best apocryphal, at worst 100% mythological. Either way it's a good story but not likely true.
--Lee Veal
(Houston's 2nd son)
His surviving children are convinced that he wrote the lion's share of his own obit because there were several details with which we were only remotely acquainted. He did a good job.
Note on marriages: Houston and WJ Martin issued 2 children, their son, Monte, predeceased his father. They had a 2nd child, Leta Rejean (still alive as of 2015). He married again after he and his first wife divorced. His 2nd wife was N. Belshe with whom he had 2 more children Lee and Helen; 2nd child from 1st marriage, 2nd wife and the issue from that marriage are all still alive as of 2013.
Note on name: A hand-written birth certificate dated March 2, 1918 documents his name as "Frank". That first birth certificate also documented his mother's name as Susie Veal. No one, so far, knows who Susie Veal might've been. It wasn't until Sept. 12, 1942 that a formal affidavit was filed with the state of Texas documenting his name as "Houston Lee Lewis Veal". The spelling 'L-e-w-i-s' is the spelling on the 'corrected' type-written birth certificate. The 'L-e-w-i-s' spelling was recorded on his first son's (Louis Monte) birth certificate, which occurred 8 days after Houston's name change had been submitted. To anyone's knowledge that was the only time that 'Lewis' was used on any official document. He always spelled his 3rd given name as 'L-o-u-i-s'. His headstone at Crowley Cemetery shows 'Louis'.
The best that can be figured is that
- he came into the world as 'Frank Veal',
- in 1942 Frank Veal officially ceased to exist by affidavit which changed his name to 'Houston Lee Lewis Veal' probably to show the correct pedigree for his son on his birth certificate and
- he went out as 'Houston Lee Louis Veal' as is recorded on his headstone and in his obit.
Previously I wrote, "School records from the Bridgeport, Tx school system will document how his name was recorded as he progressed through that system. Those records will have to be checked." Those records recently have been checked. Houston graduated as Houston Lee Veal, even though his name was NOT officially changed to Houston Lee Lewis Veal until 1942, which was about 4 years after he graduated from Bridgeport High School.
There is no record of a 'Frank Veal' ever being enrolled in the Bridgeport school system. That would lead me to think that his name had originally been intended to be 'Houston Lee Louis (or Lewis) Veal', but lacking a birth record in 1924, when he would've likely been enrolled in first grade, his parents gave the HLLV name, the schools just accepted the name as given by the parents without documented verification. After all, if one's parents don't know their children's names, who would?
This whole name, scratch-out, hand-written issue throws into doubt a story that members of Houston's family had been told dozens of times. To wit: "I got the name 'Houston' after Sam Houston. I got the name 'Lee' after Robert E. Lee and 'Louis' happened as my father [Asa Edwin Veal] was filling out the birth certificate, when in walked my grandfather [Louis Allen Zuspann (1870 - 1940)] and he said to my father, 'I give you $5 to name the boy after me.' According to the story Asa Edwin snagged the $5 and scrawled in Louis between 'Lee' and 'Veal' on the birth record information sheet.
The facts that appear to be are that Houston Lee Lewis (Louis) Veal's name did not official take shape until 1942, which was 2 years after Louis (originally 'Ludwig') had died.
Granted it's possible that Louis Zuspann in 1918 did walk in and offer the $5 gratuity to his son-in-law. However, there seems to be no birth record from 1918 that documents the birth of a 'Houston Lee Lewis (or Louis) Veal'. So, the story about how 'Lewis' (or Louis) got plugged in is at best apocryphal, at worst 100% mythological. Either way it's a good story but not likely true.
--Lee Veal
(Houston's 2nd son)
For Houston's bio, refer to the obit that's posted on the photo section of this memorial site.
His surviving children are convinced that he wrote the lion's share of his own obit because there were several details with which we were only remotely acquainted. He did a good job.
Note on marriages: Houston and WJ Martin issued 2 children, their son, Monte, predeceased his father. They had a 2nd child, Leta Rejean (still alive as of 2015). He married again after he and his first wife divorced. His 2nd wife was N. Belshe with whom he had 2 more children Lee and Helen; 2nd child from 1st marriage, 2nd wife and the issue from that marriage are all still alive as of 2013.
Note on name: A hand-written birth certificate dated March 2, 1918 documents his name as "Frank". That first birth certificate also documented his mother's name as Susie Veal. No one, so far, knows who Susie Veal might've been. It wasn't until Sept. 12, 1942 that a formal affidavit was filed with the state of Texas documenting his name as "Houston Lee Lewis Veal". The spelling 'L-e-w-i-s' is the spelling on the 'corrected' type-written birth certificate. The 'L-e-w-i-s' spelling was recorded on his first son's (Louis Monte) birth certificate, which occurred 8 days after Houston's name change had been submitted. To anyone's knowledge that was the only time that 'Lewis' was used on any official document. He always spelled his 3rd given name as 'L-o-u-i-s'. His headstone at Crowley Cemetery shows 'Louis'.
The best that can be figured is that
- he came into the world as 'Frank Veal',
- in 1942 Frank Veal officially ceased to exist by affidavit which changed his name to 'Houston Lee Lewis Veal' probably to show the correct pedigree for his son on his birth certificate and
- he went out as 'Houston Lee Louis Veal' as is recorded on his headstone and in his obit.
Previously I wrote, "School records from the Bridgeport, Tx school system will document how his name was recorded as he progressed through that system. Those records will have to be checked." Those records recently have been checked. Houston graduated as Houston Lee Veal, even though his name was NOT officially changed to Houston Lee Lewis Veal until 1942, which was about 4 years after he graduated from Bridgeport High School.
There is no record of a 'Frank Veal' ever being enrolled in the Bridgeport school system. That would lead me to think that his name had originally been intended to be 'Houston Lee Louis (or Lewis) Veal', but lacking a birth record in 1924, when he would've likely been enrolled in first grade, his parents gave the HLLV name, the schools just accepted the name as given by the parents without documented verification. After all, if one's parents don't know their children's names, who would?
This whole name, scratch-out, hand-written issue throws into doubt a story that members of Houston's family had been told dozens of times. To wit: "I got the name 'Houston' after Sam Houston. I got the name 'Lee' after Robert E. Lee and 'Louis' happened as my father [Asa Edwin Veal] was filling out the birth certificate, when in walked my grandfather [Louis Allen Zuspann (1870 - 1940)] and he said to my father, 'I give you $5 to name the boy after me.' According to the story Asa Edwin snagged the $5 and scrawled in Louis between 'Lee' and 'Veal' on the birth record information sheet.
The facts that appear to be are that Houston Lee Lewis (Louis) Veal's name did not official take shape until 1942, which was 2 years after Louis (originally 'Ludwig') had died.
Granted it's possible that Louis Zuspann in 1918 did walk in and offer the $5 gratuity to his son-in-law. However, there seems to be no birth record from 1918 that documents the birth of a 'Houston Lee Lewis (or Louis) Veal'. So, the story about how 'Lewis' (or Louis) got plugged in is at best apocryphal, at worst 100% mythological. Either way it's a good story but not likely true.
--Lee Veal
(Houston's 2nd son)
His surviving children are convinced that he wrote the lion's share of his own obit because there were several details with which we were only remotely acquainted. He did a good job.
Note on marriages: Houston and WJ Martin issued 2 children, their son, Monte, predeceased his father. They had a 2nd child, Leta Rejean (still alive as of 2015). He married again after he and his first wife divorced. His 2nd wife was N. Belshe with whom he had 2 more children Lee and Helen; 2nd child from 1st marriage, 2nd wife and the issue from that marriage are all still alive as of 2013.
Note on name: A hand-written birth certificate dated March 2, 1918 documents his name as "Frank". That first birth certificate also documented his mother's name as Susie Veal. No one, so far, knows who Susie Veal might've been. It wasn't until Sept. 12, 1942 that a formal affidavit was filed with the state of Texas documenting his name as "Houston Lee Lewis Veal". The spelling 'L-e-w-i-s' is the spelling on the 'corrected' type-written birth certificate. The 'L-e-w-i-s' spelling was recorded on his first son's (Louis Monte) birth certificate, which occurred 8 days after Houston's name change had been submitted. To anyone's knowledge that was the only time that 'Lewis' was used on any official document. He always spelled his 3rd given name as 'L-o-u-i-s'. His headstone at Crowley Cemetery shows 'Louis'.
The best that can be figured is that
- he came into the world as 'Frank Veal',
- in 1942 Frank Veal officially ceased to exist by affidavit which changed his name to 'Houston Lee Lewis Veal' probably to show the correct pedigree for his son on his birth certificate and
- he went out as 'Houston Lee Louis Veal' as is recorded on his headstone and in his obit.
Previously I wrote, "School records from the Bridgeport, Tx school system will document how his name was recorded as he progressed through that system. Those records will have to be checked." Those records recently have been checked. Houston graduated as Houston Lee Veal, even though his name was NOT officially changed to Houston Lee Lewis Veal until 1942, which was about 4 years after he graduated from Bridgeport High School.
There is no record of a 'Frank Veal' ever being enrolled in the Bridgeport school system. That would lead me to think that his name had originally been intended to be 'Houston Lee Louis (or Lewis) Veal', but lacking a birth record in 1924, when he would've likely been enrolled in first grade, his parents gave the HLLV name, the schools just accepted the name as given by the parents without documented verification. After all, if one's parents don't know their children's names, who would?
This whole name, scratch-out, hand-written issue throws into doubt a story that members of Houston's family had been told dozens of times. To wit: "I got the name 'Houston' after Sam Houston. I got the name 'Lee' after Robert E. Lee and 'Louis' happened as my father [Asa Edwin Veal] was filling out the birth certificate, when in walked my grandfather [Louis Allen Zuspann (1870 - 1940)] and he said to my father, 'I give you $5 to name the boy after me.' According to the story Asa Edwin snagged the $5 and scrawled in Louis between 'Lee' and 'Veal' on the birth record information sheet.
The facts that appear to be are that Houston Lee Lewis (Louis) Veal's name did not official take shape until 1942, which was 2 years after Louis (originally 'Ludwig') had died.
Granted it's possible that Louis Zuspann in 1918 did walk in and offer the $5 gratuity to his son-in-law. However, there seems to be no birth record from 1918 that documents the birth of a 'Houston Lee Lewis (or Louis) Veal'. So, the story about how 'Lewis' (or Louis) got plugged in is at best apocryphal, at worst 100% mythological. Either way it's a good story but not likely true.
--Lee Veal
(Houston's 2nd son)
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