Lazarus Vann, William Jordan's father, died December 15, 1863 at the age of 78 years. His death was diagnosed as resulting from cramp colic, which was almost always fatal in those days. Later it was learned that many such cramp colic cases were "appendicitis with peritonitis" – which may have been the cause of Lazarus Vann's death. Lazarus Vann was buried on a sloping meadow, west of Blanket Creek, and about one mile from where he had been living. (Ed. Note: His grave is presently about ½ mile NE of Zephyr, Texas, located on the Smith Ranch.) I was told that there are three other graves at this burial site, but only Lazarus' grave has a marker. About 1932, Lazarus's stone was knocked over and broken. My family and I went out there from Temple and repaired the grave. We poured a slab of concrete over the grave and laid the broken stone marker face up in the concrete. It is still there! The markings on the stone show his birth date as 1784, and his death date as Dec. 15, 1863.
The verse on the stone is: "One precious to our hearts is gone, the voice we loved is still." (Ed note: Later I quoted this verse to my dad, Henry Vann, and he continued it with: "The place made vacant in our home can never more be filled.")
One of the graves near Lazarus is that of a Mexican sheep-herder who died of natural causes. A second grave is that of Mr. Ions, who worked for Mr. Burleson on a nearby ranch. It was said that Mr. Ions was shot in the back at night as he squatted by a campfire with his cape drawn over his head to keep warm. He was presumed to have been shot by an Indian, however, my grandfather always questioned this version of "who shot Mr. Ions?"
The other grave belongs to the Braddock boy. The Braddocks came to Brown County about 1875. The Braddock house was a log cabin which stood on the bank of Blanket Creek. The Braddocks were breaking wild horses, and one horse wwas brought in that was wild and mean. The other cowboys got a saddle on him and were holding him down. The Braddock boy, about 21 years old, settled in the saddle and yelled to "let him go and I'll ride hm to Hell!" The house reared up in the air and fell backwards on him, killing him almost instantly. I was told that he is buried there beside Lazarus, but I cannot swear to this.
My grandfather had a good practical education. He was a singing teacher and loved to sing. Back then the old "fa-so-la-te" method was used to read music. Those four notes were all used in the rudiments of music at the time. The children were all taught at home, but as time passed more settlers began to come in. They got together with the most influential and religious-inclined, met and organized a school and church. A one-room log house was built just east of the present Zephyr Cemetary. The first teacher's name was Will Dugan. He was lame from White Swelling – later called poliomyelitis.
Submitted by Wylene Yoes - April 3, 2014
The verse on the stone is: "One precious to our hearts is gone, the voice we loved is still." (Ed note: Later I quoted this verse to my dad, Henry Vann, and he continued it with: "The place made vacant in our home can never more be filled.")
One of the graves near Lazarus is that of a Mexican sheep-herder who died of natural causes. A second grave is that of Mr. Ions, who worked for Mr. Burleson on a nearby ranch. It was said that Mr. Ions was shot in the back at night as he squatted by a campfire with his cape drawn over his head to keep warm. He was presumed to have been shot by an Indian, however, my grandfather always questioned this version of "who shot Mr. Ions?"
The other grave belongs to the Braddock boy. The Braddocks came to Brown County about 1875. The Braddock house was a log cabin which stood on the bank of Blanket Creek. The Braddocks were breaking wild horses, and one horse wwas brought in that was wild and mean. The other cowboys got a saddle on him and were holding him down. The Braddock boy, about 21 years old, settled in the saddle and yelled to "let him go and I'll ride hm to Hell!" The house reared up in the air and fell backwards on him, killing him almost instantly. I was told that he is buried there beside Lazarus, but I cannot swear to this.
My grandfather had a good practical education. He was a singing teacher and loved to sing. Back then the old "fa-so-la-te" method was used to read music. Those four notes were all used in the rudiments of music at the time. The children were all taught at home, but as time passed more settlers began to come in. They got together with the most influential and religious-inclined, met and organized a school and church. A one-room log house was built just east of the present Zephyr Cemetary. The first teacher's name was Will Dugan. He was lame from White Swelling – later called poliomyelitis.
Submitted by Wylene Yoes - April 3, 2014
Lazarus Vann, William Jordan's father, died December 15, 1863 at the age of 78 years. His death was diagnosed as resulting from cramp colic, which was almost always fatal in those days. Later it was learned that many such cramp colic cases were "appendicitis with peritonitis" – which may have been the cause of Lazarus Vann's death. Lazarus Vann was buried on a sloping meadow, west of Blanket Creek, and about one mile from where he had been living. (Ed. Note: His grave is presently about ½ mile NE of Zephyr, Texas, located on the Smith Ranch.) I was told that there are three other graves at this burial site, but only Lazarus' grave has a marker. About 1932, Lazarus's stone was knocked over and broken. My family and I went out there from Temple and repaired the grave. We poured a slab of concrete over the grave and laid the broken stone marker face up in the concrete. It is still there! The markings on the stone show his birth date as 1784, and his death date as Dec. 15, 1863.
The verse on the stone is: "One precious to our hearts is gone, the voice we loved is still." (Ed note: Later I quoted this verse to my dad, Henry Vann, and he continued it with: "The place made vacant in our home can never more be filled.")
One of the graves near Lazarus is that of a Mexican sheep-herder who died of natural causes. A second grave is that of Mr. Ions, who worked for Mr. Burleson on a nearby ranch. It was said that Mr. Ions was shot in the back at night as he squatted by a campfire with his cape drawn over his head to keep warm. He was presumed to have been shot by an Indian, however, my grandfather always questioned this version of "who shot Mr. Ions?"
The other grave belongs to the Braddock boy. The Braddocks came to Brown County about 1875. The Braddock house was a log cabin which stood on the bank of Blanket Creek. The Braddocks were breaking wild horses, and one horse wwas brought in that was wild and mean. The other cowboys got a saddle on him and were holding him down. The Braddock boy, about 21 years old, settled in the saddle and yelled to "let him go and I'll ride hm to Hell!" The house reared up in the air and fell backwards on him, killing him almost instantly. I was told that he is buried there beside Lazarus, but I cannot swear to this.
My grandfather had a good practical education. He was a singing teacher and loved to sing. Back then the old "fa-so-la-te" method was used to read music. Those four notes were all used in the rudiments of music at the time. The children were all taught at home, but as time passed more settlers began to come in. They got together with the most influential and religious-inclined, met and organized a school and church. A one-room log house was built just east of the present Zephyr Cemetary. The first teacher's name was Will Dugan. He was lame from White Swelling – later called poliomyelitis.
Submitted by Wylene Yoes - April 3, 2014
The verse on the stone is: "One precious to our hearts is gone, the voice we loved is still." (Ed note: Later I quoted this verse to my dad, Henry Vann, and he continued it with: "The place made vacant in our home can never more be filled.")
One of the graves near Lazarus is that of a Mexican sheep-herder who died of natural causes. A second grave is that of Mr. Ions, who worked for Mr. Burleson on a nearby ranch. It was said that Mr. Ions was shot in the back at night as he squatted by a campfire with his cape drawn over his head to keep warm. He was presumed to have been shot by an Indian, however, my grandfather always questioned this version of "who shot Mr. Ions?"
The other grave belongs to the Braddock boy. The Braddocks came to Brown County about 1875. The Braddock house was a log cabin which stood on the bank of Blanket Creek. The Braddocks were breaking wild horses, and one horse wwas brought in that was wild and mean. The other cowboys got a saddle on him and were holding him down. The Braddock boy, about 21 years old, settled in the saddle and yelled to "let him go and I'll ride hm to Hell!" The house reared up in the air and fell backwards on him, killing him almost instantly. I was told that he is buried there beside Lazarus, but I cannot swear to this.
My grandfather had a good practical education. He was a singing teacher and loved to sing. Back then the old "fa-so-la-te" method was used to read music. Those four notes were all used in the rudiments of music at the time. The children were all taught at home, but as time passed more settlers began to come in. They got together with the most influential and religious-inclined, met and organized a school and church. A one-room log house was built just east of the present Zephyr Cemetary. The first teacher's name was Will Dugan. He was lame from White Swelling – later called poliomyelitis.
Submitted by Wylene Yoes - April 3, 2014
