"Tom Rock" as he was known in the Southwest Texas area was born in Nacogdoches, Texas when the town was just beginning. He didn't know how to read or write and was fluent in French, Spanish and English, was fair in complexion and looked more like a Frenchman of ancient vintage. His French mother from Louisiana relocted to settle in the budding town. There she met and married fellow Frenchmen Lauro Piedra. In 1830 young Thomas and his family moved down south along the Cibolo Creek. In 1836, as a young man, he served milk and bread to the men who stopped at the settlement for a rest before reaching the Alamo to battle for Texas freedom. In 1874 he moved further south to the Atascosa County area where in 1880 at the age of 57, he met and married his Mexican wife, Jesusa Hernandez 18 , who bore him 16 children. He and his family moved to the Frio County area where he worked for 16 years as a ranch hand rustling cattle for the famous Slaughter family of which John Horton Slaughter (Memorial# 7769527) had befriended Thom. In 1933 Thom was working on the Campana Ranch owned by Jeff Martin in George West, Texas along with his two sons, Eduardo and Jesus. Thom was 110. At this time the San Antonio Light, the name of the newspaper at the time, did an article as the oldest man in Texas. His children settled in Charlotte, Texas from The Campana Ranch. On the 12th of December he began with a cough that unfortunately turned into pnemonia. Thom died one week later at the age of 112.
"Tom Rock" as he was known in the Southwest Texas area was born in Nacogdoches, Texas when the town was just beginning. He didn't know how to read or write and was fluent in French, Spanish and English, was fair in complexion and looked more like a Frenchman of ancient vintage. His French mother from Louisiana relocted to settle in the budding town. There she met and married fellow Frenchmen Lauro Piedra. In 1830 young Thomas and his family moved down south along the Cibolo Creek. In 1836, as a young man, he served milk and bread to the men who stopped at the settlement for a rest before reaching the Alamo to battle for Texas freedom. In 1874 he moved further south to the Atascosa County area where in 1880 at the age of 57, he met and married his Mexican wife, Jesusa Hernandez 18 , who bore him 16 children. He and his family moved to the Frio County area where he worked for 16 years as a ranch hand rustling cattle for the famous Slaughter family of which John Horton Slaughter (Memorial# 7769527) had befriended Thom. In 1933 Thom was working on the Campana Ranch owned by Jeff Martin in George West, Texas along with his two sons, Eduardo and Jesus. Thom was 110. At this time the San Antonio Light, the name of the newspaper at the time, did an article as the oldest man in Texas. His children settled in Charlotte, Texas from The Campana Ranch. On the 12th of December he began with a cough that unfortunately turned into pnemonia. Thom died one week later at the age of 112.
Gravesite Details
The headstone is broken and hard to read the inscription.
Family Members
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