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Posted on March 2, 2019

Albert Lee Herring, Sr. was born on March 4, 1903 in Lott, Falls County, Texas. He was the 3rd of 11 children born to Joseph Robert Herring and Margaret Elizabeth Pirtle. He was their 2nd oldest son.

A brief version of Albert’s lineage, compiled from the information in “Herring Highlights III, Rev A” (HH3A), is as follows:

Father: Robert Joseph (Bob) Herring (1874-1935)
-----Grandfather: Henry Tyler Herring (1841-1924)
----------Great Grandfather: Joseph Herring (1795-1861)
----------Great Grandmother: Anna Wiggins (1805-1877)
-----Grandmother: Elizabeth Jane Barkley (1841-1919)
----------Great Grandfather: Robert Barkley, Jr. (1808-1861)
----------Great Grandmother: Martha Matkin (1810-1870)

Mother: Margaret (Maggie) Elizabeth Pirtle (1883-1973)
-----Grandfather: James Isaac Pirtle, Sr. (1858-1894)
----------Great Grandfather: William Raymond Riley Pirkle (1820-1865)
----------Great Grandmother: Margaret Catherine Carlisle (1825-1912)
-----Grandmother: Sarah Elizabeth Frazier (1860-1939)
----------Great Grandfather: James R. Frasier (1837-1917)
----------Great Grandmother: Elizabeth Wilson (1833-1862)

Albert is a direct descendent of John Herring (1620-1672), the first Herring to set foot on the North American continent. John is Albert’s 6th great-grandfather. Albert and his immediate family are described on pages 350 & 351 in HH3A.

Interestingly, Albert and his wife, Smithie Lurline Griffin (1905-1982), are both direct descendants of John's son Anthony Herring (1648-1715). Consequently, Albert and Smithie are 6th cousins. In fact, Smithie’s maternal grandmother is also a Herring.

Following their marriage and according to the US Census of 1900, Albert’s parents lived in a rent house in Falls County, Texas and they made their living farming – sharecropping as told in the family. A few years after Albert’s birth, his family moved to Knippa, Uvalde County, Texas. Subsequent census records for 1910, 1920 & 1930 in Uvalde County show that Albert’s family continued to rent their home there and make their living farming.

Albert’s two older siblings were also born in Falls County; but all of his younger siblings were born in Uvalde County, in either Knippa or Sabinal. Following is a listing of Albert’s siblings along with their birth/death years:

1. Mattie Gordia (Gordie) Herring Santleben (1900-1994)
2. James Henry Herring (1901-1994)
3. Albert Lee Herring, Sr. (1903-1962)
4. Mollie Mabel Herring Hunt (1906-1997)
5. Rubye Gladys Herring Cowey (1908-1980)
6. Linnie Catherine Herring Bertling (1911-2003)
7. Joseph Robert (J. R.) Herring, Jr. (1912-1987)
8. Estelle Marian Herring Giffin (1914-2008)
9. Sara Elizabeth Herring Davenport (1917-1992)
10. Pauline Herring (1919-1920)
11. David Earl Herring (1925-1925)

David and Pauline, the two youngest siblings, died in infancy. Albert is included in the above list to show his position in the birth order.

Growing up, Albert and his brother Henry worked the farm with their father. They plowed the fields, raised the crops and cared for all their farm animals. It’s doubtful they had mechanized farming equipment in those days (before 1920) because they were poor. So plowing and harvesting was done by hand using farm animals – mules most likely. Their next younger brother, J. R. Herring, was only 8-years old in 1920 and too young to help out on the farm before that time.

While the boys and their father worked the farm, the girls and their mother cooked, sewed, washed clothes and kept house. The girls probably also planted vegetable gardens, raised chickens and milked the family cow. No doubt, the entire family pitched in to work the farm and support the household.

Family stories tell about Albert’s father being a physically abusive alcoholic. Consequently, before the spring of 1920, Albert had enough of the abuse and ran away from home before his 16th birthday. In March of 1920, Albert jumped on a freight train traveling through Knippa and rode the rails like a hobo to San Antonio – about 73 miles. In San Antonio he changed trains and again rode the rails to San Marcos, Texas – another 50 miles. He apparently chose San Marcos as his final destination because he knew of the schools there. His plan was to get an education.

Arriving in San Marcos, Albert earned room & board working in a boarding house serving food to the boarders and he also took care of the owner’s milk cow. He probably earned money for school fees working odd jobs around town. Fortunately, college tuition and textbooks were free in those days, so his main expenses were room and board.

At that time, the school in San Marcos was known as the Southwest Texas State Normal College (SWTSNC or just TNC), which became Southwest Texas State Teachers College (SWTSTC or just SWT) in 1923 and today it is known as Texas State University.

In 1920, the school included a Normal School, a Sub-College and a College. The Normal School included all grades – 1st through the 9th grade; the Sub-College included the junior and senior years of high school; and the College consisted of a 4-year college. At that time, Texas Public Schools included only the 1st through the 11th grades. The 12th grade was added after 1946.

Unfortunately, there are no existing records of Albert’s years in the Normal School or in the Sub-College. Our only sources of information about Albert in those years are the US Census of 1920 and the TNC and SWT Annual Course Catalogs. The catalogs contain lists of students enrolled by name for the previous school year. However, recently, I obtained certified copies of Albert’s SWT College Transcript, which provides a reasonable timeline of his college career between 1923 and 1936 and again between 1952 & 1958. His scholastic record in the Sub-College before 1923 is surmised from his college entrance exam scores, shown near the top of his transcript. They show that he ranked in the upper 95% of his class. And of course the transcript shows his grades for each of his college subjects.

As indicated above, after running away from home, Albert arrived in San Marcos in the spring of 1920. In the fall of that same year, he enrolled in the Normal School at TNC to begin his 8th & 9th grade education. Graduating from the Normal School, he continued his studies and graduated from the Sub-College three years later, in the spring of 1923, earning his High School Diploma. At that time he was awarded a Teaching Certificate granting him authority to teach public school in Texas – shown in the 1923 Annual Course Catalog.

There are no records to confirm Albert’s scholastic standing in his Sub-College class. But, as indicated above, his college entrance exam scores suggest his ranking was high.

At some point, Albert was invited to join Phi Theta Kappa (not to be confused with Phi Beta Kappa), after his graduation from the Sub-College. Phi Theta Kappa is an honorary fraternity for students with high scholastic achievement in a 2-year school or Junior College. Albert had a Phi Theta Kappa key attached to the keychain of his pocket watch when he died.

Although Albert had a high grade-point-average during college, as stated below, it is doubtful that it was high enough for him to be the Valedictorian of his college class as told in family stories. However, it is very possible that he was the Valedictorian of his Sub-College/High School class instead.

In the summer of 1923, Albert enrolled as a college freshman in the summer sessions at SWT, majoring in Spanish with minors in Math and English. After completing both summer sessions, it appears that he got his first job-teaching public school in the fall of that year. After that, he continued teaching between the fall term of one year and the summer term of the following school year (9-months), while returning to his college studies at SWT during the summer sessions - the remaining 3-months of the year. Most likely during those summers he worked in boarding houses, once again, to pay for room and board while he went to school. He did that almost every year until he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in August of 1936 – thirteen years after starting college. Albert also earned his Masters Degree in Education at SWT in August of 1953, seventeen years after that.

During all his semesters in college Albert earned a 3.4 overall grade point average, as an undergraduate and a 3.5 grade point average in graduate school. These grade point averages are based on a 4-point system, with a 4.0 being the highest.

During his first summer session of 1923, Albert probably worked as a Spanish tutor at the SWT. According to his wife, Smithie Griffin from Devine, Texas, they first met when Albert tutored her in Spanish at SWT. Smithie was in the Sub-College taking Spanish and English courses that summer for high school credit. Soon after they met, Albert and Smithie started dating. That fall Smithie returned to her parents’ house in Devine and continued with her high school studies as a senior in the Devine High School. Interestingly, it is very likely that Albert took his first job teaching school in a two-room schoolhouse in Shook, Texas, which was conveniently only 6-miles from Devine and Smithie’s house.

On May 20, 1925, Albert and Smithie were married in Devine. The wedding was in the living room of her parent’s house. In attendance were Smithie’s parents; all five of her sisters and her oldest brother. Following the wedding, the couple honeymooned for two nights at the Presnal Hotel in San Antonio and a few more days in San Marcos before they both enrolled again for the summer sessions at SWT.

As previously stated, Albert went to summer school in San Marcos almost every summer between 1923 and 1936. For almost all of those summers, Albert probably left his wife and children at home and traveled away to San Marcos to attend summer school for 3-months of the year. Very likely for at least two or three years, Smithie stayed with Albert’s parents in Knippa or with her parents in Devine, while Albert was in San Marcos. During their time in Utopia, Albert’s sister Rubye Herring lived with them for a while and it’s possible that Smithie’s sister Mary Griffin may have lived with them also. Rubye and Mary both taught school with Albert in Utopia. So, it is assumed that they stayed with Smithie at different times while Albert was away. But, it’s also possible that there were years when Smithie stayed alone with her children.

During the years their first 3 children were born, Albert elected not to go to summer school. Instead, he stayed at home with his wife and family. They either had a new baby those summers, or they were expecting a new baby.

At some point, Albert learned to box, probably for self-defense in his pre-college days. The story in the family is that he was the “college boxing champion” at one time, which is doubtful because all of his college credits were in summer school. P.E is not usually offered during summer school, so it’s doubtful he ever enrolled in any formal boxing classes in college. But, it’s very possible he learned to box when he was in the Normal School and/or in Sub-College. He must have competed in boxing contests during those years because he had a pair of boxing gloves, which he won in a competition. My brother and I played/boxed with those gloves until we were in the 5th grade.

Albert & Smithie were married for 34 years and the marriage produced seven children. They separated in June of 1956, when Smithie moved with 5 of their children to San Marcos leaving Albert alone in Castroville. They finally divorced in 1959. The children and their birth/death years are shown below:

1. Albert Lee (Bubba) Herring, Jr. (1926-1995)
2. Gerald (Jerry) Ray Herring (1928-2009)
3. Maurice Earl Herring (1932-2015)
4. Margaret Ann Herring Smith (1937)
5. Robert Jack Herring (1941-2011)
6. Donald (Don) Glynn Herring (1945)
7. Ronald (Ron) Lynn Herring (1945)

Albert was a public school teacher for 39 years, teaching elementary school in his early years and high school Math & Spanish later on before pursuing a career as a school administrator. As an administrator, he was a High School Principal and a School Superintendent at different times in his career. Finally he was a School Counselor the last six years of his life. But as a principal and administrator, he never gave up teaching. He continued to teach Spanish and Math during many of those years.

Following is a list of all the schools Albert taught in, including the years he taught and the positions he held:

1. Shook - regular sessions of 1923-1925 - all grades – years are estimated
2. Falfurrias - 1925-1926 - Basketball Coach (we have a photo) & probably a Math Teacher
3. Knippa - 1926-1928 - all Grades - years are estimated
4. Utopia - 1928-1933 - High School Principal & Math Teacher
5. Le Pryor - 1933-1934 - all Grades - years are estimated
6. Tilden - 1934-1936 - High School Principal & Math Teacher
7. Campbellton - 1936-1937 - High School Principal & Math Teacher
8. Austwell - 1937-1939 - High School Principal & Math Teacher
9. Long Mott - 1939-1941 - High School Principal & Math Teacher
10. La Vernia - 1941-1943 - High School Principal & Math Teacher
11. Lytle - 1943-1945 – Military
12. Laredo - 1945-1948 – Veterans Administration
13. Hebbronville - 1948-1952 – Superintendent & Veterans during Night School
14. Blanco - 1952-1953 - Superintendent & Math Teacher
15. Castroville - 1953-1956 - Superintendent, Math & Spanish Teacher
16. Floresville - 1956-1958 - School Counselor
17. Boerne & Comfort - 1958-1960 - School Counselor – both schools during these years
18. Del Rio - 1960-1962 - School Counselor

Note that many of his job changes were during the depression era when times were financially hard all over south central Texas. No doubt most of his job changes during that time were to seek better pay to support his growing family.

There are family stories that Albert returned to Knippa (shown above) and taught school. This story is probably true because we know that he and Smithie stayed with his parents in Knippa around the times that their first two sons, Bubba and Jerry, were born - 1926 and again in 1928. Supposedly, during that time Albert taught school in a one-room schoolhouse and some of his younger siblings were his students - possibly Rubye, Linnie, J. R., Estelle and/or Sarah. It’s doubtful that Gordie and Mollie were his students, because they attended school sessions in San Marcos when Albert was there also.

All of Albert’s siblings had a very high regard for him – more like an admiration - which may have been due to him being their teacher at one time. But, Albert was also very loyal to them and his mother all of his life, which probably also spawned their admiration.

Albert’s time in the military, shown above, was during World War II. During that time he was a commissioned First Lieutenant in the Army Air Corp and taught trigonometry to pilots and navigators at Kelly Air Base in San Antonio, Texas.

Following his discharge from the military he took a job with the Veterans Administration, also shown above. It is included for completeness and was not a teaching position.

On January 27, 1960, Albert married his second wife, Nina McNair, in Guadalupe County, Texas and they moved to Del Rio, Texas where Albert was employed as a High School Counselor.

While walking to school on the morning of March 8, 1962, Albert collapsed on the sidewalk with a severe heart attack and died within minutes, just 4 days after his 59th birthday. A memorial service and funeral service were conducted for Albert in Sabinal, Texas and he is buried next to his parents in the Sabinal Cemetery.

I believe Albert was a good man, an honest man and a man with integrity. I can’t imagine him ever lying, because he was an educator and a man seeking the truth about everything – after all that’s what learning is all about – the search for the truth in all things.

As previously stated, recently, I obtained a copy of Albert’s college transcript from SWT that includes all the courses he took between 1923 and 1958. After reviewing it, and piecing together what I know of him, it’s very clear to me now, that Albert was an intellectual and was always seeking knowledge. He loved learning. He took courses in college whenever he could during his entire adult life, even after he earned his undergraduate & graduate degrees. My guess is that he was happiest when he was in a classroom as a teacher or as a student. He spent most of his relaxing times with his nose buried in a book or magazine reading or studying something. I think he looked forward to the end of the school day when he could lock the doors and sit in his office and learn something from a book. That’s probably the reason he stayed at school after hours every day - sometimes until 9 o’clock at night.

It’s also apparent that Albert loved Spanish, Math, English and Science because he took so many courses in those subjects - 37 courses in those alone. He also took courses in Spanish Literature as well as English literature. In grad school he took courses in Shakespeare, Whitman, Browning, and Byron – he was a “closet poet.” As a postgraduate, he took a geometry course one summer, which he didn’t need because he was no longer a Math teacher and had already earned his Masters Degree. Obviously, he took the course just for fun – he was 55 years old then.

He was a loyal man that cared a great deal for his family, which included his mother, his siblings and most of all for his children. I also believe he cared a great deal for my mother. They were married over 34 years and he had seven children with her.

Was he religious? He didn’t go to church every Sunday, but I do believe he believed in God and was a Christian. By no means was he perfect. He wasn’t a perfect father and he wasn’t a perfect husband. He had occasions where he said the wrong thing and sometimes they were hurtful things. He had his faults and shortcomings like all of us.

May He Rest in Peace.

Written by his son Don Herring

References/Sources:

1. Herring Highlights III, Rev A (HH3A)
2. US Census Records for 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930 & 1940
3. Ancestry.com Birth & Death Records
4. TNC & SWT Annual Course Catalogs – 1920 through 1936
5. Albert & Smithie’s College Transcripts from SWT
6. Family Stories told by Smithie Griffin and Margaret Herring
7. Family Bible Records of Smithie Griffin
8. Don Herring’s Personal knowledge

Note: The TNC & SWT Annual Course Catalogs contain a description of the overall school complex for the above indicated years as well as a listing of all students enrolled for the previous year.

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Please feel free to notify Don Herring at Findagrave.com Memorial # 48531255, if you dispute any of the information in this bio or if you have additional or more up to date information regarding persons described in this memorial.