Double headstone with wife
~
James Wallen "Jim" and Nancy Leake "Dovie" Willeford Musgrave
[Compiled by SWTGS Sponser June Carver Hansen from research material used in application for membership in Daughters of the Republic of Texas, which membership was approved 20 December 1982.) Source: "Branches and Acorns", Southwest Texas Genealogical Society, Quarterly VOL. II, n. 3, - March 1987; Pg. 11 & 12 - Transcribed by Amanda Jowers]
They lived in a new state -- only 22 years after statehood, and very little on the youthful days of Jim and Dovie Musgrave can be found in documented records. Jim was born in Leesville, Texas, 20 January 1868, and Dovie was born in Gonzales County, Texas, on 17 July 1871. Since Leesville was in Gonzales County, they probably went to school together but there is no record of this. It must have been a hard life for them but their stories revealed happy and closely united families.
Dovie's mother, Catherine Ann Lemond Willeford, died of tuberculosis when Dovie was twelve years old. She left five children, of whom Dovie was the oldest. The youngest child was only two when his mother died. Inasmuch as Dovie had three other children to care for, this was too much for her to handle. The baby, Ben Willeford, was given to neighbor friends (possibly related in some way) to raise.
Jim was working on a ranch ten miles east of Eagle Pass when he went to Pleasanton to get his bride-to-be, Dovie Willeford, aged twenty. Jim and Dovie were married on the Lampasito Ranch where Jim was working and they set up housekeeping there on 26 May 1891. Twins were born to Jim and Dovie in 1892 but they died at birth and were buried on the ranch in a shoe box. There is no marker for the little grave.
Willy Wallen Musgrave, their third child, was born in Carrizo Springs, Dimmit County, Texas, on 8 February 1893. At that time Jim was carrrying the mail to and from Eagle Pass and Carrizo Springs. The mail wagon had two teams of horses with a way station in between the towns. There was also an armed horseman along "riding shotgun". Two days were required to cover the 45-mile run.
When Willy was five days old, Jim and Dovie left Carrizo Springs by covered wagon enroute to Pleasanton where Dovie's younger sister, Winnie, was expecting a baby. This was 12 February 1893, and the weather was bitterly cold. There had been a big rain and creeks were swollen out of their banks. Their wagon was trapped by high water on all sides; to go back or forward was impossible. They ran out of food. Lack of nourishment caused Dovie's milk to dry up so that she could no longer nurse the baby. Each day for three days Jim swam the swollen creek on horseback and went to the Franklin Ranch to get food for themselves and milk for the baby. When the creek waters subsided, they moved on to Pleasanton and arrived there in time for the birth of Winnie's child, Leslie Lyons, on 22 February 1893. Two more children -- Walter born 22 April 1895 and Clyde born 13 April 1897 -- were born in Pleasanton.
About 1898 Jim went to work as a ranch foreman for J. M. Chittum near Comstock. Jim was to continue this work until Mr. Chittum's death twenty years later. Their sixth child, Winnie Mae -- the mother of June Carver Hansen -- was born in Comstock, Val Verde County, Texas, 26 January 1899. While in Comstock, Jim built also stock tanks. He had the first telephone in Comstock.
After the birth of Winnie Mae in 1899 the family moved to Indian Territory (the location is now called Duncan, Oklahoma). We have several letters Jim wrote to Dovie, his "Maw", and Dovie's father during the four-year period when the family was in Indian Territory. Jim was gone much of the time during their stay there since he was often on cattle drives from Texas to Kansas. My grandmother said that when she heard the Indians coming she would take the children into a dugout under the floor of the house and stay until the Indians were gone. She would stuff a cloth in the mouth of the baby so the Indians would not hear her cry. Bonnie Anna was born in Indian Territory 6 January 1901.
Some time after Bonnie's birth the family moved to Spofford, Texas, where Jim managed 33,000 acres of land between Spofford and Eagle Pass for Mr. Chittum. By saving their money they were able to buy eight sections of land twenty miles out of Spofford on the old Eagle Pass road. Lacking a home on this land, they purchased the old Spofford Hotel, which Dovie operated as a railroad hotel. The children attended school in Spofford and Bracketville.
Due to a depression and the fact that he had spent too much money drilling for water on his ranch, Jim lost everything. After Mr. Chittum's death, about 1918, Jim stayed only long enough to sell out all his holdings in that area. The family moved to San Antonio where Jim became a mounted policeman until he retired.
Jim Musgrave was a handsome man -- tall, slender, with snow white hair. He told his grandchildren that his hair had been white since he was 18 years old. He adored Dovie, and his children's memories center around this fact. Dovie died of a stroke at Winnie Mae's home in Eagle Pass on 28 January 1936. Jim died six months later at their home in San Antonio on 2 July 1936. He was buried in Pleasanton beside his wife of 45 years. Life did not defeat Jim although it left its mark. It simply had no meaning after he lost his beloved Dovie.
~
James Wallen "Jim" and Nancy Leake "Dovie" Willeford Musgrave
[Compiled by SWTGS Sponser June Carver Hansen from research material used in application for membership in Daughters of the Republic of Texas, which membership was approved 20 December 1982.) Source: "Branches and Acorns", Southwest Texas Genealogical Society, Quarterly VOL. II, n. 3, - March 1987; Pg. 11 & 12 - Transcribed by Amanda Jowers]
They lived in a new state -- only 22 years after statehood, and very little on the youthful days of Jim and Dovie Musgrave can be found in documented records. Jim was born in Leesville, Texas, 20 January 1868, and Dovie was born in Gonzales County, Texas, on 17 July 1871. Since Leesville was in Gonzales County, they probably went to school together but there is no record of this. It must have been a hard life for them but their stories revealed happy and closely united families.
Dovie's mother, Catherine Ann Lemond Willeford, died of tuberculosis when Dovie was twelve years old. She left five children, of whom Dovie was the oldest. The youngest child was only two when his mother died. Inasmuch as Dovie had three other children to care for, this was too much for her to handle. The baby, Ben Willeford, was given to neighbor friends (possibly related in some way) to raise.
Jim was working on a ranch ten miles east of Eagle Pass when he went to Pleasanton to get his bride-to-be, Dovie Willeford, aged twenty. Jim and Dovie were married on the Lampasito Ranch where Jim was working and they set up housekeeping there on 26 May 1891. Twins were born to Jim and Dovie in 1892 but they died at birth and were buried on the ranch in a shoe box. There is no marker for the little grave.
Willy Wallen Musgrave, their third child, was born in Carrizo Springs, Dimmit County, Texas, on 8 February 1893. At that time Jim was carrrying the mail to and from Eagle Pass and Carrizo Springs. The mail wagon had two teams of horses with a way station in between the towns. There was also an armed horseman along "riding shotgun". Two days were required to cover the 45-mile run.
When Willy was five days old, Jim and Dovie left Carrizo Springs by covered wagon enroute to Pleasanton where Dovie's younger sister, Winnie, was expecting a baby. This was 12 February 1893, and the weather was bitterly cold. There had been a big rain and creeks were swollen out of their banks. Their wagon was trapped by high water on all sides; to go back or forward was impossible. They ran out of food. Lack of nourishment caused Dovie's milk to dry up so that she could no longer nurse the baby. Each day for three days Jim swam the swollen creek on horseback and went to the Franklin Ranch to get food for themselves and milk for the baby. When the creek waters subsided, they moved on to Pleasanton and arrived there in time for the birth of Winnie's child, Leslie Lyons, on 22 February 1893. Two more children -- Walter born 22 April 1895 and Clyde born 13 April 1897 -- were born in Pleasanton.
About 1898 Jim went to work as a ranch foreman for J. M. Chittum near Comstock. Jim was to continue this work until Mr. Chittum's death twenty years later. Their sixth child, Winnie Mae -- the mother of June Carver Hansen -- was born in Comstock, Val Verde County, Texas, 26 January 1899. While in Comstock, Jim built also stock tanks. He had the first telephone in Comstock.
After the birth of Winnie Mae in 1899 the family moved to Indian Territory (the location is now called Duncan, Oklahoma). We have several letters Jim wrote to Dovie, his "Maw", and Dovie's father during the four-year period when the family was in Indian Territory. Jim was gone much of the time during their stay there since he was often on cattle drives from Texas to Kansas. My grandmother said that when she heard the Indians coming she would take the children into a dugout under the floor of the house and stay until the Indians were gone. She would stuff a cloth in the mouth of the baby so the Indians would not hear her cry. Bonnie Anna was born in Indian Territory 6 January 1901.
Some time after Bonnie's birth the family moved to Spofford, Texas, where Jim managed 33,000 acres of land between Spofford and Eagle Pass for Mr. Chittum. By saving their money they were able to buy eight sections of land twenty miles out of Spofford on the old Eagle Pass road. Lacking a home on this land, they purchased the old Spofford Hotel, which Dovie operated as a railroad hotel. The children attended school in Spofford and Bracketville.
Due to a depression and the fact that he had spent too much money drilling for water on his ranch, Jim lost everything. After Mr. Chittum's death, about 1918, Jim stayed only long enough to sell out all his holdings in that area. The family moved to San Antonio where Jim became a mounted policeman until he retired.
Jim Musgrave was a handsome man -- tall, slender, with snow white hair. He told his grandchildren that his hair had been white since he was 18 years old. He adored Dovie, and his children's memories center around this fact. Dovie died of a stroke at Winnie Mae's home in Eagle Pass on 28 January 1936. Jim died six months later at their home in San Antonio on 2 July 1936. He was buried in Pleasanton beside his wife of 45 years. Life did not defeat Jim although it left its mark. It simply had no meaning after he lost his beloved Dovie.
Double headstone with wife
~
James Wallen "Jim" and Nancy Leake "Dovie" Willeford Musgrave
[Compiled by SWTGS Sponser June Carver Hansen from research material used in application for membership in Daughters of the Republic of Texas, which membership was approved 20 December 1982.) Source: "Branches and Acorns", Southwest Texas Genealogical Society, Quarterly VOL. II, n. 3, - March 1987; Pg. 11 & 12 - Transcribed by Amanda Jowers]
They lived in a new state -- only 22 years after statehood, and very little on the youthful days of Jim and Dovie Musgrave can be found in documented records. Jim was born in Leesville, Texas, 20 January 1868, and Dovie was born in Gonzales County, Texas, on 17 July 1871. Since Leesville was in Gonzales County, they probably went to school together but there is no record of this. It must have been a hard life for them but their stories revealed happy and closely united families.
Dovie's mother, Catherine Ann Lemond Willeford, died of tuberculosis when Dovie was twelve years old. She left five children, of whom Dovie was the oldest. The youngest child was only two when his mother died. Inasmuch as Dovie had three other children to care for, this was too much for her to handle. The baby, Ben Willeford, was given to neighbor friends (possibly related in some way) to raise.
Jim was working on a ranch ten miles east of Eagle Pass when he went to Pleasanton to get his bride-to-be, Dovie Willeford, aged twenty. Jim and Dovie were married on the Lampasito Ranch where Jim was working and they set up housekeeping there on 26 May 1891. Twins were born to Jim and Dovie in 1892 but they died at birth and were buried on the ranch in a shoe box. There is no marker for the little grave.
Willy Wallen Musgrave, their third child, was born in Carrizo Springs, Dimmit County, Texas, on 8 February 1893. At that time Jim was carrrying the mail to and from Eagle Pass and Carrizo Springs. The mail wagon had two teams of horses with a way station in between the towns. There was also an armed horseman along "riding shotgun". Two days were required to cover the 45-mile run.
When Willy was five days old, Jim and Dovie left Carrizo Springs by covered wagon enroute to Pleasanton where Dovie's younger sister, Winnie, was expecting a baby. This was 12 February 1893, and the weather was bitterly cold. There had been a big rain and creeks were swollen out of their banks. Their wagon was trapped by high water on all sides; to go back or forward was impossible. They ran out of food. Lack of nourishment caused Dovie's milk to dry up so that she could no longer nurse the baby. Each day for three days Jim swam the swollen creek on horseback and went to the Franklin Ranch to get food for themselves and milk for the baby. When the creek waters subsided, they moved on to Pleasanton and arrived there in time for the birth of Winnie's child, Leslie Lyons, on 22 February 1893. Two more children -- Walter born 22 April 1895 and Clyde born 13 April 1897 -- were born in Pleasanton.
About 1898 Jim went to work as a ranch foreman for J. M. Chittum near Comstock. Jim was to continue this work until Mr. Chittum's death twenty years later. Their sixth child, Winnie Mae -- the mother of June Carver Hansen -- was born in Comstock, Val Verde County, Texas, 26 January 1899. While in Comstock, Jim built also stock tanks. He had the first telephone in Comstock.
After the birth of Winnie Mae in 1899 the family moved to Indian Territory (the location is now called Duncan, Oklahoma). We have several letters Jim wrote to Dovie, his "Maw", and Dovie's father during the four-year period when the family was in Indian Territory. Jim was gone much of the time during their stay there since he was often on cattle drives from Texas to Kansas. My grandmother said that when she heard the Indians coming she would take the children into a dugout under the floor of the house and stay until the Indians were gone. She would stuff a cloth in the mouth of the baby so the Indians would not hear her cry. Bonnie Anna was born in Indian Territory 6 January 1901.
Some time after Bonnie's birth the family moved to Spofford, Texas, where Jim managed 33,000 acres of land between Spofford and Eagle Pass for Mr. Chittum. By saving their money they were able to buy eight sections of land twenty miles out of Spofford on the old Eagle Pass road. Lacking a home on this land, they purchased the old Spofford Hotel, which Dovie operated as a railroad hotel. The children attended school in Spofford and Bracketville.
Due to a depression and the fact that he had spent too much money drilling for water on his ranch, Jim lost everything. After Mr. Chittum's death, about 1918, Jim stayed only long enough to sell out all his holdings in that area. The family moved to San Antonio where Jim became a mounted policeman until he retired.
Jim Musgrave was a handsome man -- tall, slender, with snow white hair. He told his grandchildren that his hair had been white since he was 18 years old. He adored Dovie, and his children's memories center around this fact. Dovie died of a stroke at Winnie Mae's home in Eagle Pass on 28 January 1936. Jim died six months later at their home in San Antonio on 2 July 1936. He was buried in Pleasanton beside his wife of 45 years. Life did not defeat Jim although it left its mark. It simply had no meaning after he lost his beloved Dovie.
~
James Wallen "Jim" and Nancy Leake "Dovie" Willeford Musgrave
[Compiled by SWTGS Sponser June Carver Hansen from research material used in application for membership in Daughters of the Republic of Texas, which membership was approved 20 December 1982.) Source: "Branches and Acorns", Southwest Texas Genealogical Society, Quarterly VOL. II, n. 3, - March 1987; Pg. 11 & 12 - Transcribed by Amanda Jowers]
They lived in a new state -- only 22 years after statehood, and very little on the youthful days of Jim and Dovie Musgrave can be found in documented records. Jim was born in Leesville, Texas, 20 January 1868, and Dovie was born in Gonzales County, Texas, on 17 July 1871. Since Leesville was in Gonzales County, they probably went to school together but there is no record of this. It must have been a hard life for them but their stories revealed happy and closely united families.
Dovie's mother, Catherine Ann Lemond Willeford, died of tuberculosis when Dovie was twelve years old. She left five children, of whom Dovie was the oldest. The youngest child was only two when his mother died. Inasmuch as Dovie had three other children to care for, this was too much for her to handle. The baby, Ben Willeford, was given to neighbor friends (possibly related in some way) to raise.
Jim was working on a ranch ten miles east of Eagle Pass when he went to Pleasanton to get his bride-to-be, Dovie Willeford, aged twenty. Jim and Dovie were married on the Lampasito Ranch where Jim was working and they set up housekeeping there on 26 May 1891. Twins were born to Jim and Dovie in 1892 but they died at birth and were buried on the ranch in a shoe box. There is no marker for the little grave.
Willy Wallen Musgrave, their third child, was born in Carrizo Springs, Dimmit County, Texas, on 8 February 1893. At that time Jim was carrrying the mail to and from Eagle Pass and Carrizo Springs. The mail wagon had two teams of horses with a way station in between the towns. There was also an armed horseman along "riding shotgun". Two days were required to cover the 45-mile run.
When Willy was five days old, Jim and Dovie left Carrizo Springs by covered wagon enroute to Pleasanton where Dovie's younger sister, Winnie, was expecting a baby. This was 12 February 1893, and the weather was bitterly cold. There had been a big rain and creeks were swollen out of their banks. Their wagon was trapped by high water on all sides; to go back or forward was impossible. They ran out of food. Lack of nourishment caused Dovie's milk to dry up so that she could no longer nurse the baby. Each day for three days Jim swam the swollen creek on horseback and went to the Franklin Ranch to get food for themselves and milk for the baby. When the creek waters subsided, they moved on to Pleasanton and arrived there in time for the birth of Winnie's child, Leslie Lyons, on 22 February 1893. Two more children -- Walter born 22 April 1895 and Clyde born 13 April 1897 -- were born in Pleasanton.
About 1898 Jim went to work as a ranch foreman for J. M. Chittum near Comstock. Jim was to continue this work until Mr. Chittum's death twenty years later. Their sixth child, Winnie Mae -- the mother of June Carver Hansen -- was born in Comstock, Val Verde County, Texas, 26 January 1899. While in Comstock, Jim built also stock tanks. He had the first telephone in Comstock.
After the birth of Winnie Mae in 1899 the family moved to Indian Territory (the location is now called Duncan, Oklahoma). We have several letters Jim wrote to Dovie, his "Maw", and Dovie's father during the four-year period when the family was in Indian Territory. Jim was gone much of the time during their stay there since he was often on cattle drives from Texas to Kansas. My grandmother said that when she heard the Indians coming she would take the children into a dugout under the floor of the house and stay until the Indians were gone. She would stuff a cloth in the mouth of the baby so the Indians would not hear her cry. Bonnie Anna was born in Indian Territory 6 January 1901.
Some time after Bonnie's birth the family moved to Spofford, Texas, where Jim managed 33,000 acres of land between Spofford and Eagle Pass for Mr. Chittum. By saving their money they were able to buy eight sections of land twenty miles out of Spofford on the old Eagle Pass road. Lacking a home on this land, they purchased the old Spofford Hotel, which Dovie operated as a railroad hotel. The children attended school in Spofford and Bracketville.
Due to a depression and the fact that he had spent too much money drilling for water on his ranch, Jim lost everything. After Mr. Chittum's death, about 1918, Jim stayed only long enough to sell out all his holdings in that area. The family moved to San Antonio where Jim became a mounted policeman until he retired.
Jim Musgrave was a handsome man -- tall, slender, with snow white hair. He told his grandchildren that his hair had been white since he was 18 years old. He adored Dovie, and his children's memories center around this fact. Dovie died of a stroke at Winnie Mae's home in Eagle Pass on 28 January 1936. Jim died six months later at their home in San Antonio on 2 July 1936. He was buried in Pleasanton beside his wife of 45 years. Life did not defeat Jim although it left its mark. It simply had no meaning after he lost his beloved Dovie.
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