Valera Mattie Appling was born and raised in Simpson County, Kentucky. She was the daughter of Thomas Beverly Appling and Catherine Downey. Thomas was a farmer.
When Valera was about 15 years of age, her widowed father moved with his large family from Kentucky to Hill County in central Texas. In a short time, Valera somehow met her future husband, Thomas Judson Routh.
Thomas was living with his mother in Collin County, Texas. How Thomas and Valera met and courted is a mystery. The couple married 17 Dec 1885 in Hill County. There was a 14 year difference in their ages. Thomas was 32 and Valera was 18. Thomas took his bride back to his home in Collin County.
Four years later, the Routh family, which included two children, moved from Collin County to Jones County. The family first lived near Anson, but later moved to Hamlin. They became pillars of the community and the Baptist church. Their children grew to maturity there.
By 1927, Thomas had retired from farming, so he and Valera moved to Abilene, probably to be near their son Joe. In the 1930's, Valera went blind because of cataracts. Her daughter Hattie and her family moved into the Routh home to take care of her mother. Thomas died in 1936. Valera lived in the Abilene home until her death.
Valera was a tall, stooped, plain woman, several inches taller than her husband. Probably because of their age difference, she usually addressed her husband as "Mr. Routh". One of her granddaughters said: " She had hands with extremely long fingers. She was a nervous person and her fingers worked continuously. Her hair was pulled back in a bun and when she went somewhere, her black felt hat sat above her bun."
The Applings were mostly Methodists, so Valera probably was also before her marriage. But, like her husband, she became very active in the Baptist Church. Also like her husband, she hated alcohol.
Contributor: Don 49680169
When Valera was about 15 years of age, her widowed father moved with his large family from Kentucky to Hill County in central Texas. In a short time, Valera somehow met her future husband, Thomas Judson Routh.
Thomas was living with his mother in Collin County, Texas. How Thomas and Valera met and courted is a mystery. The couple married 17 Dec 1885 in Hill County. There was a 14 year difference in their ages. Thomas was 32 and Valera was 18. Thomas took his bride back to his home in Collin County.
Four years later, the Routh family, which included two children, moved from Collin County to Jones County. The family first lived near Anson, but later moved to Hamlin. They became pillars of the community and the Baptist church. Their children grew to maturity there.
By 1927, Thomas had retired from farming, so he and Valera moved to Abilene, probably to be near their son Joe. In the 1930's, Valera went blind because of cataracts. Her daughter Hattie and her family moved into the Routh home to take care of her mother. Thomas died in 1936. Valera lived in the Abilene home until her death.
Valera was a tall, stooped, plain woman, several inches taller than her husband. Probably because of their age difference, she usually addressed her husband as "Mr. Routh". One of her granddaughters said: " She had hands with extremely long fingers. She was a nervous person and her fingers worked continuously. Her hair was pulled back in a bun and when she went somewhere, her black felt hat sat above her bun."
The Applings were mostly Methodists, so Valera probably was also before her marriage. But, like her husband, she became very active in the Baptist Church. Also like her husband, she hated alcohol.
Contributor: Don 49680169
Valera Mattie Appling was born and raised in Simpson County, Kentucky. She was the daughter of Thomas Beverly Appling and Catherine Downey. Thomas was a farmer.
When Valera was about 15 years of age, her widowed father moved with his large family from Kentucky to Hill County in central Texas. In a short time, Valera somehow met her future husband, Thomas Judson Routh.
Thomas was living with his mother in Collin County, Texas. How Thomas and Valera met and courted is a mystery. The couple married 17 Dec 1885 in Hill County. There was a 14 year difference in their ages. Thomas was 32 and Valera was 18. Thomas took his bride back to his home in Collin County.
Four years later, the Routh family, which included two children, moved from Collin County to Jones County. The family first lived near Anson, but later moved to Hamlin. They became pillars of the community and the Baptist church. Their children grew to maturity there.
By 1927, Thomas had retired from farming, so he and Valera moved to Abilene, probably to be near their son Joe. In the 1930's, Valera went blind because of cataracts. Her daughter Hattie and her family moved into the Routh home to take care of her mother. Thomas died in 1936. Valera lived in the Abilene home until her death.
Valera was a tall, stooped, plain woman, several inches taller than her husband. Probably because of their age difference, she usually addressed her husband as "Mr. Routh". One of her granddaughters said: " She had hands with extremely long fingers. She was a nervous person and her fingers worked continuously. Her hair was pulled back in a bun and when she went somewhere, her black felt hat sat above her bun."
The Applings were mostly Methodists, so Valera probably was also before her marriage. But, like her husband, she became very active in the Baptist Church. Also like her husband, she hated alcohol.
Contributor: Don 49680169
When Valera was about 15 years of age, her widowed father moved with his large family from Kentucky to Hill County in central Texas. In a short time, Valera somehow met her future husband, Thomas Judson Routh.
Thomas was living with his mother in Collin County, Texas. How Thomas and Valera met and courted is a mystery. The couple married 17 Dec 1885 in Hill County. There was a 14 year difference in their ages. Thomas was 32 and Valera was 18. Thomas took his bride back to his home in Collin County.
Four years later, the Routh family, which included two children, moved from Collin County to Jones County. The family first lived near Anson, but later moved to Hamlin. They became pillars of the community and the Baptist church. Their children grew to maturity there.
By 1927, Thomas had retired from farming, so he and Valera moved to Abilene, probably to be near their son Joe. In the 1930's, Valera went blind because of cataracts. Her daughter Hattie and her family moved into the Routh home to take care of her mother. Thomas died in 1936. Valera lived in the Abilene home until her death.
Valera was a tall, stooped, plain woman, several inches taller than her husband. Probably because of their age difference, she usually addressed her husband as "Mr. Routh". One of her granddaughters said: " She had hands with extremely long fingers. She was a nervous person and her fingers worked continuously. Her hair was pulled back in a bun and when she went somewhere, her black felt hat sat above her bun."
The Applings were mostly Methodists, so Valera probably was also before her marriage. But, like her husband, she became very active in the Baptist Church. Also like her husband, she hated alcohol.
Contributor: Don 49680169
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