As we take a moment to remember past residents of the Haigler area, I wish to expand a little on Blanche Herring Rowett (my aunt). Blanche lived about five miles west of Haigler an about a mile north of U.S. 34. She and her husband, Richard Rowett, settled on that farm early in the 20th. Century, and while he died sometime in the late 1920’s, she remained on the farm until her death. She was born in 1886, and she died in 1964. She is buried in the Benkelman Cemetery.
Blanche and Richard originally lived in a small frame house no more than a quarter-of-a-mile south of the home that we best remember Blanche living in. The "little house" was still standing, though not in good health, when I would visit her, but it no doubt is no longer hanging on.
What may not be well known to those who knew Blanche is that Richard was the son of a well-known Civil War General – also named Richard. There is a web site with information regarding him at: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ilmaga/macoupin/1891bios/rowett.html
I have located and attached two photographs. One is Blanche. It was taken in April 1953. The other photo is the home she had built and lived in until her death. It was taken in June 1940.
Kent Hoffman
San Antonio, TX
KENT, I ASKED LESTER AND JOANN ABOUT THE LOCATION OF ROWETT'S HOUSE. THEY BOTH SAID IT WAS SOUTH OF HYWAY 34 AT THE TOP OF THE HILL BY PIONEER DITCH COMPANY--AND THEN I REMEMERED.
ReplyDeleteI TAKES A LITTLE MEMORY JOGGING SOMETIMES TO GET THINGS TO COME BACK. I HOPE I DON'T GET ANY OLDER.
DALLAS
One of the problems, Dallas, is that the view in the picture is the back of the house taken from the chicken pen area. The road is on the other side, and the front view is what everyone, except the chickens, would see. :-)
ReplyDeleteKent
A question for the bloggers! The next farm south of the Rowett farm was a huge turkey farm (at least into the late 1940's). I have never seen so many turkeys in one place in my life. The house was on the west side of the road, and the turkey pens on both sides.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone remember the name of the family that owned the turkey farm?
Kent
THE BRAGG FAMILY, CANT REMEMBER ANY FIRST NAMES EXCEPT THE DAUGHTER FAUNIEL BRAGG. SOUTH OF THEM WAS FRANK REID FAMILY
ReplyDeleteDALLAS
Thanks, Dallas. I would never have come up with that.
ReplyDeleteKent
Seems like the old man(to me anyway, as I was about 12 at the time, and anybody over 21 was ancient)was Lloyd Bragg, AKA Whitey. I remember buying a turkey from him once
ReplyDeleteLorenzo (Doug) Douglass
I talked to Mom (Veda) and she talked to Deloris Zuege. We are all right, Lloyd Bragg's wife was Millie, and they had one daughter, Fauniel. Delores said that is all the Braggs there were.
ReplyDeleteLorenzo (Doug) Douglass
With your help, it comes back to me now. Whitey Bragg and all those turkeys. What a sight it was.
ReplyDeleteKent
The one thing I remember about all the turkeys was one year there was a bad hail storm. Most of the turkeys ran out side and where killed or injured by the hail.
ReplyDeleteMike Maupin
Mike,
ReplyDeleteI was not in Haigler at the time the hail killed the turkeys, but I remembered being told of the incident after it happened. I may be wrong, but I think I also remember being told that after that happened The Braggs pretty much got out of the turkey business.
One really great thing about the Haigler Blog is the ability of a group of folks to come together and remember such interesting little stories about the people and events of a community.
Kent Hoffman
San Antonio, TX