My paternal grandparents, George Aubrey and Minnie Mae (Ramer) Springer were very special people to me and my family. They were both born in Waxahachie, Ellis County, Texas to parents who were from Tennessee.
Aubrey and Minnie were married in a community named Mountain Peak in Ellis County on July 20, 1913, when Aubrey was just 19 and Minnie was only 17.
The church where they were married was a meeting place for the Masons, a church building for Methodists and Baptists and I believe also doubled as a school. According to one story I heard, "There was a violent storm that Sunday morning, and they wondered if they would have a church to get married in. There was considerable damage, turned over buggies and the church twisted off the blocks! But even this didn't keep them from 'tying the knot!' They were married that evening after church." This story is from an article, "This Is Your Life", by Eddie Miller, and presented at a church dinner celebrating the lives of Aubrey and Minnie.
Here the church can be seen in the background at this large meeting.
In an article written for the Midlothian Paper, it states:
Granville Pettes built the first house in 1875. According to Walter Reeves, Mountain Peak was virtually the mother of Midlothian, Concerning the suburban neighbors, he wrote:
"In the year 1874, John W. Burks gave five acres of land on which to build a church. This included the famous old spring at the Peak and also the cemetery. The timbers for the first school house were hauled from Cross Timbers, fifteen miles west of the Peak, by 'Uncle' Alf Forbes, John W. Burks and Jim Smith. The house was built principally by 'Uncle' Alf."
He goes on to describe more about the church . "The two-story building was built in either 1876 or 1877, the contractor E. H. Griffin. For many years both the Baptist and Methodist denominations used the house of worship. It was also used for a school and Masonic Lodge. For many years Mountain Peak was noted as an educational center, and pupils came to attend school from many parts of the state. This was particularly true while Prof. J. K. Smith, and later, his son, J. C. Smith, were at the head of the school."
Source: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~txellis/ghost-towns/mtn.htm
The church also had a cemetery connected to it. Today, the only thing that remains is the cemetery. "History: The land for the original cemetery was donated by Steven Washington Taylor, a nearby resident, before his death in 1882. It was for the community of Mountain. Peak, TX (no longer in existence). Additional land was donated by his heirs. More has been purchased. This is a private cemetery, overseen by the Mountain Peak Cemetery Board." This is from an article Contributed by Paula King [paulakingtaylor@aol.com].
While they lived in Midlothian, they went to the Methodist Church in town. Then, when they moved to Fort Worth, they joined St. Paul Methodist Church and were members there the rest of their lives.
"Going to the Chapel" was something that Minnie and Aubrey did weekly (at least)! Whether it was for worship, Sunday School, men's or women's meetings, business meetings or fellowship dinners, the church was central to their lives.
'Til next time!
#52Ancestors
Aubrey and Minnie were married in a community named Mountain Peak in Ellis County on July 20, 1913, when Aubrey was just 19 and Minnie was only 17.
Granville Pettes built the first house in 1875. According to Walter Reeves, Mountain Peak was virtually the mother of Midlothian, Concerning the suburban neighbors, he wrote:
"In the year 1874, John W. Burks gave five acres of land on which to build a church. This included the famous old spring at the Peak and also the cemetery. The timbers for the first school house were hauled from Cross Timbers, fifteen miles west of the Peak, by 'Uncle' Alf Forbes, John W. Burks and Jim Smith. The house was built principally by 'Uncle' Alf."
He goes on to describe more about the church . "The two-story building was built in either 1876 or 1877, the contractor E. H. Griffin. For many years both the Baptist and Methodist denominations used the house of worship. It was also used for a school and Masonic Lodge. For many years Mountain Peak was noted as an educational center, and pupils came to attend school from many parts of the state. This was particularly true while Prof. J. K. Smith, and later, his son, J. C. Smith, were at the head of the school."
Source: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~txellis/ghost-towns/mtn.htm
The church also had a cemetery connected to it. Today, the only thing that remains is the cemetery. "History: The land for the original cemetery was donated by Steven Washington Taylor, a nearby resident, before his death in 1882. It was for the community of Mountain. Peak, TX (no longer in existence). Additional land was donated by his heirs. More has been purchased. This is a private cemetery, overseen by the Mountain Peak Cemetery Board." This is from an article Contributed by Paula King [paulakingtaylor@aol.com].
http://www.interment.net/data/us/tx/ellis/mtpeak/mtpeak_ae.htm. On this site is also a listing of all burials with stones as of December 2001.
On July 21, 1963, Aubrey and Minnie celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary at St. Paul Methodist Church, Fort Worth, Texas. Many members of the family, friends and church gathered with them for this joyous time.
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| Aubrey, Minnie and their grown children |
While they lived in Midlothian, they went to the Methodist Church in town. Then, when they moved to Fort Worth, they joined St. Paul Methodist Church and were members there the rest of their lives.
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| St. Paul Methodist Church, Ft Worth, Texas |
"Going to the Chapel" was something that Minnie and Aubrey did weekly (at least)! Whether it was for worship, Sunday School, men's or women's meetings, business meetings or fellowship dinners, the church was central to their lives.
'Til next time!
#52Ancestors
Thanks for sharing!!
ReplyDeleteIs there still an existing cemetery with visible stones? Who could I contact to find a possible list of who is buried there? I'm Joseph E. Busby's granddaughter.
ReplyDeleteHi, Donna! I just saw this - sorry for the delay! Are you asking about the cemetery at Mountain Peak? If you are, then "yes" the cemetery is still there and has many readable stones. It has been several years since I was there, but it was well kept at that time. In the article, there is a link to burials as of the date of that reading, http://www.interment.net/data/us/tx/ellis/mtpeak/mtpeak_ae.htm, but that is only a partial list A-E. Check out http://www.interment.net/data/us/tx/ellis/mtpeak/index.htm and there are links to additional burials. There are also directions to the cemetery. If you would like I can give you more information about the location of the cemetery, or even go there with you. It's is a neat cemetery and I have several family members buried there.
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