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Elmer
"Dean" Dawson |
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ELMER DEAN4 DAWSON (ELMER ELSWORTH3, EBENEZER H.2, JOHN P1) was born New Years Day,
January 01, 1893 in Sherman, Grayson Co., Texas, and died Christmas Day,
December 25, 1947 in Fort Worth, Tarrant Co., Texas. He married LEONA Y. MAY January 07, 1922 in
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Co., Oklahoma, daughter of EUGENE MAY and MOLLIE CURTIS. She was born March 23,
1897 in Montague Co., Texas, and died March 03, 1944 in Fort Worth, Tarrant
Co., Texas. Children of ELMER DAWSON and LEONA MAY are: 1.
EUGENE DEAN5 DAWSON,
b. February 21, 1923, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 2.
RAY LEE DAWSON, b. July 19,
1925, Port Arthur, Texas, Jefferson County. d. November 17, 2003 in Fort
Worth, Tarrant County, Texas 3.
LEONA BERNICE DAWSON, b.
November 23, 1927, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. d. December 17, 1992 in Granbury,
Hood County, Texas. 4.
PATSY DEAN DAWSON, b. November
18, 1932, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Elmer
Dean Dawson, my Grandfather went by his middle name, Dean. Dean had many
talents but never found his niche in life. He was out going, friendly,
charming, and loyal to his family and friends. He earned some of the highest
honors in the United States Army during World War I, including the
"Purple Heart" presented by Woodrow Wilson. He was the bugler for
his regiment and the army band. Dean earned a living doing various jobs,
owned a feed store, a small place serving barbecue & beer called
"Dean's Place" on Jacksboro Highway in Lake Worth, Texas. He owned
and worked in a general/feed stores in Oklahoma and Texas. Dean, and his
brothers, Reasor & Paul owned and operated this store in Port Arthur,
Jefferson County, Texas, until Piggly Wiggly opened up down the street. They
then moved to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and opened another store on Agnew
Avenue. Dean did carpenter work with his father, Elmer Elsworth a respected
carpenter. I don't believe Elmer Dean Dawson ever got paid for his bugle
playing, but played in yearly performances with his army buddies, friends
& family members in Kingston & Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Elmer Dean
Dawson's friend and cousin by marriage, Andrew Erwin Findley became well
known in the big band era for his directing in national levels and
contributions to the Kingston, Oklahoma school and community. The
women were always chasing him. On the nights he would stay out late, my
great-grandmother would go around the house praying to the Lord for Dean to
stop drinking and chasing women. It was more likely the women chased him.
Marrying Leona and having children settled Dean down, but he drank more than
he should have. He was a very affectionate and loving father, seeing his
children were tucked in at bedtime and always snuck into their bedrooms to
kiss their foreheads before leaving for work. Elmer Dean Dawson would
occasionally take my aunts to work with him. L. Bernice and Patsy D. would
play the juke box dancing to the music, while customers pitched them money
for ice cream. I have
heard tales of the days when he owned Dean's Place. It was a very small bar
& grill that served barbeque & beer, with living quarters in the
rear. They also raised hogs and chickens in back. He was known for the
enjoyment of pulling pranks on the patrons that had a few too many. There was
a silver dollar welded to the top of the bar counter. He loved seeing someone
trying to pick it up to claim it was theirs. The Jacksboro Highway was
notorious for its wild night life, gambling, dancing, drinking, gangster
activity, and even murders. He was known to pay the local sheriffs department
off to warn him when the Texas Rangers were coming to town. He had a couple
of illegal slot machines he needed to hide. On slow nights he would stage
someone at the slot machine winning heavy. While he would be behind it
pouring a coffee can of change through it to get more people to playing the
slots. He did not get rich off of his slots, as his wife, Leona always had to
work to help ends meet. Dean was
an excellent marksman. He could shoot a telephone wire into from 200 yards
away. His squirrel hunting served him
well later in World War I. He was awarded the Purple Heart, from being gassed
and other military honors. Last
updated: January 2007
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...wives of Hiram L. May from census records listing children. |
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...where the West begins |