Mildred Carolyn Terrell, DANVILLE CEMETERY, OLD DANVILLE, TEXAS





MILDRED CAROLYN TERRELL

 

Buried Danville Cemetery

Willis, Texas

(Originally Danville, Texas)






She was born 19 Jul 1935 at St Therese Hospital,  Beaumont, Jefferson Co., TX to John Butler Terrell, Sr. and Irma Louise (Garrett).

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Lived on: Angelina Street, Beaumont, TX

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2300 block of South street (4-5 years old)

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Averill Elementary (2435 Harrison - 6 years old)

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Attended: Camp Waldemar ‘48

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Dick Dowling Jr. High (Cheer Leader)

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2nd Spindletop Horse Show (She rode Western Division-Conformation & Barrel Race on “Sunshine”)

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Neches River Festival (Beaumont Rotary Club Princess)

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Beaumont HIgh School ‘53 (Valedictory Test (top 10%)-4th or 5th place I believe.

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SMU, Texas University. Member of Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority, 1954.

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University of Texas (Miss Posture Contest-1st place)

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1955 married Philip Bland Lucas.

Carolyn and Philip honeymooned in Cuba and the Bahama Islands following their marriage at 5 p.m. in the First Methodist Church in Beaumont, Jefferson Co., TX on 21 Aug 1955. Dr. Stewart Clendenin officiated the ceremony which took place against a candelighted background of magnolia leaves highlighted at intervals by white caladium leaves. In the foreground were arrangements of white stock and white roses. Sister, Mary Ann Mills, was matron of honor and niece, Susan Mills, was the flower girl. Harry Lucas was the best man. Carolyn’s gown was white taffeta designed with scoop neckline and banded with bead embroideries. The sleeves were long, the waist line elongated and fitted and the skirt bouffant with chapel length train. The finger length veil of illusion was held in place by a tiara of taffeta intricately embroidered with sequins and seed pearls. A reception was held in the Mirror Room of Hotel Beaumont. After Sept. 1, the couple will reside at 5892 North Circuit Dr. (From article in “The Sunday Enterprise”, Beaumont, TX, 1 Aug 1955).

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1955: North Circuit Drive, Beaumont, TX

1959: 150 N.Caldwood Drive, Beaumont, TX

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They had 4 children:

Philip Bland Lucas, Jr.

Karen Lucas

William Terrell Lucas

Caroline Louise Lucas

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Divorced: 1964

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1964: Ridgeland Drive, Beaumont, TX.

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2nd marriage: Everett Brian Lord, Beaumont, Texas (divorced 13 Apr 1978, Jefferson Co., TX).

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1965: Built 750 Goodhue Drive, Beaumont, TX

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Junior League Vice President

Junior League Chairman of Spindletop Charity Horse Show 1971 or 1972

Junior League Horse Show Treasurer

Junior League Treasurer

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1975: Built 70 Genevieve, Beaumont, TX

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3rd marriage: William B. LeBlanc, Beaumont, Texas (relocated to Rockport, Texas) (divorced, 1993)

1981: Rockport

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1993-2006: San Antonio, TX

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2006 Feb: Bentwater, Montgomery Co., TX.

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2006 Dec 4: Montgomery Co. Genealogical & Historical Society Founders Day Certificate of Recognition.

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Memories from Carolyn...

U.S. Census > 1930 United States Federal Census > Texas > Jefferson > Beaumont > District 17 (image 19 or 20?) (South Street) “Ira Jones” next door to Carolyn Terrell (bet 7th & 8th), et al in about 1938. John was born while we were living on South St.

2320 153 159 Coale, Raymond A. HOH MW 30 TX AL AL

Aldelio A., Wife FW 29 TX TX TX

Carmen, Daughter FW 2 (b.1928) (Friend of Mary Ann Terrell. Could whistle really good.. I think she was even on the radio) (Carmen later married Harry Tyrrell, Jr.) I used to tag along behind Mary Ann and Carmen to Wolfe's grocery store when I was 5 or less. Liked to hear Carmen whistle.

Wilson, Margaret, Mother in Law FW 55 TX TX TX

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2330 154 160 Jones, Ira T. HOH MW 36 TX TX TX

Hazel, Wife FW 26 TX TX TX

(Joyce must have been born about 1931. She married Bill Richardson.)

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2340 155 161 Manning, William A. HOH MW 34 MA MA MA (I guess this was to become the Terrell’s house about 1938. The Jones were on the corner of 7th and South and we were next going West. The Coale’s were across 7th from the Jones in a 2 story red brick) Carmen Coale who married Harry Tyrrell, Jr.


On Laurel in same block were the Wheat’s, The Bevil’s and I think Dorothy Kelly (married name?). “Buttermilk” Kelly’s bought the Jones house soon after we moved to South Street and lived next door to us. They had a granddaughter, Peggy, who was a friend of mine. Her mother and father (Emmett & Winifred) were close friends to Honey & Papa (Carolyn's parents). We got to go out to the Dairy.. the Kelly’s farm to watch the cows being milked. They had a big farm house.. kind of a place for big parties... I went to Peggy’s birthday parties there. It seemed in the country then.. was actually a few blocks past 11th street going out highway 90 (toward Amelia) [in Beaumont, TX].

Directly across from the Kelly’s were another family of Kelly’s.. I don't think they were kin. C. C. Kelly who was a distributor of grocery products... most importantly MOON PIES. His warehouse was behind their home and Lois Marie was a friend of mine.. about 2 years older. I was a couple of grades behind her at Averill, Dick Dowling, Beaumont High and even SMU where she was a Theta and rushed me.. though I went Kappa. Super nice girl.. I believe she married a minister and moved from Beaumont. She had an older sister, Eloise.


The Duttons were in the neighborhood... that must have been Dorothy Kelly Dutton and the Duperier’s (one of the Duperiers taught me at Beaumont High) (Eloise Duperier who became Eloise Milam, the organizer of the “Melody Maids”? My sister, Mary Ann was a “Melody Maid”. They took lots of great trips.. even to Europe, I believe. Mother was a chaperone on some of the trips.

The Wheelus family was in the neighborhood also. I went to school with George Wheelus.


In the block of South Street going East from our house were several “mansions”. The Gordon House with the hugh “Lion stautes” at the gate and a big fish pond in back and the house where we used to ‘fly’ down there drive way on our roller skates. I was only about 4 or 5 and it was like skiing down a mountain to me. It sloped down from their side door to the back yard and the garage. Probably a four car garage so we circled at the bottom of the ‘mountain’. Don’t remember how I got back up.. but they were really nice to let the neighborhood kids do that. I think the drive was paved with bricks... what a ride!

I remember walking in the neighborhood with Daddy and the bird dogs and I got to “ride” the Lions at the Gordon home.


Wolfe’s Grocery Store was a few blocks away.. may have been the same man who owned the later grocery across from Averill school.. where I rode my bike a lot to pick up milk and bread for Mother... and bubble gum.

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We moved to 2435 Harrison before I entered 1st grade at Averill Elementary school. Janie Nelson (married Mark Steinhagen) lived on the corner across 8th street. Her daddy was president of Gulf States Utilities. He used to take us downtown to his office sometimes. His secretary was named Sibil and she would take us in tow. He also took us to the power plant where the electricity for the area was generated.. awesome. It was on the Neches River. Nina was the cook.. Kitty Boo the big yellow cat and a Cocker Spaniel.. and a little fish pond in the back yard with a bridge over it! Nina made great gumbo which I called dumbo, jumbo, mumbo, which made Nina laugh and make a pot and invite me for dinner. She also made Spam sandwiches for us.. we even thought that was great. Always had a dessert and made fudge and divinity for us. We would play “Dolls” for hours... and had buggies and cribs and rocking chairs in the playroom. Ida Reed park was a few blocks away with swings, slides and trapeze... and barbeque pits scattered around. The Nelsons would take us to the park on our bikes and cook steaks. The big red brick house on the corner of Long and eighth where the Reed's lived had some kind of little room in the back, probably an old tool shed, which became our ‘club house’... ‘keep out’ unless you were a member. Across the street from our house were the Kreger’s’s who were older and had a basketball hoop on their garage and there were lots of boys in the neighborhood. We were invited to play there whenever we liked. Pat and Jack Reidy lived a couple of houses down.. where I used to help Jack fold newspapers in the afternoon on the front porch for his paper route. We all played out in the early evening when the lightning bugs showed up... Jack could tell really scarey ‘ghost stories’. When my porch light blinked.. that meant “come home”. The Russells lived next door, Mrs. Russell was a good friend of Mother’s.. they had a fish pond too.. I guess fish ponds were pre-swimming pool. The only swimming pool ‘at home’ that I remember was at the Hammonds. Mrs. Easterling, Ginger’s mom would take us there to swim.. I think on Broadway. Ginger lived in the 2500 block of North and Gail McClancy across the street. Judy Gay (married George Dishman) who was about three years older than us lived in that block too. She taught us all the ‘facts of life’. Sarah Wilson was on McFaddin and Mary Ann Minton on the steet (Gladys) between Long and Ashley. Katherine Walker moved to the next block of Harrison at some time about when we started to school. Her aunt, Mrs. Caswell lived across the street from my house.. Anyway when it was time for Janie and I to start to school.. we walked the block and a half together every morning before we graduated to our bikes. There were always boys to irritate us on the way... Lip Norvell , Charlie Coalter, Billy Acker. I can still ‘smell’ Averill School.. there were wood floors that must have been oiled every night... a very destinctive smell. Janie and I were in Mrs. Rollins’ room in the first grade, Mrs. Hodges room for 2nd grade and ... horrors.. one of us got Mrs. Polsgrove for third and the other was in another room. Janie’s mom had one of us moved to the other’s room.

I think it was the summer before second grade that I met Betty Rae [Lowell] and her mother at the Easterling’s house. They moved from Colorado Springs when the Lowells got a divorce. Papa Towel, Betty Rae’s grandfather built a house for them at 2210 Harrison AND a little ‘play house’ for Betty Rae. It had furniture just like regular furniture.. but minature. A real leather sofa and chair.. wow.. was I impressed. A little kitchen and the works. Besides that in Betty Rae’s closet was a real fur coat and little play high heels shoes.. facinating! But the really interesting place was her mother’s closet... furs of all kinds and dozens of shoes all size four. I don’t think I had ever seen “dozens” of shoes in anyone’s closet. And both Betty Rae and Janie’s house had a GRAND piano which I loved to play. Betty Rae’s mother thought I was the “smartest” because I loved to play the piano and Betty Rae didn’t have any interest in it. I taught myself to read music and played the piano a lot. We had an upright.. there was a piano at Esperanza also.. a ‘Player Piano’. Betty Rae’s mom was acomplished at the violin and her sister, Virginia Mae, played the harp. Oh.. I almost forgot.. Janie’s mom had a SILVER bicycle.. with hand brakes.. wow! (Marilyn White Ellis mentioned to me today (8/05) when we were talking on the phone that she remembered me making a keyboard out of cardboard to ‘play’ and she remembered that I could play ‘Clare de Lune’ on the piano and had never had lessons). I think my first bike was short.. like me, but at some point Mrs. Prather who lived a couple of houses down gave me a BIG red bike that had been her daughter Olga’s. That was a very nice present. Of course, we had sidewalks and the Monday’s on the corner had a tennis court.. it was cement and made a great skating rink . Everybody from blocks around came to the ‘tennis court’ and we played tin can shinny with sticks and tin cans... got whacked a lot. There was a row of some kind of giant hedge that ran beside the court on ninth street and we could actually climb up the middle of it and lie on top and spy on whoever came down the street. I suppose it was was about the fourth or fifth grade when the tin can shinny games began because I remember Bob Keith, Tom Weed, Wayne Dodson, Lip Norvell and all the boys would come to the ‘tennis court’ to play tin can shinny. Sometimes we would play football on the field across from Averill.. and ‘real’ tennis at Weiss(?) Park on Calder.

Also in the neighborhood in my block.. next door were Mary Ann and Homer Howell who had a little baby girl, Kit. Mary Ann was a Steadman and her mother lived about two blocks away on Long. Anyway I loved to play with baby Kit and would go knock on the door to see if she was awake. Kit later married one of the Ohmsteads. The Howells were especially nice to me all through the years.. long after they moved from Harrison. They would sometimes have big parties in their backyard and some of us would go in my backyard and peep through the Azeleas to watch the party.

The Bergins lived across the street..they owned the company that made Bergins Ice Cream and next door to them on the corner of Eighth across from the Nelsons lived the Mrs. Mckee, an older lady who I think was one of the McFaddins. She would sometimes invite Janie and I for cookies. She had a big car and chaffeur. Directly across the street in the two story white house, several different families lived at various times.. but once there were kids my age, I think that was the Clendinans, he was the Methodist minister and later the Bishop for the state... they had a laundry shoot from the upstairs bathroom to the down stairs laundry room.. seemed like a basement. We would slide down the laundry shoot.. very scary.

I guess “The Club” was offically formed about fourth or fifth grade. It consisted of about a dozen of us... and lasted to this day. Every morning before the school bell rang we played jacks on the sidewalk or jump rope and for some reason we decided to all buy some high top tennis shoes and wear them everyday to school.. BLACK high tops.. I’m sure to the dismay of our mothers. Can you imagine us in our dresses and our skinny legs in high tops. We weren’t allowed to wear shorts or jeans to school.. maybe that’s why we went for the tennis shoes. We played together, gave big parties together.. one I remember at the Country Club.. a Christmas dance.. probably in Jr. High.. engraved invitations and all. About fifth or sixth grade we all took ballroom dancing at Mrs. Sproule’s... dress up.. the boys wore suits and we girls wore our party dresses and were supposed to be learning good manners as well as dancing. “The Club” met at a different house every week and the menu was important. We would have an official meeting about whatever we were planning and then go play baseball or football whatever we could think up. During high school.. the big trip was a week at the Rothwell beach house when school was out. Mrs. Easterling was our chaperone. We planned our menu and grocery list very carefully and assigned and scheduled all the duties.. shopping, cooking, sweeping, dish washing, etc. for certain days and times. Woe unto you if you neglected your duty. We all burned our skin to a crisp every day.. laughed all night.. ate a lot of good food and none of us has ever forgotten the fun we had. There was usually a house full of guys every evening.. sometimes with fish in hand for dinner. We had lots of slumber parties during the rest of the year.. usually at Ginger’s house. Mrs. Easterling put up with a lot.. and I am very appreciative of her guidence and patience through the years of growing up. She never got ruffled.. saw that we all were Neches River Festival Princesses with appropriate escorts and in general... raised us. She had a group of lady friends too.. they were always having fun. They played cards, had a sewing group party and toddy’s in the afternoon. I remember Mutt Coalter, Maybelle Bryant, Divernon Courts, Mrs. Broussard (Louis’s mother), Mrs. Weed, Mrs. Jenkins. Several times in the summer, Mrs. Easterling would take Ginger and I to spend a few days with Mrs. Broussard and her family at their beach house. I guess that was when Louis Broussard and I started hanging out together.. actually kinda dating though that was about the eighth grade. But he was driving.. a pickup truck and we had a lot of fun.. and Daddy knew his parents so I was allowed. He went to Chaminade School for Boys in St Louis for high school.. we wrote lots of letters. Kind of my first love... along with Bob Keith, Tom Weed, etc. etc.

I think Benny Hughes was my first ‘official date’ in high school.

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[From email correspondence with Lida Spiller, a cousin; daughter of Jo Rice Spiller and Elsie Helene Schneider]

Lida, glad you received it... cute photo. I am particularly interested in your Pope family.  Have done a little looking around.. after Christmas and when I can get back to it... I'll talk with you again.

On Uncle Rice, your dad.. we used to go to the beach a lot in the ole days. At that time there was a draw bridge across the intercoastal to get to Caplen/Bolivar and Mother said that Uncle Rice had "built it". I did know he was an engineer.. I guess because she told me. And I always thought about him when I went over that bridge.... many, many times.

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Love, Carolyn

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Carolyn,

I am glad that you remember that bridge. Daddy designed it and was the

engineer in charge of building it. The summer it was being built our family

stayed in Gilcrest. We had a great time and enjoyed it all. However, there

was a tidal wave that hit there that summer and we were smack, dab in the

middle of it---quite an experience. Lida


Wow.. what year was that? My aunt (Mildred Terrell Thiele), sister of my daddy, John Butler Terrell, had a house at Gilchrist... we visited there many times.

Caplen is just a few miles West of Gilchrist. I remember being at "Sister's" house, in War time, because we had "blackouts" (German subs in the Gulf) and I had a bad case of hives and was being covered with Calamine ointment by my grandmother, (Mary Spiller Garrett)... buck necked and all the suden,, blackout.. the lights went out.. memorable. My cousin, Billy Terrell of Conroe, was suprised and bit off a hunk of a water glass. I enjoy my memories... lots of them! I seem to be able to recall from a very early age.. like 2!


Daddy said I was "born with the hives". I had them regularly. It's been a while since I've had them... thank goodness!


There were local beach guards on the beach.. that's not the name.. I'll think of it. Anyway, they patrolled the beach looking for signs of German boats and I believe some were spotted.. they were particularly concerned of German subs landing there.. and "blackouts" were regular. They would cut off the electricity. I was very little.



Carolyn,

We stayed in a house that we rented, and it was right on the beach. This

was in 1934/35, I was 9/10 years old. The night of the tidal wave we got as

far as High Island, but were cut off from getting to Beaumont because the

water had covered (and knocked out) the highway. The tidal wave demolished

the house we had been in, and everything we had was gone. In 4/7 days we

finally got to Galveston on a cattle train, a passenger car was attached,

and then we got back to Houston. The folks rented another house in Gilchrist

for the rest of the summer. Lida

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1943 (July 19)

Mrs. A. E. Garrett Has Birthday Party For Granddaughter

Mrs. A. E. Garrett of Willis complimented her granddaughter, Carolyn Terrell of Beaumont, on her eighth birthday, Monday evening, July 19, from 6 to 9 with a chicken barbecue.


The jolly young girls and boys, the former in pretty party frocks, gathered around the table set in the lovely garden of the honorees great grandmother, Mrs. W. F. Spiller, where many such gatherings have taken place in the years gone by.


Blue bells were used in profusion and the central attraction of the beautifully arranged table was the lighted birthday cake, with horns and other noise makers as favors.


The fortunate ones to enjoy this delightful party, besides the honoree’s great grandmother, Mrs. W. F. Spiller; grandmother, Mrs. A. E. Garrett; mother, Mrs. J. B. Terrell of Beaumont, were Martha Adams, Nadine Willis, Katsie and Nat Davis Jr. of Conroe, Billy and Charles (should be Carol Jane) Terrell, Jean Cameron and Starlett Smith of Houston, Stella and Sarah Pryzant, Bob and Sue Ann Cargill, George Love Jr., Robert Peacock, G. B. Goff, Leona Clanton all of Willis and Suzann Spiller of Madisonville.


(Mama added to the newspaper clipping Mary Ann & John Terrell of Beaumont)

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Papa (Alexander Elton Garrett, Grandfather) went off on his horse for most of the day to gather tons of Blue Bells for the house.

I remember Aunt Bess, Auntie and Aunt Allie were there. They had been working on all the details for weeks.

There was a “bank” somewhere and each guest was given “silver” coins to spend at the “Fair” (cardboard painted silver).

Then we were sent to various rooms upstairs for scarey stuff like sticking your hand through a hole and somebody (one of the aunts painted it with terrible goo! And there was something to do with “eye balls”)

Auntie was the “Fortune Teller” with crystal ball and turban.. she was great! She was in a tent on the lawn.

I wish I could remember all the various tents and events going on. It was like a carnival.


Monk dug a big pit in the yard with a grill of some kind over it and barbequed lots of chicken halves.

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I attached this newspaper clipping to a letter I sent to my daddy.


Mr. J. B. Terrell

American National Bank

Beaumont, Texas

(Postmarked Jul 29 2 PM 1943)


Dear Daddy,


Just wanted to tell you about my party. We really had a good time, none of them were ready to leave when the time came to go.


I received so many nice gifts too.


I am sending you a clipping, please save it for me.


Love, Carolyn


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Stubblefield Lake (used to swim there as a child when visiting at Esperanza). From David Frame:

spring fed, with well by CC Corp in the 20's.  That spring was a stop on the road from Huntsville to Mont, ford across the San Jac was right there.  Old bridge was still there before the Lake was built.  New bridge there now.

And yes, my mom and family spent many outings there.

Looks like that lake S. was part of an old river course.

Used satellite maps, the old quarry is still visible north, north east of Huntsville - big white spot with couple of blue ponds.  Have not been able to find record of it, or production material -  will look some more today.

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[Reply to link from texasmonthly.com sent by daughter, Karen] -

Ann Huey must be Jenny Weir Huey's daughter.  Jenny's sister, Laurie Weir was a friend of mine and she married Johnny Ford, a friend of. your dad.  Dr. Weir, their dad and Mrs. Weir were good friends of Muck.  The Weir's lived a few blocks from me... I think on Gladys... and they had a cute little farm house in the woods in Hardin county.  We used to have Kappa parties there.  And I believe they had a party there for Philip and I in the wedding engagement days. Laurie was a Kappa in college  and in your Dad's high school class. 


I could go through each frame and give a dissertation!  She even mentions "THE PIGSTAND"!!!


Is there any way I can "save" the film.  Some great shots of "old Beaumont".


Thanks


On Jul 29, 2010, at 10:40 AM, Karen Lawless wrote:


http://www.texasmonthly.com/filmcontest

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