Luther W. Stark was born in Fayetteville, Arkansas in 1860. He lived in Arkansas until he was 18 years of age and came to Dallas County, Texas. Rosa Carberry Stark was born in Wisconsin. The Carberry family came to Texas in 1877 and settled at Cedar Hill, in Dallas County, Texas. There is where she met L.W. Stark and they were married in Dallas, Texas. In 1887 they came to West Texas by covered wagon and settled in Fisher County, near Rotan. In 1897 they came to Dickens County and homesteaded in the Cottonwood community, now known as Afton, where they lived the rest of their life.
My parents were members of the Methodist Church both having been converted to that faith shortly after their marriage.
One incident that I remember hearing them tell was when they decided to come West. Papa bought a new wagon and made the necessary preparations for the trip. After a week out, one of his horses took sick and died. He bought another one, and when he hooked him up, he was so balky as Papa would say, "he wouldn't pull the hat off of your head," so he goes out and purchases another one. By this time their money which was carried in the hem of one of mamma's skirts was dwindling down. In discussing what they would have to have when settled down, to start house-keeping, Mother says "all I ask is a cook stove, and so papa bought her the cook stove and four chairs. She dressed up wire spools, and their first bedstead was made of forked mesquite poles. Their first home was a dug-out, but so often I have heard them say, "we had a happy home."
My mother would tell of tying up ashes in a cloth bag and using this to wash with. Their first home burned down, losing all their years supplies. Papa went to work on a ranch for fifty cents per day, they furnished and fed his horse. As he so often said, "These were hard times but "good times". A man's word was his honor. There were four children born to this union, Luther, Raymond, Willmuth and Julian. Julian passed away in 196, Father in 1933 and Mother in 1960.
Source: History of Dickens County; Ranches and Rolling Plains, Fred Arrington, ©1971
Funeral services for Mrs. Rosa Stark, 89, were held last Wednesday in the Afton Methodist church. Rev. W.R. Mathis, McAdoo, officiating.
Mrs. Stark was buried on June 22, which would have been her 90th birthday. Born in 1870, she died June 20. She came to Dickens County in 1897 and made her home in Afton community since that time.
She was a member of the Methodist Church.
Survivors include one daughter, Mrs. L.J. Fullingim, Afton and two sons, Luther A. Stark of Crosbyton and Raymond Stark, Elton, Texas.
Pallbearers included Jockey Tooke, Peyton Legg, L.J. Varnell, Tom Wallace Yates, Burnard Haney, Gaston Jackson.
Interment was in Afton cemetery. Campbell´s Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
©The Texas Spur; Thursday, June 30, 1960
© Dickens County Historical Commission 1997-2022
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