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The W.L. McAteer family came to Dickens County in 1903 from Red River County to Dickens, where he purchased one-half interest from his brother, Tom McAteer, in the General Mercantile Store in the First National Bank Building in Dickens. About two years they decided to move back to Red River, where he had some holdings. At that time they had children, namely, Mary, who married Billy Stovall, a rancher. Lilly, who married George Baker, he was a store clerk in the Albert Jackson Hardware store; Eula, who married Wayne Vanleer, a stock farmer, Verda, who married Sam Harkey, a cowboy. Three boys, Sam, who served most of life in the U.S. Army, and Robert grew up as a rancher. Frank, who made the Oil Field work his profession. Emma, who married Frank York, a stock-farmer.About 1909 Mr. McAteer purchased some land three miles south of Dickens, where he made his home until his death in 1933.
Both of their moves to Dickens County was by train to Childress. They hired wagons to come to Dickens. When they moved back to Red River County was in a covered wagon pulled by three horses. The first trip from Red River County to Dickens with all the family, the second night the driver got lost and found himself late in the night about three miles north of Dickens at the Elmore's farm, where they spent the rest of the night. They were the parents of Henry Elmore.
Three other children were born between the moves to Dickens; they were Forest, Burt and David. All of their eleven children raised families of their own. Robert McAteer is the only one living in Dickens County now. They all finished school at Dickens.
Source: History of Dickens County; Ranches and Rolling Plains, Fred Arrington, ©1971, page 299
12 children were born to this marriage:
- 1886-1958 Samuel Houston
- 1877-1888 Luther William
- 1889-1892 Jessie May
- 1892-1967 Lillie Frances
- 1894-1973 Eula Nella
- 1896- Emma Eudora
- 8/16/1898-7/13/1938 Verda Ella (McAteer) Harkey (died in El Paso, TX)
- 1900-1987 Robert Jefferson
- 1902- Frank Washington
- 1905- Forrest Monroe
- 1907-1988 Bert Ray
- 1911-1992 David Crockett
The First Methodist Church in Spur was the scene of funeral rites held Wednesday July 13 for Mrs. Nella McAteer, Rev. Cal C. Wright, officiated.Mrs. McAteer, 88, was a native Texan, being born in Clarksville, Texas on March 4. She passed away July 9, 1955 at 9 p.m.
She was wed to W. L. McAteer in Clarksville and that was also the place of their first home. Mr. McAteer preceded his wife in death in 1933.
Mrs. McAteer´s first home in Dickens County was in 1903, at which time she and her husband were in business in Dickens. They moved back to Clarksville in 1905 for a period of two years, then returned to Dickens.
After the death of her husband, Mrs. McAteer moved to California where she lived with her son, Frank, until her death.
She is survived by six sons, Sam of Los Angeles, California; Robert of Spur; Frank of Long Beach, CA; Forest of Lancaster, CA; Bert of Los Angeles, CA; and David of Ft. Stockton; three daughters, Mrs. Lillee Baker of Los Angeles; Mrs. Eula Van Leer of McAdoo and Mrs. Emma York of Portales, NM; 25 grandchildren; 23 great grandchildren; and one great great grandchild.
Pallbearers were Guy Goen, Fred Arrington, Clark Forbis, Buddy Hoover, W. D. Blair and John L. Green.
Burial was in Dickens cemetery with Campbell´s Funeral Chapel in charge of arrangements.
©The Texas Spur, July 14, 1955
© Dickens County Historical Commission 1997-2022
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