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The John Phifer family moved to McAdoo in February 1920 from the Anderson Chapel community west of Anson, Texas in Jones County. They had bought a one hundred sixty acre farm about three miles northeast of McAdoo. There was a two room house on the place, but another addition was soon started to provide for the family of seven. The two older daughters remained in Anson as Annie was already married and Ollie stayed with them while completing her senior year in high school. Emmitt was in high school while Onie, Lonnie and Willie were in grade school. They walked across the pasture to and from school except in the worst weather. On those days John would take them in a wagon pulled by two mules. Friends were soon made of the Gene Bass family who lived just north of them. The Bass family consisted of Mr. Bass and four children. Mrs. Bass had died a short time earlier.The Phifer family grew up in church and Sunday School and missed going each Sunday as there was no church in McAdoo at that time. Together with the Bass family they began to gather enough interested people together to form a Union Sunday School. John Phifer was elected as superintendent and teachers were elected for three or four classes, Mrs. Phifer was always one of the teachers. The school house was used for Sunday School classes until the following spring, when a small church building was erected one mile west of the present town of McAdoo. The Methodist and Baptist continued to meet together and each had a part-time preacher, one preaching one Sunday, and the other one the next. A few years later the building was moved into McAdoo. The Methodist built a parsonage next to the church across the street from the present Baptist Church. The Baptist soon had their own building.
In July of 1921 another son, John Leslie, was born. This made eight children in the family, but some of the older ones were married before John Leslie was born so the eight were never at home at the same time. Six of the Phifer children finished school at McAdoo. Emmitt and Onie graduated from Spur High School before McAdoo had a high school. Ollie, Onie and Beulah made school teachers as well as homemakers. The others became farmers, a plumber and businessmen.
John Phifer served his community well by being a school trustee, on the gin board, serving on the jury from time to time and as Sunday School superintendent. John died in 1946 and Katie in 1966. Annie, Ollie and Lonnie are deceased. Leslie now lives in El Paso, Beulah in Roswell, NM and Onie in Levelland. Emmitt lives on the 'Ol Bass farm just north of the Phifer home place. He is retired. Willie is retired and lives in Lubbock.
"Top of the Cap" by Mildred Jackson Cornelius © 1985; Catclaw Printing
John Forrest Phifer was born on April 22, 1876, in Limestone County, Texas, his father, John Forest Phifer, was 29 and his mother, Louisana "Lucy Ann" James, was 29.
Katherine Rebecca Day was born on March 29, 1882, in Limestone County, Texas, her father, Alonzo Church Day, was 29 and her mother, Sophronia Rebecca Zachary, was 24.
John and Katherine were married in July in 1899. They had nine children in 21 years. She died on November 11, 1966, in Crosby County, Texas, at the age of 84, he died on May 25, 1946, in Dickens, Texas, at the age of 70, both are buried in McAdoo Cemetery, Dickens County, Texas.
Final rites were held Sunday May 26 at 3 p.m. for John Forrest Phifer, 70, at the Methodist church in McAdoo.Mr. Phifer died May 25 after an illness of only a few weeks. He was born in Limestone county, Texas, April 22, 1876. He was married to Katie Day, July 16, 1899 in Limestone county, moving to Dickens county in 1920.
Mr. Phifer was converted in 1899 and affiliated with the Methodist church.
Rev. H. F. Dunn, pastor of the Methodist church in McAdoo, officiated, assisted by Bro. McLeod and Rev. R. L. Jamison.
Flower bearers were Billie Nickels, Betty Fox, Bobby Fox, Jeane Potts, Dorothy Pullen and Phoebe Clark.
Active pallbearers were Doc Cooper, Pete Barton, Raymond Harris, Earl VanMeter, Jr., Harold Hardy and O. V. Williams.
Honorary pallbearers were Robert Nickels, John Powers, Charles McLaughlin, Gene Bass, W. C. Hunsucker and Wiley Wooten.
Survivors are four sons, Emmett Phifer, Willie Phifer of McAdoo, Lon Phifer of Spur, and Lelsie Phifer of Temple City, Calif. Four daughters, Mrs. Ben Eldridge, Mrs. Loyd Dena, McAdoo, Mrs. Frank Macon, Levelland, Mrs. C. C. Wooldridge, Roswell, New Mexico. Two sisters, Mrs. Eva Caddell of Levelland, Mrs. T. J. Caldwell of Frankston., Texas, 13 grandchildren and one great-grandchild, survive.
Interment was in the McAdoo cemetery with Chandler Funeral Home in charge.
©The Texas Spur, May 30, 1946
© Dickens County Historical Commission 1997-2022
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