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I was born June 27, 1908 in Portales, New Mexico. I lived near Portales until I was five years old. My dad, Elek Bilberry, sold the place he had homesteaded in New Mexico and moved to Texas in 1913. We first lived near the Midway Community in Dickens County. It was the year 1916 when we bought a place in the Espuela Community. We went to three different schools, Soldier Mound, Dry Lake and Espuela.There is one thing I remember about the move to Texas. We were in two wagons, my dad drove the lead wagon with all the plow tools, while Mother followed in a covered wagon with the kids and household things. I remember horses being tied all around the wagon that we were riding in.
My parents were Elek Johnson and Millie Adaline Stinnett Bilberry. My grandparents were Reverend J.V. and Nancy Ellen Bilberry
I married Bertsye Simms on June 14, 1925 in Soldier Mound. Bertsye was born September 17, 1908 in Farmerville, Texas. Her parents were O.B. and Ida Bell Simms. They moved to Dickens County when Bertsye vas seven years old. They settled in Watson Community on the S.B. Scott place, which is now known as Kalgary- Bertsye´s grandparents were W.H. and Callie Havens. They lived six miles north of Dickens.
Bertsye and I lived in Dickens County until 1940. We moved to Conway, Arkansas and lived there for 10 years. In 1951 we moved to Lubbock. After three months we moved to the Roosevelt School, which is ten miles east of Lubbock. I worked for the school for nineteen years and Bertsye was the Cafeteria Supervisor for 14 years. We lived at Roosevelt for twenty five years. We retired in 1973 and moved to Spur in 1976.
We have two girls living in Lubbock Ozell Irby, born May 1, 1926, and Gayle Stow born June 15, 1939. Our son, Cloyce Clifton was born April 27, 1930, and died January 3, 1952. We have seven grandchildren and fifteen great grandchildren.
We both belong to the First Baptist Church at Spur. I was ordained a deacon in August 1932 at the Soldier Mound Baptist Church. My Grandpa, J.V. (Venson) Bilberry was pastor at the time.
Dickens County and Spur is home to us and we plan on making it our home for the rest of our lives.
....by Elmer Addison BilberrySource: Dickens County History...its Land and People © Dickens Historical Commission; Printer: Craftsman Inc. Lubbock, Texas 1986
Services for Mrs. Bertsye Virginia Bilberry, 78, were held at 3 p.m. March 24 in the First Baptist Church, Spur, with pastor Rev. Genoa Goad officiating. He was assisted by Rev. Victor Crabtree, retired Baptist minister.She died March 22 in Methodist Hospital, Lubbock, following a lengthy illness. Born September 17, 1908, in Collin County, she married Elmer Bilberry in Dickens on July 14, 1925 in Dickens.
She spent her early life in Dickens County and returned here in 1976. She was a former supervisor at the Roosevelt School Cafeteria for 14 years. She was a member of the Baptist Church.
Survivors include her husband, Elmer Bilberry, Spur; two daughters, Ozell Irby and Gayle Shaw, both of Lubbock; one brother, Charles Sims, Nashville, TN; four sisters, Inez Reese and Grace Jarrett, both of Floydada; Lillian Spencer, Conway, AR and Doris Garrett, West Memphis, AR; seven grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren.
Pallbearers included Fred Neaves, Lloyd Hindman, M.H. Bragg, Mutt Hagins, Mac Driggers and Mutt Bostic.
Burial was in Spur Memorial Cemetery under direction of Campbell´s Funeral Home.
©The Texas Spur, March 26, 1987
Obit submitted by Lillian Grace Nay
Services for Elmer A. "Bud" Bilberry, 80, of Spur will be at 3 p.m. today in First Baptist Church with the Rev. Genoa Goad, pastor, officiating.
Burial will be in Spur Memorial Cemetery under direction of Campbell Funeral Home.
He died at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday in Breckenridge´s Stephens Memorial Hospital after a sudden illness.
He was born in Portales, NM, and moved to the Roosevelt Community in 1951, then to Spur in 1973. He married Bertsye Sims June 14, 1925, in Dickens. She died March 22, 1987. He married Jetty Arnold Nov. 7, 1987.
He was a farmer, operated a store in Roosevelt, and was custodian for the Roosevelt Independent School District from 1953 until retiring in May 1973. He was a member of First Baptist Church. A son, Cloyce, preceded him in death in 1952.
Survivors include his wife; two stepsons, Jimmy Arnold of Gerard and Donnie Arnold of Olton; two daughters, Ozell Irby and Gayle Stow, both of Lubbock; three stepdaughters, Pearla Wilson of Jayton, Betty Beadle of El Paso and Alice Kidd of Spur; a sister, Ava Nell Ponder of Corsicana; six brothers, Arthur of Lubbock, Alvis and Bernice, both of Spur, Raymond of California, E.J. of Colorado and J.C. of Brownwood; seven grandchildren; 16 great grandchildren; and a great great grandchild.
Honorary pallbearers will be deacons of First Baptist church and members of his Sunday School Class.
©Lubbck Avalanche Journal,1989
Obit submitted by Lillian Grace Nay
© Dickens County Historical Commission 1997-2022
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