Mr. and Mrs. Walter F. Foreman arrived in Dickens County and settled in the Espuela Community (7 1/2 miles N.W. of Spur) in November of 1913. They traveled from Altus, Oklahoma in a covered wagon drawn by four mules, pulling a Spalding Hack behind. They had four sons, Milton, Alton, L.D. and Murl when they arrived in this county. The three older boys started to Dry Lake rural school in January 1914. This was a two room school with H.A.C. (Hack) Brummett as principal. the boys rode a horse to school. In 1914, another son, Clarence, was born. Clarence married Selbia McCulley and they have raised four lovely daughters, three of whom are married and their youngest, Patricia, will graduate from Spur High School in 1967.In 1916, the first daughter, Pauline, was born to the Walter Foreman family. With the settling of the community, more people were moving into the area, and there was need for more schools. The Espuela School was built in 1920. Walter Foreman was a member of the school board when the Espuela School was established. In 1921, another daughter, Nadine was welcomed into the Foreman family. The last member of the family to be born was another son, Walter, Jr. in 1923. All of the Foreman children graduated from Spur High School.
In 1925, Walter Foreman donated the land where Foreman´s chapel Methodist church was built. This church is still active, served by the Pastor of the First Methodist Church, Spur.
Mr. Foreman was active in community affairs and served as County Commissioner for four terms. He was manger of Farmers coop gin in Spur for four years. Mr. and Mrs. Foreman moved to spur in 1950, and Mr. Foreman died in 1951.
With the passing of time, the Foreman children found it necessary to move to different parts of the United States, and are seldom able to get together. Murl was killed in an automobile accident in 1958, his widow and children live in Spur. Clarence has made his home in Spur. Milton and his family live in Odessa, TX. Alton lives in Tampa, FL. Nadine and Walter Jr., live in Seattle WA and L.D. and Pauline live in Amarillo, Texas
Source: History of Dickens County; Ranches and Rolling Plains, Fred Arrington, ©1971
FOREMAN, Walter Franklin
Born: Sep 30, 1880, Sharp Co., AR
Died: Nov 3, 1951, Spur, Dickens Co., TX
Father: William Franklin FOREMAN; b. Feb 27, 1853 d. Aug 16, 1893 - Buried: Kaufman Co.
Mother: Mary Salome BARNES; b. Oct 1, 1855 d. Aug 10, 1928, - Buried: Lone Oak Cem., Tipton, OK
Married: Nancy "Nannie" Anne CHOATE, Nov 3, 1951, Spur, TX
Born: Jun 17, 1888, Hill Co., TX
Died: June 30, 1969, Crosbyton, Crosby Co., TX
Father: Thomas CHOATE; b. Feb 3, 1849 d. Jun 16, 1938
Mother: Josephine SPRINGFIELD; b. Oct 24, 1859 d. May 16, 1934
Children:
- Milton Monroe b. 1/17/1907, Hill Co. TX d. 10/1/1979, Odessa, TX
- Alton Lee b. 7/14/1908, Beckham Co. OK d. 2/1973, Tampa, FL
- L.D. b. 8/14/1909, Beckham Co., OK
- Philbert b. 2/1/1911, Headrick, OK d. 3/20/1912, Headrick, OK
- Murl b. 9/7/1912, Headrick, OK d. 11/28/1958 Spur, TX [11/27/1957]
- Clarence D. b. 10/7/1914, Spur, TX d. 10/11/1978, Spur, TX
- Nancy Pauline Coleman PEREO b. 8/14/1916
- Delbert b. 1/9/1919, Spur, TX d. 2/6/1920
- Carroll Nadine Wiles b. 4/2/21, Spur, TX
- Walter Jr. b. 10/29/1923, Spur, TX d. 8/27/1986, Marysville, WA
- Baby Girl b. 1925 d. 1925 Spur, TX lived only a few minutes, buried Espuela Cemetery
Final rites for Walter Franklin Foreman, Dickens county resident for 38 years were held at 3 p.m. Sunday at the First Methodist church of Spur.Rev. Cal Wright assisted by Alfred Ahlman conducted the services.
Foreman, born in Sharp County, AR, on September 30, 1880, moved to Texas with his parents in 1886. He was married to Miss Nannie Choate in 1905, and they made their first home in Beckam county, OK, returning to Texas and Dickens county in 1913. They lived in the Foreman Chapel community. At the time of his death, Foreman was a retired farmer and 71 years of age.
Survivors include his wife, six sons, Milton of Odessa, Alton of Spur, I.D. of Amarillo, Url of Spur, Clarence of Spur and Walter J. of Carlsbad, NM; two daughters, Pauline Coleman of Carlsbad, NM and Nadine Wyles of Seattle, WA; two brothers, Jasper Foreman and Forrest Foreman, both of Bakersfield, CA. and one sister, Mrs. Mettie Struteville of Greenville, TX; and thirteen grandchildren.
Interment was in the Spur cemetery with Campbell´s Funeral Chapel in charge.
©The Texas Spur, Nov. 8, 1951
From the records of Lillian Grace Nay
Funeral services were held Wednesday at 2 p.m. in the First Methodist Church for Mrs. Nannie Foreman, 81, a longtime resident of Spur.Rev. William McReynolds, Abilene, former Spur pastor, officiated.
Mrs. Foreman died June 30 in the Crosbyton Hospital. She had been ill about one week. A member of the Methodist Church, she had been a resident of the Spur area since 1913.
Survivors include two daughters, Mrs. Pauline Pereo and Mrs. Nadine Wiles, both of Seattle, WA; five sons, Walter Foreman, Jr., Seattle, WA; Milton Foreman, Odessa; Alton Foreman, Tampa, FL; L.D. Foreman, Aurora, CA; and C.D. Foreman, Spur.
One brother, Walter Choate, Yakima, WA; four sisters, Mrs. G.L. Hinson, Dallas; Mrs. W.A. Haney and Mrs. Ada Beard, Chillicothe, OK and Mrs. C.L. Mott, Manitou, OK; 21 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren. Grandsons served as pallbearers. Interment was in Spur Cemetery.
©The Texas Spur, July 3, 1969
From the records of Lillian Grace Nay, Submitted by Kay Laster
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