My name is Virgie McMahan Powell and little did I know when the Dry Lake School opened in September, 1921, that I'd meet a freckled-faced boy, Archer Powell, whom I would go through Dry Lake School and finish Spur High School and be destined to spend 45 years of married life with in the same location.
I was born in Grayson County, Texas to Ivy and Effie Gray McMahan. My mother died when I was quite young and my father married Mary Delisle in 1918. Two sons were born to them - one was stillborn in 1924 and another son, Billy Joe, arrived in 1928, a month before I left for college.
My daddy had moved to Grayson County from Harrison, Arkansas with his parents, John R. and Bender Pettijohn McMahan, and 4 brothers and 2 sisters. John R. McMahan was a professor in the Harrison School System. He kept receiving letters from a professor friend, Robert T. Dopson, with whom he had taught school. Mr. Dopson was pleading with my grandfather to come west. Finally, in 1918 he purchased a farm northwest of Spur, joining Mr. Dopson's farm. I came with my grandfather that first summer because I could not stand to be away from him. My daddy and I had lived with my grandfather for 6 years.
How ell I remember my first sigh of Spur! I had my first train ride from Whitesboro, Teas, to Spur. As we were approaching Spur, Iheard the porter say, "Spur City". My grandfather told me to look out the window to see the town. About that time a hot spark from the coal-burning engine hit my eye. What pain! But how exciting to finally see Spur. My grandparents moved to Spur in 1920, and eventually all the sons and daughters and families moved here. Two sons attended Spur High School and many grandchildren did too.
We lived with my grandparents until we bought a farm in 1923. It was one mile north of the Dry Lake School. There I met Archer.
He was born in Hood County, where his parents were teaching school. They started west in a covered wagon when Archer was an infant. His parents had received their degrees at Thorp Springs College which later became T.C.U. in Fort Worth. The Powells taught school in Lueders, and Jayton before arriving in Spur. Mr. Powell was school superintendent in each place. While living in Jayton, he rode the train to Spur and bought the farm in Dry Lake from Eric P. Swenson and Swen A. Swenson on November 15, 1915. Mr. Powell, known as Judge Powell, was elected county judge and county school superintendent. Archer started school in Dickens. His first teacher was Miss Fannie Kelley. We finished Spur High School in 1928. He attended Texas Tech; I, attended C.I.A., which is now known as Texas Women's University in Denton. He had to quit his mechanical engineering education due to his father's death and come home to help his mother and little sister with the farm. I taught school in Midway, a five-teacher school midway between Dickens and Afton. I taught English from third grade through eleventh grade and two Spanish classes. Later, I taught English and Spanish in Magic City High School. Wheeler County.
We married in 1935 and moved to the Powell farm. Elisabeth, Archer's younger sister, lived with us while she was in high school and Texas Tech, and again while her husband, Minyard Ensey was in World War II. Our children are Dorothy, Nancy, Patricia, and Jane. I have six granddaughters and five grandsons.
Archer held various jobs during our 45 years of marriage, and I was always there to help. He said, "I work off the farm so we can afford to rear our girls on the farm". During the 30;s, he was sports reporter for the Dickens County Times; worked for Godfrey and Smark, was assistant manager for Safeway Grocery. He was bookkeeper for various gins in Spur for 20 years; on the original board of the Farmers Home Administration; on the school board; served as Democratic Precinct Judge, Dickens County, drove a truck for Nickels Butane Company.
We were elder and deaconess in Spur Christian Church many years and two of the original board members of the Spur Ex-Student Association.
Many special events have happened in our lives, but I will name only a few. It was exciting when we sold our forty milk cows that had to be milked twice daily; in mid 40's we sold all the horses and mules and bought our first John Deere tractor. In 1946, rural electricity was put into our home. In the early 70's we finally got good water - White River Lake water.
Archer suffered a paralyzing stroke April 1, 1976 and was disabled for the rest of his life. He died January 9, 1980, I still ove on our farm. All my daughters and their families love to come to Granmommie Mc's.
Source: Dickens County History...its Land and People © Dickens Historical Commission; Printer: Craftsman Inc. Lubbock, Texas 1986
Funeral services for Archer Lanier Powell, 69, were held Saturday at 10:30 a.m. at the First Christian Church. Church pastor, Rev. J.D. Bilbro, Big Spring, officiated, assisted by Rev. Archie Echols, pastor of the First Methodist Church.A retired farmer and stockman, Mr. Powell also served many years as a bookkeeper for gins in Spur. He died January 9 of an apparent heart attack in Lubbock.
Mr. Powell and the former Virgie McMahan were married in Wellington in May of 1935. He had been a resident of Dickens County for 66 years. A graduate of Spur High School, he also attended Texas Tech University. He was a member of the First Christian Church where he served as an elder.
Survivors include his wife, Mrs. Virgie Powell Spur; four daughters, Mrs. Pat Hightower, Spur; Mrs. Jane Bridge, Afton; Mrs. Dorothy Wilson, Booker and Mrs. Nancy DeShan, Tampa, Florida; one sister, Mrs. Elizabeth Ensey, Odessa, 10 grandchildren.
Burial was in Spur Cemetery.
©The Texas Spur, January 17, 1980
From the records of Lillian Grace Nay
Memorial Services for Virgie "Mac" Powell, 89, of Spur were at 4:30 p.m. Monday, November 15, 1999, at the First Christian Church with Jack Alexander, pastor and the Rev. Larry Burton of Spur officiating. Graveside services were held at 3:00 p.m. Monday with Ricky Lawrence, Full Gospel Church in Roaring Springs, officiating. Special music was provided by Penny Keltz.She died Sunday, November 14, 1999 at the University Medical Center in Lubbock.
Powell was born August 13, 1910 at Whitesboro, Texas. She lived in Dickens County since 1918 coming from Whitesboro. She married Archer L. Powell May 25, 1935 in Wellington. He preceded her in death January 9, 1980.
She graduated from Spur High School in 1928. She taught school in the early 1930's in Midway in Dickens County and at Magic City in Wheeler County. She was a member of the Spur Ex-Student Association and a member of the board. She received the Outstanding Ex-Student Award in 1989. She was a member of the First Christian Church. One brother, Bill McMahan, preceded her in death on August 28, 1989.
Survivors included: four daughters, Dorothy and Donald Lee Wilson of Booker, Nancy and Randy DeShan of Dallas, Pat and Cliff Hightower of Spur, Jane and Gary Bridge of Afton; a niece, Elizabeth Ensey; 11 grandchildren, Dale Wilson, Clay Bridge, Jay DeShan, Becca Bridge, Hillarye Hightower, Hollye Martinez, Donna Jansma, Leesa Wiginton, and Dinah Wilson-Reid; 13 great grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to the Spur Library, the Spur Ex-Student Scholarship Fun, or First Christian Church at Spur.
©The Texas Spur, Thursday, November 18, 1999
© Dickens County Historical Commission 1997-2022
This site may be freely linked to but not duplicated in any fashion without consent. |
