United States Army Veteran World War II
Elsie Marie ADAMS, a native of Albuquerque, New Mexico met H.B. CHASTAIN who was working in a grocery store. H.B. is the son of Herman CHASTAIN of the Lorenzo farm community. Elsie and H.B. were married on August 18, 1951. After their marriage Herman came and asked H.B. if he would be interested in farming land in the Lorenzo area. It was something that H.B. had always wanted to do, so they moved to Lorenzo. Elsie's son is Owen Thomas CHASTAIN. He is married to JoAnn Chastain. He had one child Shawn who married Pam and they have two children Tory and Garrett Chastain.
When H.B. and Elsie moved to Lorenzo, they farmed land near the Pleasant Hill Gin. This was in 1951 when the boom in the irrigation of crops in the West Texas area occurred.
Elsie was seventeen when she came to live in West Texas, never had been much outside of Albuquerque and the farm life was new to her. She learned quickly how slop the hogs, and to skin a chicken, skin a rabbit, and collect guinea, chicken and geese eggs to use in her kitchen. She learned about canning and about peas, which was all new to her. One thing that she never learned was how to milk the cow, because once you learn, it becomes an everyday job.
H.B. Chastain was born in Talco, Texas in 1921. He came to Lorenzo with his dad. H.B. was active in farming and the Masonic Lodge with his dad. H.B. and his dad were both worthy patrons of the Lorenzo Masonic Lodge. H.B. and Owen were instigators in building the site of the Lorenzo Masonic Temple used today.
Elsie was active in the Eastern Star. She went through all the chairs except the worthy matron. She had four star points to her credit.
When she first came to Lorenzo, she thought it to be a neat town and later she adopted it as her own hometown.
H.B. and Elsie later moved from the farm to town. They purchased the Westerman house where she currently lives.
From the mid fifties, Elsie has many memories of Lorenzo. The Hornet Cafe was Elsie's place to get hamburgers. No one could make them better than Maude Barcheers.
She and H.B. often times went to Ralls, Texas for the movie, as it was closer, but she did her shopping in Lorenzo. O'Rears Grocery and Oscar Hughes Grocery were always open and, of course, if it was Sunday, the prices were higher at Hughes Grocery.
Her mother Elsie Anina Hein moved to Lorenzo in the late seventies. Elsie Anina married Harry Fidello Adams on December 28, 1932 in Socorro, New Mexico. From that union they had two children. George an Elsie Marie. George was killed in action in Vietnam. George had three children, Debbie, George and Ben. According to family historians, the Adams line goes back to President Adams (1797-1801).
Elsie Anina's husband, John Borth, was found in his home, shot in the head and they brought him to a Lorenzo area rest home, so she could have the support of her daughter during this time. The crime was never solved. His folks were from Russia, and his mom's parents from Demark.
Elsie Anina is active in her church and helps take care of her daughter.
Submitted by Elsie Chastain and Elsie Borth"Once Upon A Plain" by Carroll Wayne Wallace, Sr. and Sydna E. Wallace ©2000
LORENZO (Special) — Services for H.B. Chastain Jr., 66, of Lorenzo will be at 11 a.m. Thursday in First Baptist Church with the Rev. Jerry Golden, pastor, officiating.
Travis Boyd, minister of Lorenzo Church of Christ, will assist.
Burial will be in Lorenzo Cemetery under direction of Carter-Adams Funeral Home of Ralls.
He died at 4 a.m. Tuesday in his home. Justice of the Peace Jim S. Travis ruled natural causes in the death.
Chastain was born in Red River County and moved to Lorenzo in 1952. He married Elsie Adams on Aug. 18, 1951, in Albuquerque, N.M. He was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II and a farmer. He was a past master of Masonic Lodge No. 1144 and a past associate of the Idalou chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star. He was a member of Lubbock Scottish Rite, Lubbock York Rite, Khiva Shrine Temple and First Baptist Church.
Survivors include his wife; a son, Owen of Lufkin; his stepmother, Viola Chastain of Lorenzo; a half brother, Don of Lubbock; a half sister, Sue Hancock of Alvin; and four grandchildren.
©Lubbock Avalanche Journal, November 9, 1988
Record provided by Crosby County Pioneer Memorial Museum
transcribed by Linda Fox Hughes
Graveside services for Elsie Marie Chastain, 76, of Lorenzo will be held at 2:00 PM Friday, June 18, 2010 in the Lorenzo Cemetery with Rev. Jerry Golden officiating, under direction of Adams Funeral Home of Lorenzo.