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W.L. Thannisch with his wife, Lelia, six sons, and two daughters came to Dickens County in 1911. They settled in the Northeast part of the county in the Deer Lake Community, also in the Dumont and Wichita Communities. One son, Hardy J. was born in Dickens County. From this large family, all of the boys married and spent most of their lives in these communities.
Joe L. married Miss Cecil Southall of Kent County, to them were born three daughters, Juanita, Dolly Jo and Tommy Lou, and one son, Claude.
Marion maried Cora Thacker, and one child died in infancy, and a daughter, Robbie died in 1960.
Robert B. married Maye Lovell. One son, Robert lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Both Robert and Maye are deceased and buried in the Dickens Cemetery. Both W.L. Thannisch and wife, along with sons, Marion, Joe, Robert and Ernest are all buried in the Dickens Cemetery. Brother Jack was buried in Spur.
Of this family only two sons survive, Rufus of Harrison, Arkansas and Hardy J. of Dallas. Hardy has a son who lives in Van Horn, Texas.
Ernest married Ina Maye Folly of Waco, two children were born, one died as an infant and is buried in the Dickens Cemetery, and one son, George, is a doctor and lives in Lufkin, Texas.
Rufus married Faye Dismuke. They had two sons, Marvin who lives in San Antonio and Dwain of Little Rock, Arkansas. One daughter, also lives in Arkansas.
Ella, one of the daughters of W.L. Thannisch married Don Merriman, of the pioneering family of the Tol Merriman's. We have two girls and one son. Dorothy [see note] married C.O. McCullough, a retired Colonel of the Air Force, they have three children and live in Nashville, TN. Our son Pat, lives in Dallas, he is married and has two children.
Billie, our youngest duaghter, married Homer E. Barnes. They have three fine boys.
From this pioneer family came nine children and 18 grandchildren to help make Dickens County a good place to call "home" for honest, upright, God-fearing citizens that helped to develop Dickens County into the kind of place that is is.
Written by Ella Thannisch Merriman
Source: History of Dickens County; Ranches and Rolling Plains, Fred Arrington, ©1971
NOTE CORRECTION: W.L. and Lelia Thannisch, under children of Don & Ella Merriman, Dorothy married Leroy Elmore and had 1 daughter, Linda. Roma married C.O. McCullough etc. It looks like a line was accidentally left out in transcription for the book.
Submitted by Pam Merriman
Lelia Ada Mimms was born October 11, 1875 in Hill County, TX, the first child of Moses B. and Nancy Ella Jones Mimms. She died November 4, 1935 in Dickens, TX.
William L. Thannisch was born April 2, 1871 and died December 23, 1935
- Children of William and Lelia:
- 1. Joseph L. 8/19/1892 - 7/23/1955
- 2. Marion B. 11/29/1894 - 10/2/1947
- 3. Robert B. 6/17/1896 - 11/11/1958
- 4. Ernest 5/10/1897 - 5/29/1931 buried Dickens
- 5. Rufus Deorge 1898 - 1979 buried Harrison, Boone Co., Ark.
- 6. Ella 3/5/1902 - 1904 buried Lubbock
- 7. Jack 1904 - 1927 buried Spur
- 8. Willie Adarian (Billie) 4/25/1909 - 11/30/1981 buried Brownfield, Terry Co., TX
- 9. Hardy J. 1913 in Dickens - ? buried Dallas, TX
None submitted to date
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