PIONEER BOWIE COUNTY RESIDENT DIES SUDDENLY, Bowie County, Texas Submitted by Anna Brett: Alwbrett@aol.com ---------- James F. Rochelle Succumbs at Home: Rites Set This Afternoon ----------- Death claimed one of Bowie county's most outstanding figures Monday when James F. "Jim" Rochelle, 74, died suddenly at his family residence, 1920 Magnolia Street. Mr. Rochelle, a native of Bowie county, was a prominent public life factor during the past 10 years, and during the past few years had devoted much of his life to his widespread agricultural interests. He was born on February 15, 1864, at Myrtle Springs, Bowie county, the son of H. P. and Cordelia Rochelle. On the parental side, Mr. Rochelle was descended from French Huguenot ancestry, his great grand-father having been among those who left France after the edict of Nantes. The first Rochelles settled in South Carolina, where Mr. Rochelle's father, H. P. Rochelle, was born. In the 1830's, following the death of his father, Mr. H. P. Rochelle, and his maternal grandfather, Charles Moores, came to Bowie County, Texas. He subsequently married Miss Cordelia Fort, and passed the remainder of his life in Bowie County. He died in January, 1883. Mrs. Rochelle, a native of Mississippi and the daughter of J. B. Fort, the first permanent settler at Myrtle Springs, died in 1918. Meanwhile, Charles Moores, settled at what is now Redwater, near Sulphur river, while at Myrtle Springs, a community of the landed gentry grew up and was considered the county's most prominent home site. In 1876, H. P. Rochelle and his family moved to Texarkana, becoming one of the pioneers of the city. A large portion of the original Rochelle plantation on Red River was still owned by Mr. J. F. Rochelle at the time of his death. While engaged during his lifetime in agricultural activities, Mr. Rochelle's interest in public affairs stood out prominently and his long service in public office indicated his efforts toward bringing his interest to reality and materialization. He was active in political, social, cultural, fraternal and religious circles. His church affiliation was with the First Baptist Church, Fourth and Pine streets. In 1893, he married Miss Ella Josephine McMickle, of Texarkana, and seven children, four sons and three daughters, survive him. His first venture into public life came in 1898 when he was elected constable of precinct one, serving in that capacity for four terms. In 1905, he was elected sheriff of Bowie County, an office he filled with distinction for three terms. After leaving the sheriff's office, Mr. Rochelle was elected tax assessor and collector for Texarkana, Texas, and after one term, was elected as alderman from ward three. He served the public for one two-year term in that capacity, following which, he retired from active public life but until his untimely death continued a deep interest in the political affairs of the county. Surviving Mr. Rochelle are his widow; four sons, Arley Rochelle, James Rochelle, Eddie Rochelle and Rollin Rochelle; three daughters, Mrs. Robert Vance, Miss Ruth Rochelle and Miss Lois Rochelle; two brothers Eli Rochelle and Jett Rochelle; three sisters, Mrs. Mamie Harrison, Mrs. M. S. Chance and Mrs. J. M. Edwards. Funeral services will be held at 2:30 p. m. Tuesday from the family home at 1920 Magnolia street with Dr. M. T. Andrews, pastor of the First Baptist Church, Fourth and Pine streets, officiating. Burial will be in State Line cemetery. Six nephews of Mr. Rochelle will serve as active pallbearers. They are Meredith Edwards, Julian Edwards, Milton Edwards, J. B. Rochelle, Jr., Henry Rochelle, and Norman Rochelle. Honorary pallbearers will be A. C. Stuart, D. D. Haywood, W. A. McCartney,Sr., R. P. Dorough, R. W. Rodgers, Sr., H. L. Vaughn, Rollin Rodgers, Jr., L. A. Powell, Bud Cantrell, W. A. Hargett, J. D. Baker, W. N. McDuffie, J. E. Stuart, J. G. Westmoreland, H. O. Simpson, J. G. Stream, Finley Haywood, Oliver Dreyer, R. B. Reed, Durham Ford, Archie Munn, Ralph Burns, Joe Bayless, Paul Bentley, Judge J. J. King, Frank A. King, J. I. Wheeler, Jake Cohen, Louis Heilbron, Aubrey Graves, Mike Connella. John Nuckols, S. H. Vance. O. H. Proctor, L. C. Boswell, E. L. Lincoln, J. P. Parker, Harry Weigel, J. A. Pondrom, Martin Watkins, George Burroughs, Manley Joiner, Joe Hughes, Grover Barkman, Byron Barkman, A. G. Hatchell, Judge Otto Atchley, E. Newt Spivey, G. H. Brooks, Judge N. L. Dalby, N. P. Sanderson, V. A. Ghio, Charlie Berkshire, Kenneth Durham, M. B. Earl, Dr. E. M. Watts, David Watts, Monroe Watts, J. R. Watlington, J. P. Watlington, Jack Runnels, Dick Runnels, W. H. Presley, I. E. Lanier, William V. Brown, Ross Perot, Charles G. Davis, Jr., C. G. Davis, Sr., Walter Chance, Walter Braumiller, Dick Sands, Ed L. Berry, Raymond Hutchinson, Guy Hubbard, Luther Benge, Leon Francis, Sol Feiburg, Ennis Bryan. Jack Brashear, Sam Milazzo, Sr., Dave Tilson, Charles G. Moores, Eli Moores, Hargrove Moores, Luther Day, Clerman Day, Jim Day, Pomp Edwards, Walter Wright, R. C. Cowan, E. C. Cooper, Bruce Christopher, Hoyt Taylor, W. H. Cullom, George W. Jacks, W. M. Culberson, J. C. Parish, E. Harold Beck, Ed B. Levee, Jr., S. E. Sain, Alvin Jordan, Joe Dalby, Bert Mahaffey, of Texarkana. M. A. Hart, Dr. Joe Tyson, Leon Missildine, Joe Looney, Cliff Lynch, Clifford Olds, Paul ruff, J. H. Gulley, Jim Hubbard, all of New Boston. Tom Lenox, John Clark, Charles Crump, Jim Kennedy, Mark Pinkham, Joe Telford, Sr., Jake Blocker, B. H. Williams, and Charles Durham, all of DeKalb. W. A. Berry, Corley, Texas; J. D. Lumpkin, John Lumpkin, of Dalby Springs; Harve Simms, Simms, Texas; Will Lindsay and Tom Irby, of Maud, Texas; Tom Ashford, and S. Jones, of Redwater, Texas; Judge Hugh Carney, of Atlanta, Texas; and C. A. Wheeler, of Austin, Texas. ************************************************************************ USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, a s long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is obtained from the contributor of the file. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor, OR legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. Submitted by Anna Brett: Alwbrett@aol.com ************************************************************************