BIRD, ULMER SMITH and JOSEPHINE ROREX, Coke County, Texas ***************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ 18 Nov 2000 - Submitted by Carol Randall - keyman@leaconet.com ***************************************************************** Compiled by Josephine Rorex Bird, 9 June l995 Ulmer Smith Bird, born Nov. ll, l900 Sanco, Coke County, Tx Married Oct. l8, l928, Panhandle, Carson County, Tx Death Jan 30, l988, Nursing Home, Robert Lee, Tx Burial Feb 2, l988, Sanco Cemetery, Coke County, Tx Church Affiliation Methodist Father Leander Smith Bird Mother Julia Ellen Cosby Wife Josephine Rorex Born March l4, l909 Panhandle, Carson, Tx Church Affiliation Methodist Father Rorex Mother Lydia Lill ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ulmer Smith Bird Graduated from Ballinger High School, Ballinger, Texas, May l9l8, first honor student, but was not named Valedictorian because he had not attended Ballinger school for four years. Represented Ballinger High School in Texas Interscholastic League in final debate at Austin. Too young for acceptance by the Students Army Training Corps, he operated his father's farm that summer. l920, North Texas Texas University, Denton, Texas When Ulmer was ready to enter McMurry College, Dr. J. W. Hunt, President, advised him to go to Simmons College, Because McMurry did not have the subjects he needed. He attended Simmons College, l921-l924, receiving an AB degree, graduating "Magna Cum Laude." He attended School of Theology, Princeton University, l925-l926. l928-l930, attended Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas. Pastorates: Merkel Circuit (Methodist) l922-l923 Abiline Circuit and Educational Director, St. Paul Methodist Church, Abiline, Tx l923-l924 Methodist Church, Panhandle, Tx, l926-l928 Wills Point Circult (Van Zandt County, Tx) and attended SMU, Dallas, l928-l930 Pastor of seven country communities in Coke Co., Tx, l930-l935 Kirkland and Goodlet Methodist Churches, l943 Methodist Church, Moran, Tx l946 Methodist Church, Blackwell, Tx, l947 Chaplain, 565th AAA Aw Bn, England, France, Germany, Luxembourg and Belgium (Battle of the Bulge and Battle of Germany); terminal promotion as Major, l944-l946. Chaplain, Brooke General Hospital, Ft. Sam Houston, l947 (seven months) Owned and edited Robert Lee Observer, Robert Lee, Texas l962-l965. Also in l962 bought other heir's interest in L. S. Bird land, and bought the Sanco Store. Chairman, Coke County Historical Commission, l98l-l982. Vice President of San Angelo Branch of the Poetry Society of Texas, l982-l986. Active in annual Sanco Homecoming and The Sanco Cemetery Association, The Sanco Community Association, and the Sanco Tabernacle Association, l954-l986 (President most of those years) Teaching experience: Cochran, Runnels County, Texas l9l8-l9l9 Decker, Runnels County, Texas l920-l92l McCaulley, Fisher County, Texas, l92l-l922 Panhandle, Carson Conty, Texas l932-l933 (Principal of Grade School) Published: ALONG THE TRAIL, l927 OUR PEOPLE, l986 His poetry is not confined to one form of verse, and ranges from experiencial poem, Bells of Princeton," to the wide plains of texas, from the Golden Gate to the east coast, and from Texas of yesterday tomorrow. Newspapers: l936 to Coleman, Texas, for San Angelo Standard-Times l939, Editor, Abilene Times, Abilene, Texas l942, Editor, Coleman County Chronicle, Coleman, Texas l962-l965 Bought and edited Robert Lee Observer, Robert Lee, Texas September l966, Nocona News, Nocona, Texas March l970, Harlingen Press, Harlingen, Texas He wrote feature stories and "Letters to the Editor" for San Angelo Standard-Times, Abilene Reporter-News, Fort Worth Star Telegram, Dallas Morning News, Houston Chronicle, Lubbock Avalanche, El Paso Times and Austin Statesman. SENATE RESOLUTION honoring Ulmer Bird as newspaper editor, teacher, preacher and poet, 2 September, l986 (S. R. No. 86). SENATE PRCCLAMATION in Memory of Ulmer S. Nord. Kamiaru l988 (S. P. No. 26ll) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Josephine Rorex Bird Graduated from seventh grade, Panhandle, Texas, l4 May l923; graduated from Panhandle High School, l3 May l927, Salutatorian. During the summers of my high school years, I was employed by the First State Bank of Panhandle, as Bookkeeper during the summers of l925, l926 and l927, when my father, Joe Rorex, was Cashier of the bank. My salary the first summer was $25.00, the second, $65.00, and the third, $90.00 per month. Attended Draughon's Business College, Dallas, Texas, October to December l927. Worked for the Nunn-Warren Publishing Company, Panhandle and Pampa, Texas, January to September l928. Stayed at I. B. Hughey home in Pampa. Worked for AAA office, Ballinger, Texas, August l934-May l936; AAA office, Robert Lee, Texas, June to September l936; AAA office, Coleman, Texas, June l938 to January l940; and AAA office, Abilene, Texas, July l940 to February l942. Worked in Office of Supply, Camp Stewart, Georgia, April-June l944; Camp Barkley, Office of Transportation, Abilene, Texas, August l944 to January l945; and Goodfellow Field, San Angelo, Texas, February-June l949. Attended SMU, Dallas, Texas, l929-l930; HSU, Abilene, Texas, spring and summer of l945; and McMurry College, Abilene, Texas, fall of l945-April l946. Worked for Elliott and Waldron Abstract Company, Innc, Robert Lee, Texas, l May l95l to August l9, l953. Postmaster, Sanco, Texas, l June l955 to l5 October l97l. Ulmer was Postmaster from l95l-l955, when he turned it to me. At intervals through the years, I worked of Dad in his office in the First National Bank building, Panhandle, on federal Land Bank records and Panhandle Independent School District tax roll, for a few days to several months at a time. I enjoyed being at home. I joined the Methodist Church, Panhandle, Texas, l May l927, during the pastorate of Ulmer S. Bird. I was Secretary-Treasurer of the three Sanco Associations: Sanco Cemetery Association, Sanco Community Association and Sanco Tabernacle Association, l954-l989. In June l989, I came to Rockport, Texas, where I am at the present time (l995).