OBITUARY: John E. Adkins, 20 Jun 1987 - Coke County, TX

Copied from the Josephine Bird Collection, West Texas Collection, 
Angelo State University - 2 September 2003

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The Observer/Enterpriser, Coke County, TX, July 17,1987

Adkins

John E. Adkins, who was the last survivor of the nine children of 
early day pioneers Jack and Molly (Bird) Adkins of Sanco, died 
June 20th in El Cajon, California.

Cryptside services were held at Greenwood Mausoleum, San Diego, 
California, June 23rd, Rev. John Sorensen officiating.

Mr. Adkins was born in Sanco February 27, 1896. His wife, Mayme, 
passed away about 10 years ago. Mrs. Orel Adkins of Robert Lee is 
the only living member of the family of that generation.

John's father, Jack Adkins, walked down Yellow Wolf Creek in 1882 
with his brother, Tom, his uncle, J.J. Austin, and two neighbor boys 
from Kentucky. They got off the train at Sweetwater.

Five years after he came to West Texas, Mr. Adkins met three wagons 
coming up Boozier Creek. He stopped, to chat with the newcomers, the 
Miller Bird family from Hamilton County, not knowing that before 
Christmas he would marry that pretty girl riding in one of the 
wagons. Her name was Molly Bird.

Jack Adkins' mastery of sheep shearing is legendary. He rounded up 
a crew consisting of himself, Ben Bilbo, Smith Bird, Bud Ulmer, 
Pete Sowell and Sam Lewis, whose descendants are known in this area.

Permission granted by the Observer-Enterprise for publication in the 
Coke County TXGenWeb Archives.