Freestone County, Texas
Biographies 



Biography of Dr. Emmet Headlee
(Jun. 8, 1848-Jul. 25, 1918, buried Greenwood Cemetery)

A Memorial and Biographical History of Navarro, Henderson, Anderson, 
  Limestone, Freestone and Leon Counties, Texas
Chicago, The Lewis Publishing Company, 1893; pages 529-531

    Emmet Headlee, M.D., a prominent physician and farmer of Brewer, Freestone
county, Texas, is a son of Elisha B. Headlee, who was born in Tennessee, but
removed to Missouri and remained there until the outburst of the war.  He served
as surgeon in Marmaduke's regiment until 1863, when he was taken sick, in 
Mississippi. He then removed to Texas and engaged there in the practice of 
medicine for one year, but then went to Morehouse parish, Louisiana, where he
remained a short time and then went to Arkansas and located in Clay county, where
he served as representative for a number of years. Here he remained until his 
death, which occurred in 1889. This gentleman combined the three great professions
in his person, that of the bar, the church and surgery, as he was a lawyer, 
having been admitted to the Texas county bar, in Missouri; was engaged in the 
ministry of the Methodist Episcopal Church, being pastor of Asbury chapel, St.
Louis, and his skill as a physician was wide-spread. Not content with bestowing
all these gifts on him Dame Nature gave him another gift, that of oratory, and so
celebrated was he in that line that, while a prisoner at West Plains, Colorado, 
Colonel Woods, of a Kansas regiment, forced him to make a secession speech,
which he did with effect. In every place that this talented man resided he took
a leading part in all that took place. In political matters he agreed with the
Democrats and was a Royal Arch Mason.  Mr. Headlee married Miss Wilmouth Jones,
native of Kentucky, from which State she removed to Cooper county, Missouri, where
she was married September 15, 1842. She died at her son's home August 17, 1876.
Her father was a wealthy farmer, who was killed in the Civil war.  Mr. and Mrs.
Headlee were married in 1842 and had two children: Samantha, born in 1844, was 
first married in 1860, to James O'Neal, a trader, and her second marriage occurred
in 1866, to J. W. Carley (deceased). She now lives near Brewer.
    The other child, our subject, was born in 1848 in Missouri, from which place
he removed, in 1865 to Texas and settled in Hopkins county; from thence he removed
to Denton and from there to Freestone county, finally settling, in the fall of
1869, in Cotton Gin, where he resided, until March 1870, and then removed to his
present home. Dr. Headlee was educated at Houston, Texas county, Missouri, and
began the study of medicine under Dr. J. E. Thomas, of Brewer, now of Mexia. He
took a first course of lectures in 1885 and graduated from the Kentucky School of
Medicine in 1888. On his return from college Dr. Headlee formed a partnership
with Dr. Thomas, which connection continued until Dr. Thomas removed to Mexia.
Our subject has since continued alone and has built up a large and extensive 
practice, which extends over an area of many miles.
   Dr. Headlee married in 1873 Miss Mary M. Harrison, a native of Texas, daughter
of Vincent and Lucretia Harrison, natives of Mississippi who removed to Texas. 
They, Dr. and Mrs. Headlee, have had ten children, namely: Nettie Wilmouth,
deceased when two years old; Emory V., at home; Ida May, deceased; Emmet Jerome;
Emma D., deceased; Alta Agnes; Mary A.; Henry, deceased; Clara and Horace H.
   When our subject began to fight the realities of life, in 1861 he received no
assistance from anyone. He worked for himself and when seventeen sold his house-
hold goods to bring him to Texas.  He now owns about 200 acres of land, over 100
of which is under a high degree of cultivation. His practice yields him an income
of $1,5000 annually. He has served in several capacities as elected by the 
Democratic party, of which he is an adherent. Among these were, Constable, from
1871 to 1875, Justice of the Peace, and Postmaster of Brewer. He is a member of the
Freestone Medical Association. Dr. and Mrs. Headlee are both members of the 
Methodist Protestant Church, of which the Doctor is a Steward and one of the 
examinations committee. He and his wife are representatives of the free-hearted,
free-handed Southern inhabitants of Texas.