Freestone County, Texas
Biographies 



Biography of Jacob Albert "Jake" Womack
  (31 Jan 1823-6 Feb 1896, buried Fairfield Cemetery in Fairfield, TX.)
   
A Memorial and Biographical History of Navarro, Henderson, Anderson, 
  Limestone, Freestone and Leon Counties, Texas
Chicago, The Lewis Publishing Company, 1893; pages 845

   Jacob A. Womack, Treasurer of Freestone county, is a native of  Alabama. He is
of Scotch and Welsh extraction, his paternal grandfather being John Womack, who
was a native of Virginia, and his maternal grandfather was Jacob Lewis, a native
of Maryland. His father was John, always known as "Jack" Womack, who was a native
of Georgia. He was reared in Jones, Oglethrope and Hancock counties, that State,
and in 1818, when he moved to Alabama, settling in Clairborne county [sic, there 
is no Clairborne Co., AL.  Must be Clairborne, Monroe Co., AL.] and moving
two years later to Butler county, where he subsequently lived and died. In his
younger day he was a merchant, and later became a planter, and was so at the time
of his death.  He was successful throughout life and made a great deal of money,
which he spent freely.  Mr. Womack was generous to a fault, and fond of the 
pleasures of this life.  He was a man of wealth and substantial character, and 
was for many years a member of the Primitive Baptist Church.  Our subject's mother,
Sallie Lewis, a native of Georgia, survived her husband many years, dying in 1862, 
well advanced in life. She also was a life-long member of the Primitive Baptist
Church.  Mr. and Mrs. Womack, Sr., had ten children, as follows: George, Martha,
Noland L., Mary, Sarah, John, Green, Jake A., Emily and Kate. Of these children
only two are now living, our subject and Mrs. Emily Howard, of Dallas, this State.
   Our subject was born in Butler county, Alabama, January 31, 1823, and was
reared to manhood on a farm in that county, receiving a fairly good education.
About 1849 he left Alabama and came to Texas in the interest of Mathew Robinson
& Company, of Haynesville, Lowndes county, Alabama, manufacturers of mills and
gins. He traveled in their interest in this State for three or four years, mainly
in southern and eastern Texas. He then settled in Freestone county, and having 
taught school some in Alabama and liking it, he turned his attention again to it.
Later on Mr. Womack took the position as clerk with Peek & Boyd, merchants of 
Fairfield, and was with them a year when they sold out to Winter & Johnson, and
our subject closed out the business for them. He was then, in 1857, elected County
Clerk of Freestone county, and held this office until 1861, when he resigned and
entered the Confederate army, enlisting in Captain Peck's company, which was 
stationed at Hempstead for the first three or four months, during which time the
conscript act was passed, and Mr. Womack being over age was released. Returning
home he passed the period covered by the war in general service fo the public and
farming on his own account.  In 1866 he received the appointment for the second
time, that of County Clerk of Freestone county, which position he held until he 
was removed by the Federal authority.
    Our subject was married in 1866 [sic, 18 Nov 1865 in Robertson Co., TX.] to 
Mrs. Fannie Carter, the widow of Walker Carter [m 5 Oct 1860 in Robertson Co., 
TX.], and retired to the farm, engaging in farming pursuits until 1884, when he 
was elected Treasurer of the county, having held this office ever since, being 
re-elected every two years. Mr. Womack has been twice married, his first wife 
dying in 1869, leaving one child, a son, now Dr. Walter A. Womack, of Woodland, 
Freestone county.  Mrs. Womack was the daughter of Gilbert Richardson, who came 
from Alabama to Texas when his daughter was but a child, she being a native of 
Alabama.  Her father was at one time of citizen of Freestone county, but at the 
time of her death was a native of Robertson county. Mr. Womack married Miss 
Fannie E. Harris, a daughter of Simeon Harris, who came from Alabama by way of
Arkansas to Texas, during the war, his daughter being a native of Alabama. To 
this union were added three children: Ethel, wife of T. D. McElveen [McIlveen],
of Fairfield; Mary and Stella.
    Our subject is in point of service one of the oldest public officials of
Freestone county, and one of that county's most highly respected citizens. He has
always borne a stainless reputation both in public as well as private life, and 
there is probably no one in the county whose word counts for more or whose 
character is held in higher esteem.  He is one of the plain, old-style, honest
men, whose moral worth is universally acknowledged and who is an honor to the
county in which he lives, and all his life he has upheld Democratic principles.