Jones Co. TX - Newspapers - The Stamford American: November 21, 1924 *********************************************************** Submitted by: Dorman Holub Date: 28 December 2019 Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/tx/jones/jonestoc.htm *********************************************************** The Stamford American Friday, November 21, 1924 Vannoy-Interstate Co., rooming house and lunch counter at the Union Depot burned Saturday, or partially so. The fire originated in the storage room on the first floor and ate its way up to the second story and the roof. The company is negotiating a deal to sell the eating house at this place. Messrs. Henry Bryan and Marchus Lawson have purchased the Western Motor Company’s plant and business at Rotan and moved their families. Willie Harris, the 16-year-old son of Jim Harris, of McCaulley, was killed at McCaulley, November 9th, when he drove his car over a railroad crossing tearing off two tires and turning the car over. The 18 month old baby of Mr. and Mrs. Nugent Hemphill of near Plasterco was killed by being kicked by a mule on the 10th. Starkey Duncan was born in Maury County, Tennessee June 30, 1864. His father was a Methodist minister, Thomas Jefferson Duncan and his mother was Mary Dawson Duncan, so he great up in a Methodist parsonage, attended the famous Webb school, now located at Bellbuckle, Tenn., in his school days at Culleika, Tenn. His early manhood was spent in Pulaski, Columbia and Nashville. At Nashville his first marriage occurred and after her death, he followed his parents to Ennis, Texas, where his father was pastor of the Methodist church, bringing his daughter by his first wife with him. In 1904, Mr. Duncan was married to Miss Jordena Davis at Round Rock, Texas, and removed to California for four years, then returning to Texas to be near his brother, Rev. Jerome Duncan, who was the first president of Stamford College, and until his death resided in Stamford. He engaged in various business ventures but always returned to Real Estate, of which he was particularly fond. His training in the realty business made him a desirable member of the building committee when St. John’s church was launched. He was appointed and took an active part in planning the building and traveled extensively to inspect other church edifices before adopting the plan for St. John’s Church, and also in financing the undertaking. He visited the General Conference at Oklahoma City, the head offices of the church at Nashville and the sessions of the Northwest Texas Conference pleading for assistance for St. John’s Church and Stamford College. He convinced the Bishop and the Boards and saved the church building and would have kept the college in Stamford had it not burned. St. John’s stands as a worthy monument to the memory of Starkey Duncan, and the other members of the building committee whose vision was of the future and whose consecration was absolute. They slaved and saved and builded wiser than they knew. It is a great church edifice, the best in all of West Texas, complete in design, inspiring in proportions and elaborate in its embellishments and adornment. Well does this writer recall the day the great church was dedicated by Bishop Dickey when Mr. Duncan was so overcome with his emotions that he could not talk. Few men we have known have loved their church as did Starkey Duncan. He also served on the Educational Board of the Northwest Texas Conference for several years and attended its sessions faithfully. In local city matters, he was a consistent booster and an optomist, serving his school district board, library board, or other civic interest as he was called on. He was a honored member of the Knights of Pythias Lodge and was awarded a medal for having been a faithful member for 25 years. Mr. Duncan was also a Spanish War Veteran, and helped to “Keep the Home Fires Burning,” during the great World War. He leaves a widow, two sons, Starkey Davis Duncan who is in Southwestern University studying for the ministry, and Joseph Dawson Duncan, here with his mother, and the daughter already mentioned, Mrs. C.E. Yokley of Nashville, one brother, Boaz Duncan of Los Angeles, and one sister, Miss Caroline Duncan, also of Los Angeles. His funeral was preached by the pastor on Nov. 2, 1924, in the church and from the pulpit which he labored so earnestly to build it, and his remains laid to rest in the Highland cemetery.