Jones County Texas - Obits: Permelia Nabours Wheeler
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Contributed by:  Michele Holland Mills <mhmills@email.com

Copyright.  All rights reserved.
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Permelia Nabours Wheeler obituary

Copy in the possession of Michele Holland Mills, Boerne, Texas

Transcribed 5 January 2004

By Michele Holland Mills
28403 Woodbridge
Boerne, TX 78015
mhmills@email.com

Permelia Nabours, 92, Pioneer Texan, Dead

Friends in Cameron and Milam county will regret to learn of the death of Mrs.
Permelia Nabours Wheeler.  She was a sister of the late W. A. Nabours, former
treasurer of Milam County and R. A. Nabours, justice of the peace of Cameron.
She was an aunt of John House and County Clerk Homer Nabours, Jerry Nabours
and Mrs. Ethel Massengale of Maysfield.  Her father, Jeremiah Nabours, whose
portrait now hangs in the Milam county Court House, was a pioneer official.

     The following tribute to Mrs. Wheeler's memory will be read with interest
by relatives and friends of the deceased.

     "A life span extending back 92 years, and one filled with the adventure
of the pioneer woman was ended late Friday night with the passing of Mrs.
Permelia Nabours Wheeler of Hawley, a Texas resident since 1849 and long a
resident of this section of the state.

     Funeral services were held Saturday afternoon April 7th at 2 o'clock at
the Methodist church at Hylton, Nolan County, former home of Mrs. Wheeler.
She, several years ago, donated to that congregation the ground upon which the
church stands.  Rev. H. B. Scroggin, pastor of the Hawley Methodist church
conducted the rites.

     She was the mother of twelve children, including three sets of twins.
Mrs. Wheeler leaves 84 direct descendants:  six children, 18 grandchildren, 48
great-grandchildren and twelve great-great grand children.  She was
affectionately known in Hawley as "Grandmother" Wheeler.

     Born December 21, 1841, Permelia came with her family to the then new
State of Texas, 85 years ago.  She lived successively in Washington, Bell,
Milam, Nolan, and Jones counties, moving each time into the frontier country
to become one of the pioneer leaders.  She was married in 1859 to Joseph E.
Wheeler.

     A member of the Methodist church since childhood, Mrs. Wheeler was active
in religious work, and in the early days made her home a stopping place for
the frontier circuit riders.  Her brother, Jim Nabours, was a member of the
group of cowmen who drove the first herds of cattle out of Texas to northern
markets.

     Mrs. Wheeler's surviving children are:  Mrs. Alice Dockery, Hawley; Mrs.
Nora Smithson, Vernon; Mrs. Dora Seals, Roscoe; John Wheeler, El Paso; Jerry
Wheeler, Hawley; Ben Wheeler, Carrizo Springs.

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Mrs. Permelia Wheeler

Mrs. Permelia Wheeler, of Hawley, Texas, better known as Grandmother Wheeler,
passed to her reward March 30, 1934.

     She was born in Mississippi, Dec. 21, 1841.  She came to Texas with her
parents in 1849.

     Her father, Rev. J. Nabours, was one of the few Methodist ministers who
reached Texas before 1850.

     Grandmother Wheeler has entertained a number of early circuit riders in
her home and some of them conducted regular services there, among these were
such Methodist stalwarts as Dr. Orceneth Fisher, Robert Alexander, Josiah and
Lewis Whipple, also Rev. Mordecai Yell who held one Quarterly Conference in
her home.

     Grandmother lived a consistent Christian life.  She was liberal and
faithful to the church, always encouraging her pastor and co-laborers. Some
years ago she contributed to the erection of the Methodist Church at Hylton,
Texas, and also donated the ground upon which it stands.  From this little
church her funeral service was conducted.

     She is survived by one brother, six children, eighteen grandchildren,
forty-eight great-grandchildren, and twelve great-great-grandchildren.

     For her to die was gain.

     Her body rests in the Hylton Cemetery, while her life remains a blessing
and inspiration to all who knew her.

H. B. Coggin, P. C.
Hawley, Texas
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Nabours Genealogy
http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~mhmills