Navarro COUNTY TX Obit - R.J. Sanders File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Virginia Crilley varcsix@hot.rr.com http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/navtoc/obits/sanders.txt Death Prominent Frost Citizen Was Deeply Deplored Corsicana Semi-Weekly Light - June 7, 1927 Capt Jock Sanders Had Lived Near Frost For Many Years The following article in connection with the death of Catp Jock Sanders, prominent Navarro county pioneer appeared in the Frost Engerprise of Thursday, June 2, and will be ready with interest by his many friends over the county. A pall of gloom settled over this entire community Wednesday morning when news that Richard J. (Jock) Sanders had passed away Tuesday night, May 31, at 9:15 o'clock after an illness covering a period of several years. Mr. Sanders was born in Mississippi, May 11, 1846 moving to Texas with his parents at the age of two years and settled first in Anderson County, where they resided for two years, moving from there into Smith County where they lived for seven or eight years, moving from there to Kaufman county where at the age of 16 years, Mrs. Sanders entered the Civil War, serving in Col Dhishol'ms company in Mississippi, Missouri, and Arkansas for a period of over a year being released at Corinth, Miss, on account of his extreme youth. Mr. Sanders returned to his Kaufman County home but remained for a very short time as he went to Milford and re-enlisted and was dispatched to the border being stationed at Brownsville where he did ranger duty until the end of the war. At the close of the war Mr. Sanders again returned to Kaufman where in Feb 1866 he married Miss Liza Ann McPeters and in April of this same year, this souple in company with Mr. Sandters' uncle Roll Hightower, moved to Navarro County, making the trip in a covered wagon and bringing with them a small herd of cattle and they both located a few miles south of where Frost now stands. To this union ten children were born, eight of whom are still living, two dying in infancy. Those surviving are: Stephen J., Herefort; Wm J, San Angelo; Chas C, Big Lake; I.A., Frost; Mrs. May T. Simms, Frost; Mres. Sallie E. Johnson, Dallas; Mrs. Lucy A. Whirton, Blooming Grove; Mrs. Miltie Lorena Moore, Ennis. All were present except S.J. Sanders of Herford who was unable to attend. All of these children have made splendid and useful citizend in the communities in which they reside. Mr. Sanders had been married twice, his first wife dying in 1911. He was married to Mrs. Ona B. Highnote in 1912 who was a devoted wife and companion throughout his illness. The first few years of his life in this community were devoted to farming, cattle raising, and hauling supplies from Millican, Texas by ox wagon to Dresden, Milford and Fort Worth. In only a very short time he turned his entire attention to the cattle industry and even though each year when it came time to market his cattle he was foreced to drive them to Shreveport and then ship by boat to New Orleans, it was not long until he became one of the most influential cattlemen of this section of the state. He continued in this industry until 1898 when hemoved his cattle to a large ranch in Stephens county. In the meantime Mr. Sanders had entered the general mercantile business in 1883 on a large scale at Cross Roads, two miles south of where Frost now stand and it was while living at the same place where he died that Mr. Sanders proved that he was a man of vision for at this time, there was no railroad near this community and it was greatly through his untiring efforts that the Cotton Belt railway was prevailed upon to bring their branch line through this section, and after the road was built, Mr. Sanders moved his store to Frost but continued to live at the old home place. Mr. Sanders was one of those men who were the foundation of our present civilization one who was always for the upbuilding of his town and community. This pioneer man bought and sold a great deal of land in this scetion and for more than 50 years was a dominant factor in the upbuiliding of this country in both its civil and political affairs. Up until about 9 years ago, Mr. Sanders was active in all things pertaining to community builiding and even though in ill health for years, he kep up with every movement for the betterment of the community he had worked so hard to help establish and his many friends all over the country would come to him and seek advice on business and civic matters and his guiding hand has brought about many good things for all the people in the community. Several years agao, Mr. Sanders was elected vice president and a director of the First National Bank which position he held until his death. Mrs. Sanders also served six years at the State Orphans' Home as a member of the governing body and helped to secure many of the new buildings that make this institution one of which we are all proud. Funeral services were held Wednesday afternoon at 4 o'clock at the tabernacle, being conducted by Rev. Oby Nelson of Wortham and Rev. C.B. Diltz of this city. Interment was in the Frost Cemetery. One of the highest tributes ever paid to a citizen of this community was heard when Hon. Richard Mays of Corsicanan, a friend of Mr. Sanders for over 40 years told those present of the many fine traits possessed by the deceased and prominent among them was his love for his fellow man, always extending a helping hand and a word fo encouragement. The members of Frost Lodge No 364, I.O.O.F. of which deceased had been a member for over 30 years assisted by many visiting members, had charge of the ceremony at the cemetery. The quantity of floral offerings at the home and cemetery showed the high esteem in which Mr. Sanders was held by all. Active pallbearers were: Ed J. Sheppard, Sanders Whorton, S.O. Hyer, J.A. Ledford, E.F. Melton, and A.F. Mitchell. Honorary pallbearers were: G.J. Bason, J.A. Tullos, R.L. Way, Louis Pevehouse, Jerry M. Scott, S.S. Hooser, D.A. Ponder, R.L. Templeton, T.S. Meador, G.A. Griffin, S.L. Jones, Joe C. Deitt, W.F. Osborne, B.L. (Kirk) Moore of Frost; J.N. Edens, E.J. Gibson, J.S. Callicut, Richard Mays, A.M. Milligan, R.L. Harris, Blooming Grove; J.V. Matson, Hubbard; G.P. Mitcham, Cisco; L.M. McCord, Ennis Among the out of town relatives attending the funeral were: J.H. Whorton and family, Blooming Grove; Hon B.H. Johnson, Dallas; C.L. Moore and family, Ennis. Among the out of town visitors were: A.M. Milligan, Hon Rufus Hardy, Hon. ---ard Mays, J.N. Edens, (here the right side of the paper is cut off)... C.C. ---ton, Judge Hawkins Scarborough, Hon LeGrand Woods, Hon - S. Callicut, E.J. Gibson, John - Steward, Judge A.P. Mays and __d Upchurch of Corsicana; G. - Mitcham of Cisco; J.V. Matson Hubbard; John Price, Italy; Mr. and Mrs. Jim McCleary and Mrs. - McCleary of Corsicana; Ed Percival, Crandall; Mr. and Mrs. R. Sellers, Midlothian; Mr. and Mrs. Otis Cody, Dallas; Mrs. Annie Hewitt of Grand Prairie. There were also numbers of friends from Blooming Grove, Italy, Irene, and Mertens present. Frost Enterprise. [Note: Richard J. Sanders was the son of Stephen N. and Teletha Hightower Sanders.] ======================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other presentation. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for FREE access. ==============