John Wesley Lane and Ada Webb were married in Hamilton County, Texas on December 27, 1905. They lived together until my grandfather’s death, but I do not remember a fiftieth wedding anniversary celebration. Maybe there was one, but I don’t recall attending it.
Nine children were born to that union. I will say a little bit about each one of them beginning with the firstborn.
Bobbie Pauline was born November 8, 1906 in Hico. There is a discrepancy here. Her own autobiography, composed about a week before her death, identified her birth date as November 6 at 2:00 A.M. According to the birth certificate, she was born on November 8 at 11:00 P. M. I don't know which one is correct. She married Earl Patterson on August 28, 1929, but was later divorced. She also married Elbert Phillips in 1938 or 1939. Loretta Holley, my mother’s youngest sister wrote, “Elbert spent a year or so in the penitentiary for a felony he committed five years earlier. When he got out they moved to Fort Worth. He was the love of her live and it broke her heart when he left her for a younger woman.” Their divorce was in ’43 or ’44. She later man named Mountain and was later divorced from him. She never remarried after that and had no children.
About 1942 or 43 she moved in with Loretta in San Antonio. Loretta got her a job working with Gulf Oil Company at a service station. I remember when Pauline ran Camp Joy, a tourist court and service station in Hico. That was before they were called motels. I used to go there and visit her when I was a small boy. She later moved to Fort Worth, where she lived for many years. She took in many young men, who lived in her home for awhile when they came to Fort Worth for work. Sometimes she would drive unannounced to West Texas and visit with us. She was always kind to me. She was generous and probably my mother's closest sibling.
I visited her three or four times over the last ten years of her life. I was amazed to learn that she lived in a house we actually lived in when I was very small. We only lived there a month or two, and I don’t remember much about it, but when I went into the house, I sort of remembered the general layout. Daddy told me that he moved out of that house because he had to pay rent. My grandfather had an old house on his farm that was serving as a barn. We were able to live there rent free. Of course Pauline’s house has been remodeled and improved since them. Pauline passed away on May 26, 2002. I was privileged to conduct her graveside service at Hico.
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