Cedarvale  - Bay City Cemetery

Photos courtesy of Betty Crosby
 

Milam Watkins

Milam Watkins

Mr. Milam Watkins, age 42 years, 2 months and 1 day, died at the residence of his sister, Mrs. Lille Miller in Galveston at 2:10 Wednesday. Mrs. Watkins is survived by his wife, Mrs. Nina Watkins, his mother, Mrs. Ellen Watkins; four sisters, Mrs. J. L. Polinars of Arcadia, Mrs. Lillie Miller of Galveston, Mrs. Lorena Macke and Miss Annie Watkins of Houston and three brothers, Eugene, Rufus and Sam of Bay City, Texas. Mr. Watkins was born and raised in our community and comes from one of the oldest families of the county.

His remains were brought to Bay City by Taylor Bros. and prepared for burial. Funeral services will be held at 3 p. m. Thursday from Taylor Bros. Funeral Chapel. Interment in Cedarvale Cemetery.

Matagorda County Tribune, March 21, 1935
 

 Nina Watkins

Mrs. Nina Watkins Is Buried Here Saturday

Mrs. Nina Mae Watkins, widow of the late Mr. Milam Watkins, long-time resident of Matagorda county, died Friday in Houston at the age of 57 years.

Funeral services were held Saturday at 4:00 p. m., from Taylor Bros. Funeral Home, Rev. Ernest F. Deutsch officiating. Burial was in Cedarvale cemetery.

Survivors include her parents, Mr. and Mrs. George W. Kelly and two sisters, Mrs. Ethel Nicholson and Mrs. Mamie Masloskie, all of Houston.

Matagorda County Tribune, April 26, 1945
 

Albert L. Wood

A. L. Wood Rites Set For Friday

Death came to Mr. Albert L. Wood, 1208 Avenue G, at 11:30 p. m., March 7. He was 71 years of age.

Funeral services were held Friday at 10:00 a. m. from Taylor Bros. Funeral Home with Mr. Charles E. Metcalfe of the Church of Christ officiating. Burial was in Cedarvale cemetery.

Mr. Wood has no known survivors.

Matagorda County Tribune, March 15, 1945

[Information from death certificate: born March 7, 1874 in Missouri – died March 7, 1945; father: Henry Wood; carpenter]
 

Ida Pearl Wood

Mrs. Ida Pearl Wood

Mrs. Ida Pearl Wood was born at Hale, Missouri, November 28, 1883, and died June 30, 1929, after an illness of three weeks. She was married to Mr. A. L. Wood, May 25, 1901.

They came to Texas in 1911 and settled in Bay City where they have since made their home.

Mrs. Wood was an ideal Christian character, beloved not only by her family and friends, but by all who knew her—literally giving her life in service for her fellowman. She will be mourned not only by a beloved husband and loved ones, but the community will have lost a worthy life.

She leaves two brothers, Mrs. R. G. Culberson of Hale, Mo., and Mr. C. P. Culberson of Bay City; three sisters, Mrs. G. L. Hanx, Mrs. G. E. Smith, Mrs. D. B. Ingram all of Missouri.

May God’s richest blessings be upon the bereaved ones in this hour of great affliction. May they remember that “underneath are the everlasting arms.”

The Daily Tribune, July 2, 1929
 

Claude Wiley          Berdine Wiley          Townsend Wiley

Tornado Swooped Down on District Near Bay City

BAY CITY, Jan. 5.--Five persons were known to have been killed and 14 injured by a tornado which struck about five miles south of Bay City last night.

Four of the dead were white persons and one a negro girl.

The while persons killed were: Berdine Wiley, 12; Claude Wiley, 17, brothers, their uncle, Townsend Wiley, 45, and Dave Mayer, 40.

Members of the Wiley family were killed when wind demolished their home.

Mayer was struck by a flying piece of timber and died on his way to Bay City for treatment.

The dead negro girl was named Brown. Her first name was not known. Other members of her family were injured.

The storm struck about 8 p. m. It seemed to swoop toward the ground, demolishing everything in its path, and then to swerve upward. Its path was traced for several miles.

Not a house was left standing in the stricken area. So violent was the force of the wind that in some places heavy blocks, foundations of houses, were torn from the ground.

"About 7 o'clock it began to blow and the sky changed to a queer color," Justice of the Peace D. E. Capes, who held the inquests over the storm victims, said. "Everybody thought something was going to happen but they did not know what. It got steadily worse later."

Justice Capes said that communication had not been established with all parts of the country yet and that the life and property toll might rise.

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Wiley were injured about the head, and a daughter suffered bruises. Bill Fondern's [Fondon's] back and arm were broken, while his wife received a broken leg. A Mr. and Mrs. Kadeska also were hurt, but not severely.

About an hour after the storm struck, crashing down from the southwest, a relief caravan was sent from Bay City to the neighborhood.

Although several houses were blown away, it was believed the storm struck only the one community.

The dead were brought to a morgue here and about ten others were taken to a hospital. Several negroes were reported seriously injured, and a number of negro houses in the path of the storm were demolished.

The tornado cut a swath about 150 yards wide between Bay City and Wadsworth. The Wileys were killed when a house was destroyed and Mayer died en route to a hospital after having been struck on the head by a piece of timber.

Some damage was reported in the vicinity of El Maton.

Corsicana Semi-Weekly, January 8, 1929
 

Noble Williams

Noble Williams, son of Mr. and Mrs. Mose A. Williams, of this city, died in Dallas yesterday morning after a very brief illness of acute indigestion. The remains were shipped here from Dallas and interred in Cedarvale Cemetery this afternoon at 4 o’clock.

Decedent, at the time of his death, was 27 years and 20 days of age. He was the youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. M. A. Williams and in addition to his parents leaves two brothers, o. G. and Clyde A. Williams, and two sisters, Mrs. Frank Hurley and Mrs. C. W. Dickey.

He had been in Dallas for some time and was engaged in the moving picture business when stricken.

The funeral services were conducted by J. P. Gilliam, the local Baptist minister, and were attended by a large number of the friends of the family. The floral offerings were beautiful and in abundance, testifying the esteem in which the young man was held by Bay City friends.

The Tribune joins the hosts of friends of the family in the sincerest of sympathy in this great bereavements.

The Matagorda County Tribune, September 28, 1917
 

Edwina M. Witchell

Edwina Millican Witchell

Edwina Millican Witchell died October 16, 2000 at the Legacy in Bay City.

She was born in Matagorda, Texas, December 10, 1908 to Andrew Horace and Margaret Jane Willis Millican.

The family moved to Bay City when she was six months old. She was a life-time Episcopalian.

She married Charles B. Witchell, an architect in Dallas, on September 16, 1939. He preceded her in death in 1965.

The youngest of seven children, Edwina had four sisters; Althea M. Wilcox, Corinne M. Loper, Blanche M. Duncan, and Margaret M. Robinson, and two brothers; Andrew Horace Millican and R. Cecil Millican, all of whom preceded her in death.

She is survived by: a nephew and his wife, John C. and Ginger Duncan of Blowing Rock, North Carolina; great nephew and wife, Steve and Jane Duncan of New Orleans, Louisiana; great nephew, Charles Duncan of Lafayette, Louisiana; nieces, Edwina Millican Brown of Dallas, and Tracy Witchell Youngblood of Dallas; and several great nieces and nephews.

Edwina takes with her a wealth of history and memories.

She touched many lives and made countless friends in her nine decades, each of whom will remember her in their individual thoughts.

All who knew her will remember her love of pretty things, parties, cats and dogs, bright red lipstick and her ability to keep up with the happenings of all our lives.

She had a gift of making everyone she knew feel very special.

She found unbelievable strength to fight her painful arthritis and cancer.

Her thanks should be expressed to the Houston-Ft. Bend Hospice, the staff at the Legacy, Sharon Lewis, Joe Hockman, Cindy Kendall, Linda Krix, her neighbors and friends for allowing her to live her final days in dignity.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, October 18, 2000 at St. Mark's Episcopal Church with the Rev. Harley Savage and the Rev. Nick Novak officiating.

Burial will follow at Cedarvale Cemetery in Bay City.

Pallbearers will be John C. Duncan, Steve Duncan, Charles Duncan, Frank Hawkins, Dan Eakin, Wortham Smith, Taylor Steves, Sherman Houck and Bob Wilkins. Honorary pallbearers include, Dr. Robert B. Caraway and Homer A. Hunter.

Memorials in her memory may be made to the Arthritis Foundation, Houston-Ft. Bend Hospice, or the charity of your choice.

Arrangements are with Taylor Bros. Funeral Home in Bay City. A00011A2000OT17

THE DAILY TRIBUNE, Tuesday, October 17, 2000