PIONEER WOMAN'S FUNERAL TODAY

Mrs. Ada Fly Bardwell, 82, one of the founders of this area, who settled in the Bitter Creek community before the Texas and Pacific came to Sweetwater, died at 3 p.m. Saturday at her home, 411 East Third Street.

Although her health had been impaired several years, an illness with which she was stricken three weeks ago proved fatal, her condition becoming grave only last week.

Miss Ada Fly was born Sept. 17, 1855 in Canton, Miss., as one of five children. Her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Madden Fly, moved when she was a baby to South Texas. She was reared in Gonzales County, the home of the Fly family for many years.

On Feb. 25, 1875, she was married to Brainard Bardwell, stockman, who preceded her in death July 11, 1898. Six years after their marriage, they moved to West Texas, establishing their home on land purchased in the Bitter Creek community.

With the assistance of Mrs. Bardwell, one of the pioneering women, who were responsible in a large part for building the county, Mr. Bardwell acquired a 10-section ranch in that section. He was engaged until his death in stock raising.

The old Bardwell home, scene of many family gatherings, still stands on the banks of Bitter Creek, known now as the George Pepper ranch home.

Moved to Sweetwater

Following the death of Mr. Bardwell, Mrs. Bardwell moved to Sweetwater 27 years ago and lived for 10 years in the 300 block of Avenue C. In 1920, she built her home on East Third Street where she lived until her death.

Mrs. Bardwell was one of the 12 charter members of the Presbyterian Church which was organized in 1884. She was, until her death, the last surviving member of the handful of pioneers who met in Sweetwater, a small village of 700 inhabitants to form a church, from which has grown a large congregation today.

During the family's early days on the ranch, no railroad provided transportation and it was necessary for long trips to be made to Abilene, the terminus of the Texas and Pacific, for provisions. Often times the family drove in a wagon to procure supplies which were "stored up" for a six month's period.

To the couple 10 children were born, three in Gonzales County, and seven in Nolan County. They all survive as do 29 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

A sister, Mrs. Lou Beetley of Kingsville, survives. Her brother, the late Judge W. S. Fly, for 40 years on the Supreme Court bench in Austin, died two years ago.

Surviving Children

The children are: Mrs. Sam Glass of Sweetwater, Mrs. W. J. Cook of Baird, Madden Bardwell of Rock Springs, Ed Bardwell, a former Sweetwater sheriff now of Silver City, N.M., Mrs. Sam Witt of Lamesa, Mrs. Bob Witt of Sweetwater, Bob Bardwell of Sweetwater, Mrs. H. E. Baird of San Antonio, Brainard Bardwell of El Paso and Mrs. Henry Withers of Sweetwater.

Grandchildren are: Mrs. Bertha Pate, Sam Leland Glass, Mrs. Charles Shuff, Gordon Bardwell, Paul Bardwell, Mary Bardwell, Mrs. Elvie Harkins, Percy Witt, Gene Witt, Gertrude Witt, Estelle Witt, Gerald Witt, Lawrence Withers, all of Sweetwater; Hugh Witt of Fort Worth; Mrs. Frank Estes and Paul Cook of Baird; Edward Witt, Leslie Witt, Cecil Witt, Sammie Witt, Shirley Witt, and Mabel Witt, all of Lamesa; Mrs. Elmer Baird, Floyd Bardwell, Elmer Bardwell and Lawrence Bardwell of San Antonio; Mary Zoe Bardwell of El Paso and Mrs. Vernon Stockton of Fort Worth.

Funeral at 2 Today

Funeral services are to be held at 2 p.m. today at the Presbyterian Church. A former Sweetwater pastor, the Rev. H. B. Hester of San Angelo and Dr. Gary Smith are to officiate at the rites.

Yates Funeral Home is directing funeral arrangements and burial is to be made in Sweetwater Cemetery.

Honorary and active pallbearers are to be her grandsons.

From The Sweetwater (TX) Reporter, Sunday, Jan. 9, 1938, Pages 1 & 2
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NOLAN COUNTY DEATH CERTIFICATE

Name: Ada Bardwell
Death date: 08 Jan 1938
Death place: Sweetwater, Nolan, Texas
Cause of death: Arteriosclerotic heart disease
Gender: Female
Race or color (on document): White
Age at death: 82 years 3 months 21 days
Birth date: 17 Sep 1855
Birthplace: Canton, Mississippi
Marital status: Widow
Spouse's name:
Father's name: Madden Fly
Father's birthplace:
Mother's name: Nanny McKie
Mother's birthplace:
Occupation: At home
Residence: 411 E. Third, Sweetwater, Texas
Cemetery name: Sweetwater
Burial place: Sweetwater, Texas
Burial date: 9 Jan 1938
Informant: Mrs. Sam Glass, Sweetwater, Texas
Film number: 2117655
Digital GS number: 4030401
Image number: 1740
Reference number: cn4165
Collection: Texas Deaths, 1890-1976
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BRAINARD BARDWELL

Brainard Bardwell and his wife, Mary Ada Fly Bardwell, came to Nolan County in 1885 from Gonzales County, Texas. They established their home in the Bitter Creek Community ten miles south of Sweetwater on a ten section ranch.

The Brainard Bardwells had ten children. The five oldest children moved to Nolan County with their parents. They were Emma Lou (Mrs. Sam Glass), Zoe (Mrs. Will Cook), Ada (Mrs. Sam Witt), Madden Fly Bardwell and David Edwin Bardwell. The other five children, who were born in Nolan County, were Nanny Elizabeth (Mrs. R. L. Witt), James Robert (Bob) Bardwell, Nettie Irene (Mrs. H. E. Baird) and Gertrude (Mrs. J. H. Withers) and Brainard, Jr., who were twins.

During the early days on the ranch, it was necessary for family members to make the long trip by wagon to Buffalo Gap to buy provisions. Later on, the trip was made to Abilene as the T&P Railroad had been built that far west. These supplies were usually bought for a six months period. The grocery items had to be carefully stored and preserved for that long period of time.

Five of the Bardwell daughters were married in the ranch home that Mr. and Mrs. Brainard Bardwell built on the Bitter Creek ranch. This house still stands and has been restored by the J. C. Pace family, the present owners. The youngest daughter was marred in Sweetwater after the family moved to town.

In 1898, Brainard Bardwell was shot and killed on his ranch by a transient sheep herder. In those days, ranch land was unfenced. The sheepherder had driven his flock of sheep across the ranch land, allowing them to graze and drink water for several days. When Mr. Bardwell went to a watering hole where the sheep were to tell the herder to move on, he was shot.

Several years later, Mrs. Bardwell moved to Sweetwater from the ranch. She was one of eleven people who organized and secured a charter for the First Presbyterian Church in Nolan County. At her death in 1938, she was the last surviving charter member of the present First Presbyterian Church.

Both Brainard and Mary Ada Fly Bardwell are buried in the Sweetwater Cemetery. Two of the children survive, being Gertrude Withers of Sweetwater and Nettie Baird of San Antonio, Texas.

From FIRST 100 YEARS NOLAN COUNTY TEXAS (published 1985 by Nolan County Genealogical Society), Page 97
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