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Gertrude <I>Bardwell</I> Withers

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Gertrude Bardwell Withers

Birth
Nolan County, Texas, USA
Death
27 Jun 1989 (aged 95)
Sweetwater, Nolan County, Texas, USA
Burial
Sweetwater, Nolan County, Texas, USA Add to Map
Plot
Block 112
Memorial ID
View Source
Gertrude Withers

Sweetwater - Gertrude Withers, 95, died Tuesday at a local hospital.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at the McCoy Funeral Home Chapel of Memories with the Rev. Allen Guthrie officiating. Burial will be in Sweetwater Cemetery.

A lifelong Nolan County resident, she was a rancher and a member of First Presbyterian Church.

Survivors include a son, L. H. Withers of Hugo, Colo.; a sister, Nettie Baird of San Antonio; and two granddaughters, Mrs. Robert Ottewill of Denver, Colo. and Mrs. Richard Gesin of Sweetwater; and five great-grandchildren.

From The Abilene (TX) Reporter, Thursday, June 29, 1989
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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 married 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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Gertrude Withers

Sweetwater - Gertrude Withers, 95, died Tuesday at a local hospital.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at the McCoy Funeral Home Chapel of Memories with the Rev. Allen Guthrie officiating. Burial will be in Sweetwater Cemetery.

A lifelong Nolan County resident, she was a rancher and a member of First Presbyterian Church.

Survivors include a son, L. H. Withers of Hugo, Colo.; a sister, Nettie Baird of San Antonio; and two granddaughters, Mrs. Robert Ottewill of Denver, Colo. and Mrs. Richard Gesin of Sweetwater; and five great-grandchildren.

From The Abilene (TX) Reporter, Thursday, June 29, 1989
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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 married 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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