Dick Kendall Cason was born in Henderson, Chester County, TN., the youngest of the 12 children born to Caleb McKnight Cason and Mary Harrison Barham. Caleb Cason is buried in Chester County; Mary Cason is buried in Nacogdoches, TX. Caleb operated a mercantile store in Henderson. Links to both of their Find A Grave memorials are available below.

After his father died in 1888, 18-year-old Dick Kendall Cason borrowed money to go to Nacogdoches, TX, in East Texas, to work on his cousin's farm. His cousin was a Perkins. Later Dick returned to Tennessee and met Willie Maud Nance who was attending a finishing school in Tennessee. Dick married Willie Maud Nance (1869-1950) on April 12, 1892 (Their wedding photographs are included on their Find A Grave memorials).

After they married the couple returned to Nacogdoches, Texas. They had four children:

1. Willie Maude CASON, b. 21 Jan 1893, d. 9 Nov 1980 (87 years)
2. Robert Nance CASON, b. 30 May 1895, d. 30 Jun 1977 (82 years)
3. Dick Kendall CASON, Jr, b. 13 Nov 1897, Nacogdoches, Nacogdoches Co, Texas, USA , d. 19 Mar 1934, of TB, Houston, Harris Co, Texas, USA (36 years) - Burial in Oak Grove Cemetery, Nacogdoches, Nacogdoches Co, Texas, USA. Dick Kendall Jr. was originally named Perkins McKnight Cason but he changed his name to Dick Kendall Cason, Jr. when he entered school. (Note: His son was Dr. Dick Kendall Cason III, a prominent Hillsboro, TX., physician. See his Find A Grave Memorial.)
4. Emily Mary CASON, b. 11 Sep 1900, Texas, USA, d. 10 Feb 1983, Harris Co, Texas, USA (82 years)

Career
In 1892 Dick Kendall Cason became a salesman for George Davidson. In 1893 he purchased the hardware store of H. P. Minns. In 1906, he and R.C. Monk, John Schmidt, and Ed Gaston incorporated Cason-Monk & Co., selling hardware, furniture, appliances, and coffins.

As usual during this time, the store included an undertaking department on the second floor. In 1946, Cason, Monk & Co. moved the funeral service part of the business into an elegant Queen Anne mansion at 310 N. Mound Street which was the former home of Judge Stephen W. Blunt. The 2-story gingerbread-laced residence was transformed into a full service funeral home, complete with a large chapel and 24-hour ambulance service. In 1986, the funeral business was sold, and was merged with its competitor, both joining together in a new building at 5400 North Street.

The downtown Cason-Monk hardware store eventually grew into a complex of multiple stores, and was quite successful. Dick continued to work at Cason, Monk & Co. as President until his death in 1932. He was a community leader, and a generous person.

Dick helped many young members of the community get an education, loaning them money which they repaid after they became successful -- just as he was helped when he was 18 years old.

He owned much property in Nacogdoches and he was deeply involved in the development of the community in which he lived. He was associated with Stone Fort Band and the Nacogdoches Old Mill. He was a member of the First Methodist Church, the Masonic Lodge, and the Knights of Pythian Order.

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Cason, Monk & Co.

2011 - Downtown store remains open although the original building on Main Street is now empty
2011 - Cason-Monk-Metcalf Funeral Home remains open

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The history of Cason, Monk & Co. is being researched by Dr. Jim Moshinskie of Baylor University. Send any welcomed pictures or information to [email protected]

Sources:

- Nacogdoches County Families - The Nacogdoches Genealogical Society has had the NACOGDOCHES COUNTY FAMILIES book which was published originally in 1985 REPRINTED. This volume contains 752 pages with 1203 family sketches with hundreds of photographs.

- D.K. Cason - Subject in Sterne-Hoya House Museum and Library Scrapbooks with photograph of D.K. Cason taken on his wedding day, April 12, 1892

- Nacogdoches in World War II by Jan Dobbs Barton, Peggy Arriola Jasso

- Dr. Robert W. Gruebel, Stephen F. Austin State University professor and owner of the home at 310 N. Mound Street in 2011

- The Daily Sentinel, Nacogdoches newspaper

- Find A Grave contributor Candyce Hardin Williams Glaser, 2011 suggestion emailed to this researcher

- Find A Grave contributor Shawn Hughes, Lubbock, Texas, 2011, who is documenting the histories of early Texas undertakers

- 2007 National Register Information (NR 1991)

- U.S. Census

- Graves, M. (1994). Joseph Cason deceased 1835 and his descendants. Graves Publishing, Nashville, TN.

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Vital Statistics

D. K. CASON (Dick Kendall)
b. FEB. 26, 1869
m. April 12, 1892
d. NOV. 30, 1932

Death Date: 30 Nov 1932
Death Place: Nacogdoches, Nacogdoches, Texas
Death Age: 63 years 9 months 4 days
Birthplace: Montezuma, Tennessee
Marital Status: Married
Spouse's Name: Willie Maude Nance Cason
Father's Name: C. M. Cason
Father's Birthplace: Tennessee
Mother's Name: Mary Barham Cason
Mother's Birthplace: Tennessee
Occupation: Hardware Merchant, Company President
Burial Place: Nacogdoches, Texas
Burial Date: 01 Dec 1932
Undertaker: Cason, Monk & Co., Nacogdoches, Texas
Informant: R. N. Cason, Nacogdoches, Texas
1880 Census - shown living in Henderson, Tennessee, with his family, and listed as "going to school", age 11
1910 Census - listed as retail merchant
1920 Census - listed as president of hardware company