LaFayette Doris Fite to Ella Mae Fite
La Fayette Dorris
Fite
(Thomas, David, Leonard, Johannes)
Son of
Thomas Bethel Fite and
Juliann Dorris, was born Nov. 10, 1855, near Princeton, Dallas
County, Ark. He moved with his father and his brother, William Monroe,
to Hood County, Tex., where he was married, July 20, 1876 to Anna
Brewer. After farming in Hood County for a few years he and his father
and brother moved to Throckmorton Co., Tex., where they engaged in the
sheep business and farming. This family had the "Go West" spirit, as the
father came from Tenn., down through Ark. to Texas and about 1887 he and
La Fayette followed William Monroe on into New Mexico. William had
settled in N. M. in 1886. La Fayette and his father settled in Cox
Canyon, East of Cloudcroft, in Otero County, which was then a part of
Dona Ana County, N. M. They brought the sheep with them and sent them to
William Monroe at Hope, where there was good grazing. La Fayette
developed a nice farm and cattle ranch on Cox Canyon, with a winter
range in the Rincon. He lived there for many years with a winter home at
La Luz, N. M., where his children went to school. In about 1905 he
followed his brother to the Jornada, in Socorro County, where he drilled
wells and established a large cattle ranch. It is interesting to note
how this family, father and two sons, stuck together. La Fayette sold
his ranch and stock in 1909 and moved back to Texas and settled in
Silverton, Brasco County, where he owned a farm, and lived there until
his death June 6, 1920.
Anna Brewer wife
of La Fayette Dorris Fite, was born June 13, 1860 in Talladega Co., Ala.
She was the daughter of James Jasper Brewer and Elizabeth D. Brewer, who
came to Texas in 1875. Anna died in Las Cruces, N. M., Oct. 23, 1944. La
Fayette and Anna were outstanding individuals of the highest character.
Theirs was one of the most thrifty and prominent families in their
community.
Children of La Fayette Dorris Fite and Anna Brewer were:
- Walter La Fayette
- Cora Elizabeth Estella, born July 29, 1887 and died on June
6, 1892
- Ella Mae
- James Orville
- Minnie Edith
- Samuel Houston
- Paul Leonard
Walter La Fayette
Fite (La Fayette, Thomas, David, Leonard,
Johannes) Son of
La Fayette Fite
and
Anna Brewer, was born in Throckmorton Co.,
Tex., Jan. 23, 1881. He was married in San Antonio, N. M., June 21,1910, to
Edna Earl Bruton. Walter came to N. M. with his parents in 1887 and was
raised on the farm and cattle ranch in N. M. He was a typical western
cattleman. When he retired recently, the only break from the ranch was a few
years just prior to his retirement, when he owned and operated a wholesale
gas and oil business at Magdalena, N. M., and during this period he was
investing his money in a large cattle ranch southeast of Socorro, N. M.
Edna Earl Bruton, wife of Walter La Fayette Fite, was the daughter of
Charles Bruton and Agnes Cornet Bruton. She was born in Carlsbad, N. M.,
Apr. 6, 1890. Edna graduated from the Loretta Academy in Las Cruces, N. M.,
and taught school for several years.
Children of Walter La fayette Fite and Edna Earl Bruton were:
- William Dean
- Sunshine
- Charles Bruton
- Melba Lea
The present address of Walter and Edna is
Socorro, N. M.
William Dean Fite
(Walter, La Fayette, Thomas, David, Leonard, Johannes)
Son of
Walter La Fayette Fite and Edna Earl Bruton, was born Mar. 29, 1911 in San
Marcial, N. M. Dean graduated from the Magdalena High School in 1930 and
went into the cattle business with his father.
He is now manager of their large ranch southeast of Socorro, N. M. They are
still using the old FIT brand which was used by the grandfather. Dean was
married, May 14, 1937 , in Belen, N. M., to Evelyn Galon. Evelyn is the
daughter of Herman and Emma Galon. She was born, Feb. 22, 1918 in Outlook,
Saskatchewan, Canada and came to the U. S. A. with her parents in 1922. She
graduated from Magdalena High School. Dean and Evelyn have no children.
Their present address is Socorro, N. M..
SunShine Fite
(Walter, La Fayette, Thomas, David, Leonard, Johannes) Daughter
of Walter La Fayette Fite and Edna Earl Bruton, was born in Socorro, N. M.,
Dec. 11, 1913. She attended the University of New Mexico for one year and
the Arizona State Teacher's College, at Tempe, for a year, and taught school
until she was married, June 20, 1934, to Paul Edwin Woofter, in Socorro, N.
M.. Paul Woofter, son of A. D. and Kathryn Woofter, was born in Graften, W.
Va., June 26,1907. He attended the University of Oklahoma for three years
and the University of Southern California for one year. He and his father
own and operate a large ranch southwest of Socorro, N. M., where they raise
fine Hereford cattle.
Paul and Sunshine have one child:
- Frances, born Mar. 2,1936, in Magdalena, N. M.
The present address of Paul and Sunshine is
Socorro, N. M..
Charles Bruton Fite
(Walter , La Fayette, Thomas, David, Leonard, Johannes) Son of
Walter La Fayette Fite and Edna Earl Bruton was born Apr. 4, 1915, in San
Marcial, N. M.. He graduated from Magdalena High School and attended the N.
M. A. & M. College for two years, and spent one year in the army in World
War II, was discharged in 1942. He bought a ranch near Scholle, N. M., where
he is engaged in stock raising and farming. Charles was married, June 21,
1944 to Charlene McBee, in Albuquerque, N. M. Charlene was born Aug. 18,
1925 in Jerome, Ariz. She is the daughter of Charles Weaver and Ethel Davis
McBee. Charlene is a graduate of the Mountainaire, N. M. High School.
Charles and Charlene have two children:
- Walter Ray, born Dec. 26,1948 in Albuquerque, N.M.
- Charles Richard, born Feb. 15,1950, in Albuquerque, N.M.
The present address of Charles and Charlene
is Scholle, New Mexico.
Melba Lea Fite
(Walter, La Fayette, Thomas, David, Leonard, Johannes)
Daughter of
Walter La Fayette Fite
and
Edna Earl Bruton, was born June
20,1918 in Socorro, N. M. Melba attended the University of N. M. for two
years and N. M. A. & M. College for one year, and was married July 8,
1941 to Maynard Ashby Wingo in Las Cruces, N. M.
Maynard, son of Maynard and Birdie Cox Wingo, was born in 1917 in
Memphis, Tenn. He graduated from N. M. A. & M. College in 1940 and has
been engaged in the stock raising business on his ranches in Van Horn,
Texas and Tillatoba, Miss. ever since.
Melba and Maynard have three
children:
- Turner Ashby, born Sept. 21, 1943, in Socorro, N.M.
- Dean Kirk, born Mar. 25, 1948, in El Paso, Texas
- Terry Lea, born Jan. 23, 1950, in Van Horn, Texas
The present address of Melba and Maynard is
Collierville, Tenn.
Cora Elizabeth Fite
(La Fayette, Thomas, David, Leonard, Johannes) Daughter of La
Fayette Dorris Fite and Anna Brewer, was born Oct. 7, 1885 in Throckmorton
County, Texas. She came to N. M. with her family in 1887 and attended school
in La Luz, N. M., and was married Nov. 26, 1901 to Jesse Austin Brubaker, in
La Luz. Jesse was born Oct. 19, 1875 in Mapleton, Monona County, Iowa. Jesse
worked for the Forest Service as Forest Ranger from 1909 to 1942, when he
retired from Civil Service to his farm at Garfield, N. M.
The authors of this publication are indebted to Cora Fite Brubaker for much
of the data furnished on her family. She was most cooperative in writing
letters and sending questionnaires to members of her family.
Jesse and
Cora have one child:
The present address of Cora and Jesse is
Garfield, N. M.
Clyde Warren Brubaker
(Cora, La Fayette, Thomas, David, Leonard, Johannes) Son of
Jesse Austin Brubaker and
Cora Elizabeth Fite, was born Aug. 26, 1902 in La Luz, N. M.
He attended the Roswell Military Institute and completed study with General
Motors to become a Certified Buick Service Mechanic. He was ten years in
Civil Service, with the U. S. Soil Conservation Service; worked in the Navy
Yards at Puget Sound and with the V2 Rocket research at White Sands Proving
Grounds. At present he is Shop Superintendent in charge of maintenance at
White Sands Proving Grounds, N. M. Clyde was married Feb.21, 1927, in Flint,
Mich.., to Edith Beardsley. Edith was born March 10, 1910 at Decatur, Mich.
Two children were born to Clyde and Edith:
- Cora, born in Flint, Mich., Sept. 10, 1928
- Carrie Lou, born in Capitan, N.M., March 28, 1930
Clyde was married a second time to
Sarah Green in Roswell, N. M., Aug.26, 1936.
Sarah Brubaker was born in Wartrace, Tenn., June 25, 1917. To Clyde
and Sarah one child was born, Nancy Sue,
born June 29, 1937 in Roswell, N, M. Carrie Lou Brubaker is secretary for
the Kal Parchment Paper Co., at Kalamazoo, Mich.
Clyde's present address is: Box 3393, Station
A, El Paso, Tex.
Cora Brubaker (Clyde, Cora, La Fayette,
Thomas, David, Leonard, Johannes)
Daughter of
Clyde Brubaker and Edith Beardsley, was
married Sept. 8, 1947 to Lloyd Raymond Lewis
at Kalamazoo, Mich. Lloyd was born in Kalamazoo, Mich., Mar. 24, 1926. Lloyd
and Cora have one child, Connie Jean Lewis,
born Sept. 9, 1948 in Kalamazoo, Mich. Lloyd Raymond Lewis finished High
School at Kalamazoo and worked for the Kalamazoo Vegetable Parchment Co., as
ink maker. He was in the Navy from Jan. 16, 1944 to July 1, 1946, in the
Chemical Warfare Dept., Co. D, under Capt. Voseler, at Naval Ammunition
Depot, Hawthorn, N V When he was discharged he resumed his work with the
Kalamazoo Co.
The present address of
Cora and Lloyd is:
2831 McKinley Drive, R. R. 2
Kalamazoo, Mich.
William Joseph Fite (La
Fayette, Thomas, David, Leonard, Johannes)
Son of
La Fayette Dorris Fite and Anna Brewer, was
born Oct. 18, 1891, in La Luz, N. M.. He attended school in La Luz and worked
with his father on the ranch in the Jornada until it was sold, after which he
went to California and worked for the Los Angeles Police Dept., until he was
retired in 1939.
"Jodie" enlisted in the Navy, in World War I, Dec. 15, 1917, was in training at
Dallas, Tex., at Great Lakes, then to Hampton Rhodes, Va., and from there to Key
West, Fla., where he was assigned to U.S.S. Dolphin, Coast Patrol Service. He
was discharged Dec. 21 1918. Jodie was married June 10, 1925 to Elsie Chapman in
Los Angeles, Calif. Elsie was born in Hanover, Ill., Dec. 13, 1898. Elsie and
Jodie have no children.
Their present address is:
10124
Laurel
Canyon Blvd.
Pacoima, California.
*William Joseph Fite died on July
27, 1954.*
Ella Mae Fite (La Fayette,
Thomas, David, Leonard, Johannes) Daughter of
La Fayette Dorris Fite and
Anna Brewer, was
born in Cloudcroft, N. M., Apr. 10, 1893. She was married in San Marcial, N. M.,
Apr. 24, 1910 to
Jack Bruton. Jack was born in
Weed, N. M., Dec. 29, 1886. Jack has worked with cattle all of his life and owns
and operates a cattle ranch East of Hot Springs, N. M.
Children born to Ella
and Jack were:
