Thomas Bethel Fite to Flennoy Elgar Fite.
Thomas Bethel Fite
(David, Leonard, Johannes)
Second son and youngest child of
David Fite and
his first wife,
Nancy Daughtery, was born in
Smithville, Tenn., Mar. 9, 1826, and died at La Luz, New Mexico, Jan. 24,
1900. He married Juliann Dorris in 1853, by whom he had two sons born in
Dallas County, Ark.
Thomas Bethel Fite was
detailed to make shoes for the Confederate Army during the Civil War and
after the war he ran a grist mill at Pine Bluff, Ark.. He and his two sons
later moved to Hood County, Texas where they farmed for a few years, then
moved to Throckmorton County, Texas, where they entered the sheep business,
with some farming.
Thomas Bethel's wife, Juliann Dorris, died in April 1874, near Grandberry,
Hood County, Texas. Thomas lived with the younger son, La Fayette, most of
the time after La Fayette's marriage. The older son, William Monroe, moved
to New Mexico in 1886 and Thomas Bethel and La Fayette followed in 1887 with
the sheep. Thomas and La Fayette farmed in Cox Canyon, near Cloudcroft, New
Mexico for several years and La Fayette gradually went into the cattle
business, while Thomas moved to La Luz, New Mexico, where he died in 1900.
Children of
Thomas Bethel Fite and his wife,
Juliann Dorris were:
- William Monroe Fite
- La Fayette Dorris Fite
William Monroe Fite
(Thomas, David, Leonard, Johannes)
Oldest son of
Thomas Bethel Fite and
Juliann
Dorris, was born near Princeton, Dallas County, Ark., June 7, 1854. He
moved with his father and brother to Hood County, Texas, where he was married
July 3, 1873, to
Lucy Jane Elgar
, in Hightown Valley, near Grandberry, Hood County, Tex.. William Monroe farmed
in Hood County for a few years, then moved with his family to Throckmorton
County, Tex., where he joined his father and brother in the sheep business. In
1886 he moved on west to New Mexico and farmed for a short time near Cloudcroft,
then moved down on the lower Penasco River and settled with his family at Hope,
N. Mex. There he developed a 320 acre irrigated farm, and on nearby range grazed
the sheep belonging to him and his father and brother. After the death of his
good wife in 1893, William found it most difficult to operate his large farm and
sheep business and properly care for his seven children (the youngest an
infant), and in a year or so the younger children were placed with other
families to live and the older children had gone on their own, and William
Monroe disposed of his farm and sheep interests at Hope and engaged in the
cattle business in the Sacramento Mountains. Later he and his oldest son,
Flennoy, owned and operated a large cattle ranch on the Jornada, in Socorro
County, N. Mex. After a few years he and Flennoy moved back to Hope and bought
adjoining farms, where he lived with Flennoy and family until he retired from
business. After his retirement he lived with different ones of his children,
making the rounds from San Antonio, Tex., to Denver, Colo. He spent the last few
years of his life with his daughter, Effie Fite Brackett, of Denver, Colo.,
where he died March 16, 1947, and was buried. He lacked only three months of
being 93 years old. He often stated that he never had known what it was to be
sick. He was a devout member of the Methodist Episcopal Church for about 75
years. All of his children survived him except Amanda who died at 8 months of
age and Charles who was killed in a railroad accident. Besides the six living
children he was survived by 20 grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren and 2
great-great-grand- children. Until his death he kept his large family of
children closely knitted together by a continuous flow of long newsy letters.
His greatest concern was to lead his children and grand children into the paths
of Christian living.
Lucy Jane Elgar Fite, wife of
William Monroe
, was born in Itawamba, County, Miss., Nov. 5, 1855. She
was the daughter of Lewis S. and Elizabeth B. Elgar. Her father died when she
was young and she moved with her mother to Johnson County, Tex.
She professed religion early in life and was a member of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, South, until her death Oct. 7, 1893 at Hope, N. Mex. She
followed the teachings of Christ in that if she could say no good of someone she
spoke no evil. Her life was one of usefulness, always ready with an assisting
hand to the needy and at the bedside of the sick. She was universally beloved
and her untimely death, when her baby son, Lewis, was just 7 days old, left her
widowed husband with the most difficult problem of carrying on his business and
keeping the large family of children together in the home. The children of
William Monroe Fite and
Lucy
Jane Elgar were:
- Flennoy Elgar
- Amanda Ella, born 1876 and died at the age of 8 months
- William Thomas
- Effie Lenora
- Charles La Fayette
- Arra Burton
- Frederick Leroy
- Lewis Edward
Flennoy Elgar Fite
(William, Thomas, David, Leonard, Johannes)
Oldest son and oldest child of
William
Monroe Fite and
Lucy Jane Elgar, was
born in Granberry, Hood County, Texas, Oct. 19, 1874. He moved with his
parents to New Mexico in 1886. He assisted his father in the operation of a
large irrigated farm and sheep ranch at Hope, N. M., until after the death
of his mother in 1893. After graduation from the Roswell High School he
worked in Silver City, N. M., as assayer for the Mine and Smelter Company
until his marriage April 20, 1899, to Ethel Ernestine Newman, at Fresnal, N.
M.. Flennoy then worked for a number of years as head clerk in the General
Merchandise store of Charlie Meyers at La Luz, N. M.. During this period of
employment he invested in cattle in the Sacramento Mountains, with his
father. Later , about 1905 , they moved the cattle to the Jornada, in
Socorro County, N. M., where they operated a large ranch for a few years,
after which they sold their ranch holdings and Flennoy and his father bought
adjoining farms at Hope, N. M.. Here, Flennoy and his good wife, who was a
constant helpmate, developed one of the finest farms in the Hope Community.
One of the outstanding features of this farm was a beautiful, highly
productive, 30 acre apple orchard. After their children had married and left
home Flennoy and Ethel sold their farm and bought a home in the city of
Carlsbad, N. M., where they still live at 105 First St.
Ethel
Newman Fite,
wife of Flennoy, was born in Young County, Tex., Feb. 2, 1882. She
was the second daughter of Hanson and Emma Newman. The Newman's moved
from Texas to New Mexico about the same time as the Fite families and
located in the same general area, east of Cloudcroft, where Mr. Newman
farmed and ran a considerable number of cattle. He moved to the Jornada and
drilled the wells which supplied the water for both his and the Fite
ranches. The Newman's were one of the most prominent and prosperous families
in their community.
This record of Flennoy and Ethel would be incomplete
without some mention of their delightful Golden Wedding Anniversary
celebration, held in their home at Carlsbad, Apr. 20, 1949. Five of their
six children were present; the oldest son, Clarence, was in the hospital in
California at the time, so unable to be at home for the occasion. Present at
this celebration, besides their five children and their husbands and wives,
and two grand children, were three of Flennoy's brothers
and wives and Ethel's sister, Mrs. Ora Swope, and two of her grandsons; Mr.
and Mrs. Jesse Brubaker, cousins of Flennoy, and a large number of nephews,
nieces and old friends of the family. A big dinner was enjoyed at LaCaverna
Hotel at which the youngest brother, Lewis, acted as toastmaster and
proposed the following toast to Flennoy and Ethel:
- Twas in the year 1899
- This couple, for each other, really began to pine
- On April 20, to be exact
- They surrendered and formed this pact
- Flennoy and Ethel were their names
- High and mighty were their aims
- And now that 50 years have passed
- Let's see what fortunes they've amassed
- Only with lasting values are we concerned
- When listing things this couple earned
- First in importance we must not miss
- Four sons, and for each two a sis
- Then grandchildren too numerous to name
- To gladden their hearts and bring them fame
- Theirs was a real home from the beginning
- And the love of many they were winning
- Twas a rendezvous for homeless Fites
- To do them honor we are here
- From East and West, from far and near
- There are no tokens in the marts
- That can express the fullness in our hearts
- But to them we say
- May the years ahead hold for both of you
- That full measure of happiness and contentment
- Which is the fruition of so many years, so well spent
- Doing so much for so many!
By Lewis Edward Fite.
Flennoy and Ethel not only reared a fine family of their own but contributed
much to the rearing and schooling of Flennoy's younger brothers and
sister. They were most active in church and community work. For example, Flennoy
financed and built the concrete community dam at Hope, which was a God send to
that irrigation project.
Children of
Flennoy Elgar Fite and
Ethel
Newman are:
- Clarence Sydney Fite
- William Hanson Fite
- Fred Dorris Fite
- Elgar L. Fite
- Clara Mae Fite
- Effie Myrtle Fite
