Rophila Elizabeth English Wade
Updated October 20, 2003
Rophila Elizabeth English Wade
The above picture and following note were received from Deborah Smith
This is about as "verbatim" as I can type the note. It is handwritten and undated, but probably written circa 1950. All notes in parentheses are mine, identifying and attempting to identify the names. My great grandmother [Rophila Elizabeth English] was born in 1869, (child of Sarah Whittington and her second husband, James Samuel English) and said she first attended this school when she was seven years old. Her father died when she was two years old, and her mother never remarried. They lived on Honey Creek, near Shimek and attended the County Line Methodist Church, along with some of the Rees family. The children of John Wesley Rees are her cousins. John Rees was her first cousin (but much older), and the oldest of several children of Fleming Sanders Rees and Nancy Whittington Rees (parents of Sheriff Sam Houston Rees, shot in Columbus in 1899). John Wesley Rees was the Clerk of Lavaca County for a few years. The Houchins children were cousins also, as their mother was Sarah Rees, John Wesley Rees' sister. The Styers children also were cousins, children of another Rees daughter. Doc or Dock Houchins was the informant for some of Sonnischen's info about the Rees family, and the first cousin of the children of Sam Rees.
[Thanks to Charles Sherman we have pictures of some of these students as adults. To view these pictures, go to Diamond Grove Academy Former Students. Any of the information within brackets written in red is also from Charles]
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These are some of the children I went to school with at Diamond Grove Acadamy (sic) when I was a little girl. J. P. Woolsey was the teacher; Alice Woolsey was assistant.
Names of Boyes (sic)
Edd. Allen [Edmond Allen - B. 1865 - D. 12 Sep 1918 in Arizona - Married - Mary I. Wallace 12 Mar 1887 in New Mexico - Parents - Matthew Robinson Allen & Martha Thomas Woolsey]
Mon. Allen (probably Monroe Allen) [Monroe R Allen - B. 7 Jan 1860 in Georgia - D. 12 Sep 1918 in Weimar, TX - Married Mollie A McMurrey 7 Nov 1896 - Parents - Matthew Robinson Allen & Martha Thomas Woolsey]
Will. Allen
John Allen
Jack Allen [ maybe Thomas Jackson Allen - twin to Lee Allen]
Lee Allen [B 1868 - D. Pearsall, TX - Married Annie L Rhode- twin brother to Thomas J. Allen - Parents - John L Allen and Eliza Franklin Woolsey]
Ernest Eason [B 1866 in Georgia - D. Aug 1945 in California - Married Elizabeth J (Lizzie) Little - Parents - James Rice & Margaret Eason]
Nim (?) Eason
Flem Rees (Asa Fleming Rees, born 1867, son of John Wesley and Rophila Smith Rees) Obit
John Rees (Thomas John Rees, or Thomas Jasper Rees, born 1870, son of John Wesley and Rophila Smith Rees)
Lesly (sic) Rees (Leslie Wilkinson Rees, born 1873, son of John Wesley and Rophila Smith Rees) Obit
Floyd Rees (born 1878, son of John Wesley and Rophila Smith Rees)
Robert Boeth
Gus Grobe
Frank Grobe
August Boeth
John Myers [John Henry Myers - B. 14 Oct 1872 - D. 18 Jul 1952 buried - Wilson County, TX - played on University Of Texas' first football team - nicknamed 'Babe' - My wife's grandfather - Parents - Henry B Myers and Camilla P. Allen]
Bruce Myers [could be Charles Bruce Myers - B. 1880 - D. 1952 - Married Lina McAda - Parents - Henry B Myers and Camilla P. Allen]
John Wadsworth
Henry Wadsworth
Budy Styers (Budah Styers {not sure of pronunciation}, born circa 1868, son of James Marion and Nancy Rees Styers)
Jim Styers (James Marion, Jr., born circa 1869, son of James Marion and Nancy Rees Styers)
Kin Houchins (Kinion Washington Houchins, born 1867, son of George Washington and Sarah Rees Houchins)
Jene Houchins (Eugene Henry Houchins, born 1871, son of George Washington and Sarah Rees Houchins, later Sheriff of Lavaca County)
Dock Houchins (Buhler William Houchins, born 1874, son of George Washington and Sarah Rees Houchins)
Tom Townsend
Web Townsend (Web Townsend, born circa 1865, son of William Wallace and Adeline Woolsey Townsend)
Everett Townsend (Everett Ewing Townsend, born 1871, son of William Wallace and Margaret Long Townsend)
Tom Bell
Web Smith
Willie Smith
Jody Sheffield
Warren Griffith
Warwick Griffith
Tom Washington
Willie Washington
Tom Woolsey (Robert Thomas Woolsey, born 1860, son of John Monroe and Matilda Blount Woolsey) [married Mina Grobe]
Edd Woolsey (Edmond Franklin Woolsey, born 1858, son of John Monroe and Matilda Blount Woolsey) [married Virgie Griffith]
George Woolsey (George Monroe Woolsey, born 1866, son of John Monroe and Matilda Blount Woolsey) [married Willie Elizabeth Frazer]
Charles McFall (son of Robert and Mary Ann Woolsey McFall)
Charley Austin [Son of William Austin and Blanche Elizabeth Woolsey Austin. Blanche was the daughter of John M. Woolsey and Phoebe Castleberry Woolsey. per Deborah Smith She also writes: I think the land for the County Line School and Church was donated by Blanche Woolsey Austin.]
Jodie Allen
Robert Little [B. 20 Mar 1870 - D. 2 Nov 1931 - Buried Weimar, TX - Married Georgia Ann Culpepper 1898 - Parents - Joseph McCreary Little & Mary Jane Purvis]
Everett Little [B. 5 Mar 1885 - D. 11 Dec 1962 - Buried - Weimar, TX - Married Ada Wright - - Parents - Joseph McCreary Little & Mary Jane Purvis]
Tom Garner
Robert Bobolink (spelling?)
Fritz Bobolink
Herman Harmon (spelling?)
Jack Montgomery
James English (James L. English, born 1871, died 1895, brother of Rophila Elizabeth English and son of James Samuel and Sarah E. Whittington English)
John Woolsey (John Fleming Woolsey, born 1857, son of William Sidney and Martha E. Rees Woolsey)
Jeff Woolsey (Jefferson Davis Woolsey, born 1861, son of William Sidney and Martha E. Rees Woolsey)
Clay Nickles (spelling I believe should be Nichols - really Clayton )[Clayton was the son of William Alexander Nichols and Helen Woolsey Nichols. Helen was the daughter of John Moroe Woolsey and Matilda Blount Woolsey. per Deborah Smith.]
John Simmons (spelling?)
Will Simmons
K---- Laging (very unsure of this name)
Girls that went to school at Diamond Grove Acadamy (sic) in Colorado Co. Texas
Nelly Allen [B. ca 1870 - Parents Mathew Robinson and Martha Thomas (Woolsey) Allen -da]
Minnie Allen [B. 1868 - Married Josephus Barnette - Parents - Matthew Robinson Allen & Martha Thomas Woolsey]
Jody Allen
Callie Long
Sallie Lowery [Parents - John A Lowery & Mollie Little]
Maggie Lowery [Parents - John A Lowery & Mollie Little]
Laura Nickles (daughter of William Alexander Nichols and his wife Helen Woolsey. Helen was the daughter of John Monroe Woolsey and Matilda Blount Woolsey)
Birdie Nickles (daughter of William Alexander Nichols and his wife Helen Woolsey. Helen was the daughter of John Monroe Woolsey and Matilda Blount Woolsey)
Allura Rees (born 1875, daughter of John Wesley and Rophila Smith Rees)
Eunice Styers (born 1871[1874], daughter of James Marion and Nancy Rees Styers)
Johanna Grobe
Lizzy Little [Elizabeth J Little - B. 1869 - D. 1963 - Buried - Weimar, TX - married Ernest Lloyd Eason - Parents - Joseph McCreary Little & Mary Jane Purvis]
Susie Little [Susan Martha Little - B. 11 Sep 1874 in County Line - D. 17 Jul 1963 - Married John Henry Myers 28 Sep 1898 - Buried Wilson County, TX - - My wife's grandmother - Parents - Joseph McCreary Little & Mary Jane Purvis]
Lula Little [married Shelby Marvin Eason - - Parents - Joseph McCreary Little & Mary Jane Purvis]
Mittie McFall (daughter of Robert and Mary Ann Woolsey McFall)
Addie Eason [daughter of John T Eason & Olive Glenn Woolsey]
Mattie Eason [probably Martha Eason - daughter of James Rice & Martha Eason]
Georgia Houchins (born 1864, daughter of George Washington and Sarah Rees Houchins)
Mickie Houchins (Mickey Sarah Houchins, born 1869, daughter of George Washington and Sarah Rees Houchins) (born: Feb 14, 1869; died: Oct 10, 1921 - .married John M. Berthold -see Miller Creek Cemetery listing. DA)
Rophila English (born 1869, daughter of James Samuel and Sarah E. Whittington English, and author of this list)
Nora Boeth
Sopha Bock
Ophelia Bock
Nora Briton
Lena Tooke
Ida Tooke
Mary Simmons
Kate Simmons
Lillie Sheffield
Della Sheffield
Kate Wadsworth
Bettie Bobolink
Anna Boblink
Lizzie Selph
Lizzie Bowen
I think all those girls I have mentioned are gone on, mabe[sic] 2 living. (Note: this list is undated)
Modie Bowen
Lula Bowen
Ada Norris (or Morris)
Effie Woolsey (born circa 1875, daughter of William Sidney and Martha E. Rees Woolsey)
Hellen Woolsey (born 1874, daughter of William Sidney and Martha E. Rees Woolsey)
Ada Woolsey (born 1878, daughter of William Sidney and Martha E. Rees Woolsey)
Emma Owen (very unsure of last name)
Mary Letter
Betty Hope
Sallie Eason
Lela Woolsey
Annie Woolsey
Lizzie Woolsey
Callie Sheffield
Mary Laging (very unsure of last name)
For an account of Rophila Elizabeth English Wade's wedding day, visit weddings
Thank you Deborah and Charles.
Diamond Grove Academy
MALE AND FEMALE,
Classes: Elementary, Academic and Commercial, J. P. Woolsey, Principal, Mrs. Bettie Woolsey, Assistant. The Third Annual Session begins September 29, 1879. The scholistic year is composed of Two Session, twenty weeks each.
RATES OF TUITION:
Primary classes...$1.50 per month
Intermediate classes $2.00 per month
Advanced classes 2.50 per month
Commercial Department, in advance, $25.All Students between the ages of 8 and 14 will be credited for their pro rata of the Public School Funds allowed by law.
Confer with J. P. WOOLSEY,
Oakland, Texas
Colorado Citizen, August 28, 1879
DIAMOND INSTITUTE.--Prof. J. P. Woolsey commenced his school on the 27th ult., which we learn is very full. He has alredy established a high epuaton as an instructor of yuth in his section, and is justly entitled to it, as he has labored faithfully in the cause.
Colorado Citizen, Oct 7, 1880Oakland News
The public school at Diamond Grove, so we learn, closed last Monday. Mrs. Alice Grobe, the teacher, is expected to open a subscription school at the same place.
Colorado Citizen, January 21, 1886
Submitted by Deborah Smith
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