Saturday, September 23, 2023

It’s Family Time~The First Family of Isaac David Eddins

Isaac David Eddins was born, 29 January 1848 in Wilcox County, Alabama. His father, William Riley Eddins was born in Chesterfield County, South Carolina  and had migrated to Conecuh County, Alabama about 1814 after serving in the War of 1812. There he married his first Wife in 1826. Isaac David was the 3rd oldest son of his second marriage to Nancy King. 

In his early years Isaac was a wheelwright, a maker of wheels. He married  Mary Temity Speers/Speirs on 19 November 1868 in Pike County, Mississippi. By 1880, Isaac and Mary had moved their family to Tarrant County, Texas. The 1880 Census for Tarrant County, Texas shows Isaac and Mary in the state and his occupation as a wheelwright. His obituary shows him arriving in Big Spring, Texas in 1881 coming to the village with the Texas and Pacific railroad in 1881.

The 1900 Census, shows Isaac and Mary in Howard County, Texas with two sons still at home. Isaac is now the Pacific Car Foreman  for the Texas and Pacific Railroad. 

Then on 3 February 1908, Mary Temity (Speers/Speirs) Eddins passed away. Isaac David Eddins would marry two more times before his death on 17 April 1933.

Isaac David Eddins and Mary Temity Speirs had the following children:

i. Minnie Eddins, born 25 Feb 1870, Georgia; married Edson James Hadlock, 23 Feb 1886, Howard County, Texas; died 26 May 1944, El Paso, El Paso, Texas.

ii. Estalena Fauntleroy "Lena" Eddins, born 2 Apr 1872, Alabama; married Stephen Elijah Ord, 1888; died 23 Jan 1902, Big Spring, Howard, Texas.

iii. Hampton Morgan "Hamp" Eddins, born 19 May 1874, Big Spring, Howard County, Texas; married Euphemia Pent, 1919; died 6 Feb 1934, Key West, Monroe, Florida.

iv. John Charles was born about 1875.

v. Laura Eddins was born about 1879.

vi. William Roy Eddins, born 14 Aug 1880, Arlington, Tarrant, Texas; married Fannie Gann; married Florence Ruth Parr, 1922; died 6 Feb 1948, Big Spring, Howard, Texas.

vii. Olive Eddins, born 1883, Texas; married Thomas Currie, May 1900, El Paso.


Obituary:


I. D. ‘Uncle Ike Eddins, 87,

Resident Of City 52 Years,

Succumbs: Funeral Tuesday Death

Death Takes Man Who Presided At First Court Session In City And Who Served 48 Years As Texas And Pacific Car Foreman.

Isaac David Eddins, affectionately known as "Uncle Ike" died at 4:45 p. m. Monday at his home, 306 Nolan street. Funeral services will be held from the First Christian church beginning at 4 p. m. Tuesday with the pastor, Rev. S. J. Shettlesworth, officiating music by the church choir, directed by Mrs. Omar Pittman. Funeral arrangements were in charge of the Eberley Funeral Home.

Mr. Eddins was believed to be, one of three present residents of the city who came here with the Texas and Pacific railroad in 1881. He was 87 years, two months and 19 days of age at the time of his death and died two days after fifty-second anniversary of his arrival in the frontier village of Big Spring.

His death left only one surviving charter member of the First Christian church, Mrs. M. E. Barrett, The church was organized 50 years

Masonic Funeral

Services at the grave will be in Charge of the Masonic fraternity. Members of the Order of Eastern Star were to attend in a body. Burial will be beside graves of Mr. Eddins' first and second wives.

Surviving him are his widow, Mrs. Sallie Eddins. Surviving children are Roy Eddins of Big Spring, Hamp Eddins of Key West, Mrs. Headlock of El Paso, who arrived here Tuesday morning. Stepchildren surviving include F. G. Tynes of Big Spring. 1 Sisters-in-law of Mr. Eddins are Mmes. E. A. Allen, Mrs. Bicy Wall, of Big Spring; Mrs. Mattie Bradley, Tahoka; Mrs. Calhoun and Mrs. Jordan, Kaufman. Brothers-in-law are D. R. Glenn of California, G. Glenn of Big Spring and Bill Glenn of Midland.

Other survivors include 17 grandchildren, several great grandchildren and one great great grandchild.

Mr. Eddins attended services at the First Christian church.He was stricken ill at 2 a. m. Monday.

Passing of "Unckle Ike" leaves only two of the three persons, who came here with the railroad, alive. Charlie Read and Mrs. M. E. Barrett remain.

Here In 1881.

Big Spring was as wild as the country when Mr. Eddins settled in this city. In the first three years of its existence, thirteen men died by violence. With the advent of families here, the rougher element moved westward.

As first justice, of the peace in Howard county, it fell the lot of Mr. Eddins to convene the initial court. Two men, accused of unrestricted imbiding of hard liquor, were hailed before the justice who fined one who pleaded guilty and delivered a sound talk on temperance. The other snarled defiance, whipping out a gun. With the open end of a six-shooter barrel staring him in the face. Uncle Ike got his first chance to demonstrate judicial dignity. Presently the culprit lowered his arm and was placed under a $1,000 peace bond.

For forty-eight years Eddins was car foreman for the Texas and Pacific railroad here. In his forty- ninth year of service he was seized by an attack of hardening of the arteries and was forced to retire.

In that length of time, he saw the town grow from a small depot to a thriving city of 13,000 persons, saw paved streets replace grassy lanes, saw towering skyscrapers rise from the ruins of frontier shacks.

First House in Town

He saw the first house erected and could remember how the first school also served as a church when the circuit rider happened to be in town.

Uncle Ike was the son of a wealthy southern planter. Born in Wilcox county, Alabama in 1846, he was reared admidst old southern culture until the Civil War.

Entering the service of the Confederacy, young Eddins was assigned to Company F of the 7th battalion from Alabama. With 70 years separating him from his service in the gray, he could call his company roll without faltering, telling what happened to each the way. "Dave Scarbrough was my captain," he used to say "Hodson my solonel [Colonel], and Clanton was my general."

Wounded In War

Once a shrapnel tore a huge gash above his knee, leaving a scar he bore to his last day.

After the war Mr. Eddins left the deep south when the wave of carpetbagging surged over the conquered states. He came to Dallas in 1874, but was not pleased with the town, so he moved to Arlington where he engaged in the wagon building business. In 1878 he transferred into the service of the Texas and Pacific at Weatherford, coming to Big Spring April 16, 1881.

Oddly enough, he lived only two days after celebrating the fifty-second anniversary of his entrance into Big Spring. [Big Spring Daily HeraldBig Spring, Texas, 21 Apr 1933Page 1, Column 1]


Isaac David Eddins is my 1st Cousin 4X Removed



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1. 1860 U. S. Census, Wilcox County, Alabama, population schedule, Eastern Division, Wilcox, Alabama, Page: 1070 (stamped); Line 6, Dwelling 379; Family 418, Household of Wm R. EDDINS; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://ancestry.com : viewed 3 May 2022); citing National Archives Microfilm M653_26.

2. 1880 U. S. Census, Tarrant County, Texas, population schedule, Tarrant, Texas, Page#99(Stamped); Line#30, Dwelling#217, Family#223, Household of Isaac D. EDDINS; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 3 May 2023); citing National Archives Microfilm T9, Roll 1329.

3. 1900 U. S. Census, Howard County, Texas, population schedule, Unknown Township, Howard, Texas, enumeration district (ED) 0097, ; Page#295B(Stamped); Line#60, Dwelling#483, Family#497, Household of Isaac D. EDINS; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 3 May 2023); citing National Archives Microfilm T623, Roll.

4. 1910 U. S. Census, Howard County, Texas, population schedule, Big Springs, Howard, Texas, enumeration district (ED) 0124, Page:#16A/252 (Stamped); Line#16, Dwelling#110, Family#295, Household of I. D. EDDINS; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 3 May 2023); citing National Archives Microfilm T624, Roll.

5. 1920 U. S. Census, Howard County, Texas, population schedule, Big Spring, Howard, Texas, enumeration district (ED) 0114, Page#73B (Stamped); Line#89, Dwelling#130, Family#146, Household of Sallie EDDINS & Isaac; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 3 May 2023); citing National Archives Microfilm T625_.

6. 1930 U. S. Census, Howard County, Texas, population schedule, Big Spring, Howard, Texas, enumeration district (ED) 0002, Page#70B (Stamped); Line#84, Dwelling#973, Family#2172, Household of Isaac D. EDDINS; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewd 3 May 2023); citing National Archives Microfilm T626, Roll xxxx.

7. Isaac David "I.D." Eddins, death certificate 18856 (17 April 1923), Vital Records, Department of Health, Austin, Travis County, Texas.

8. Find A Grave, Inc., Find A Grave, database and digital images, (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed 3 May 2023); Memorial page for Isaac David “Ike/I.D.” Eddins; (29 January 1849–17 April 1933); Find a Grave memorial # 25458755, Citing Mount Olive Cemetery; Big Spring, Howard County, Texas, USA.

9. "Alabama Marriages, 1816-1942," database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : Viewed 3 May 2023), Marriage: Isaac D. Edens & Mary T. Speers; FHL Film Number: 1033195.

10. Find A Grave, Inc., Find A Grave, database, "Record, Mary Temity Speirs Eddins (22 November 1846–3 February 1908), Memorial # 36090313.

11. "I. D. ‘Uncle Ike Eddins, 87, Resident Of City 52 Years,Succumbs,"Obituary, Big Spring Daily Herald, Big Spring, Texas, 21 April 1933, Page 1, Column 1; Digital On-Line Archives, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/ : viewed & transcribed September 2020).

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