The Lee Family

By Giles M. Lee

The story of the Lee family and its exodus to west Texas by the Brooks Williams Lee branch in 1885, and later to what is now Lea County, New Mexico, by Richard David Lee, Sr., and his family in 1925, will begin in Brown County, Texas.
Gresham (Dude) Lee was born in Tennessee in 1819, the son of Ephiraim Lee, of Virginia, a cousin of R.E. Lee. Listed inthe census records as a stockman, he also served several times as sheriff of Brown County, Texas.
He was married three times, the second wife was a full-blooded Cherokee Indian named Aurie Williams and mother of Brooks Williams Lee,II, born 1851 from this marriage.
A brother of Gresham Lee is worthy of mention here. Brroks Williams Lee, Sr., was a texas stockman, and prominent citizen of Texas. At the close of the Civil War, when the long trail drivers were on the move, he made one of the longest cattle drives on record They started the herd from San Antonio in 1867, and some two years later arrived in Bernardino, California. His nephew, Brooks Williams Lee, II, made this trip at 16 years of age.
As were most of the elders before him, Brooks Williams Lee II, was a stockman. Following this trade in Brown COunty, Texas for a number of years, he several brushes with the Commanches and was listed and recognized on the Texas Rangers roles as an Indian fighter and temporary Ranger. He married Nancy Jenny Millican in 1873, and to this union thirteen children were born. The four older boys, James, Richard, George and Young and the oldest girl, Molly, were born in Brown County.
In 1885, Brroks Lee, his wife, Jenny, and five children left Brown County for Midland, Texas. Another daughter, Aurie, was born in the wagon, on this trip. The family spent some time in Midland and then moved on west of the present town of Seminole, Texas, settling in a dugout on Seminole Draw. They were located on what was later the M.S. Doss Ranch. Owning and leasing ranches in the West Texas area for several years, they eventually located in the city of Midland, Texas and built a home. Through these years, seven more children wetre born to them, four girls and three boys.
Theoldest son of Brooks Lee, Jim, left Texas as a young man and was on a ranch in South Dakota until his death in 1926. Brooks Lee, III, served in the Army in World War I and was kiled while in Russia after the war. Other than these two sons and Richard David Lee, who moved to New Mexico, the other children of Brooks Lee II, settled permanently in the Midland area.
Richard David Lee, Sr., left the Midland area in 1898 and worked for a time on the Hat Ranch at Monument Springs, New Mexico. Returning to Texas, he married Sarah Viola Forrestor in 1900. They spent the first few months of their marriage in Indian Territory, Oklahoma own a steer ranch ownd by Wilson Connell. Returning to the Midland rea in 1900,k their first child was born, a daughter, Brookie Wanda Lee. Two years later, a son was born, Roy Raymond Lee. The next child a son, born five years later, was Richard David Lee, Jr. in 1922, the last child, a son, Giles Milton Lee, was born.
From 1900-1925, Richard David (Dick) Lee was engaged in the cow business in the Midland area, working as wagon boss for the "C" Ranch and later for himself own ranches owned and leased.
In 1925, he entered a partership with the Scharbauer Cattle Company of Midland, Texas, as part owner and manager of ranching interest located in Lea County, New Mexico, moving to the Swamp Angel Ranch, southwest of Lovington in the fall of 1925. This ranch ws formerly owned by Rom Holt.
From 1925 until his death in 1940, Dick Lee was actively engaged in the cow business in Lea County. The three sons and daughter of Dick and Viola Lee all settled in Lea County and are, or have been, ranchers. Brookie Anderson and husband, W.A. Anderson, Sr., were in the rigistered cattle business for many years and are now retired. Roy Lee, owned and operated the Hi Lonesome Ranch east of Lovington and later owned a ranch near Claunch, New Mexico. He is now retired. R.D. Lee and his son, Bill Lee, own and operate ranches in this area nd near Caprock, New Mexico. Bill is now serving his second term as a State Senator from this area. Giles Lee is in the cow business and lives on the Swamp Angel Ranch southwest of Lovington, New Mexico.