King, Dandle Brigman and Annie

Lea County Families and History, Then and Now, Vol II, 1984

 King, Dandle Brigman and Annie

By: William C. King

     Brigman King's earliest traceable ancestor was Peter King, an 184's settler in Cherokee County in East Texas. His parents were Edward Johnson and Hannah Henderson who moved the family to Bosque County, Texas in the 1870's. At Hico, Texas Brigman married Annie Louisa Martin. They had five children: Bertha, Emery, Fred, Inez and Hugh. Around 1900 they moved to Sterling City, Texas where Bigman ran a freighting business. They moved to Lea County in 1909 where each family member homesteaded 160 acres. Brigman is remembered as a very large man of equally good nature. His obituary in the Lovington Leader said" He was always ready to lend a helping hand to his fellow men. He probably entertained more strangers than any other man in this community. " Annie is remembered as as rather the opposite-a thin frail woman with a more somber disposition.

     Emery King worked for some time for the Bell Ranch, was in the Army during World War I, worked for Humble Oil Company until the 1930'swhen he began ranching full time. He leased the ranch in the 1950's and with his wife Rowena Clark, moved to Hobbs. Emery was known to many of his friends as "Slim," and to few as "Sucker Rod." He was 6'6" without his boots.  He passed away in 1969. Rowena lives in Hobbs.

     Bertha King, a spinster, taught at White School in 1918-1919. She worked as home teacher for early ranch families before moving to Odessa, Texas. She was head of the Red Cross and a faithful member of the Methodist Church. She died there in 1964.

     Fred King married Eunice Carson (for whom the town is named) and worked in the oil fields around Odessa for many years. Their son, Freddie, succumbed to jaundice in childhood. For his retirement years Fred bought a ranch near Ft. Sumner, spending those years enjoying ranch and small town activities. Fred had the expensive good nature of his father and shared his grandfather's love of the Masonic Lodge and the Methodist Church. He died in 1960.

     Inez King also inherited the tall glands being 6'2". She married a Eunice boy, Gid Crenshaw and they moved to a ranch near Monahans, Texas. In the 1920's they took over the operation of the Johnson Ranch near Odessa. They raised two tall sons and were stalwart members of the First Christian Church. Inez was artistic, taking and hand tinting photographs and playing piano. She died in 1962.

     William Hugh King attended an early Eunice school under the tutelage of Charlie White. In 1916, he and Curtis Crenshaw set out for Western New Mexico in search of work. They ran out of grub in James Canyon near Cloudcroft. and ate some green apples from an orchard. When they arrived at a farm later and the lady fixed them a nice meal they found their teeth were so "sharp" that they could not eat. They continued across the mountains abd worked for Oliver Lee in one of his line camps. They were in Silver City when World War I started and enlisted there.  After the war, Hugh worked for the railroad before returning to Eunice. He married Pearl Warlick in 1924. He and Emery became partners and bought the Ace Christmas ranch adjoining their homesteads. Hugh ran the ranch and Emery continued to work for Humble until it was paid out.  During the 1930's High was a school board member and a deputy sheriff. Hugh had his mother's frail build and health problems and in 1939 he sold out to Emery and the family moved to Hot Spring New Mexico. He shared his father's love of company and the fellowship of a good domino game. He liked music and played the mandolin and the French harp. Hugh and Pearl had two children-Mary Lou Harrison, who lives with her family in McCarney, Texas and William Curtis (Bill) who lives in Anthony, New Mexico. Bill and Patsy have two children-Annette, who is still at home, and William Frederick who lives with his wife, Brenda, in Killeen, Texas. Hugh died in 1968 and is buried next to his parents in the Eunice Cemetery. Pearl lives near her son.