Stephens County Texas Biographies

Stephens County, Texas

Biographies

Charles Houston Veale.
The Veale family has been prominent in the Texas bar for many years. Judge Veale is one of the leading lawyers of Amarillo, and his son named at the beginning of this paragraph is now identified with the Floyd county bar, and one of its ablest junior members.

Charles Houston Veale was born in Breckenridge, Texas, October 3, 1888, a son of John W. Veale, for a number of years has been one of the leading members of the Potter county bar. Judge Veale represented his district in the forty-first and forty-second state legislatures, and has been one of the leaders in Democratic politics and civic affairs. He also served on the district bench. The maiden name of the mother was Lucy Lee Crutcher, who was born in Texas, a daughter of Rev. Crutcher, an old settler of Stephens county, and long a Baptist minister. The mother died in 1891 at Breckenridge. There were three children in the family, namely: Lottie May, wife of Joe A. Wheat of Seymour; Charles H.; and Lucile, wife of H. J. Houser of Amarillo.

Charles Houston Veale was reared in Amarillo, where he attended the grade and high schools, graduating from the latter in 1905. He then entered the University of Texas, where he spent two years as a student, and completed his law studies in his father's office. He was admitted to practice July 5, 19.10, and was at once taken into partnership in his fathers firm, known as Veale, Davidson & Veale. In September, 1911, he left to take up his residence and begin independent practice in Floydada. Mr. Veale is a Democrat and a worker in party and civic affairs. He is affiliated with the Masonic Order and the Modern Order of Pretorians, and belongs to the Potter county bar association, and the state and American Bar Association. His church is the Baptist. On December 18, 1912, Mr. Veale was married in Kansas City, Missouri, to Miss Pattie Irene Easling, a native of Bonaparte, Iowa, a daughter of H. L. Easling. During his residence in Amarillo, Mr. Veale served in the Texas National Guards, holding the place of sergeant in his company. [transcribed by Janice Rice]

William L. Headers
After many years of successful and extensive connection with the cattle and live stock business in this state William L. Meaders in 1907 established himself in business with his brother in Olney under the firm name of the Meaders Brothers' Hardware Company, today one of the most prominent and prosperous firms of its kind in this section of the state. In this, as in his other enterprises, success has attended the efforts of Mr. Meaders, and in Olney, as in other towns with which he has been variously identified, Mr. Meaders has taken his place among the leading men of the community. That he has gained a measure of success in his business life is due entirely to the qualities that dominate the man. for he started out with few advantages and no capital, but his determination and energy stood him in excellent stead in their place, with the result that he is today independent.

Born in Berry county, Missouri, on March 20, 1862, William L. Meaders is a son of Eleck A. and Mary (Weathers) Meaders, natives of Kentucky and of Indiana, respectively. Both became identified with the life of Missouri at an early period in their existence, and did not remove to Texas until the autumn of 1877, when they settled at Breckenridge, in Stephens county, there taking up farming and stock raising, in which enterprise they continued until the end of their lives. The father died in November, 1901, aged seventy-three, and the mother passed away in June, 1907, aged seventy. The father was active in the Civil war as a participant with a Missouri Regiment, seeing four years of con- tinned service in the Southern Division of the Confederate army. The mother was educated in private schools in Missouri, and she met and married her husband in Missouri. Four children were born to them, as follows: J. B. Meaders, engaged with his brother William L. in business in Olney; William L., of this review; Mrs. Edna Pyles, living in Frederick, Oklahoma; John A. Meaders, living at Breckenridge.

William L. Meaders attended the country schools of Berry county as a boy. and when he left school he interested himself in stock raising and farming. Coming to Texas in 1877, he devoted himself to the business on a large scale, continuing in Stephens county in that business from January, 1878, to August, 1907, in the latter year removing to Young county and settling at Olney, where he has since been engaged in business. When Mr. Meaders joined his brother in the establishment of their present hardware business in Olney, he did so on a small scale, the business being by no means an extensive one, but one that was well established and which grew in strength and scope with each succeeding season. An immense stock of goods and largely increased show rooms mark the difference between the present concern and that which they brought into life six years ago, and the business is recogni2ed as one of the leading hardware, wagon and implement houses in this section of the state today.

Mr. Meaders, while a resident of Stephens county^ was for five years county commissioner of that county, serving on the Democratic ticket, which party he has long been a stanch adherent of. He is a citiien of many excellent qualities, and has a deal of civic pride and a progressive spirit that make him a desirable addition to any community. Fraternally, he has membership in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, being a charter member of the Stephens county lodge, in which he has passed all chairs. He is a member of the Presbyterian church.

On December 20, 1888, Mr. Meaders was married to Miss Annie Veale, of Breckenridge, the daughter of Carroll and Amanda (Arel) Veale, the mother being still alive and a resident of Hill county, Texas. Seven children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Meaders: Charles Meaders, the eldest, was born in 1889 in Stephens county. He married Mary Mateson on November 27th and resides in Young county. Leona Meaders is deceased. James, living at home, was born in 1894. Irene, born in 1898, is attending high school. Willie, Mary and Eleck, the three youngest, were born in 1900, 1902 and 1904, respectively.

The Meaders family is one that enjoys a leading place in the best social activities of Olney, where they are well known and highly esteemed for their many excellent qualities, and where they display a proper interest in the welfare of the community as a whole.
[transcribed by Janice Rice]