The Levi and Mollie Lummus family

Levi Lummus was born March 15, 1859, in Georgia, and was the fourth of eleven children of Franklin and Sarah McCluskey Lummus. Levi grew up in Milton County, Georgia, and in 1878, he married Mary Evaline “Mollie” Moulder there. Mollie was born February 18, 1860, and was the daughter of Alfred and Adeline Fields Moulder.

In 1885, Levi brought his family to Texas by train, and they settled near Bloomburg where Levi started farming. Levi’s oldest brother, Dave, had come here from Georgia some eight to ten years earlier, and five more of their brothers and sisters brought their families to Cass County after the turn of the century; Charlie, Mary, Thelia, who married Bill Claytonj Nina, married Gus Gage; and Agnes, married Berry Thompson. One other “brother and three more sisters remained in Georgia, as did the parents, Franklin and Sarah Lummus. Sarah died in Georgia and is buried there. Franklin joined his children in Texas shortly before his death in 1902; he is buried in the Salem Cemetery.

Levi and Mollie Lummus were the parents of ten children: Maude, who married James T. Walker; Mattie, who married George Young; Ira Franklin; Myrtle, who married Weaver Spiva; Agnes, who married Walter Patillo; Orin, who was known as “Oce”; Vick; Buel, who died at the age of four; Herman and Horace. Vick is the only one of these children who is still living; he celebrated his 89th birthday in August of 1981, and lives at Parwell, Texas.

Mollie Lummus died February 13. 1910, and Levi died October 5, 1928; they are both buried at Salem.

Ira Franklin Luiranus was the third child of Levi and Mollie Moulder Lummus. He was born in Georgia on February 25, 1883, and the family came to Texas when he was about two years old.

Ira grew up near Bloomburg, and as a young man would go to 0’Parrell on horseback to visit relatives. There he met Odie Ola Hardegree, and they were married December 20, 1903- Odie was the daughter of Thomas and Mima Betterton Hardegree, who came to Texas shortly before Odie’s birth in December 18?9.

Ira and Odie began their married life near Bloomburg, where Ira was a farmer, and about 1914, they moved to O’Farrell. Ira and Odie were the parents of seven, children: Ola, Tver, Herschel, A.D., Ruby, Lester, and Judge.

Ola graduated from Texas State College for Women, now Texas Women’s University at Denton and served as a dormitory director there for 42 years. In 1973, she was honored as one of TWTJ’s Outstanding Alumnae. She is now retired and lives at Borger, Texas.

Tver married George Brunson and has two sons, W.G. and R.E.. In 1943, they moved to Borger, where George was a carpenter. Iver is now a widow and spends much of her time creating a variety of handicrafts.

Hershel married Inez Wise and lived at McLeod most of his life. He worked for the Ohio Oil Company, later named Marathon, for 32 years. He and Inez had one daughter, Scarlett, Mrs. Hugh Long. Hershel died in 1970 and is bur-ed at O’Farrell.

A.D. married Juanita Draper and had four children: Don, Odie Ann, Mrs. Sam Johnson, Charles, and Jerry. They moved to Sherman in 1943, where A.D. served for many years as a highway patrolman. He later became an automobile salesman and is now semi-retired. Following Juanita’s death, A.D. married Faye Gee and they live in Denison. Ruby graduated from Texas State College for Women and became a teacher; she retired in 1977 after teaching for 33 years. She married Raymond Vaughan in 1941, and they have one daughter, Sue, Mrs. Mike Harris. Raymond retired from Lone Star Gas Company, and the Vaughans live in Fort Worth.

Lester graduated from Texas A & M University and during world War II, served as a captain in the famed Rainbow Division of the 7th Army. He married Thaxter Greenway and worked for Phillips Petroleum Company for over 27 years. Lesser died in 1974 and is buried at O’Farrell. His widow ‘has recently sold their home in Sweeny and moved back to Atlanta.

Judg9 served in the Navy Seabees during World War II, and after the war, he married Ina Shaw. They live in Borger where Judge worked for Phillips Petroleum Company for more than 41 year before his retirement in 1981. Judge and Ina have two sons, Loyd and Troy, and have recently become the grandparents of the first little boy in the next generation to carry on the Lummus name.

Ira and Odie Lunrnius were active in the church and school affairs at O’Farrell while their children were growing up. Ira also belonged to the Woodmen of the World and assisted with law enforcement in the community. Odie was known for her prize-winning quilts and canned goods, especially her pickled peaches. Odie endowed her children with strong family ties, and for many years the children held annual family reunions. She also instilled in her children the importance of hard work and learning, which became a legacy to her grandchildren. It is no small accomplishment that all ten of her grandchildren have completed college. Odie died September 24, 1939, and is buried with the Hardegrees at O’Farrell. Ira died three years later, on July 20, 1942, and is buried with his Lummus ancestors at Salem.

--By Scarlett Lummus Long