The Wommacks

ANDREW MURRAY AND MAY BELL FLOYD WOMMACK The Wommack family “began its migration from Alabama to Texas before the Civil War, but it was not until 1888 that Andrew Murray Wommack came to Texas with his parents, Elijah John and Sarah Ann Horn Wommack. He was the eldest of the four children who accompanied his parents. Older brothers and sisters had already come to Texas...to Bowie and Cass Counties.

The Floyd family came to Texas in the early 1850’s. May Bell was the daughter of David Anderson Floyd and his wife Mollie Hefner. May Bell’s five sons were born in the same house where she was born. May Bell’s mother died before she was three years old. Her father later married Olivia Smith.

A.M. Wommack, born August 15, 1870 in Alabama and May Bell Floyd, “born September 21, 1876 in Cass County, TX were married May 25, 1898 by the Rev. W.W. Lee. They made their home at Marietta where A.M. was a farmer, co-owner of a cotton gin, and owner and operator of a general merchandise store. They were the parents of five sons Ennis Bryan, Alvin Floyd, Thurman Edwin, David Alton, and Winford Raymond. Alvin, who was deaf, died of pneumonia at the age of 12.

Andrew Murray Wommack was better known by his nickname “Lan”, as a young man he taught school. He also taught singing schools which were popular through the 1930’s. The couple were members of the Oak Ridge Baptist Church, Marietta, and reared their sons in the same faith.

May Wommack was a woman who helped throughout the community when there was sickness; especially during flu epidemics when she would go and tend the sick. She also had a special method of healing babies of “thrash”. Her method was a secret and would only be told to a member of the opposite sex. None of her sons, if she told them, remembers her secret.

May Wommack, who was known as “Miss May” enjoyed raising flowers. She had stands of pot plants on the front “veranda”, and her husband built a special “flower house” with thick walls filled with sawdust, and windows on the south side, where she could keep her plants during the winter months.

A special Sunday afternoon treat at this home was to cut a big Tom Watson watermelon that had been chilled several days in his son Thurman’s ice house. The melons were always grown by “Lan” Wommack.

May Bell Wommack was an invalid the last three years of her life. She died of heart failure July 10, 1943. During his remaining years, Andrew Murray spent most of his time with one and then another of his four children. After suffering a stroke, he died in a hospital at Marshall, Texas August 8, 1947. Both are buried in the Oak Ridge Cemetery at Marietta.

A.M. Wommack served on the County School Board of Cass County from the time it was formed until poor health forced his retirement. His son, Thurman, was elected to fill his place on the Board.

DAVID ALTON AND THELMA CHRISTINE PATTERSON WOMMACK Teaching school at Rock Springs in Cass County “brought David Alton Wommack and Thelma Christine Patterson, two Cass County natives together. Three years after they met, they were married April 20, 1928 in Atlanta by the Rev. C.F. Almond.

Dave, as he is better known, was born August 5, 1904, at Marietta, the son of Andrew Murry and May Bell Floyd Wommack. He was born in the same house where his mother and four brothers were born... the former home of his grandfather David Anderson Floyd.

Christine, born January 18, 1907, is the daughter of Guy Floyd and Eunice LaNora Brown Patterson of Bloomburg. She was born in a house built by her father.

Both are descendants of pioneer settlers of the county, the Wommacks, Floyds,. Hefners, Endsleys, Browns and Pattersons.

Dave and Christine made their first home at Marietta where both taught school at Dalton. Their first child, Thelma Jeane, was born February 27, 1931. Their two sons were not born until the 194O’s... David Alton Wommack, Junior August 31, 1942 and Larry Joseph Wommack June 16, 1945. Both sons were born at St. Michael’s Hospital, Texarkana, Arkansas.

Dave taught school for 14- years, Christine for 10 years at schools in Cass and Harrison Counties including Marietta, Bloomburg, Queen City, Oak Grove, and Gum Springs. They lived 8 years in Texarkana - from August 1942 thru September 1950.

Dave took up radio as a hobby in the early 1930’s, then it became his vocation in 1940 when he took a job as a radio instructor for the National Youth Administration Camp in Marshall where he worked one year. He also worked as engineer for radio stations K C M C and K T F S in Texarkana. But during World War II he was in charge of two-way communications for Lone Star Ordnance Depot in Texarkana.

In 1950, with H.H. Wommack, Junior as a partner, Dave put in K A L T Radio in Atlanta and managed the station until his retirement in 1975. He became sole owner of the Ark-La-Tex Broadcast Company in 1974 and took his three children in as partners in 1980. Son David is now manager, and daughter Jeane is Assistant Manager. Son Joe is an electrical engineer for Southwestern Electric Power Company, Texarkana and is a partner in the Queen City Hardware and General Store.

Both Dave and Christine are graduates of East Texas State University, Commerce, TX. They are both active members of the First Baptist Church and have taught Sunday School and Training Union Classes, Dave is a Deacon and former Chairman of the Board. Both sons are also Deacons. In the 1950’s he was County Chairman for the March of Dimes and National Polio Foundation. He is a member of the Rotary Club and nominated for a Paul Harris Fellowship. He is a member and former Director of the Chamber of Commerce. Christine is a member of Delta Kappa Gamma and Daughters of the American Revolution. In Texarkana she was a member of LORC (Ladies of Robison Courts) and is a former member of the Thursday Study Club.

Jeane married Arthur Dudley Wright and lives in Kildare; David married Joyce Ann Futch of Irving and lives in Atlanta; Joe married Kathleen Ney Johnson and lives in Atlanta. David and Joyce have two sons and Joe and Kathy have two daughters.