CHARLES J. MCLEROY  

The following bio was taken from page 294 of the book entitled “Rusk County History” compiled and edited and used with permission of the Rusk County Historical Commission. 

Transcribed by Shirley Koym 

Submitted by Gloria Briley Mayfield, Cemeteries of Texas 

The late Mr. and Mrs. C. J. McLeroy of Brownfield, Texas were former Rusk County residents. 

Charlie Jefferson McLeroy was born June 29, 1879 near Corsicana, Navarro County, Texas.  His parents were Rev. Soloman Edward McLeroy, born near Griffin, Georgia and Judson Neville, born near Selma, Alabama.  They later lived in Panola County.

Annie Eugenia Keeling was born October 10, 1886 at Henderson, in Rusk County.  Her parents were William Briley Keeling, born in Georgia, and Sarah Atwood Clinton, born in Rusk County.

Charlie and Annie were married June 7, 1903 near Henderson.  They lived in Rusk County until 1906 when they moved to Haskell County, where they farmed and raised whiteface cattle.

The McLeroy’s had ten children, seven girls and three boys.  Their first child was Era Atwood Sears of Brownfield, born November 17, 1904 near Henderson.  The following eight children were born in Haskell County:  Rena Faye Bozeman of Lubbock, born May 13, 1907; Nellie Mae McLeroy, born June 2, 1909; Dena “Dollie” Bernice of Seminole, Texas, born October 10, 1910; Vivian Stone of Brownfield, born June 7, 1912; Rev. Sollie Robert McLeroy, born January 14, 1914; George Bernard of Green Valley, Arizona, born November 11, 1915; Iva Lee Patton of Brownfield, born September 28, 1917; Edd Calvin of Dimmitt, born March 22, 1920; and Waneta Clydell Dendy of Moses Lake, Washington, born December 13, 1921 at Brownfield, Texas.  Two of the ten children are deceased.  Dr. Nellie Mae McLeroy died of a heart attack January 9, 1968, and Rev. Sollie Robert McLeroy died of a heart attack May 19, 1981 at Brownfield.

C. J. McLeroy came to Terry County in 1920 and bought a farm two and one-half miles southeast of Gomez.  The family moved to Brownfield in January 1921.

The move to Terry County was supposed to be to “land of milk and honey,” but what a delusion.  The wind has never blown any harder or the sand rolled any longer or colder than it did that first spring.  Time changed things, and soon the rains came and good crops covered the sand, and Terry County became home.

After moving to Terry County, C. J. McLeroy bred and raised registered shorthorn cattle and registered hogs for a number of years.  The family also had large orchards.  The farm was also known for fine turkeys, chickens, and lots of guineas.

The McLeroy children all attended the Gomez Schools long as there was a school.  Three of the daughters who were graduates of Gomez High School later returned and taught school at Gomez for several years.  They were Rena, Nell, and Vivian.  The youngest, Waneta, is a teacher in Washington now.  George B. worked with the U. S. Agriculture Department and spent twenty years overseas.  He taught for several years at the American University in Beirut, Lebanon.  Dr. Nell taught and was president for a number of years at the College of South West in Hobbs, New Mexico and at a college in Arizona.  Robert was pastor of Southern Baptist churches in Texas and New Mexico.  He started and pastured churches in Arizona, Colorado, and Utah.  Dollie, now retired, was a nurse for many years.  Edd C. served as agriculture county agent in Dimmitt, Castro County for a number of years.  He is now vice-president and agriculture advisor at a bank in Dimmitt.  Rena and Vivian are both retired teachers.

C. J. McLeroy died August 22, 1948.  Annie died of a heart attack November 23, 1955.

Submitted by Era Sears