DICK CATES

The following bio was taken from page 143 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, Rusk County TX Coordinator

In the early 1900’s, W. M. and Georgia Cates brought their family from Georgia to Rusk County. One of the sons, Ennis C., married Beatrice Deason, who was the daughter of Jesse and Della Nelson Deason.

Ennis and Beatrice lived all of their lives in the Zion Hill and Minden communities where he made his living farming and saw milling. The couple had seven children: Wilmer, Ellen Lloyd, Mary Dell, Ennis E., Ellis A., Erma Lee, and Rand

Ennie E., better known as Dick, married Katherine "Sis" E. Hartt, who was the youngest child of Thomas K. Hartt and Laura A. Smith Hartt. The Hartt family was from the Garrison area in Rusk County.

Dick and Sis lived at Minden where they had a general store for many years. Then they went into the dairy business. They had three children – Dan, Paula and me, Peggy.

Dan worked with his father in the diary and in the hay fields during the summer. I and my sister, Paula, worked with our mother in the home, putting up vegetables in the summer, cleaning, cooking, washing and ironing. Our parents spent many hours training us to work.

We children attended Minden School through the eighth grade and then went to Henderson High School. Our family attended Zion Hill Missionary Baptist Church, where Dad is a deacon.

Dan, who is still in the dairy business, married Annibel Pirtle and they have a son, Michael. Paula married David Mansinger and they have five children: Lena, Laura, Lanice, James Paul, and David Duff. I married Odis Chapman and we have two sons, Kim and Phillip.

Many happy times have been spent together in our home, which was a gathering place for many of our relatives whose fellowship was always enjoyed. Our family is no longer complete since the loss of our dear mother at Christmas in 1979.

Submitted by Peggy Cates Chapman