A Mess of Greens

Submitted and Photos by Jean (Bateman) Wallace

Photos courtesy of Jean Bateman Wallace

My Uncle Berton always calls his family "A Mess of Greens". They were a mess too but one of the finest families any where around and not because they are mine. They were good Christian folks that attended church regularly, raised all their children in the church. Out of the seven kids there were no divorces and every single couple were very happily married. There are 10
grandchildren, one has died and there were two divorces, the rest of us are happily married.  (My husband, Bill, and I will be married 44 years in Jan 2002). So, there was some good, clean, strong blood running through those veins. Out of the seven children only one son chose not to go to college, much to my grandparents dismay.

Green family on steps of Weather Bureau Dec. 25, 1917

the children listed as they are on the porch: Hosea has his hand holding Paul, Emma is holding Ruth, Mary is behind Emma,
John Willis "Bill" is beside Mary, Howard is sitting on the step with his hand shading his eyes, Elsie is sitting on the step down from Howard and Berton is standing in front with his hands in his pockets.

in their birth order:
John Willis "Bill" Green--mar: Ethel Mae "Pat" Holley (dec'd)
b:  3 Jul 1907 in Knoxville, TN, Knox Co.
d: 17 Jul 1990 in Abilene, TX, Taylor Co.--buried: Elmwood Memorial Park  John Willis "Bill" owned and operated an Humble Service Station on South 1st until he retired

Mary Louise Green--mar: Russell Philip Mozeney (dec'd)
b: 25 Dec 1909 in Fort Worth, TX, Tarrant Co.
d: 21 Jun 1996 in Corpus Christi, TX, Nueces Co.--buried: Seaside Cem.   "Mary" Louise was a school teacher in Corpus Christi, TX until she retired

Elsie Beatrice Green--mar: Eugene Lee Dement                                  
                          b:   28 Apr 1911 in Abilene, TX, Taylor Co.
d: 14 Sep 1959 in Amarillo, TX, Potter Co.--both buried: San Jon, NM, Quay Co.
(Elsie and Eugene died from a car accident in NM) "Elsie" Beatrice was a school teacher in several schools in NM until her death.

Edward Howard Green--mar: Opal Carroll Flanagan (lives in Nurs. Home in
Memphis)
b:   2 May 1912 in Abilene, TX, Taylor Co.
d: 16 Nov 1996 in Memphis, TN, Shelby Co.--buried: in Memphis. Edward "Howard" drove a Railway Express truck in Abilene until he retired and later sacked groceries because he just wasn't ready to stop working and loved people.


Berton Bryant Green--mar: Gertrude Frances Taylor(lives in Nurs. Home in Ft.
Worth)
b: 17 Jun 1913 in Abilene, TX, Taylor Co.  still living in North Richland Hills, TX.    "Berton" Bryant was a Weatherman in Concordia, KS until he retired.

Paul Davis Green--mar: Mattie Juanita Godwin (dec'd)
b: 11 Jun 1915 in Abilene, TX, Taylor Co.
d: 1 Feb 2001 in Dallas, TX, Dallas Co.--buried: Sweetwater, TX, Nolan Co. Garden of Memories   "Paul" Davis worked in a Safeway grocery store in San Angelo, TX then owned and operated his own Coffee delivery business in Sweetwater, TX until he retired.

Permelia Ruth "Ruth" Green--mar: Harley Dean Bateman (dec'd)
b: 20 Feb 1917 in Abilene, TX, Taylor Co.  still living in Longview, TX.    Permelia "Ruth" worked at Eunice Ann's Blouse Factory in Abilene and the rest of the time stayed home, raised the kids and was the Secretary to Harley's Formica and Floor Tile laying business which was a side line business for years and then full time after he retired.

Something else that might be of interest. There were two other Weathermen in the family. My aunt Mary married Russell Mozeney who was working as a helper to Hosea and they got married and moved to Corpus Christi, TX where he was
their Weatherman until he retired. Also my uncle Berton was a Weatherman in Concordia, KS until he retired and moved back to TX. My dad, Harley, worked for Hosea before he and mother married but he went on into the Abilene Post Office and did that until he retired.

Horse, Billy, and the Green's in the surrey with the fringe on top. It was taken the same day, Dec. 25, 1917, as the one on the porch.