JUDGE WILLIAM WRIGHT MOORE

The following bio was taken from page 312 of the book entitled “Rusk County History” compiled and edited and used with permission of the Rusk County Historical Commission.

 Transcribed by Claudia Schuster

Submitted by Gloria Briley Mayfield, Cemeteries of TX

 Martha Morris, daughter of Stephen D. and Mary (Bradford) Morris, was born in Coosa County, Alabama in 1843, and died in Henderson, Texas, May 10, 1916.  In 1868 in Cherokee County, Texas, she married Simpson Moore, who was born in 1825 in Yalubusha County, Mississippi and died in 1885 in Rusk County.  He was the son of Silas and Mournful Moore.

 Martha Morris and Simpson Moore had six children.  Mollie Moore, who was born in 1867, married Sam Pirtle. She died in Durant, Oklahoma.  Linnie Moore, who was born in 1870, married Alfred Martin.  William Wright Moore, who was born May 9, 1872, married Matilda Weaver.  She died December 7, 1948.  Sedella Moore, who was born in 1874, married Walter Kinnebrew.  Charles Clinton Moore, who was born in 1877, married Carrie Pope.  He died in 1954.  Horace Chilton Moore, who was born in 1883, died in 1913.  He never married.

 William Wright Moore married Matilda Weaver, who was born November 8, 1874.  She was the daughter of Adeline Worley and Simeon Edward Weaver of Rusk in Cherokee County. William was admitted to the Bar in Henderson in 1895 and was county judge in Rusk County from 1905 to 1909.  He moved to Dalhart, Texas in 1909 as attorney for the First National Bank, Rock Island, Fort Worth and Denver City Railroad.  In 1915 he was attorney for the Association of Texas Railroads, Austin, Texas.  He moved to Houston in 1915 as attorney for the J.S. Cullinan Interests.  J.S. Cullinan was founder of the Texas Company, Magnolia Petroleum Company, and American Republics Corporation.  W.W. Moore became president and general counsel for Fidelity Trust Company of Houston, vice-president of the Republic Production Company, chairman of the Shadyside Trustees, chairman of White Trustees Honoring Negro Hospitals and elder in the First Presbyterian Church, Houston.  He retired from the Cullinan interests in 1932 and practiced law in Houston with his son, Weaver, until 1942, when he returned to the 11^th District Court, where he served until his death in 1948.  He was buried in Forest Park Cemetery in Houston.

 The first child of Matilda Weaver and W.W. Moore was William Wright Moore, Jr., who was born October 31, 1898, in Henderson and died in Houston, December 22, 1960.  He received his Bachelor of Law (L.L.B.) Degree from Cumberland University in 1920.  He became assistant city attorney of Houston and attorney for American Republics Corporation.  He was a first Texas Cavalryman in World War I.  He married, first, Leona Callaham and second, Pauline Cole.  He had no children from these marriages.  He is buried in Forest Park Cemetery in Houston.

 The second child of Matilda and W.W. was Edward Weaver Moore, who was born March 13, 1901.  He married Helen Paxton, daughter of George Lee and Mattie Warren Paxton, on October 3, 1928.

 The third child was Henry Simpson Moore, who was born September 22, 1904 in Henderson.  On September 2, 1924 he married Maud Lyne.  They had no children.  He received his L.L. B. from the Houston Law School in 1926 and became attorney for American Republics Corporation, was Assistant Attorney General of Texas in 1938, and was a major in the U.S. Army Air Corps in World War II.

 The second son, Edward Weaver Moore was married to Helen Paxton in the Governor’s Mansion at Austin.  Helen had been born September 18, 1906.  Edward Weaver receives his L.L.B. from the University of Texas and was Assistant Attorney General of Teas from 1925 to 1927.  He was State Senator from Harris County (Houston) from 1935 to 1947.  He was elected President Pro-Tempore of the Texas Senate in 1939.  He was offered appointments by Governor Allan Shivers as Secretary of State, Land Commissioner of Texas, and Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas, but declined each of them.  He practiced law in Houston after 1927.  He was a member of the Episcopal Church.

 Martha Matilda Moore, child of Weaver and Helen Paxton Moore, was born September 6, 1931.  On April 19, 1954, she married Emile Marc Cuenod, who was born May 14, 1938, the son of Emile Maxmillian and Nadine (Pillet) Cuenod of Houston.  Martha Matilda Moore had attended Sweetbriar College in Virginia from 1949 to 1950.  She has her B.A. degree from the University of Texas with honors in 1953.  Martha Matilda and Emile Marc have three children.  They are: Martha Carol, who was born March 7, 1955; Emile Marc, Jr., who was born December 1, 1957, and Ann Moore Cuenod, who was born November 29, 1959.

 Submitted by William B. Bugg