JOHN R. WHERRY

The following bio was taken from page 84 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, Rusk County TX Coordinator

John R. Wherry, born in 1874, the son of Bud and Elizabeth Wherry, lived in Rusk County for seventy-three years. His father moved to Rusk County from Panola County when John R. was twelve years old. They lived at Pine Hill.

John R. was named for his grandfather, John Wherry, who, with his wife, came to Rusk County from Georgia and settled on some land in the (now) Roquemore Community, which is four or five miles from Pine Hill on the road to Henderson.

The grandfather died, and a few years later the grandmother went back to Georgia. John R.’s father, Bud, moved to the home place. While John R. was still in his teens, his father became blind. Since John R. was the oldest of five children, it became his responsibility to earn their living.

At the age of twenty-four, John R. joined the army. While he served, the Spanish American War was fought. He spent several months in the Philippines Islands. After his discharge, he returned to the home place and in 1901 married a neighbor girl, Carrie Smith.

They lived in Roquemore four or five years. Their oldest children, Cecil D. and Irene, were born there. Then for a short time they lived in a community called Harper about twelve miles from Henderson. Here two other children, Hazel and Earl, were born.

While the children were still small, John R. moved his family back to Roquemore. Here he operated a cotton gin. Then when the oldest child was about twelve, the family moved back to Harper. Here John R. and his sons farmed, and he usually operated a cotton gin in the fall for John f. Strong.

In 1926, John R. bought a home near Henderson on East Main Street.  He lived there the rest of his life. He lived to be eighty-five and Carrie lived to be eighty–three years old.

Cecil, Irene, and Earl attended Henderson High School. Hazel died at the age of four. Cecil became a carpenter. In 1932 he married Agnes Hinze from Arcadia, Louisiana. They settled at 1706 East Main, Henderson, Texas. Irene taught school. In 1934 she married James (Jim) E. Finley. He lived for three and one-half years. In the fall of 1937, Irene went to Pine Hill to teach. In 1940 she married John G. Smith, the principal of the school.

In 1941 the Smiths moved in with Irene’s parents at 1704 East Main to care for her mother, who was ill. They made this their permanent home.

Earl operated a grocery store and gasoline station at 1702 East Main. World War II began and he was drafted into the army. He, like his father, spent some time on the Philippine Islands. After he was discharged, he married Thelma Meadows from New Mexico. They settled at 1702 East Main.

There are three grandsons in the John R. Wherry family. The oldest is Thomas Hinze, son of Cecil and Agnes Wherry. The next is Lynn Smith, the son of John g. and Irene Smith, and then John Earl, the son or Earl and Thelma Wherry.

Thomas Wherry married Pamela Cadnehead, and they have two children, Candace, age ten, and Brandon, age six. They live in Henderson.

Lynn Smith Judy Lamphere. They have two daughters, Wendy, age ten and Jennifer, age seven. They live in Dallas.

Submitted by Irene W. Smith