Henry Clay Neeley 

The following bio was taken from page 327-328 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

John Warren Wade, born September 26, 1857 in Mississippi, married Mat tie Frances Banks, born September 27, 1857 in Philadelphia, Mississippi, on December 12, 1878. To this union the following chidren were born: Thomas Uriah Wade, January 1 1880; Minnie Alma Wade, November 1 1881; Emma Frances Wade, January 6, 1885; John Edgar Wade, December 28, 1886; William Jackson Wade, February 19, 1889; Etha Wade, February 13, 1891; Gilbert Wade, January 23, 1893; Oran Wade, August 9, 1896; Van Ingram Wade, February 12, 1900, and Verna Wade, June 27, 1902.

 William died March 17, 1870 and is buried in Pleasant Hill Cemetery, and Verna died Jul 16 1907 and is buried in Neeley Cemetery.  My grandmother Mattie Frances Wade, died July 16 1934 and is buried in the Neeley Cemetery.  All of the Wade children except Van are now dead, Van resides in Tyler, Txc.  Oran Wade and Edgar Wade are buried in Neeley Cemetery.  Etha and Gilbert are buried in Texas City, Texas.  Uriah is buried in Moyers Cemetery, Emma Irwin in Laneville Cemetery  My mother and father, Alma and Clay Neeley, are buried in Henderson City Cemetery. 

The J.W. Wade family left Philadephia, Mississippi in 1887, crossing the Mississippi River by ferry. My mother was six years old at the time and used to tell me how afraid she was crossing the river. The family settled near London, Rusk County. Grandpa Wade bought a farm in the Compton Community. After moving there, my mother met Henry Clay Neeley, son of James W. and Ann Compton Neeley. They were married October 1 1899. (Incidentally, my great-grandfather Clem Neeley gave the land for the Neeley Cemetery. ) My mother and father had the following children: Henry Hursel Neeley, November 18, 1902; Herbert Milner Neeley, February 16, 1907 and Emma Idell Neeley, August 20, 1912. 

Milner, who was named for Col. R.T. Milner, died November 1, 1929 and is buried in Henderson City Cemetery. 

Hursel married Cynthia Murphy of Arp, Texas on July 4, 1925. They live in Port Arthur, Texas. Their son Charles Albert Neeley, born September 29, 1927, married Jolene Hines, April 19, 1949. They reside in Groves, Texas. Their daughter, Doris Marie Neeley, born June 6, 1930, married Arthur Ray Ikerd, August 19, 1951. They live in San Pedro, California and have a son Richard and a daughter , Gail. Richard lives in Merriott Island, Florida and works on the Space Shuttle ..Columbia.'. Gail, married Peter Busseau and they have one child, Lisa and live in San Pedro, California. 

I, Idell Neeley, married James E. Owen, December 23, 1932. We had no children. James, a native of Clarksville, Texas, came to Henderson February 1 1931 and went to work for the City of Henderson, digging ditches for 25 cents an hour. He said that he "got sand between his toes" so he stayed. He worked hard and long hours and in a short time became assistant water and sewer superintendent. Soon after he returned from serving four years in the Navy in World War II, he was made Water and Sewer Superintendent, a position he held until his death October 12, 1963. He is buried in Lakewood Memorial Park. I still reside in Henderson. 

My father, Henry Clay Neeley, a farmer in his early years, moved from the farm in Hickey Community to Henderson, in November, 1919. He clerked in Farmers Union Store a number of years and later was a Star Route mail carrier. He trucked the mail from Henderson to Overton, Troup, Kilgore, Longview, Long branch, and Pine Hill. He was also a carpenter . When I was a young girl I would go with Father on his mail route so I could drive the car or truck. This is how I learned to drive an automobile. I remember that one time he got sick and I had to drive the truck to Troup, for the "U.S. Mail had to go." My father died January 27, 1950, and my mother died February 16, 1955. 

Submitted by Joel Neeley Owen