Obituary

Funeral services were held May 22 at 3 p.m. in Afton Baptist church for Mrs. Mamie Pollard Stephenson. Mrs. Stephenson died Wednesday May 21, in Crosbyton hospital after a lengthy illness.

She was born Mamie Pollard January 16, 1890 at Revels in Woodruff County, AR and was united in marriage to Victor W. Stephenson November 10, 1904 at Augusta, AR.

To this family nine children were born; her husband and one daughter Mildred, preceded her in death.

Surviving her are three daughters: Mrs. Lewis Harvey and Mrs. Carney Roberts both of Afton; and Mrs. Rosalyn Gilliland of Fort Worth; five sons: Sam Stephenson and Gilbert Stephenson both of Fort Worth. Howard Stephenson of Shreveport, LA; Robert Stephenson of Fort Worth and U.S. Army and Vance Stephenson of Fort Worth.

Twenty two grandchildren, ten great grandchildren and three great great grandchildren.

Mrs. Stephenson moved with her family from AR to the McAdoo community in 1925 and lived there until 1938 at which time the family moved to Fort Worth where Mr. Stephenson died. She resided there until her health failed four years ago. She then moved to Afton and made her home with her daughter, Mrs. Carney Roberts. Mrs. Stephenson was a member of Berry St. Baptist Church of Fort Worth.

Pallbearers were Levis Pullen of Spur, E. H. (Jocke) Tooke of McAdoo; Oris Pullen of McAdoo; Lilburn Harvey of McAdoo; Lawton Harvey of Dickens.

Source: The Texas Spur; June 5, 1969

Online at - Dickens County Rootsweb http://www.rootsweb.com/~txdicken/afton/stephenson_mamie.htm

Mamie Pollard Stephenson

Biography

Mamie Pollard was born in Woodruff County, Arkansas, January 16, 1890 to Etta Gibson Pollard and Charles Benjamin Pollard, who moved to Arkansas at the close of the Civil War. Two other children, a son Bob and a daughter Ruth, died in early childhood. When Mamie was 5 her father died.

She married Vick Stephenson November 10, 1904 in August, Arkansas. Vick was born March 18, 1880 to Margaret Carriaker and Samuel Charles Stephenson. His mother was Pennsylvania Dutch German. Her parents moved south around 1840 to Woodruff County. His father came from North Hampton County, NC because of the unrest caused by carpet-baggers. They had 3 sets of twins, all who died before they were 10 of yellow fever and small pox. Other children in the family were Annie, Edna, Walter and Vick.

Mamie and Vick made their home in Revels Community until 1925, but because of Mamie´s health and at the suggestion of the doctor, moved to a higher and drier climate, Dickens County, where Vick´s brother, Walter and his wife Annie Garrett Stephenson lived. Their 8 children and Vick and Mamie´s 8: Sam, Helen, Annie T., Gilbert, Howard, Robert, Vance and Rosalyn grew up as close as brothers and sisters. They spent many happy times at their house where their Uncle Walter entertained them with his fiddle playing. Lots of musical talent in the family, the kind that was fun to share with each other.

Vick and Mamie had only been in Texas 4 years when Vick became ill with a nerve disease that over a period of 8 years left him totally paralyzed from the waist down. In 1938, when Dr. Nichols told them he could do nothing more to help, they moved to Fort Worth hoping a new treatment might help, but on January 6, 1941, Vick passed away to be with the Lord.

Mamie lived until May 21, 1969. She, too, was faithful to the task of the Lord had given her. She canned, sewed, worked far into the night doing for Vick and her children, trying to train them in the ways of the Lord.

(Context taken from biography submitted by Annie T. Stephenson Roberts)

Source: Dickens County History...its Land and People © Dickens Historical Commission; Printer: Craftsman Inc. Lubbock, Texas 1986