fredgorfam

In the early years of their marriage, Fred and Ada lived at a few farms. One of which was that of his parents. His brother, Niles, spared him for a few years and at that time the three girls were born. Later, Niles left and Fred went back to his father's farm to take care of him and the land. His mother had died in 1910, his father was sickly and blind, and his brothers all had places and families of their own. Several times it had come up between his siblings that the farm should simply be signed over to him, or at least allow him to buy it for a cheap price. His brother, Robert, and his sister, Willie, did sign over their share, but the other siblings never did and it broke Fred's heart that his brothers would treat him like this.

The two toiled the land up till 1943 when Fred came down sick. He had contracted cancer and would soon die in 1944. Ada had all she could handle, and finally sold the remaining 304 acres for $35 an acre. You would have thought the money would have been hers for all the years the two of them had put into the land, and the many years Ada had taken care of Mr. Gordon, but no...... the rest of the family, led by a nephew, demanded the sale be divided among all the heirs. At the age of 80, Ada died of cancer and was buried next to her husband.

Edna never did marry, and died at the age of 72 of cardiopulmonary failure. She lived on the farm and helped her mom and dad with the household chores as well as the farming. In the late 30's to early 40's, her Aunt Ella Haile, helped her and her sister, Irene, find an apartment in Ft. Worth, Texas and a job working in Dickey's Clothing Factory as seamstresses. After a few years of saving, Ada bought a home in Ft. Worth where the three lived for many years. Later, Edna and Irene retired from Dickey's Clothing Factory. Irene, too, never married and died in the hospital in Ft. Worth at the age of 67 of a stroke. She also had worked along side her parents on the farm. Times were hard and money was extremely short. Irene even bought a car. Even though Irene was the youngest, she was definately the "boss". What she said was the way it was reguardless. After Irene died, Edna moved to an apartment in Hamilton, Texas. Her final move was to the Hillcrest Nursing Home in Hamilton. Lena married Ralph Henry "Red" Walker October 24, 1927 in Hamilton, Hamilton Co., Texas, married by W. W. Moss, MG, Marriage Book 9, page 86. The marriage ended in divorce, but through this union was born Harold Dean Walker May 15, 1928 near Olin, Hamilton Co., Texas. At the age of 80, she died of congestive heart failure. June 04, 1959 in Sacramento, California, Harold Dean Walker married Barbara Martin. No children have ever been born to this marriage, thus ending the descendant line of Fred & Ada.