THESE ARE NOTES FROM ELNA KING
Notes for LENA LEONA MCCAMERON:
According to her granddaughter, Jo Ann Schulze, she came to Texas on a wagon train when she was 7 years of age. Her mother died in Shilo, Missouri and Lena was adopted by her aunt and uncle, the Howells. They lived in Fort Worth, Texas. Mr. Howell became the water commissioner. She lived a very good life with the Howells and was often on the society pages of the newspaper. Lena's older sister did not fare as well, she was adopted by a farm family, who worked her very hard. She became very bitter, mean, and spiteful. Lena did not have much contact with her sister for about 16 years and then they finally were reunited. When they were, Lena learned the truth about her father and then all of the pieces began to fit together including and a chance encounter her husband, Hadley, had had with a gentleman on the street in Fort Worth. Lena's, Jo Ann's grandmother, was a McCameron (the family always pronounced it Macammon). All that Lena remembered about her father was that he had flaming red hair and broke horses. She had been told that he died before her mother did. Lena's sister had told her "no, he did not die." " He ran away to Texas with her mother's sister (their aunt)" Her sister also told her that their mother knew she was dying and was trying to join her family on the wag train to Texas in the hope of finding her husband and their father so he could give the girls a home after she died. Hadley, Lena's husband, told of sitting in the wagon outside a store in Fort Worth while Lena did some shopping when a man with flaming red hair approached him and asked him if he was the man who had married Lena McCameron? Hadley said that he was and the man asked, "Is she happy?" Hadley, the newly wedded groom, said yes. The man then answered, "Thai’s all I wanted to know." and with a tip of his hat he disappeared into the crowd. Jo Ann surmised that Lena's father kept up with her through the Fort Worth newspaper society pages or a mutual acquaintance. Lena never ever saw him. (Story relayed by Jo Ann Murray Schulze)
Lena McCameron was raised by her aunt and uncle after her mother died. They were named Howell and lived in Fort Worth, Texas.
Additional notes for Lena L. McCameron Phipps ancestors: from Jo Ann Schultz
Grandma did not call them "aunt" and "uncle", but "Mr. Howell" and "Mrs. Howell". They had a daughter who committed suicide at about age 16. Her name was "Betsy"......unrequited love. Grandma said Mr.
Howell was the first water commissioner for Ft. Worth and had the first bathtub with running water. When he and his family moved to Wills Point, about sometime after 1884 he was the banker (maybe owner) for First National Bank, Wills Point. They lived on 7th St. in Ft. Worth. He went to Ft. Worth (the wagon train) around 1880....it would be the year of my great grandmother's death certificate. I believe his name was John Howell. Grandma said Ft. Worth was still a fort when they went there. She said they could see the army tents for days (when they topped a hill) before they got there. I am sure he is buried at White Rose Cemetary in Ft. Worth....close to my grandparents' graves. After Mama was born in 1905 and they wanted to take the baby and raise her "properly" and my grandparents refused
(Naturally) I don't think they ever spoke to Grandma again. She was disowned and abandoned by that family.
More about LENA LEONA MCCAMERON:
Burial: 16 Dec 1968, White Rose Cemetery, Wills Point, Van Zandt, Texas
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