Charles Tiffany Whitley

As a young man, he followed the lure of the open range country and became a cattle driver.  Two men in his employ were Walter Gilbo and Elias Willoughby.  On several occasions, they shared their food and camp fire with the notorious bandit, Sam Bass.

On October 9, 1887, Charlie Whitley was married to Nannie Meacham, born August 30, 1866, the daughter of William Henry Harrison and his wife, Martha Ann Brown Meacham, of Keller.  Rev. J.B. Minnis read the ceremony at the bride’s home.  During the wedding celebration, torrents of rain fell, bringing Bear Creek to a flood level that forced Smithfield guests to wait until the following day to return home.

Marriage changed Charlie Whitley’s way of life.  He traded steers, one per acre, for land lying south of Keller.  The first home was a log house on Bear Creek, south west of the present day Enco service station.  The first two sons, C. Loyd and W. Rufus, were born there.  The site is marked today by a small windmill, the original stepping stones and old fashioned roses that have grown wild more than three quarters of a century.

In 1892, a two story frame house was built on the north bank of Bear Creek about a quarter mile east of the log house.  Six more children were born there.  The family then included eight children, four of whom lived to maturity.

1)      C. Loyd, born November 6, 1888, died December 23, 1918.  He was married to May Vance on April 17, 1911.  No children were born to this marriage.

2)      William Rufus, born February 8, 1891, died May 16, 1964.  He was married May 3, 1913 to Althea Owens of Denton.  They became the parents of three sons.

a)      Bobby Owens, born in March of 1914, he died in infancy.

b)      William Rufus Jr., born April 4, 1918, was married to Lois Craddock and lives in Seymour.  They have one son, William Loyd. 

c)      Loyd George, born November 21, 1921.  His wife is the former Louise Rumley of Chicago.  They have two sons, Rufus Joseph and Loyd George Jr.

3)      Beulah B., born September 18, 1893 and died May 26, 1894.

4)      Vesta Elizabeth, born April 1, 1895 and died February 16, 1969.  She was married August 23, 1916 to John T. White.  Their daughter Frances Nan is Mrs. Paul Rose of San Antonio.

5)      Charles Tiffany Jr., born December 3, 1897, died January 2, 1901.

6)      Martha, born July 26, 1900, died May 9, 1904.

7)      James Oliver, born August 29, 1904, was married April 29, 1926 to Kathryn Maxwell.  They are the parents of two children.

a) Cora Elizabeth was married July 12, 1945 to Jack Loyd Bertran.  They have a daughter, Patricia Jean, and a son James Porter. 

b) James Oliver Jr., born May 21, 1932, was married August 18, 1951 to Mary Ann North.  Their daughter is Elizabeth Ann.

       8)  Infant that died at birth August 31, 1906.

Charles Tiffany Whitely Sr. died August 19, 1911 and was buried in the Smithfield Cemetery.

In 1913, the widowed mother gave a plot of land to the Keller Methodist Church, in which she served as an active member until her death, March 25, 1938.  She was buried beside her husband at Smithfield Cemetery.