Thomas Jefferson Jarvies, of Irish
ancestry, was born December 1857. The
love of adventure was born with him. His
childhood dream was to come to Double
Springs, Texas, where
a distant relative, Major Walden, had already settled.
More man than boy, at the age of
thirteen, he packed a few items of survival in a gunny sack and began the long
journey of more than seven hundred miles alone and on foot. He waded shallow streams and swam the deeper
rivers, the last of which was Red River, which marked his entry into Texas. Eventually he reached Double Springs where he
found a home with the Walden family.
Local employment was plentiful
during the farming season. Thomas
Jefferson was no stranger to hard work.
His experience in the ways of survival made him eligible for other
employment which involved the danger of Indian attacks. He freighted wagon loads of flour from Walnut
Springs to Fort Richardson, at Jacksboro. Another unusual job which lasted four months,
took him to far West Texas. He drove a surrey and served as guide for a
surveyor and two Texas and Pacific officials
who wished to check the valuable sections of land which Texas had granted to the railroad companies.
After Thomas Jefferson had been
here five or six years, his parents, Patrick and Ellen J., and three brothers
came to Texas. The brothers, James, Jack and Will, settled
in Fort Worth. It is of interest that they changed the
spelling of their name by dropping the “e”.
The parents lived west of present
day Keller on a farm known later as the Guy Browning dairy.
After the mother’s death, the father was married a second time. To this union a daughter, May, was born. She became Mrs. C. A. Longhurst and resides
now in Fort Worth. The Jarvies parents are buried in Mt. Gilead
Cemetery. Thomas Jefferson preferred to make his permanent
home in the Double Springs community, perhaps for two reasons. He had begun to acquire property and had
fallen in love with Annie Frances Lopp, born 1862, daughter of William and
Eliza Ann Williams Lopp. Because of the
death of her mother, Annie Frances had grown up in the home of her paternal
Aunt Nancy, (Mrs. Sim Richey). While
still in her teen years, she became the bride of Thomas Jefferson Jarvies.
Their marriage was a combination of
personalities destined for financial and marital success. Throughout his life, he was dedicated to hard
work which brought many rewards. As his
ever present helper, she is remembered as the light hearted, fun loving mother
who charmed and entertained her children and their friends.
Their housekeeping began on a
seventy acre plot known later as a portion of the W. E. Pfeiffer farm. For a brief period, they lived in Arkansas. At the end of six months, they decided to
return to their original home where two of their three children were born. Minnie Frances was born December 7, 1881 and
Thomas Lewis, December 10, 1885.
When Tom was ten months old, the
family home was moved across the road to a one hundred acre tract. A two story addition was built on to the
house, which became an impressive land mark for the next three quarters of a
century. Lumber for this house was
hauled from Jefferson in East Texas. Henry Hubert was the builder. The new home site meant more farming and the
clearing of more land. Daylight hours were
used for farming and new fields were cleared by moonlight.
When Minnie Francis was fifteen
years of age and Tom was ten, a third child, James Ernest (Jim) was born, June
10, 1895. Being the youngest child
failed to bring Jim the favors often accorded the baby of a family. At an early age, he shared in the farm chores
and while still a boy, was expected to do a man’s work.
All three of the Jarvies children
attended school at Mt.
Gilead. Each carried a lunch in a syrup bucket and
walked the mile and a half night and morning.
When Jim was five years old his sister Minnie Frances, was married to
John Franklin Blevins, born March 28, 1881.
This young couple lived a few years between Keller and Haslet, before
moving to the Grapevine community, where they were active members of the
Minter’s Chapel Methodist Church. They became the parents of four
children.
1) Louis died
young – buried at White’s Chapel.
2) Clyde m. Alpha Helms
3) Virgie m. Homer
Sanders
4) Rubye m. Calvin
Hodges
The mother of this family died May
21, 1967 and the father, September 11, 1953.
Both are buried at White’s Chapel.
Thomas Lewis (Tom), who chose to be
a farmer, was married in 1931 to Edna Knox, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Halton
Knox. He took over the entire operation
of the farm. His parents retired and
built a home in Keller at 232 S. Elm, where they lived until the mother’s death
in 1936. The father sold the home and
divided his remaining years among his children, Minnie, Jim and Tom. He died in 1945 and was buried beside his
wife in Bourland Cemetery.
Tom and Edna continued to operate
the farm until retirement in 1965. He
passed away March 5, 1969 and was buried in Bourland Cemetery. Edna lives at the family home 110 East Taylor.
Jim chose a career in
business. After attending school at Mt. Gilead,
he enrolled in Brantley Draughn Business
College in Fort Worth.
Upon graduation, he was employed by the First State Bank of Keller. He was married in 1916 to Jewell Hutsell,
daughter of Charles M. and Jennie Crews Hutsell.
In 1917, his career was interrupted
by World War I. He served in France as
Auditor in the Ordnance Department of the U.S. Army until 1919. After being discharged, he organized the
Smithfield State Bank which he sold to J.T. Overby and associates in 1920. His next venture in banking was in Keller, as
he and Thomas B. White organized Keller State Bank December 19, 1921. Twenty one years later on December 19, 1942,
their bank was sold to The Union Bank and Trust Company of Fort Worth.
James E. Jarvies began his service
with the Union Bank and Trust Company as assistant cashier. In 1943, he was elected Vice President. Ten years later, he became president. He sold his banking interest in 1956 and
since then has operated his real estate and loan business in Keller.
The children of James E. and Jewell
Jarvies are:
1) Harold m. Norma Hardee
Their children:
James
Carol
Ann
2) Jeanette m. Lance Trigg Jr.
Their
children: James
Lana
Linda
Jewell passed away in 1943 and was
buried in Bourland
Cemetery.
James E. Jarvies’ second marriage
was to Mrs. Lois Crouch in 1949. They
reside in Keller at 123 S. Main.
Information sources:
Grave stones – Bourland Cemetery
Mr. and Mrs. Tom Jarvies
Jim Jarvies
Mrs. Calvin Hodges
