John Melton Taylor Pipkin, a native
of Kentucky, born January 9, 1849, was the son
of William Harvey Pipkin, a native of Ireland, a Union Army Officer,
killed by guerillas during the Civil War.
At the age of sixteen he enlisted and served in the Union forces during
the last six months of hostilities.
In November 1870, he was married to
eighteen year old Mary Ellen Bray, born February 27, 1852 at Lafayette,
Macon County, Tennessee,
the daughter of James Bray, a native of Tennessee
and Katherine Tuck of Virginia. Mary Ellen was one of twelve children in a
family where weddings were celebrated occasions, followed by elaborate feasts
which included such items as a whole roasted pig with an apple in its mouth. Because she chose to marry a school teacher,
parental blessings were withheld and hers was a runaway marriage. Unfortunately, teaching was not a highly paid
profession and it became necessary for the newlyweds to finance their move to Joplin, Missouri
with money borrowed from the bride’s parents.
After twelve years in Missouri, the Pipkins came by wagon train to Bonham, Fannin County, Texas. The family now included three children,
Lenora Alice, Fredrick Taylor and Bert.
A fourth child, George Bray, was born at Bonham. After farming several years, the father
brought his family to Tarrant
County. They lived briefly near what is now Lake Worth, where Mary
Ellen was born in 1887. Very soon the
father bought a farm located a mile east of present day Keller, where William
Wilson was born in 1891. Later, he
bought land known now as the Benson farm.
In addition to his farming
enterprises, John M.T. Pipkin was appointed twice as Postmaster at Keller. His first term, during the administration of
President Benjamin Harrison, was from August 28, 1889 to July 12, 1893. His second appointment was from October 6,
1904 to July 12, 1906, during the administrations for Presidents William
McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt.
Farming proved to be more lucrative
than school teaching. In 1897, Mary
Ellen Pipkin took her three youngest children on a train trip to Gallatin, Tennessee. The journey had a two fold purpose, to visit
the grandparents and to repay the money borrowed twenty seven years earlier.
The Pipkin’s lived the remainder of
their lives in Keller. She passed away
March 10, 1918 and he, April 24, 1924.
Both are buried at Bourland
Cemetery.
The Pipkin children grew up in the
Keller Community.
1)
Lenora Alice, born March 3, 1877 and died May 30,
1953. She was married to Kirk Hall.
2)
Frederick Taylor, born September 30, 1880 and died May
8, 1950. He was married to Orrie Elms.
3)
Bert, born February 7, 1882 and died May 3, 1938. He was married to Martha Ellen Crawford.
4)
George Bray, born August 27, 1884 and died August 8,
1945. He was married to Myrtle Gates and
Cora Hurley.
5)
Mary Ellen, born August 13, 1887 and was married to
William T. Davison.
6)
William Wilson, born July 15, 1891 and died August 14,
1956. He was married to Minnie Lee
Crawford.
Interviews:
Mary Ellen Pipkin Davison –
daughter
Ouida Pipkin Rigney – granddaughter
General Services Administration
National Archives and Records
Service
Washington, D.C.
