William Cecil McLaurine1

b. 15 December 1891, d. 7 December 1974
FatherAlbert Lawrence McLaurine2,1 b. 7 Apr 1863, d. 6 Mar 1901
MotherMyrtle McCamant2,1 b. 15 Oct 1868 or 15 Oct 1869, d. 17 Sep 1913
Birth15 Dec 1891 William Cecil McLaurine was born in Ft. Phantom Hill, Jones County, Texas. His generally accepted birthdate is 15 Dec. 1891.3,4,5,6 
  However the 1900 census entry for William's parent's household lists him as a 9 year old born in Dec. 1890. His older brother Albert's entry stated he was born in April 1889. The 1910 census entries for both boys are consistent with the 1890 and 1889 years of birth. Furthermore, their sister, Cordye Hall, left an oral history stating Albert and William were 18 months apart. It is therefore possible William was born in Dec. 1890 as reported on the 1900 census.2 
Childhood  William's childhood was spent on his parents far in Jones County. His father died in March 1901, shortly after the family had sold the farm in anticipation of a move west. William's mother, who was only in her early 30s at the time, took her 4 surviving children and briefly settled near Corona, New Mexico, where she had family already living.

However, the situation there was difficult and before long Myrtle and the children returned to Texas where they lived in several different locations, at one point homesteading land in the panhandle. William and his brothers took on responsibilities beyond their ages as the family struggled to make a living raising cattle. They had good times as well, riding the range and discovering simple pleasures, as store bought toys and entertainments were non-existant. Even running water and indoor plumbing were scarce. Ironically, one of the families ongoing frustrations was the difficulty in obtaining clear water from the wells dug on their land. No one knew that long after they left the land the black oil contaminating their wells would one day make the land extremely valuable.7 
Cens-191030 Apr 1910  By 1910 Myrtle had settled the family in the town of Merkel in Taylor Co., Texas where William worked as a dry goods salesman.8 
Milit-Reg  William registered for the World War I draft at Ft. Worth, Texas. The form described him as of medium height and slender build.6 
Marriage11 Nov 1919 He married Irene Ida Kramer on 11 Nov 1919 in Dallas, Texas.9 
Cens-1930Apr 1930  William and Irene lived in Dallas where they were enumerated with their two daughters in the spring of 1930. The couple owned a home valued at $10,000.10 
Death7 Dec 1974 William died on 7 Dec 1974 in Baylor Hospital, Dallas, Texas, at age 82.1 
Burial9 Dec 1974 He was buried on 9 Dec 1974 at Restland Memorial Park in Dallas.1,4 

Research Comment:

William's life story is best preserved in the words of his granddaughter Daphne Davis:

My grandfather, William Cecil McLaurine, was a Mason for over thirty years, having been one of the founders of the Keystone Lodge and serving as Worshipful Master for a term. He regularly attended the meetings at the Scottish Rite Temple on South Harwood and Young Streets in Dallas. He was also a kind and gentle father and grandfather who, in his later years helped his family in innumerable ways. He also helped his wife, my grandmother, raise their two successful daughters. I got to know him best in the years before he died when I'd moved back to Dallas. I remember that he repaired the antique furniture and picture frames that had been brought back from France by my parents. He mixed paint and helped my mother whenever she had a house decorating project in the works. I also remember that he took time to shell out the tiniest pecan meat for and with his great-grandson - from pecan trees that he'd let grow up as volunteers on the lot of the house where he lived in East Dallas from 1924 until he died.

He loved to make us kids laugh and could wiggle his ears and was always ready to entertain his grand or great grandchildren with this trick. When he came to dinner at our house for Sunday fried chicken, afterwards, he'd take time to strip the cartilage off the spent chicken bones to give to our dog as a treat in her food. He had lots of funny stories about growing up, especially about his own maternal grandfather, "old man McCamant - with his long white beard" - who he said had raised him. Before he died he gave me his white painter's overalls, his "Plus Fours" and his WW I army shirt. I wore out the overalls - they were just my "uniform" for a few years.

He was still learning when he was old. He used to make and eat his own yogurt in an old toaster oven that he'd removed the element from and put a light bulb in. He made delicious fig and lemon jam out of the figs from the tree he'd planted in his back yard. The corner lot where he lived was ringed by old growth crepe myrtle trees that he had planted and in the back yard were two beautiful Cecil Brunner "Sweetheart Rose" bushes - a scion of one still lives in my mother's backyard. His father died the year he turned 11 and his mother, Myrtle, died when he was 23. When Myrtle died, he traveled to Corpus Christie where she'd been living and brought back his younger sister, Cordye (later Cordye Hall), and put her in Ursuline Academy and supported her until she was old enough to take care of herself. When Cordye died, age 94, the governor of Texas, Ann Richards, wrote a letter commending her work as a peace activist in Dallas. I think she owed a lot to her older brother!

He could sum long lines of figures in his head with amazing speed - a skill he'd acquired during the years he owned his own retail paint store in Oakcliff. One of the high points of his life was the day he got to see Franklin Delano Roosevelt in a parade in downtown Dallas as it went past his paint store on the corner of Elm and Lamar streets. He would be very proud of his five grand children, nine great grand children and great, great, grandchildren.

Related Links and Images:

In 1977 William's sister Cordye was interviewed by author and historian Ruthe Winegarten. Portions of that oral history have been transcribed and are available through several Texas repositories including the Dallas Public Library (History & Archives Division). Texas Woman's University at Denton, TX houses 4 cubic feet of material titled "Cordye Hall Papers, 1941-1990" which includes correspondence, photographs and other material. The excerpt cited by this author, which covers Cordye's younger years, was shared by Daphne Davis who obtained a copy from the Richardson Library of Hardin-Simmons University at Abilene, TX.

Family

Irene Ida Kramer b. 2 Jan 1887, d. 7 May 1973
Children
  • Maribelle M. McLaurine11
  • (?) McLaurine12
ChartsDescendants of Jeremiah Gardner and Margaret Edmiston
Last Edited28 Aug 2013

Citations

  1. [S2250] "Texas State Death Certificates", database with digital images, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org : viewed Feb. 2013). William Cecil McLaurine certificate #88364; family information provided by Mrs. O.R. Davis.
  2. [S1653] A.L. McLaurin household, 1900 U.S. cens., Jones Co., Ohio, pop. sched., Precinct 3, ED 100, sheet 24A (p. 191 stamped), dwelling 408, family 418, viewed online at Ancestry.com, Jan. 2013. Household includes: A.L. McLaurin, 35, b. Apr 1865, b. TX/TN/TN, marr 12 yrs, stock farmer; Myrtle, wife, 30, b. Oct. 1869, b. TX/VA/VA, mother of 6 children, 5 are living; Lawrence, son, 11, b. Apr 1889; Cecil, son, 9, b. Dec. 1890; James, son, 6, b. Sept. 1893; Cordie, dau, 3, b. May 1897; Baby son, 0/12, b. May 1900; all children b. TX.
  3. [S2250] "Texas State Death Certificates", database with digital images, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org : viewed Feb. 2013). William Cecil McLaurine certificate #88364; family information provided by Mrs. O.R. Davis states William was born Dec. 15, 1891.
  4. [S1777] Find A Grave Website (http://www.findagrave.com/index.html : accessed Feb. 2013). William Cecil McLaurine memorial #46484827, Restland Memorial Park, Dallas, TX (photo of stone: McLaurine, W.C. 1891-1974).
  5. [S1440] "Social Security Death Index", Ancestry.com (http://www.Ancestry.com : accessed Feb. 2013), for William McLaurine, b. 13 Dec. 1891.
  6. [S1620] "World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards 1917-1918", subscription database with images, Ancestry.com (http://www.Ancestry.com : viewed Feb. 2013), Data for Wm Cecil McLaurine, Ft. Worth, Texas (1917). [extremely difficult to read]
  7. [S3071] "Cordye Hall [1898-1994] Oral History", typed excerpt, oral history taken by Ruth Weingarten, 1977, held by Richardson Library, Hardin-Simmons University, Abilene, TX.
  8. [S3059] Mrs. Myrtle McLaurin household, 1910 U.S. cens., Taylor Co., Texas, pop. sched., Merkel, ED 292, sheet 18B, dwelling 387, family 386, viewed online at Ancestry.com, Jan. 2013. Household includes: Mrs. Myrtle McLaurin, 42, wid, mother of 6 children, 4 are living, b. TX, parents b. VA, has own income, owns home; Laurence A., son, 21, b. TX; Cecil W., son, 19, b. TX, dry goods salesman; James A., son 17, b. TX; Cordia, dau, 13, b. TX, bookkeeper for ice company.
  9. [S3070] Daphne Davis, "10 Feb, 2013," e-mail to Diana Powell, Daphne is the granddaughter of William and Irene (Kramer) McLaurine.
  10. [S3079] W.J. McLaurine household, 1930 U.S. cens., Dallas Co., Texas, pop. sched., Dallas, ED 57-19, sheet 77A, viewed online at Ancestry.com, Feb. 2013. Household includes: W.J. McLaurine, 38, owns home, is worth $10,000, married at 28, b. TX, father b. Mississippi, mother b. VA; Irene, wife, 38, marr at 28, b. Missouri; Mary B., dau, 6, b. TX; Juliana, dau, 3/12, b. TX.
  11. [S3070] Daphne Davis, "10 Feb, 2013," e-mail to Diana Powell, Daphne is the daughter of Maribelle (McLaurine) Davis.
  12. [S3070] Daphne Davis, "10 Feb, 2013," e-mail to Diana Powell.