|
Rube Sessions was born in a one room log cabin, on Battle Creek near Chandler, Texas. At the age of 12 his family moved to Flat Creek. Then at age 15 they moved to Wells, Texas. Wells is where Rube met Hattie Carr, his future wife. They had a 4 year courtship. Rube and Hattie would ride horses to the community dances. In 1896 Rube`s Dad gave him 5 acres of cotton that produced 2 bales of cotton at the rate of 5 cents a pound. He bought a suit of clothes and paid $50 down on 80 acres of timbered land. This is only the begining of his struggles to survive the hardships of the era. Rube and his brother Bill began making railroad ties from timber off his land, as a means of income. All this, while farming the cleared land. Rube and Hattie married 19 Dec 1897, at the home Major Hellenkamp. Rev. John Mathis officiated at the cost of $1. He built a large barn to house his corn crop. Mr Hellenkamp gave them a cow. They now had 5 fat hogs and some chickens. So, with their produce they had milk, butter, eggs, meat and lard. In 1905, Rube went to work for the Gulf Oil Co., building a pipeline near Lufkin. He traveled home on the weekends. That got old pretty quick. Hattie decided to move to the pipeline with Rube. They packed up a tent, chickens, cows and all they needed to survive on. Hattie cooked for 8 workers and her family. Each Fall they returned home to harvest their crops. They now have 5 children and have built a better home, a gin, a store, and other interest. In 1930, Rube was running a sawmill and had a wholesale trade by truck delivery. In 1936 he rebuilt his home near Wells. With the children grown, Rube and Hattie had time for each other. They enjoyed fishing at Port Aransas. Hattie was a avid fisherman! Hattie died 7 Jun 1953 & Rube died 12 Nov 1967 Rube Sessions gave to churches in Wells and left an endowment to the Primitive Baptist Church as well as Mount Hope Cemetery and Concord Cemetery. The Sessions Memorial Library in Wells was built by an endowment from Rube Sessions and carries his name. His employees were left gifts as were some friends. He left his mercantile business to his dear friend Claude Stewart and his bookeeper Dalford Stewart.
|
