John Warren, a Confederate soldier
was killed during the Civil War, leaving a widow, nine sons, in Middle, Tennessee. There is no record to show how many of this
family came to Texas, but five brothers are
known to have come by wagon train in 1870 and settled in Dallas
and Johnson Counties. Those five were Elijah, Wiley, Dan, John, and
Benjamin Edward. The two with whom this
history is concerned are Elijah and Benjamin E.
Benjamin E. Warren, born in Tennessee May 25, 1857, came to Texas as a young boy. At the age of sixteen, he was married in Johnson County, September 25, 1873, to Lucinda
Arminda Bates, the daughter of Alvin and Elizabeth Gayle Bates. They became the parents of four girls and six
boys.
1)
Betty, the first child, died in infancy.
2)
Adolphus Morton married Mittie Elliott. He died at age 45.
3)
Ada
died in infancy.
4)
Shelby Elijah was married to Carrie Hudson on January
26, 1907.
5)
William Attison died April 22, 1898 at age 17.
6)
Thomas Alvin, born September 25, 1885, died November
10, 1867, was married to Mabel Pressley on December 25, 1919.
7)
Leona May, born November 1, 1887 was married to William
Kelley on May 15, 1907 and lives in Frederick,
Oklahoma.
8)
Minnie Lou, born January 26, 1891, married Palmer
Zumwalt on May 29, 1910 and lives in Frederick,
Oklahoma.
9)
Homer Edward, born November 13, 1895, married Mary
_______ and lives in Cashmere Washington.
10) Elmer, born May 26, 1898, died July 11, 1898.
In the early 1880’s, this family
moved from Johnson County to Tarrant County and lived several years on a farm
east of Mt. Gilead. Later they moved to
Keller, where they operated a livery stable at the North East corner of the
intersection of Main and Bates Streets. The boys in the family helped by driving for
drummers who wished to visit merchants in nearby communities not reached by a
railroad.
The family home was a two story
frame house back of the livery stable, where the Pipkin garage stands now. It was here that the mother, born September
17, 1857, passed away November 15, 1899.
She was buried in Mt.
Gilead Cemetery.
In 1900, the father was married to
Emma Sublett. In the same year, he moved
his family to Duncan, Oklahoma,
Indian Territory, where he continued in the
livery stable business. Later he moved
to Frederick, Oklahoma and became a farmer.
In 1930, he returned to Keller to
the home of his son and daughter-in-law, Mr. And Mrs. Tom Warren, where he died
January 8, 1931. He was buried in Bourland Cemetery, beside the mother of his
children.
Thomas Alvin, the sixth child of
Benjamin E. and Lucinda Bates Warren, returned from Oklahoma to the Keller community to make his
permanent home. On December 25, 1919, he
was married to Mabel Pressley, daughter of James DeWitt and Sarah Frances Sams
Pressley of the Lone Elm neighborhood.
The wedding was in the home of the groom’s uncle, W.A. Bates. Brother Simms, a local Baptist Minister read
the ceremony.
The Tom Warrens were farmers in the
Mt. Gilead community. The forty acre farm which they purchased for
$1500 is now the home of Mrs. Bert Owens.
In 1942, the Warrens moved into the village of Keller.
He passed away November 10, 1967 and was buried in Bourland Cemetery. Mrs. Warren lives in the family home at 127 Minnie Street.
