Memorials › Martha Melinda "Mattie" Gilmore Gant

Martha Melinda "Mattie" Gilmore Gant

2 Nov 1856 – 8 Jul 1940

Birth2 Nov 1856
Death8 Jul 1940
CemeteryLittlefield Cemetery
Littlefield , Lamb County , Texas , USA
Added byJon Long on 23 Feb 2011
FaGhttps://www.findagrave.com/memorial/66058069

Bio

The following obituary of Martha Melinda Gant, who was known as "Mattie," was published in the Littlefield, Texas newspaper on July 11, 1940. It was located through the efforts of geneology researcher Charleyene Trotter in Littlefield Texas, without whose help this memorial would not have been possible. Mattie's daughter and youngest child, Eula, who is identified below as Mrs. Howard Estes, was my grandmother. Jon Long Lawton, Oklahoma Headline: Mother of Mrs. W.P. Fewell, Fieldton dies Monday A.M. Mrs. Mattie M. Gant, 83, passed away at the home of her daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. W. P. Fewell, at Fieldton, at 12:16 a.m. Monday, July 8. Funeral services were conducted at the Fieldton Baptist Church Monday afternoon, at 4 o:clock, with Rev. Hawthorn, former pastor of the Fieldton church, and Rev. Brian, present pastor, officiating. Burial, in charge of Hammons Funeral Home, took place in the Littlefield cemetery. Six nieces of the deceased acted as flower bearers. Mrs. Gant was born Nov. 2, 1856 in Hardin County, Tenn. She was married to E. D. Gant Nov. 12, 1876 in Hardin County, Tenn., where they made their home for a number of years, moving to Texas in 1882. She was a consecrated Christian since childhood, and a devoted wife to a pioneer preacher during the period of 60 years. To the above union were born seven children, two of whom pre-deceased their mother. Mrs. Gant was a member of the Fieldton Baptist Church since 1929, and a devoted Christian worker. She made her home with Mr. and Mrs. Fewell since 1928. Mr. and Mrs. Gant were adopted by the West Plains Baptist association some 11 or 12 years ago, and were always remembered by the association as veterans of the Cross Beneficiary until their death. Had Mrs. Gant lived four more days it would have been five years to the day that her husband passed away. Surviving the deceased, besides her daughter, Mrs. W. P. Fewell, are; another daughter, Mrs. Howard Estes of Plainview; and three sons, N. A. Gant of Fort Worth, Otis Gant of Hillsboro, and D. W. Gant of Whitney, Texas; and a sister, Mrs. J. T. Rose of McAdoo, Texas. Out of town relatives attending the funeral services were; Mrs. J. M. Gant, Phoenix, Ariz., Mr. and Mrs. Leon Gant, Temple, Ariz., Mr. and Mrs. J. T. Rose, McAdoo, Tex., Mr. and Mrs. Austin Rose and six daughters of McAdoo; Mr. and Mrs. J. T. Gilmore of Garland, Texas, and Mr. and Mrs. Howard Estes of Plainview. ------- The following is an excerpt taken from the life story of James Otis Gant, one of Mattie's children, which he wrote in 1968 at the age of 82. He was living in the fireside Rest Home in Hillsboro, Texas at the time. Here he remembered the extraordinary life and times of his mother's childhood years. She was about 7 years old when the Union and Confederate armies fought a battle on Christmas day around the cabin in which she was hiding. My mother (was) Mattie Gilmore, daughter of N.R. Gilmore. She was born Nov. 5, 1856 in Wayne County, Tennessee. She had three little sisters younger than she. Her father, N.R. Gilmore, was inducted in the Southern army (and) they didn't receive any pay or their families anything to live on. Mother's mother had arthritis. She remembers her mother walking on crutches planting a garden and some corn to try to raise something for her and the girls to eat. Then she got very sick. My grandfather got leave from the army and came home to be with her till she died. The guerrillas were searching the county for soldiers to capture so on the way to the cemetery Grandfather was told they were after him so he escaped before he got to the cemetery. Then a dear old lady took mother – about 7 years old – and her three sisters until the war was over. One of the things that mother remembered best was a battle that was fought around the house where they were staying. It was Christmas day and the soldiers in General Hood's army were retreating. The yanks were following them; they caught up with them there. They fought about 2 hours. The old lady gathered the children up close to the fireplace hoping the chimney would protect them. A cannon ball went through the room where they were, cutting a log on each side. Several men were killed and wounded. Two of them got under the floor. The lady raised a floor board and talked to one that gave her a message to write to his wife, and then he died. It was a horrible experience for the children. When grandmother was dying she asked grandfather to promise to keep the four girls together so after the war he married Miss Ratliff. She took care of the children as if they were her own, and then they had children, 6 boys and 5 girls. My mother loved her step-mother as her half brothers and sisters same as her own sisters and we loved them the same way.

Inscription

Although Martha Gant's death certificate and obituary both state the place of her burial is the Littlefield Cemetery, the exact location is unknown. According to the researcher who located her obituary, old cemetery records are incomplete and the cemetery has been poorly maintained for several years.

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