Bishop First Families

Bishop, Nueces County, Texas 1910 - 2010 One Hundred Years of South Texas Heritage!

Bishop’s First Families - True

[This history is part of the written collection from the Bishop Chamber of Commerce records,

and believed to have been compiled by Mrs. Gail Tubbs in 1960 for Bishop’s Golden Jubilee

celebration.]

Ernest True Family

Mr. and Mrs. E. Ernest True

Edwin E. True

Twins Alene (Leavell) Johnson and Irene (Travis) Edwards

Virginia Nell “Chinna” (James) Mullens

Ernest True, farmer, ginner and community builder, has had a hand in every

worthwhile movement started in Bishop. This six-foot broad-shouldered Texan is a

member of the pioneer C. S. True family of eight children which moved here from

Pflugerville in 1913. In 1917 he went back to Pflugerville to marry his school days

sweetheart, Florence Ward, who has been described as the "sweetest lady in

Bishop".

With all their accomplishments, the Trues are perhaps best known as the parents of

twin daughters, several times rated the "Most Talented Twins in Texas", and

grandparents of twin granddaughters, who are fast approaching the record set by

their mother, Alene, and aunt, Irene. The True twins sang, played the piano,

marimba and other instruments, and were talented painters, working on the same

picture at the same time. The younger twins, 12-year old Jaynne and Jeanne

Johnson, are also musical, and good vocalists and in demand at entertainments.

The True reunions, held frequently, are a family tradition, and 12 grandchildren

keep parents and grandparents busy with music and games.

Ernest True has served on many important Nueces County farm committees, on the Bishop school board and was

chairman of the official board of the First Methodist Church for many years and served on the building committee for

the new plant. He pioneered improvements in gins that could turn out a better cotton, to command a better price for

Bishop farmers, and is now busy with construction of his third True Cooperative Gin, which will be as modern as a

moon satellite. When Bishop needed more homes for Celanese workers, it was Ernest True who talked the Driscoll

interests out of farm land to build the True addition. Later, when drought prevented his gin from firing up, he took over

several blocks of property and built small homes within the price range of the salaried man.

C. S. True Family

In 1912, the C. S. True family was looking forward to a new home at Oso, near Corpus Christi. A farm had been

bought and plans were in progress for breaking the land and building a home. Charlie and John True, the two eldest

sons, moved to the place to supervise the work and to plant the first crop. However, a clear title to the land could not

be secured, so the money is escrow was reclaimed and 430 acres of land two miles north of Bishop was purchased.

This farm had been developed by John LaPrelle of San Antonio as a show place with fine registered stock, and the

Trues were able to secure the stock along with the farm. Additions were made to the house on the place to

accomodate the 11 members of the True family.

At that time the family included Charles Sumner True and his wife, Margaret, the parents, Charles Wesley True, who

was a widower and his small daughter Gladys (Mrs. Thomas O. Harrell of Lubbock), John A. True, now of Alice, E.

Davis True, E. Ernest True, Madge Falkenburg, Georganna (Mrs. Bolar Brown of Kingsville), Ted H. True and Wade N.

True of Portland.

In December 1913 the Trues said farewell to their friends in Pflugerville and Round Rock and left for the new home in

Bishop. Charlie had already moved to the place and was waiting at the train for his mother and the five younger

children. As a coincidence, his future wife, Vera Hines, arrived in Bishop on the same train to join her father, who was

superintendent of schools here.

John and Davis rode with the three cars of household goods and farm equipment, and were 10 days en route, since

the cars were often sidetracked, once for as long as two days.

John, the mechanic of the family, returned to Pflugerville for his father and the 1911 model Oldsmobile, that was the

family pride and joy. members of the family today have happy memories associated with that big old car. Often on a

trip they had to stop and fasten on the canvas and isinglass curtains as protection against sudden showers or a

norther.

By January the family was settled and ready for school. That is, all of the family except Ernest, who remained in

Pflugerville to complete his school year - and to keep an eye on Florence Ward, who a few years later became his

wife.

One night that first winter the family was awakened by the yelping of the dogs and the howling of a wolf that was

disturbing the stock. This wasn't unusual, for a constant battle was waged against wolves, rattlesnakes and rats those

first years. But this time the wolf seemed more vicious than usual. John and Davis grabbed guns and ran to aid the

dogs, and Davis narrowly escaped being attacked by the wolf. Only the courageous fighting dogs saved him. Next

days the boys noted froth about the mouth of the wolf they had killed, and guessed that he was rabid.

Within a few weeks two of the dogs, a fine registered cow and three valuable mules died or were put to death because

of rabies.

In the spring of 1914 Irene Castle came to Bishop with her husband, Vernon, in a stunt flying show. The flying made an

impression, but Irene's bobbed hair made a bigger one. In a short time, the Bishop belles were in style with the new

short hairdo. Vera Hines True tells that she longed to follow suit, but as a bride-to-be, she listened to her future

husband, who believed a woman should retain her "crowning glory" and avoid the paths of vanity.

"The family all belonged to the Methodist church, as had their forefathers back to the time of Francis Asbury in

Massachusetts", writes Mrs. Brown, "however, they enjoyed the summer union meetings with the Baptist church, and

today a number of members of the family are Baptist.

"The Trues always enjoyed having company", Mrs. Brown tells. "Mother took pride in having a good garden and a well-

supplied table. One Christmas, after an unusually mild fall, she was able to serve 12 different kinds of vegetables from

her garden, including corn and watermelon.

"The children married, one by one, but they continued to come home to eat Mother's cooking, especially on Sundays.

After her death, Father was afraid they would stop coming home and would drift apart, so he inaugurated 'Third

Sunday' - every third Sunday of the month the clan would gather, with basket lunches, to spend the day with their

father. Eating, singing hymns, games and conversation were the order of the day, to the pleasure of both young and

old.

"When both parents were gone, the children continued the practice of 'Third Sunday', but not on a monthly basis.

"The next family reunion is planned for the third Saturday in August", Mrs. Brown concludes. "This this will be held in

our home in Kingsville, and we are hoping for over 100 of the clan to be present".