Date: 1933 ~ PIONEER COUPLE OF STEPHENS COUNTY MARRIED 58 YEARS Mr. and Mrs. E. M. Satterwhite, who reside on a farm at Necessity, in Stephens County, are the type of americans Henry W. Grady doubtlessly had in mind in his memorable tribute to wholesome homes. "We have enjoyed life with our fourteen children, good times, lean times, and, incidentally, The Semi-Weekly Farm News, all those years", Mr. Satterwhite said. Mr. Satterwhite is a native of Georgia, his father's farm being in a crook of the Chattahoochie River, it being accessible by boat only. Arriving in Texas (illegible) years ago, the elder Satterwhite located in Houston County, near Crockett. There he joined other early Texans in finding a commonwealth of opportunity. "We raised our feed and meat, used the old Georgia sweepstock and grubbing hoe, and managed to lick everything that came our way, except the chills, " Mr. Satterwhite reminisces. It was the chills that finally drove the Satterwhites to West Texas. Wearing jeans and toting corn to mill...these and more are luxuriant memories of Mr. Satterwhite, who enjoys good health and is cheerful. Mrs. Satterwhite, who keeps a good house and prepares notable meals, looks back kindly at the years that have gone, and hopefully to those in the future. She recalls the evolution of home life and comforts, smoky lamp to the modern lighting devices. "It is not much trouble to rear fourteen healthy, useful children," she declares. "We made our tables a little longer, our smokehouse bigger, and our fireside had more mirth, more joy than the house unblessed with children." All the Satterwhite furniture was home-made, as were their clothes. They came to West Texas in an ox wagon, and wrestled with droughts, windstorms, trackless prairies, and pioneer conditions. But through it all they held abiding faith in their country and in Providence. "As a boy," Mr. Satterwhite adds, with twinkling eyes, "I wore the one simple garment, famous in old-timers' lives, commonly known as the 'shirt-tail' uniform. All since then has been a kind of luxury." The oil boom found Mr. Satterwhite with considerable land, and a townsite for a new West Texas city was mapped off on his farm. Except for a few years when they lived at Abilene to educate their children, Mr. and Mrs. Satterwhite have resided on their farm, the best place to be healthy and happy, they believe. "I hope to live to be old," said Mr. Satterwhite, who is in his eighties, "and to continue to see improved farming. I also expect to milk Old Jersey, frolic with my grandchildren, and read The Semi-Weekly Farm News for many years yet." In addition to their fourteen living children, two died in infancy. There also are forty grandchildren, and ten great grandchildren. The children are B. F., Eddie, Archie and Elton of Necessity, Mrs. W. E. Carey of Harlingen, Mrs. Ed Blackburn of Gunsight, Mrs. C. W. Harris of Snowhill, Ark., W. M. Satterwhite of Texon, Claude Satterwhite of Wayland, Mrs. Herman Williams of Electra, Captain Satterwhite of Olney, Mrs. George Rumbaugh of Snowhill, Ark., Mrs. R. L. Crockett of Dallas, and Mrs. Major Langford of Frankell. Mr. and Mrs. Satterwhite have enjoyed fifty-eight years of married life and have read The Farm News for forty years. This article was sent to us by Annette Garcia. She doesn't know in what newspaper the article appeared. See more Scrapbook     See Family History