Owens, Reverend George W. Senior^[1]

1852 - 1918  (65 years)

• Name	Owens, George W.
  Title	Reverend
  Suffix	Senior
  Born	25 Mar 1852	, Monroe, Alabama, U.S.A.
  Gender	Male
  Died	Mar 1918	, Dallas, Texas, U.S.A.   [2]
  Buried	Mar 1918	Greenwood Cemetery, Oak Grove, Dallas, Texas, U.S.A.
  Person ID	I14950	McClure-Harris
  Last Modified	6 Sep 2005

  
  

  Family	Apperson, Alice Elizabeth,   b. 1858, Waxahachie, Ellis, Texas, U.S.A. ,   d. 30 Jan 1927, Oak Cliff, Dallas, Texas, U.S.A.  (Age 69 years)
  Married	1879
  Family ID	F3882	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Headstones

  Owens, Reverend George W.

  
  

• Notes

  CENSUS RECORDS: ......1900 Census: Oak CLiff Town, Dallas County, Texas, 7 JusticePrecinct District 145: Household 317: Page 241: Address: 222 Lancaster Avenue Owen, George W., age 44, March 1856, AL,AL,GA, Married 21 Years,Lumber Dealer, Owns Home Owen, Allice, age 42, March 1858, TX, TN,IL, Married 21 Years, 7Children, 7 Living Owen, Mary A., age 20, Nov. 1874, TX Owen, Margaret A., age 18, Dec. 1881, TX Owen, Mattie A., age 16, Dec. 1883, TX, at School Owen, Merriam A., age 13, Aug. 1886, TX, at School Owen, James T., age 11, March 1889, TX, at School Owen, Everett G., age 8, Oct. 1891, TX George W., age 5, July 1895, TX Donaly, Frank, Servant, age 19, TX, Yard Work -------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------- First United Methodist Church of Ferris Location: 101 Redbud Land, Ferris The town of Ferris was laid out by the Houston & Texas Central Railway in 1874. In that year, the Reverent John S. Davis and the Reverent George W. Owens became the first of a series of circuit-riding ministers to serve Ferris, establishing a small body of the Methodist congregants. In 1885 the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, received the donation of two town lots from the railroad, on which the church erected its first building. A parsonage was erected in 1895. Circuit riders continued to serve the Ferris congregation until the late 1890s. Ferris became a part of the Waxahachie District, Northwest Texas Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, in 1899. Ferris boasted a population of 311 at the beginning of the 20th century. A post office railroad depot, express office, about 20 business and mercantile establishments, cotton gins, hotels, a school for children from primary grades through high school and several churches were among the town's features. In 1910, the Ferris church and the rest of the Waxahachie District became part of the newly formed Central Texas Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. New facilities was erected as' needed. For much of 1924 the congregation met at Ferris High School and in the First Presbyterian Church. In 1925 the Presbyterian congregation met in the new Methodist facilities in anticipation of the completion of their new structure. A more modern facility was constructed for the Methodists in 1964. The congregation continues a strong tradition of worship, community outreach and service and mission programs. [1999] Source: Ellis County TXGenweb

  
  

• Sources

  [S186] GEDCOM file imported on 14 Aug 2002., Shane Symes. [S683] The Dallas Morning News (Reliability: 3), 18 Mar 1918. GEORGE W. OWENS DIES AT OAK CLIFF HOME --------------- FORMER MINISTER AND PROMINENT CHURCHMAN AND LUMBERMAN PASSES AWAY. ---------------- The Rev. George W. Owen, formerly a member of the Northwest Texas Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and in later years extensively engaged in the lumber business in Dallas and towns adjacent, died yesterday morning about 6 o’clock at his home, 200 South Lancaster avenue. Although he had been in ill health for the last eight years, his death came unexpectedly. Soon after rising from his bed he complained to his wife of feeling very weak. She induced him to sit down, and it was only a moment or two after he did so until he died. His death is believed to have been due to heart failure. George W. Owens was born in Monroe County, in Southern Alabama, March 25 1852. His father was a Confederate soldier and lost his life in the war. With his mother, six brothers and two sisters he came to Texas in 1868, the war having left the family with barely enough property to manage to get to Texas. Arriving near Calvert in the fall of 1868 the family began their struggle in the new State by picking cotton. The following year they rented some land on the shares, and for several years thereafter engaged in farming. At the age of 21 Mr. Owns entered school, and for four years he worked his way through, paying his own expenses. In the fall of 1878 he joined the Northwest Texas Conference, of which he remained a member for eleven years. During that time, under his direction, several new church buildings and parsonages were erected, as by nature he was builder. It was during this time that he became acquainted with J. T. Elliott of Dallas, a well-known lumberman, an acquaintanceship that chanced in an unusual way to result later in Mr. Owens becoming engaged in the lumber business. It happened that Wesley Owens, Mr. Owens’ brother, was threatened with lung trouble and his physician recommended that he secure work in a lumber yard, where he would receive the benefit of being around pine and resin. George W. Owens went to J. T. Elliott and suggested that they form a partnership in conducting a branch yard at Lancaster, Dallas County. Mr. Elliott agreed, the yard opened and Wesley Owens went to work in accordance with the physician’s directions. MANY YARDS ESTABLISHED. The partnership thus begun developed and the business expanded until as many as fifteen lumber yards were in operation in various localities, the style of the firm being G.W. Owens & Co. At a later date the partnership was dissolved, and at a still later date the style of the firm was changed to G. W. Owens & Sons. For many years Mr. Owens was the financial agent of the Texas Christian Advocate, the official organ of the M.E. Church, South, in this State. He also served for several years as president of the Texas Lumbermen’s Association. He was president of the Metropolitan Street Railway Company (the South Belt line) in Dallas until the time that the Strickland interests took over the Stone & Webster interests in Dallas. For several years he has been a member of the board of directors of the American Exchange National Bank. He was public spirited and took an interest in many public matters. In 1896, when promoters were attempting to pull off the Corbett-Fitzsimmons prize fight in Dallas, Mr. Owens was actively opposed to permitting this fight and made one or two trips to Austin to present the matter to Governor Culberson. The fight did not come off. Among his benefactions are the girls’ dormitory and dining-room at Polytechnic College in Fort Worth and an ornamental drinking fountain at the Library Plaza, Marsalis and Jefferson avenues, Oak Cliff. This fountain was a memorial erected by him out of gratitude for many kindnesses shown by citizens during a long and serious illness a few years ago. HELPED YOUNG MEN IN SCHOOL. Last fall Mr. Owens announced a plan for assisting deserving young men to secure a college education at Southern Methodist University. He agreed to lend the students the money they needed at 6 per cent interest, merely taking their personal notes. About twenty-two young men are now availing themselves of this opportunity to borrow money to secure an education. The only security they need in getting the money is good character. Surviving Mr. Owens are three sons, three daughters and twelve grandchildren. The sons are J. T. Owens, E. S. Owens and G. W. Owens Jr. The daughters are Mrs. R. B. Spurgin, Mrs. L. W. Blaylock and Mrs. Lawrence Diamond. His mother, Mrs. M.A. Owens, 86 years of age, lives in Fort Worth. Three brothers survive him, P. J. Owens of San Antonio, D. R. Owens of Three Rivers and B. W. Owens of Fort Worth. His only surviving sister is Miss Margaret Owens of Fort Worth. Funeral services will be held at 3 o’clock this afternoon at the Oak Cliff Methodist Church, Jefferson and Marsalis avenues. They will be conducted by Dr. Sam R. Hay, Dr. G. M. Gibson and other Methodist pastors of the city. The active pallbearers will be John N. Simpson, A. V. Lane, Judge Joseph E. Cockrell, E. M. Reardon, Robert B. Allen and L. Blaylock. Honorary pallbearers will be J. T. Elliott, Royal A. Ferris, H. H. Smith, G. H. Pittman, B. H. Webster, S. H. Chiles, E. J. Gannon, W. L. Diamond, W. M. Crow, M. N. Baker, Sam P. Cochran, Bishop Joseph S. Key, Dr. W. O. Reagan, Edward T. Moore, J. F. Mulkey, Abe Mulkey, Dr. George W. Truett, W. C. Connor, The Rev. W. C. Young, the Rev. Horace Bishop, the Rev. John R. Nelson, Dr. E. J. Reeves, Dr. R. W. Baird, Dr. W. M. Lively, C. R. Burton, B. M. Burgher, W. A. Shaw, S. E. Moss, D. F. Sullivan and L. L. Jester.