Margaret (Maggie) Hetherington

A Brief Account of the Hetherington and Broughton Families

Compiled by Charlie Tillery

Margaret (Maggie) Hetherington was born August 28, 1877, at Monroeville, Alabama, and was the second daughter and fifth child of John Monroe and Margaret Ann Hetherington. She, at the present time, maintains a home at Reagan, Texas, but spends most of her time with her sons and daughters, who live in various parts of Texas. She remembers very little of her childhood in Alabama, but does recall that a creek, which frequently overflowed its banks, ran between her home and the home of her grandparents, the Charles R. Broughtons. The Broughton home adjoined the town of Monroeville, and the Hetherington home was within walking distance of the town. She remembers very little about the trip to Texas, but recalls with accuracy and vividness many bits of information told her by her mother about relatives and old friends and events of the early days in Alabama.

The journey to Texas was made in 1885 when Maggie was seven or possibly eight years of age. During the following thirteen or fourteen years she lived on the Hetherington family farm south of Reagan, and assisted with the housekeeping and family chores. She learned to cook and sew and wash and iron and to do the many other duties incident to running a household. She went to school at Reagan and was a good student. Pictures of her as a young lady indicate that she was rather tall and slender, and neat and attractive in appearance.

On October 19, 1898, Maggie Hetherington married George Wallace Shaunfield, a blacksmith and a carpenter. They first lived in a house which the young husband built just west of the ‘William Snell home about a quarter of a mile south of Reagan. They lived at this location three or four years, and then sold this house and built another closer to town, just south of the Wesley Shaunfield home. They lived at this place for a number of years, and they bought the E. W. Robbins home at the north edge of town. This move occurred about 1908.

By this time, Wallace Shaunfield, who was born June 19, 1870, in Alabama, had sold his blacksmith shop and had opened a grocery store on the street of Reagan leading to the site of the new school building. He was friendly and congenial and a good business man, and soon the store was making money. As a high school boy, I worked in his store on Saturdays and came to know him well. He was red-headed and quick-tempered, but extremely patient with his youthful and no doubt inefficient clerk. He was deeply religious, and loved his family and felt keenly his responsibility for their welfare. His faith did not permit him to believe in the principle of life insurance, and he would never consider the purchase of a life insurance policy. While operating the grocery store, he never ceased to be mechanically minded and spent a good part of his spare time in a little work shop at the back of the grocery. He died December 14, 1918, of influenza, and was buried in the Hetherington lot in the Covington Cemetery.

Until the death of her husband, Maggie Shaunfield had lived the ordinary busy life of a young mother and busy housewife. She had done the housekeeping and cooking and sewing and most of the laundry for the growing family of eight children. She had helped with the garden and the yard, and had encouraged the children in their school and church activities. There had always been an abundance of food and clothing and at least enough money for the requirements of the rather large family. Suddenly and unexpectedly she was bereft of the support and encouragement of her husband, and left with eight children to rear, the oldest a boy not quite through high school, and the youngest, a girl, a year and nine months old: She had a grocery store, some money in the bank, and something like a thousand dollars which her husband had saved dollar by dollar. When the debts were paid there was little cash left. The oldest son, Willie, attempted to operate the grocery, but was too immature and inexperienced to make a success of it. The stock was finally sold, and the building rented for a small amount.

Maggie Shaunfield did not give up. The children were hers, and with the help of the Lord she meant to rear them. She took them to the cotton patch, and they all worked for small wages, the older girls worked in the local stores, and the second son got a little job in the post office. She milked cows and sold dairy products; she raised a garden and canned the surplus vegetables. She worked hard and unremittingly. Her day started before dawn and ended late. She managed to keep her children home with her and to send them to school. All of them finished high school, and most of them received additional scholastic training. As children they were always neatly dressed, healthy, and properly nourished. They were unusually well behaved. The feat of rearing this family of eight children was outstanding. It would have been an impossible undertaking for a woman of less faith and courage and understanding. Her energy and industry and determination; her sense of duty and responsibility; her independence of spirit and her love for her children; her strong sense of right and wrong-these qualities make her comparable to the pioneer mothers of this country who struggled to establish homes on the frontier in the early days of this county.

Seven of her children have married and have families of their own; one daughter, Lillie Mae, is still unmarried. They all feel a great deal of love and respect for their mother.

A list of these children and the members of their families follows:

Charles William (Willie) Shaunfield was born at Reagan, Texas, August 30, 1899. He married Irma Sharp, and their children are: Theda Louise, born November 18, 1920; Lois, born July 31, 1922; Margaret Ann Shaunfield, born December 28,1928, Thelma Cleo, born August 29, 1931; Charles William, Jr., born December 8, 1939. Lois married a man named Jackson and has a son, Reggie Clayton Jackson, born November I, 1944.

On November 23, 1948, Charles William Shaunfield married Nellie Mae Potts, who was born January 31, 1901. He is now employed by the Port Arthur Fire Department.

Sadie Leah Shaunfield was born April II, 1902. She married John Perry Williams July 15, 1924. They have two children John Perry Williams, Jr., born July 19, 1925; and Mary Florence born July 23, 1932. Sadie and her family live at Denver City, Texas.

Lillie Mae Shaunfield was born October 27 1904. She is unmarried, and is a teacher in the Denver City Public School System.

Lilla Louella Shaunfield February 26, 1907. She married Irving V. Harmon April 7, 1929, and they have one son, Jack Wallace Hannon, born October 31, 1935. Luella and her family live at Denver City, Texas.

Wallace Neal Shaunfield was born September 14 1909. He married Annie Grace Herridge November 27, 1934. She is a niece of Mrs.G. K. Hetherington, and was born October 30 1911. Neal and Annie Grace have four children: Wallace Neal Jr., born July 3, 1937; Katherine Grace, born March II, 1944; Edward, born .January 16, .1946; Theresa Ann, born January 15, 1949. Neal is employed at the Post Office at Port Arthur Texas.

Nettie Frances Shaunfield was born November 19, 1911. She married Bismark Henry Rohde June 27, 1942. Rohde was born May 9, 1910. They have two daughters: Margaret Louise born August 8, 1943; and Mary Lee, born March 6, 1945. They live at 7705 Wagnon, Fort Worth, Texas.

Lee Treadwell Shaunfield was born July 19, 1914. On December 24, 1940, he married Madee Audelia Ramzy, who was hom September 4, 1916. They have three children: Wallace Newton, born November 1, 1942; George Wesley, born March 9, 1946; Mary Dee Lee, born April 8, 1948. Lee was in the Navy during World War II. He and his family live at 2416 Spiller Street, Fort Worth, Texas.

Mary Margaret Shaunfield was born March II, 1917. On May 17, 1941, she married John Frederick Wusterhausen, who was born December 23, 1915.

They have one son, John Frederick, Jr., who was born August 2, 1949.

Margaret (Maggie) Hetherington, at this time, has living eight children, eighteen grandchildren, and one great grandchild.