The Erastus Heermans Family

Facts provided by Mattie Heermans Fox

Erastus Heermans and family, consisting of his wife, a son and daughter, came to Texas from Mitchelsville, Tenn., in the early 1870s, settling at Larissa and moving to Jacksonville a few years later to purchase a home on South Bolton Street.

After his death in 1882, Mrs. Heermans continued to live at the South Bolton Street address, and rented rooms to students of Alexander College Institute, which later became Lon Morris College.

His son, J. A. Heermans (1848-1919), was married to Susan Elizabeth Palmer in 1887, and they had three children. They were Addison P. Heermans (1888-1940), John William Heermans, born in 1893 and killed in France during World War I, and Mattie Susie Heermans, born in 1896. Erastus Heerman's daughter married a Mr. Watson and they moved to San Marcos. They had a son, E. Heermans Watson, who came to Jacksonville when his mother died and lived with his grandmother, getting his education at Alexander Collegiate Institute.

J.A. Heermans bought property at the corner of Bolton and Rusk streets, where he opened a woodworking, blacksmith and tin shop. He built wagons, wagon wheels and shod horses and mules, as well as drawing plans and erecting a home and other buildings in and around Jacksonville and Palestine.

A.P. Heermans and wife, the former Lucile Haberle, had two children, John Ray Heermans and Mary Adeline Heermans Howard.

John William died in World War I at the age of 24.

Mattie Sue Heermans Fox still lives in Beaumont [as of 1972]. She had three sons, Garnett S. Fox, Jr., who died on July 24, 1970, and was the father of two children: Ronald Bruce Fox of New Orleans; and William Earl Fox of Dayton, Texas, father of four children.

Erastus Heermans

Mr. & Mrs. John Addison Heermans

J. A. Heermans, left, and son, Addison, in front of shop at corner Bolton and Rusk.

Heermans home, 610 S. Bolton, no longer standing, built 1875.