The Luther Henry Newbern Family

By Mrs. L. H. Newbern

It was nearly Christmas in 1900 when Luther Henry Newbern, a lad of 12, boarded the train in Atlanta, Georgia, for Texas, with his mother, Mollie Dean Newbern, widow of Manning Newbern, his sister, Lilla, and two brothers, Perm and Ben. A brother, Will, had preceded them. The family settled near Craft and began farming.

In 1910, Luther Henry Newbern married Georgia Goldie Taylor, daughter of Lewis and Dora Lattimore Taylor, and the couple began life together in Afton Grove community. Mr. Newbern bought a farm of sixteen acres three miles east of Jacksonville. He was one of the pioneers in green tomato marketing, working for E. M. Shoemaker for many years. In 1928, the farm was sold and a new home erected on a half acre tract in the southwest corner of Slaton's Dairy (now the corner of Fort Worth Street and Brookside Drive). Mr. Newbern, in association with Mr. Shoemaker and Sam Boles, ventured into big acreage tomato production. Later he purchased half interest in a small grocery store in east Jacksonville with V. M. Gilmore as partner- Because of the unstable economy, the partnership was soon dissolved and Mr. Newbern went into carpentry and painting. In 1935, the family moved to Craft. Mrs. Newbern was employed by the Rehabilitation Agency of the Federal Government.

Mr. Newbern became associated with Peacock Mill at Turney where he continued until 1949, when he joined his brother-in-law, E. P. Tankersley, as a painter, until his retirement. He purchased one acre of land and, with his own hands, built a new home for himself and his wife.

Two children were born to Luther and Goldie Newbern: Lenora Fay in 1915 and Richard Lewis in 1920. Both attended public schools of Jacksonville arid Lenora Fay graduated from Lon Morris College and Sam Houston State University. She taught school in Corsicana and in 1936, married Lamar Shaffer Clark of Houston. Since 1937, Mr. Clark has held various pastorates in the Texas Annual Conference of United Methodist Church, including four years as a Chaplain in the U.S. Army. Mrs. Clark has been active in the church's program. The couple has two daughters, Donna Dean Clark Hutcherson, Hallsville, Texas, and Jan Carolyn Clark Atkinson, Kansas City, Mo., and four grandchildren.

The son, Richard Lewis, graduated from Tyler Business College. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1941, and served 20 years. In 1948, he married Ruth Roberts Steele in California. They have four children: James Randolph, Mobile, Ala., Michael, Leigh Ann (deceased) and Cheryl of Satellite Beach, Fla. Richard is retired.

Luther Newbern died February 17, 1960. He was a member of the Odd Fellows Lodge, Carpenters Union, and attended First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, where Goldie Newbern is a member. She belongs to Fidelis Matrons Sunday School Class, Providence Home Demonstration Club, Rebeccah Lodge and Sunshine Club.

The present family and descendants of Luther Henry Newbern believe his contribution to the life and growth of Jacksonville was that of loyalty and devotion to his adopted home, of honesty and integrity as a citizen, of love and dedication to his family.

L. H. Newbern with Richard and Lenora Faye, at home purchased in Afton Grove.