HULAN DEAN & LIZZIE ELLEN REEVES DEAN:
(from "The Dean Family," by Gloria Borgsmiller & Lucy Kehmeier)
Hulan Richard Dean was born 4 June 1869 in Benton County, AR. He married Elizabeth Ellen "Lizzie" Reeves on 18 Dec 1889 in Van Zandt County, TX. Elizabeth Ellen was b 15 Sept 1870 near the Como Township, Panola County, Mississippi; d 1907 in Lamar, TX, and was the daughter of Simon E and Lydia Reeves. "Lizzie's" father, Simon Reeves was a notary public in Van Zandt County, TX during the 1880's to early 1900's. His name is recorded on numerous legal documents in early Van Zandt County.
FIGHTER
Family records indicate Richard was an energetic and unruly child. During his youth he experienced his share of fisticuffs both during and after school. During this era young Richard engaged in numerous altercations and because he usually emerged the victor, he was reported to be a better than average boxer. Family members recall Richard was blessed with lightning quick reflexes, and because his quick hands and accurate punches he soon earned the reputation as an excellent pugilist. In spite of his reputation as a fighter, Richard was extremely shy and was considered a polite youngster. However when riled, his demeanor often turned to rage. ( Source: Hulan Dean family history, by Milton Forsythe.)
In the early 1880's Hulan Richard moved with parents and family to Wills Point, Van Zandt County, TX. There he met and later married "Lizzie" Reeves. Shortly thereafter, he and Lizzie moved to Red River County, TX where they raised their family.
During his early years, Hulan Richard used the name Hulan R Dean on all his legal documents. In 1905 Hulan and Elizabeth Ellen "Lizzie" moved with their family to Merkel, Taylor County, TX. Merkel, TX is located approximately twenty miles west of Abilene, TX. After arriving in Merkel, TX he was always recorded as Richard H. Dean. His descendants living in the Merkel area of West TX never knew his given name was "Hulan." They even had the name "Richard H. Dean" inscribed on his tombstone.
There is a story in the Hulan Dean family that indicates Hulan Richard Dean killed a man in East TX. It was reported he left town suddenly and headed west. When he arrived in Merkel, TX he began using the name "Richard Dean". This story has never been documented; however, it could be the reason Hulan Dean moved to West TX and changed his name. Several members of the Hulan Richard Dean family recall their elder relatives telling them this story. Evidently, it has been handed down from generation to generation in the Hulan Richard Dean family.
LIZZIE'S DEATH
Hulan Richard Dean was a farmer, and in his later years he worked as a carpenter, a trade he learned from Charles A. Garvin, the father-in-law of his oldest son, Elbert Marshall Dean.
After the birth of their daughter, Margaret Betryce "Madge" Dean, "Lizzie" Dean became ill and never fully recovered. Even though she was sick, she performed the housekeeping duties, a chore that most women of the early years performed. In early 1907 "Lizzie" Dean became very ill and was unable to recover (liver failure). She died at the age of 37 years at her home in Merkel, Taylor County, TX on 19 March 1907. She was buried in the Rose Hill Cemetery in Merkel, TX.
After "Lizzie's" death, Hulan Richard went to live with his younger sister, Mary Estella "Minnie" (Dean) Booe, in Grand Saline, Van Zandt County, TX. He became a gardener and took care of the Booe family garden. He even worked in the Booe Family Grocery Store, helping Minnie's husband, William Starrett Booe.
BACK TO ARKANSAS
Family members recall he grew restless and returned to Benton County, AR in 1916 making his home in Siloam Springs. There, he raised watermelons and apples, and worked as a Miller working in a feed mill. In 1917, while on a visit to Merkel, TX he purchased a fruit stand and stayed all summer selling fruits and vegetables. He returned to AR in the fall of 1917. The next summer, he rode the train from Siloam Springs, AR to Merkel, TX bringing railroad cars loaded with watermelons and apples. Some family members remember Richard telling them he considered the expense of obtaining a railroad boxcar to be well justified because the prices of melons and apples in Texas far exceeded the prices in AR . (Milton Forsythe)
He was also known to have a Coffee Shop where he sold whole green coffee and roasted it in Siloam Springs.
While living in Siloam Springs, AR he met and married a widow, Stella Jane (Richey) (Fetters) Griffin on 8 March 1918. They acquired their license and were married in Benton County, AR.
Prior to 1934, Richard's wife, Stella Jane Dean contracted cancer. After suffering several years from the effects of the disease Stella died at the age of 53 on Thursday, July 12, 1934, in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. Richard was sixty-five years old, and shortly thereafter he returned to Grand Saline, Texas and there resided the remainder of his life.
RETIREMENT
After arriving in Grand Saline, Richard again lived with his sister Minnie Dean Booe, who was now a widow. While residing with his sister Richard planted a huge garden. He often walked the short distance into town and could be found sitting on the sidewalk benches with the other retired men of Grand Saline. Several family relatives recall Richard and his fellow retirees often gathered in the local barbershop and enjoyed games of dominoes, a hobby Richard enjoyed immensely. (Milton Forsythe)
During his retirement, Richard often traveled between his sister's home in the east Texas town of Grand Saline and his son's home (Elbert Marshall Dean, Sr.) in west Texas, Baird Township. According to family records on Tuesday morning, October 17, 1944 Richard boarded the train in Grand Saline and traveled via the old Texas Zephyr to Baird, Texas. He was met at the railroad depot by his son, Elbert Marshall Dean and was then transported by Elbert's old Ford sedan to the Dean family home in Baird, Texas. Richard had been in Baird only hours before he died. (Milton Forsythe)
DEATH
On 17 Oct 1944, Hulan Richard went to visit his oldest son, Elbert Marshall who lived northeast of Abilene, in Baird, Taylor County, TX. According to his obituary in the Abilene Reporter News, he got up from the dinner table, went into the living room and fell dead. Elbert Dean, Jr. (age 15 at the time) vividly recalls his grandpa's death. Having come for a visit, Hulan, his son Elbert Sr., and grandson Elbert Jr. had harvested peanuts during the day. After supper, Hulan asked his seated grandson if he wanted to play checkers. Hulan collapsed in his grandson's arms, and was gone. (Milton Forsythe).
After his death at age 75, Richard's son summoned the Barrow Sheppard Funeral Home in Merkel, Texas (Baird is 40 miles east of Merkel) and requested they prepare his father's body for burial. On Thursday, October 19, 1944 at 3:00 p.m., his funeral was conducted from the mortuary chapel. (Milton Forsythe)
He is buried next to his first wife, Elizabeth Ellen "Lizzie" Dean in the Dean family plot in the Rose Hill Cemetery, Merkel, TX. Evidently, Hulan Richard was a member of the Woodmen of America as the tombstones over his and "Lizzie's" graves are "the Woodmen of America Memorial Tombstones." Hulan's tombstone stands in excess of five feet tall and "Lizzie's" tombstone stands in excess of four feet tall. They are both inscribed with their dates of birth and deaths.