Notes for LOUISA ANNIE Whedbee: Annie was born in Cass County, Missouri, which is located just south of Kansas City, Missouri. She married A.D. Bourne when she was 15 years old, but he died in 1868. Apparently Annie moved with her father to Fannin County, Texas around 1870. She married in 1871 (at the age of 25 years old) and moved with her second husband Alfred Sewell to Jack County, Texas in 1876.
From THE JACK COUNTY HISTORY: "Louisa Annie...was born on April 6, 1846, one of eight children and was married, at the age of fifteen to A.D. Bourne, a Civil War veteran. They moved to a farming community in Indiana where Mr. Bourne taught school, and where her son Lemuel was born. Four years later, Mr. Bourne died of tuberculosis (consumption), contracted while in service (during the Civil War - he apparently died in 1868).
Louisa Annie decided to return to her father's home in Missouri, but the country at that time was too unsettled and precarious for a young woman and her small son to travel alone, so members of the Masonic Lodge devised a plan for two masons to accompany her to a certain destination, where she would spend the night with the family of another mason. Then, next day, she would go on with two more escorts to go to the (next stop). In this manner, she arrived at her father's home safely to find four of her sisters, widowed by the war, along with their children, living with him.
Louisa Annie took up the reins of her life again, accompanying her father on his rounds, helping with his patients, and supplying nursing care when it was needed. In this way, she learned a great deal about medicine and different diseases that would benefit her later in the frontier country.
Annie and Alfred set up housekeeping on some good bottom land in Missouri and grew the tall corn for which the state is famous. Another crop, not so desirable, was that of mosquitos, and malaria was prevalent. The climate proved unhealthful, and after the death of two of their sons, the Sewells decided to come to Texas, where Dr. Whedbee and several of his children had settled in Grayson County. After several months, the couple learned of some land in Jack County, near Bryson, that was for sale.
So, in 1876, with their small herd of cattle, all their household possessions loaded in to wagons, accompanied by their two sons, Dan and Lem, Dr. Whedbee and Rollie Burns, who helped with the cattle, set out from Grayson County and headed westward. (Sherman, Texas is located in Grayson County, east of Jacksboro.)
Upon arrival they camped for about a month near the commissary of Fort Richardson, built originally for protection against the Indians, but which had been deactivated. However, it was the governing body for the area where Jacksboro would be incorporated later into a city.
Alfred finally decided upon an area close to Bryson, called Little Lost Valley, and it was here he built a home where he and Annie raised their family. Lem and Dan had been born before coming to Texas, but the next six children were Jack County natives.
In the life of the frontier there were no doctors. Before coming to Texas, Dr. Whedbee had given Annie medical books and instructions about the treatment of certain common ills. Inevitably, the word of Annie's ability to treat and diagnose illnesses soon spread, and she would ride miles to answer the distressed calls of neighbors and help them. She came to be regarded as a Florence Nightingale by those who were ministered to by her. Eventually, a Dr. Wells located at Bryson, and Annie's life became less strenuous adn she was then able to devoted more time to her growing family.
After the birth of the youngest child, Edmund, Alfred decided to bring his family to Jacksboro. He had had no formal schooling, being self taught, and he realized the necessity of a good education. He settled his family in a home on North Main Street, and opened a grocery business on the northwest corner of the square in the Aynes Building. In addition to the grocery business, he continued to add to his ranch holdings around Jacksboro.
It was while riding the pastures one day that he heard a child crying. Upon investigation, he found a small Indian boy who had become separated from the tribe as it passed through the country. He took the child home with him and, later, made inquiries at the nearest Indian settlement about the boy, but no one turned up to claim him. As the child was about the same age as Dan, then four years old (1877-78), they became playmates and learned enough of each other's language that they could chatter together and understand each other. About a year later, two Indians came to the Sewell's home to reclaim the child. Although quite attached to the Indian boy, the Sewells felt that he would be better off with his own people, and they let him go regretfully.
In the course of managing his ranches and riding horseback in the hot sun, Alfred's lips became severely sunburned, and, over a period of time, would not heal. Upon his doctor's advice, he went to St. Louis and had an operation on his mouth. It turned out to be unsuccessful, and Alfred returned home to live out his not too long remaining life. He died on November 15, 1898.
Annie lived eleven more years, seeing her children grow to be adults, marry and give her grandchildren. She passed away on January 22, 1909. - by Mary Elda Ferrel."
More About LOUISA ANNIE Whedbee: Burial: Unknown, Oakwood Cemetery, Jacksboro, Texas.
More About LOUISA ANNIE Whedbee and A .D. Bourne: Marriage: January 01, 1862
More About LOUISA ANNIE Whedbee and ALFRED EUGENE Sewell: Marriage: January 27, 1871, Gentry County, Missouri.
Children of LOUISA ANNIE Whedbee and A .D. Bourne are:
Lemuel Bourne, b. May 30, 1864, d. May 30, 1916, Roswell, New Mexico?.
Children of LOUISA ANNIE Whedbee and ALFRED EUGENE Sewell are:
Lemuel Bourne, b. May 30, 1864, d. May 30, 1916, Roswell, New Mexico?.
Frank M. Sewell, b. December 30, 1871, Missouri, d. May 04, 1872, Missouri.
LOUISA ANNIE Whedbee (b. April 06, 1846, d. January 22, 1909)
Notes for LOUISA ANNIE Whedbee: