Mary Elinor Meyers
In memory
of
Mary Elinor Meyers
A native of
Virginia
Died
Dec 25, 1890
Aged
69 yrs., 7ms, 15 days
Mother thou hast from us flown
to the regions far above
we to thee erect this stone
consecrated by our love
Gone but not forgotten
Photo Credit: Rosa G. Gonzales
Biography
First it should be noted that the last name of Mary Elinor and her husband William is sometimes spelled “Myers†and at other times written as “Meyersâ€. Even on their tombstones, William’s name is inscribed as “Myers†while Mary Elinor’s names is inscribed as “Meyersâ€. The Myers family are listed in the 1860 census of Nueces County on page 287A. In this census William is listed as 56, Mary Elinor as 39, and their daughter Amanda as 5 years old. According to her stone Mary Elinor was born on or about May 10, 1821 in Virginia and died on Christmas Day in 1890. She married William in Covington, Kentucky. He had come to Texas in 1835 and served as a scout for Sam Houston according to his obit (C. C. Weekly Gazette, 30 June 1877 page 3 col. 2). His obit states that he was wounded during the Texas revolution to such a degree that his right arm was left rather paralyzed. In an article about his early school days in Banquete, Eli T. Merriman notes that he studied with his brother James E. Merriman in a “school taught by an old crippled gentleman by the name of Myers who had a school about a mile east of where we lived and where the Banquete Creek runs into the Agua Dulce and where there was a Mexican ranch, called the Alajandro Ranch. Capt. John Rabb, the big ranchman, having his home and headquarters a mile further down the creek†(C. C. Caller of 9 March 1936 page 2 col. 2-3). Eli goes on to speak of others that attended class there and names those who are still living and others who have since died. One of those listed is Amanda Myers. As noted earlier, Mary Elinor and William had among their children this daughter whose full name appears to be Mary Amanda Jane Myers/Meyers. Amanda initially married Eli Larkin Ferguson (vol. D page 131) in 1875 and had a son Samuel (1875-1876) who is also buried in Old Bayview Cemetery. Later she married John P. Nelson (vol. E page 137) in June of 1880 and by him had 3 children who died young and are also buried in Old Bayview Cemetery. These are Walter Charles (1881-1881), Maud (1885-1886), and Blanche Mabel (1886-1887). Eli T. Merriman notes in the same article referenced above that J. P. Nelson was a “railroad contractor, and who graded the road from Col. Lott from Corpus Christi to Laredo and the Aransas Pass road from San Antonio to Corpus Christiâ€. Mr. Merriman states that the couple lived in San Antonio and it was there that they died. Amanda preceded her husband in death. Mr. Nelson died on 27 August 1935 in the Alamo City. Thus Mary Elinor and William Myers/Meyers are buried along with their at least four of their grandchildren in Old Bayview Cemetery.
Research and transcription: Michael A. Howell