Margaret C. Staples
Margaret C. Staples
1857-1936
Photo Credit: Rosa G. Gonzales
- Staples family tree
Contributed by: Geraldine D. McGloin,
Nueces County Historical Commission
- Biography
According to her tombstone, Margaret was born in 1857. She is the daughter of James Bryden and Janet Cairns, natives of Pebbleshire, Scotland. Margaret's parents married in Scotland before sailing to America in response to the public invitation issued by Col. Kinney, founder of Corpus Christi. They arrived in south Texas in 1852 along with other Scotch families like the Corkills and the McGregors. Her father was in the cattle business, and her mother was a business woman who purchased and sold ranches in south Texas. Margaret grew up on ranches in her early years. However, her mother purchased what is today known as the Centennial House on the bluff overlooking Corpus Christi Bay, and the family lived there between 1870 and 1878. On 1 July 1878 Margaret married W. Oscar Staples (Nueces County Marriage Records, volume E page 98). Her husband was the son of Waymon N. Staples and Sarah Rhoden Dunlap. Oscar's dad had marketed lumber from Louisiana, Mississippi, and Cuba in his lumber yard and owned his own schooner for its transport. However, he later sold the boat and business to Sidbury and moved to Collins (later Alice), Texas. Margaret and Oscar bought the Centennial House from her parents, but only resided in it for a short time. They sold the house to Cornelia Moore Evans in 1880, and subsequently the family spent much of their time outside the area of south Texas. Two of their children died young and were buried in Old Bayview Cemetery. Frances Mabel Staples was only about 4 years old when she died 13 December 1884, and James Bryden Staples was only a couple of months old when he died 10 February 1886. Another son buried in Old Bayview is Eugene Douglas Staples who died in Cuba 25 April 1960. According to family records passed down through the family of Margaret's sister Jessie (Mrs. W. H. Griffin), Eugene Douglas was involved in the sugar industry of Cuba and was an avid collector of stamps. After his death in Cuba, his ashes were brought back to Corpus Christi and buried at the foot of the red granite stone marking the Staples family plot. A stone was erected to his memory with his dates of birth and death. W. Oscar and Margaret Staples were something of international citizens. When Oscar's father died in 1893, Oscar was living in Mexico City because of his business ventures. Oscar was also living there when his mother died in 1905. Margaret is reported as living in Cuba in 1921 when her brother James Bryden died, and family records held by Jessie Marie Oatman (descendent of Jessie Bryden and Wm. H. Griffin) state that Margaret died in Montreal, Canada on 9 October 1936. Her remains were returned to Old Bayview Cemetery for interment next to other family members.
Research and transcription: Michael A. Howell
