Ahoy, Texian Navy Day!

Saturday, September 20, 2008, 10:00 AM, Texian Navy Day will be celebrated at the Founders Memorial Cemetery in Houston, Texas. Texian Navy Day will honor the Republic of Texas Navy and Commodore Henry Livingston Thompson who is buried at the Founders Memorial Cemetery. Founders Memorial Cemetery is located at 1217 West Dallas at Valentine Street about a mile from downtown Houston.

This year's Keynote Speaker will be the Honorable Ed Emmett, Harris County Judge.

The event is sponsored by The Sons of the Republic of Texas - Texas Navy Committee. For more information contact Chairman, David Hanover, at dhanover@suddenlink.net or 903-509-2206. Or, contact The Sons of the Republic of Texas at www.srttexas.org

The Pirooters by Mark Mellon - Book Review

The Texas History Page received a copy of Mark Mellon's new book The Pirooters. Everyone here read it and everyone enjoyed it. It is the story of the Pargrew brothers, Heck and Virge, who have just returned from fighting for the Confederacy in the Civil War. They return to Reconstruction era Texas to find they have lost everything.

That's where the adventures begin. It was fun to read a Texas western that focused on that period after the Civil War but before the over cliched period of the 1880-1890's.

Mark Mellon's book is very creative in many other ways as well. He definitely did some research. For instance, much of the dialogue used in the book is authentic to the period. And, its not everyday a writer can work the "Bolson of Mapimi" into the storyline of a book.

If you enjoy Texas and western fiction and have ever thought it might be fun to go looking for Jim Bowie's legendary silver mine, we think you will enjoy The Pirooters. I particularly enjoyed the twist ending. The real treasure is where you find it.

The Pirooters is available from Treble Heart Books as well as Amazon.com.

Passing of Harry G. Daves, Jr.

The Texas History Page has received the following information from the nice folks at The Wallisville Heritage Park in Wallisville, Texas.

Harry G. Daves, Jr. 84 of Old River-Winfree, died on Monday, July 28, 2008 at his home.

He was born on September 17, 1923 in San Bernardino, California, a son of Sallie Robertson (Shannon) and Harry Grady Daves, Sr. He grew up in Baytown, where he attended Robert E Lee High School. Following his graduation, he volunteered for the U.S. Navy during World War II and served in their amphibious division. He made five major beachhead landings during the war, earning a Purple Heart, a Silver Star, a Navy & Marine Corps Commendation Medal and numerous other medals for his service.

After his return from the Navy, he was married in 1946 to Jeffie Herron of Highlands, and they made their home in Old River-Winfree, where they raised their two daughters, Louise and Bess Ann. He went to work that same year at Exxon's Baytown Refinery working as a machinist in the mechanical division.

After 31 years with the Baytown Refinery, Harry retired in 1977 to work on his farm and ranch. He also became a volunteer to many historic preservation groups in the area. These included the Wallisville Heritage Park, where he served faithfully on the board of directors; the Chambers County Historical Commission, where he most recently served as chair of the historical cemeteries committee; the Liberty County Historical Commission, where he oversaw the ringing of the Liberty Bell on special occasions; and as chaplain of Spaight's Battalion Camp #858, Sons of Confederate Veterans. He was also an ordained Southern Baptist minister.

He was extremely proud of his service as president of the Jacob Shannon Evergreen Cemetery in Dobbin, Texas, a burial ground established by his great-grandfather in 1840. He was the great-great-grandson of American Revolutionary War Veteran Owen Shannon and his wife Margaret Montgomery, pioneer settlers of the old Lake Creek Settlement in Montgomery County.

He was proceeded in death by his parents; his daughter Louise Daves; and his brother Rev. John M. Daves.

Survivors include his wife, Jeffie; his daughter, Bessie Ann; his sisters, Kay Mitchell and Bebe Armstrong; and by his granddaughters, Louise's daughter Heather Frazier and Bess Ann's daughter Candace Cherry.

The family wishes to thank Luis E. Gonzalez-Fraga and his staff, Faith Community Hospice, and caregiver Belinda Blair for their many kind deeds over the course of Harry's illness. Funeral services were held Friday, August 1, 2008 at Navarre Funeral home with Rev. Danny Biddy officiating. Graveside services followed at the Jacob Shannon Evergreen Cemetery in Dobbin.