William Carson Womble Family (Below)

William Carson Womble (Below)

William Carson Womble Obituary

Hutchinson County, Texas

Womble Family Photos

William Carson Womble Family

While Ancestry.com can only trace the William Carson line of the Womble family back to John Amous Womble (1756-1820), who was born and died in Edgecombe, North Carolina, family records and oral traditions indicate that the line begins in England. The family is said to originate in Wombwell, York, England before Thomas Wombwell immigrated to Virginia on a ship that was commanded by Christopher Lawson. He landed at Jamestown on May 1, 1638. On December 25, 1642, Thomas received a patent from the James City Company for 650 acres of land. He would later become the Clerk of the County Court for Isle of Wight County, a position that he held from 1645-1654. He is thought to have died in 1864.

Somewhere along the line, the spelling of the name was changed from Wombwell to Womble and/or Wamble. At least portions of the family moved to North Carolina, including the first verified ancestor, John Amous Womble, who lived and died in Edgecombe. From there, the family began to spread out over the years into Alabama, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.

William Carson Womble (1874-1946)

The Womble Family Tree of Hutchinson County, Texas begins with William Carson Womble, who was born to Amanda Ligon Womble and Thomas Franklin Womble, a Civil War veteran, who lived in Arkansas during the war. Later, Thomas moved his family into Texas, settling on the banks of the Brazos River in Bosque County. Twelve children were born to this family. Two of them would later make their way northwest to Hutchinson County in the Texas Panhandle — William Carson Womble (1876-1946) and his brother, Lorenza Madison Womble (1855-1923).

William Carson Womble, most often called Carson, is the patriarch of this portion of the Hutchinson County, Texas family tree. He married Mollie Tennie Robinson (1876-1964) near Eulogy, Texas at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. William C. Robinson, on October 14, 1894. Shortly after their marriage, they moved to Knox County, Texas where they owned and operated a cotton gin. A few years later, in 1902, they moved westward into Hutchinson County. One of their first acquaintances was William “Billy” Dixon of Adobe Walls fame. Dixon was a good and true friend to them until his death. William Carson Womble and Mollie Robinson Womble would have 12 children, nine of whom they raised to adulthood.

The Wombles were like many others in the pioneering life as they turned their efforts to various occupations to make a living for their families. William Carson Womble did freighting to and from Channing, Texas in Hartley County to the south. While involved in the freighting business, William was instrumental in hauling lumber and helping to build several schools.

In about 1906, Carson purchased a steam-operated sawmill from a man named Dave Lard. He then operated the sawmill, situated on the banks of Moore Creek, where cottonwood trees were made into lumber for the use and convenience of new settlers. This was the first sawmill in Hutchinson County. Millions of board feet of cottonwood lumber were processed and sold. News to many persons in the area today is the fact that huge cottonwood trees grew in abundance at one time in the breaks of the northern plains.

In 1907, several of the area’s neighbors got together to build a school. William Carson Womble donated the land, which was located northeast of present-day Pringle. It was called the Womble School and usually served about 15-20 students. The families of Board, West, Barnes, McNutt, Stinbaugh, Riley, Henderson, Harrison, and Womble were the first ones to have children in the school. Miss Maud Culp was the first teacher and she taught for two years. Teacher salaries from 1912-1915 were $60 per month.

Carson Womble was elected several times to the position of Hutchinson County Commissioner, serving from 1909-1910, and again from 1925-1928. During his second service as commissioner, there were several important county events that highlighted his terms, including the transfer of the county seat from Plemons to Stinnett in 1926, the construction of the Plemons Bridge, the first bridge over the Canadian River, in the same year; and the building of the new Hutchinson County Courthouse in 1927.

Carson’s wife, Mollie, was well known in the area as being very quick at “helping out”, especially in times of sickness, and was much depended upon by community members. William and Mollie were known far and wide as “Aunt Mollie and Uncle Carson,” which testified to their ever willing to be helpful in time need. They were also known to many a traveler who knew they would get a place to sleep and something to eat at their home.

In 1937, the couple retired from their activities of stock-farming and moved to Stinnett, where they celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary in 1944. The ranch/farm near Pringle, Texas was left in the hands of Carson’s son, Robert Edgar “Boy” Womble. Portions of the original farm/ranch remain in the family. After Carson and Mollie moved to Stinnett, the Womble School was renamed Centerville. Part of this district later consolidated with Morse, and part with Pringle.

The home that they moved into in Stinnett continues to stand today. When Carson and Mollie moved into this home, it stood on the outskirts of town and was mostly surrounded by vacant land, providing a sense of the “country”, while also having convenient proximity to town. A windmill and a wellhouse in the back of the house provided them with fresh water. Mollie was an avid landscaper, and at one time, the property was surrounded by beautiful flowers and a large garden.

William Carson Womble died in 1946 at age of 72 and is buried at the Lieb Cemetery in Hutchinson County, Texas. Mollie continued to live in the home up until the time that she was no longer able to care for herself and was moved to a nursing home in Hartley County, Texas.

There are lots of family stories regarding this residence, as well as the farm. Grandchildren of Carson and Mollie found big fun in climbing the windmill. On one occasion, Doris Lorene Foster, daughter of Ben and Thava Irene Womble Foster, proved to be a little clumsy, falling to the ground and breaking her leg when she was about 12. Family friend, Jackie Fisher Eis, adds more information to this tale, relating that she carried Lorene’s books to every class. She also relates that Lorene was probably the first girl to ever have a broken leg in their class and probably the whole school. Though it’s no fun getting a broken leg, she also says they got lots of attention. (Stories like this are what we’re looking for to make this an even better historical article.)

Mollie Womble died in the nursing facility on October 31, 1964. Afterward, their home was occupied by their daughter, Thava Irene Womble Foster, where, once again, there would be family members who could tell of fond memories of the old homestead. Irene died in 1998 and the home was placed within the estate. One of Irene’s grandsons bought the property and later sold to someone outside the family.

© Kathy Weiser/Legends of America, updated August 2021. (The great-granddaughter of William Carson and Mollie T. Robinson Womble.)

Note to Family – This article is based on information that was available at the time of its writing. It is, hopefully, just the beginning of a more detailed story. I would also like to add many more personal stories. Please send any additional information that you might have and corrections to Kathy Weiser-Alexander at this email address.

Also See: 

About Us

Hutchinson County

Texas – The Lone Star State

Sources:

History of Hutchinson County, Texas
Oral interviews with Womble family members.
Womble Family Tree documents prepared in the 1960s and ’70s.
Foster-Womble Family Tree