William Lee Bickerstaff (1888-1972)
Lee Bickerstaff was born in Tupelo, Mississippi on August 26, 1888. He died April 9, 1972 in Rotan, Texas. Lee was the
only son of William Newton Bickerstaff and Mary Ann Calfee Bickerstaff. He had seven sisters. The Bickerstaffs left
Mississippi around 1890 with various members of the Bickerstaff, Calfee, and Hughes families. Many of the family members
settled around the Clarksville and Avery areas in east Texas. Lee's family moved on to Young County. They settled in the
True community. There he met and married Lula Adelle Carlisle. They eloped to Olney and married in the Methodist
minister's home. One of my favorite stories about him was that Adelle was seventeen and Lee was 21. She had to lie about
her age and say she was 18 so Lee lied and said he was 22. Lee and Adelle had two boys. Weldon was born in 1911 and
Clifton was born in 1913. They family moved to Fisher County and Lee farmed out east of Rotan. Lee had farmed most of
his life, but he really wasn't satisfied with it. He sold the farm and moved into Rotan and began to work in the real
estate business. He didn't own a car and would walk to town each morning from Lee St. and back to the house for lunch.
He continued to make those walks until he was in his late seventies. He enjoyed talking with people and had many friends
in the community. He was a member of the Church of Christ. Lee was my grandfather and I remember a tall, slender, blue
eyed man. He was always wonderful to me. He loved children and especially his own grandchildren and great grandchildren.
I was the youngest grandchild and my son was the youngest great grandchild. He held every one of us on his knee and sang
to us. He was 85 when he held my son and sang. He was one of a kind.
