A Mess of Greens
My uncle Berton always calls his family "A Mess of Greens". They were a mess too but one of the finest families any
where around and not because they are mine. They were good Christian folks that attended church regularly, raised all
their children in the church. Out of the seven children there were no divorces and every couple was very happily
married. There are 10 grandchildren, one has died and there were two divorces, the rest of us are happily married (my
husband, Bill, and I will be married 46 years in January 2004). So, there was some good strong blood running through
those ancestors veins. Out of the seven children only one son chose not to go to college, much to my grandparents
dismay.
In the photo of the Green family on the steps of the Weather Bureau, Dec. 25, 1917, the children are listed as they
are on the porch. Hosea has his hand holding Paul, Emma is holding Ruth, Mary is behind Emma, John Willis "Bill" is
beside Mary, Howard is sitting on the step with his hand shading his eyes, Elsie is sitting on the step down from Howard
and Berton is standing in front with his hands in his pockets.
The children in their birth order: John Willis "Bill" Green (married Ethel Mae "Pat" Holley) b: 3 Jul 1907 in
Knoxville, TN, Knox Co. d: 17 Jul 1990 in Abilene, TX, Taylor Co. buried: Elmwood Memorial Park. Bill owned and operated
a Humble Service Station on South 1st until he retired.
Mary Louise Green (married Russell Philip Mozeney) b: 25 Dec 1909 in Fort Worth, TX, Tarrant Co. d: 21 Jun 1996 in
Corpus Christi, TX, Nueces Co. buried: Seaside Cemetery. Mary was a school teacher in Corpus Christi, TX, until she retired.
Elsie Beatrice Green (married Eugene Lee Dement) b: 28 Apr 1911 in Abilene, TX, Taylor Co. d: 14 Sep 1959 in
Amarillo, TX, Potter Co. buried: San Jon, NM, Quay Co. Elsie and Eugene died in a car accident in NM. Elsie was a school
teacher in several schools in NM until her death.
Edward Howard Green (married Opal Carroll Flanagan) b: 2 May 1912 in Abilene, TX, Taylor Co. d: 16 Nov 1996 in
Bartlett, TN, Shelby Co. buried: Forest Hill Cemetery, E. Howard drove a Railway Express truck in Abilene until he
retired and later sacked groceries because he just wasn't ready to stop working and loved people.
Berton Bryant Green (married Gertrude Frances Taylor) b: 17 Jun 1913 in Abilene, TX, Taylor Co. Berton was a
Weatherman in Concordia, KS, until he retired. They moved back to Texas and he taught school for years.
Paul Davis Green (married Mattie Juanita Godwin) b: 11 Jun 1915 in Abilene, TX, Taylor Co. d: 1 Feb 2001 in Dallas,
TX, Dallas Co. buried: Sweetwater, TX, Nolan Co. Garden of Memories. Paul worked in a Safeway grocery store in San
Angelo, TX, then owned and operated his own coffee delivery business in Sweetwater, TX, until he retired.
Permelia Ruth Green (married: Harley Dean Bateman) b: 20 Feb 1917 in Abilene, TX, Taylor Co. Ruth
worked at Eunice Ann's Blouse Factory in Abilene and the rest of the time stayed home, raised the children and was the
secretary for Harley's Formica and Floor Tile business which was a side-line business for years and then full time after
he retired from the US Post Office after 30 years.
Something else that might be of interest, there were two other weathermen in the family. Mary married Russell
Mozeney who was working as a helper to Hosea. After they married, they moved to Corpus Christi, Texas, where he was the
weatherman until he retired. Berton was a weatherman in Concordia, Kansas, until he retired and moved back to Texas. |