(Marker photograph courtesy of Arliss Ceccarelli. Photo taken Sept 2009.)
Francis “Frank” Marion Hefner
Birth: 1847 in Alabama
Death: 21 June 1926 in Stephens County, Texas
Burial: 30 June 1926 at Eliasville Cemetery in Eliasville, Young, Texas
Obituary Transcription
Pioneer Citizen
Passes Quietly
To Great Beyond
_________
It falls to the lot of the Ameri-
ca to again record the death of
another hardy and honorable pio-
neer, in the passing away on Mon-
day evening at 6:30 o’clock of Frank
Hefner.
Death came suddenly to this
grand old citizen of Stephens coun-
ty, at the Clear Fork hanch [ranch] home
of his son, Tom C. Hefner. The
father was in as good health as
usual and with T. M. Corbett, a
neighbor and special friend of the
family for many years, was engaged
in a game of pitch with his son’s
children. The son was keeping the
score, when his father arose from
the table, asking Tom to take his
place. The elder stepped out and
got a drink of water, then return-
ed to his room and sat down in a
chair. Presently he arose and went
to the bed and lay down. Both men
steppened into the room and observed
that Mr. Hefner was ailing. A bot-
tle of soda water was brought and
he drank it, being entirely con-
scious. In a few moments, however,
he fell into a coma and was soon
beyond human ken or aid. The sud-
denness and unexpectedness of his
demise spreads a dark cloud of sor-
row over the home with attendant
grief and anguish to loving hearts.
In addition to the son already
mentioned, deceased is survived by
his aged widow and the following
children: Mrs. Clara Smith of Swen-
sondale: Mrs. Kate Hughes, Tucson,
Ariz.: Mrs. Lily Cummings, Alvara-
do: Mrs. Jennie Robinson, Abilene:
Andrew Hefner, Spur. These, with
the exception of Mrs. Hughes are ex-
pected to reach here in time to at-
tend the funeral Wednesday after-
noon at 3 o’clock at Eliasville, near
where stands the Hefner old home.
Rev. Schneider of Breckenridge,
Presbyterian minister, will conduct
the funeral, which will doubtless be
very largely attended. In the Elias-
ville cemetery Frank Hefner will
rest beside the remains of his fath-
er, A. J. Hefner, a pioneer of the
county who passed away 33 years
ago.
The Hefners came from Alabama
to Texas in the early days of the
state and numerous members of the
family settled in the Lone Oak com-
munity in Hunt county. Among those
early settlers by that name were
several brothers, one of these the
father of Frank Hefner.
Two of these drifted west and
others remained in Hunt county,
being among the highly esteemed
and honored citizens of the county.
Those coming west maintained the
reputation of the family for probity,
uprightness of character and other
elements of good citizenship, and
wherever you find a Hefner there is
nobility and manly traits, such as
friends and neighbors delight to
own and appreciate. Frank Hefner
was all these and even more and
surviving sons and daughters can
take comfort from the rich heri-
tage of well-spent and fruitful life,
with uplifting examples set before
them by an honored father.
May the clods of Stephens county
rest lightly upon his coffined form
and may loved ones prepare to meet
him again where no heartaches and
cruel separations ever come.
Citation of digital image that contains obituary per The Portal to Texas History website:
Lockett, W. C., editor. Breckenridge Weekly Democrat (Breckenridge, Tex), No. 46, Ed. 1, Friday, June 25, 1926, Newspaper, June 25, 1926; digital images, (http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth69108 : accessed May 28, 2010), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, http://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Breckenridge Library, Breckenridge, Texas.
Link directly to the newspaper:
Link to photo of Frank Hefner and his wife, Matilda Skenell Key Hefner:
"Man and Woman in Farm Yard : The Portal to Texas History"
