Four years ago five cousins -- Vera Perry Lowrey, Gladys Perry Kelley, Jonnie Lois Warner Brown, Iola Warner Murphy (now deceased), and I -- started compiling the history of the Warner family and the effect our background had on each of us. No small undertaking, but each one had her recollections and family data to contribute to the whole story.  The task was completed in 1977, the year Mama would have been 100 years old.

Robert Alexander Warner, my great grandfather, who owned land and a mill of some sort, Big-Mill, Coomala, Cork County, Ireland, had corresponded with the John Jackson family, who had come to Texas from Devonshire, England, in 1848. Because Mr. Jackson wrote enthusiastically about the great opportunities in this New Land and because the potato famine had ravaged Ireland, Robert A. Warner and a brother decided to bring their families to America in the spring of 1852.  With his wife Sarah, five sons, and one daughter, he left with what possessions he could, chiefly Bibles and books, for they were a religious people of Protestant faith. The ocean trip took six weeks with  bad weather, illness, and even death -- that of a baby daughter buried at sea. After reaching New York harbor, the family bade the other brother and his family good-bye for the latter were going to Ontario, Canada. I have letters written later that substantiate this. The Texas-bound Warners transferred to a ship that took them to New Orleans and then another that landed them in Jefferson, Texas, where they were met by a Peters Colony representative.  There they bought such provisions as a covered wagon and horses to draw the wagon and for the boys to ride. It took several days for them to make the trip to this area where the Jacksons had saved land for them. My great grandfather bought and paid for the land with gold he had brought with him. Their new farm joined the Jackson farm on the west and stretched nearly to Hebron on the east.

The Warner sons were individually different, but all were good farmers. I knew all of them but two who died single a few years after their arrival.  I have wondered about political feelings here since the Warners were Republicans in a largely-Democratic area. Sarah Warner preceded her husband in death. Then when he died, the land was divided among the children.  John Warner, Mama's father, inherited the farm nearest the Jacksons.

Born to John and Mary Ann Johnston Warner on July 6, 1877, were Mama and a twin brother Emmett, fourth and fifth children in the family. When the twins were 22 months old, their mother died leaving three other children -- George, 10; Alex, 9; and Eula, 7 -- quite a responsibility for the father. Mama was taken into the home of her maternal grandparents, Isaac and Thirza Johnston, near Farmers Branch, the Preston Road and Meaders Lane area. The Johnstons were large land owners. Mama stayed there until she was of school age. The Warner children attended a school near Trinity Mills. Though the Heads family helped with the farm work, the care of the younger children fell to Aunt Eula, who later went away to school and then came back to teach until she married Uncle Willie Perry, grandson of A. W. Perry. The Perrys moved to a farm of their own nearer Carrollton, where they reared a large family. Uncle Alex Warner married but he was the only son who never left the farm.  Mama continued to live with Grandpa Warner till he passed away, but during that time she married my father, Robert L. Hardcastle.

Early in 1899 Edward H. Hardcastle, with four sons and one daughter, Ida, came to this area from Carrollton, Illinois, at the insistence of William Witt, who had moved to Trinity Mills earlier. My father's mother was a sister of Wm. Witt. Ida Married Wood Smith of Carrollton, reared her sons here, and lived to be almost 90.  Bob, as my father was called, was about 19 and enjoyed working with horses and joining in the fun at local parties. Around 1900 the family moved to Ft. Worth, where the boys worked with cattle. J. B. Wilson, well known in Dallas, had married Laura Hardcastle, my father's aunt, Wilson would bring his cattle to Ft. Worth from a western ranch to sell or to drive north where they would be loaded on cattle boats and shipped to England.  My father made several of those trips. He continued to keep in touch with Mama.  Finally a mutual friend drove Mama, now 23 years old, to Ft. Worth, where they were married. Why she ran away to get married she never told me. I guess Grandpa Warner just did not think Bob Hardcastle was good enough for his daughter; Whatever the reason, she brought her husband back home with her. Never a strong man physically, Father did not work on the farm but followed various trades in Carrollton and Dallas.  I, Connie, was born in November, 1902; Paul, in October, 1905. Papa became so ill that the doctor advised him to go to his brother's ranch in West Texas. After a time of recuperation there, he returned to his family.  He had been home only a short time, maybe days, before he died, leaving Mama with Paul, 3, and me, 6.  Though I remember him only vaguely, those who knew him spoke highly of him.

Though Mama was left a widow with two children, these were happy times, as I remember. At Christmastime, the whole family would come home. When Grandpa Warner died, I was about seven years old. As we had always lived with him, this was an emotional experience. Mama made me realize that big girls don't cry. I never saw her shoe emotion; that has always been an influence on me. The farm was divided. Mama drew the home place and land.  The brothers and sisters were always close. Uncle Emmett worked for the City of Dallas. Uncle George was a wanderer sometimes, but always came back to Carrollton, where he was successful in many things; for example, he installed electricity in town. Uncle Alex was the only son who never left the farm.  Aunt Eula Perry and her family finally bought a home on what was known as College Avenue at the edge of the new school campus (Belt Line at Erie).  Mama was a brave person, able to take care of the farm and moved into Carrollton to a house near the Perrys where she spent the rest of her life. She did this so we could go to school.

I never felt deprived for we always had a horse to drive, a buggy to ride in, cows and chickens -- all the things we were used to. Living close to Aunt Eula and her large family was fun !  Uncle Willie Perry owned the first automobile I ever had the privilege to ride in. We were always included in their Christmas celebrations. Uncle George's family lived within walking distance. Uncle Alex and Aunt Lizzie still lived on the farm, where I could always visit. Uncle George had the first and only picture show which we could attend FREE! Churches were all around us. School was around the corner.  What more could a youth growing up wish for!

Mama knew everyone in town; they were eager to held. John Risien, who owned THE CARROLLTON CHRONICLE, asked her to work for him. She did so eagerly and learned the newspaper business thoroughly - setting type, putting it together, and writing news items. She worked there 25 years for three owners. She retired, rested awhile, and then went to work with friends who owned a Variety Store.

Mama was able to educate us two children, because she was always thrifty. She still owned the farm, so when necessary, she would sell a cow or a calf to meet the emergency. When I was 15, the Carrollton School lost its credit somehow and students were sent to other schools. Mattie Sanford was only one of my close friends then. Again the Johnstons came to our aid. Mrs. Henry (Aunt Fannie) Johnston, a widow, had left Farmers Branch and lived near a new school, Southern Methodist University, when it opened in 1915. Soon the Powell University Training School opened near the S.M.U. campus. Aunt Fannie invited me to live with her to attend Powell. I am sure this was one of those occasions when a couple of cows were sold to pay my tuition. Having been an English teacher, Aunt Fannie delighted in studying my outside reading assignments to help me remember the important things. It was at this school that I met my future husband, Collis Irby, an athlete through Powell and S.M.U.  We married in 1926. I spent my fourth year at Bryan High School to get the first year of business.  That made it possible for me to continue at Draughn's Business School to prepare myself for a self-supporting position.

Paul was coming along right behind me, and his education had to be considered. Luck was with us again!  At 15, having been an athlete on the Carrollton Team, he merited a scholarship at Grubbs School for Boys, Arlington, where other Carrollton boys had preceded him. After that he attended Terrell School for Boys, Dallas, on a three-year scholarship.

I have included these personal experiences to show how hard Mama worked, how well she managed, and what she accomplished. I hope I have shown my appreciation for all she meant to me.  She was gentle when the experience called for gentleness; she was stern when sternness was needed. I have seen her use both. Her kindness was extended to all; she helped when needed. Al great influence on all my immediate family!  We were fortunate to have had her. Always making her own decisions, ever lovable, she lived to be 91 years old.

Elm Forks Echo, Volume Nine; Number One; April 1981
 

The Dallas Morning News - September 17, 1967
Submitted by Edward Lynn Williams
 

EMMA E. WARNER HARDCASTLE
JULY 6, 1877 - SEPT 16, 1967

Perry Cemetery, Carrollton, Dallas County, Texas