His father was David Mordie Holland. His mother was Louise Allison. Into a farming family in Fairplay, Texas, which is between Carthage, Texas and Henderson, Texas, he was the oldest of five children.
He is shown here with his family in Hobbs, New Mexico, where he was a physician, next to him is his son Frederick Leon Holland, his wife Evangeline Neal Dennard Holland, who is holding his daughter Mary Marie Holland. Dad was 72 when he died. What my mother told me was that he had been working out at the farm at Fairplay clearing a blocked sewage line to a septic tank on a white house where Bob Tatum, who was laying claim to being one of Mother's Dennard relatives, and his aging mother were staying. It was a cold October day and dad had gotten back after dark and was sitting in the kitchen drinking hot tea when he died suddenly and quickly in his work overalls and muddy farm boots, in his own home. This blog is dedicated to Dr. V.M. Holland, who grew up in East Texas, traveled around the world in the US Navy during World War II and ended up back in Panola County with the neighbors and family he grew up with during the Great Depression of 20th Century America. He was a young man during WWII and joined what has been called "The Greatest Generation" however, he would have argued with that assessment of his generation.
The man's name was Bob Tatum, not Bob Dennard:
ReplyDeleteRobert Talmage Tatum was born on 12/02/1923 and died on 05/29/1999 at the age of 75. Robert Tatum is buried in the cemetery: Tenaha Cemetery, which is located in Carthage, TX. http://www.locategrave.org/l/6384873/Robert-Talmage-Tatum-TX
Crazy old cuss badgered your mother into setting his mother and himself in a free rent house out there at Fairplay, and then complained about it!
Your mother paid for his mother's funeral the next year and then he went out to the Nursing Home in Carthage and ended up giving all his money to The Central Baptist Church in Carthage, Texas. He lived his whole life as a free-loader. Sorry to read he landed on your parents.
I thought the world of your Dad! Your Dad, just had the perfect personality for being a doctor!
ReplyDeleteBy chance, did you know that before your Dad and Dr. Smith started their practice, my great grandfather, as well as Judy, Dorothy, Shirley's, was the very first East Texas, maybe a should say, the only doctor in Panola County. His name was Dr. Robbie! It is in one of the History Books at The Panola County Library, and was LeLaBelle Lagrone.
Not many in Carthage, are aware of Dr. Robie, these days! I've actually seen his horse and buggy that he made house calls with. It's sad how in time people die off that remember things like how much a person gave of them self to treat and with Gods help, heal others!