BOMAR'S CHAPEL
(north of New Hope)
BOMAR'S CHAPEL JOTTINGS
Daily Courier Gazette, March 29, 1938
by Mrs. O. S. Scott
Bomar's Chapel Methodist Church is located five miles
northeast of McKinney on a good graveled pike. It takes its name from the Bomar
family -being located near the home of Jim Bomar, one of the oldest settlers in
the community and on land that his parents, the late Mr. and Mrs. David Bomar,
Sr., owned and settled, more than three-quarters of a century ago.
Our first visit made in the community was in the home of Mr.
and Mrs. Elmer Bomar. The latter is the Daily Courier-Gazette and Weekly
Democrat-Gazette correspondent for this community, having faithfully served in
that capacity for several years. Elmer Bomar is a grandson of Mr. and Mrs.
David Bomar, long since deceased, who settled near the Bomar chapel, more than
three-quarters of a century ago. Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Bomar are the parents of
three children, all robust young sons - Winston, the eldest, now with the
American National Life Insurance Company, in Dallas; Avery Dowell Bomar, who was
visiting at Ennis, when we called, and Forrest Rogers Bomar, a pupil in Wilson (Viney
Grove No. 1) School, being in the Third Grade. The parents reside on the farm of
Elmer Bomar's parents, running the land for them.
When we called at the home of George F. Bomar, we regretted to
find him confined to his bed, suffering chiefly from an acute attack of
bronchitis for the past six weeks. George F. Bomar is one of the several sons of
the late David Bomar and wife, who were the first of the name to settle in this
community as above stated more than seventy-five years ago. This scribe really
enjoyed her brief visit to Mr. and Mrs. Bomar in their hospitable home. This
worthy couple have spent their long married life on their farm at this place.
Mrs. Bomar, before her marriage, was Miss Minerva Dunn. Mr. Bomar is now
eighty-one years of age. We were interested in an old sycamore tree, standing in
their yard, which was set out by his father the late David Bomar, eighty years
ago. Mr. Bomar informed us that his father and mother were the parents of six
children, as follows: Newt A. Bomar, Pete R. Bomar, J. W. (Billy) Bomar, Mrs.
Sallie McMenamy, George F. Bomar and Jim Bomar. The last two named are the only
ones of the six, who are still living. Mr. Bomar stated that his parents reared
from childhood a colored servant, now known as Perry Bomar, who lives at Celina.
Mr. Bomar showed us an old silver watch, one hundred years old. It was engraved,
"The Army Regulator, Full Jewel, Made in Liverpool, England." This inscription
was engraved on the inside of the case. On the outside of the case was engraved
the likeness of two soldiers, in uniform, carrying cap and ball guns. A
peculiarity of this century-old watch was an opening in the front of the hunting
case of about the size of a dime, so that the time could be seen by consulting
the watch without opening it. This old relic of the past century is wound with a
key. Another ancient relic shown is by Mr. Bomar was a double-barrelled gun for
shooting deer, which his father, the late David Bomar, had used with good effect
in bringing down twenty-two deer in succession, never missing a shot and hanging
them all on the limbs of one tree. Another relic was an army pistol, brought
home from the Civil War by his father. This, too, is highly prized by Mr. Bomar
as a family heirloom.
This veteran farmer, George F. Bomar, says he killed the last
deer on his farm that was brought down in that vicinity. That, of course, was
many years ago. This section of East Collin is the native home of Bois-d'Arc,
hackberry and other timber. When the county was first settled and organized,
ninety-two years ago, this section was well supplied with wild game, such as
deer, turkey, fox, raccoon, possums, prairie chickens, etc. But these varieties
of game gradually disappeared as the country was settled up and timber was
cleared away for farming.
George F. Bomar and wife are the parents of four sons -
Wallace Bomar, deceased; Lawrence Bomar, still living in the old home with his
parents; Thos David Bomar, who married Miss Virgie Neal, a sister of J. Willie
Neal, the Princeton banker, and Elmer Bomar, who wife is the daughter of P. G.
Henry of McKinney. Miss Virtie Lucille Bomar lives in the home with her
grandparents since the death of her father, Wallace Bomar, five or six years
ago.
We noticed while visiting in the George F. Bomar home, an
old-time coverlet on one of their beds, which was woven by a man in Ohio, in
1848, now ninety years old. Its design was intricate and artistic. Its colors
are white and blue, which were so interwoven as to make it a beautiful ornament
in the home. It is always greatly admired by all who see this beautiful spread.
We enjoyed a brief visit also in the home of L. B. Wallace, a
worthy citizen of this community. We found his daughter, Mis Mildred, at the
time busy quilting. Since the death of her dear mother, Miss Mildred has been
the housekeeper in her father's home and apparently is a good one, too. This
family enjoys their radio as well as their newspapers which keep them posted as
every intelligent rural family should be and have the chance to be in this
modern day.
Another very interesting stop of a few minutes that we made in
this community was in the hospital home of Mr. and Mrs. Jim Bomar, where we
found this splendid old couple, comfortable sitting by their open fireplace.
Their beloved daughter-in-law, Mrs. Willie Bomar, was also present and busy
"carding bats" to put in a quilt for a neighbor, who had lost his home and
contents by a recent fire. Jim Bomar, who is eight-five years of age, looks to
be much younger than he really is. He has spent his entire life in this
immediate neighborhood where he now lives. He is one of the sons of the late
David Bomar and wife, who first settled in this community more than 80 years ago
and acquired a large body of land, much of which is still owned and lived upon
by their numerous descendants. Mrs. Jim Bomar, before her marriage was Miss
Missouri Milligan. She was born in the state of Missouri and was brought here to
Texas when she was an infant of only six weeks. Her parents settled in an
adjoining neighborhood, still known as the Milligan School community, named for
her parents. Mr. and Mrs. Jim Bomar are the parents of two children - Willie
Bomar, who, with his family, reside in a few yards of his old parental home and
who takes care of everything on the farm of his parents. The other son, Pascal
Bomar, and family also live on an adjoining farm.
Mr. and Mrs. Charles T. Tarvin live in this vicinity. Mr.
Tarvin is a successful farmer and influential citizen.
This newspaper scribe is always interested in antiques and
family heirlooms, especially if we can learn their historical background. Mrs.
Jim Bomar uses a chair that is seventy-seven years old. It was made by a
relative, Francis Milligan, on a turning lathe. Its wood is oak and Bois-d'Arc.
The original bottom was used until not long ago when their son re-bottomed it.
The late Uncle David Bomar (Father of Jim Bomar) had a set of six chairs made,
giving one of them to each of his six children. Francis Milligan also made a
bedstead, which they have, and probably erected the first sugar or syrup mill,
in Collin County. He made the rollers or cogs, out of Bois-d'Arc timber. Another
relic of the Jim Bomar home is an ancient table made of walnut and carved by a
picket knife by the late Peter Wallis, grandfather of Mr. Bomar, who made it in
Tennessee, his native home state.
While visiting in the Jim Bomar home, this newspaper scribe
was also interested to learn that David Bomar and wife, the latter known as Aunt
Lin, the first of the Bomar tribe in this section of Texas, also reared three
orphan children in addition to their own family of six children. These orphans
were Pete Bomar Millron, Mary Brown and Ida Lee Massie. The latter was only nine
days old when her mother died. The dying mother requested Aunt Lin to care for
her babe and rear it. She was a twin to the late Tom Massie of Van Alstyne. The
boy was reared by Mrs. Bet McKinney of near Van Alstyne. Ida Lee Massie grew to
young womanhood and married J. L. Stiff, who lived a few miles north of this
(Bomar) community. She is sister of Sam and Dick Massie, two prominent McKinney
business men.
Communities
Index
- Recommended citation:
"Bomar's Chapel- Collin
County Communities," Collin County, Texas History and Genealogy Webpage by
Genealogy Friends of Plano Libraries, Inc., <http://www.geocities/genfriendsghl>
[Accessed Fri February 13 13:37:28 US/Central 2004 ].
|
