Person:Eben Montgomery (1)

From Find-a-Grave:

Eben was one of the "Heirs of Dr. N. J. Warren Wortham" who, as a group, donated 1-1/2 acres to this cemetery by Deed dated June 24, 1908, as noted on the Bosqueville Cemetery Historical Marker posted at the entrance to this cemetery. Eben is the only one of those heirs who is buried in this cemetery. Eben attended Baylor University in 1899 and was a member of the Erosophian Society. An engineer, largely self taught, Eben got a job with Waco Electrical Supply at age 13, and was working as an electrical engineer there by age 15, later as building engineer for Baylor, Waco Natatorium, New State House Hotel, Raleigh Hotel and Methodist Home all in Waco, Texas. Eben was considered by his peers to be an electrical and mechanical genius. In 1897, Mr Hobson, manager of Waco Electrical Supply dispatched Eben, by himself at age 15, to West, Texas on an emergency call to repair the town's only electricity generator. Upon seeing the young kid, the town's power plant manager would not let Eben touch the electricity generator and called Mr. Hobson to object. Mr Hobson told the manager to provide two men to do the heavy lifting and if Eben did not succeed, a brand new electricity generator would be provided and installed free of charge. Eben succeeded and when the lights came back on, the townspeople paraded Eben along Main Street on their shoulders! Eben's harsh life experiences included his mother dying when he was age 3, his childhood home burning to the ground at age 6, his father dying at age 16, and his Speegleville home burning to the ground at age 54. The family made a home of their chicken coop and small greenhouse while a new house was being built. Eben married Edna May Thomas in 1902 and after a stillborn first child, they raised a family of seven to adulthood, five boys and two girls, the youngest living in Houston with her husband as of July 2016. After living in Waco for about twenty five years, Eben and Edna purchased and moved to a 100 acre farm at Speegleville, Texas just west of Lake Waco. Eben was small in stature, but tough as nails. Once, on his way to Speegleville, a large man grabbed Eben's horse's reins and demanded money. The robber got a little more than he expected when Eben jumped off his horse onto the big bruiser's back and bit a chunk out of his ear. The outlaw ran off screaming and bleeding and wiry little Eben headed home. Eben spent the last decade of his life in Houston living with his daughter Opal Mae and her husband Earnest Hunt. Eben was a very strong family man and family leader. The family Christmas and New Years celebrations at Speegleville, Texas were special beginning with a native cedar Christmas tree always taken by Eben from his own pasture.

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} Find A Grave.

   Eben Montgomery