CHESTER AND LEE (BURKS) CRAWFORD
Written by Allene Crawford Watson
Submitted by Marylee Watson Knight
(NOTE: The following tribute was written by Allene (Crawford) Watson
in 1978. Allene is the daughter of Chester and Lee (Burks) Crawford.)
Eddie Ollie Lee Burks was the daughter of J.J. and Elmina (Mitchell)
Burks. She was born in the Brachfield Community in Rusk County. She
married Chester Cortez Crawford on Dec. 22, 1909. Chester was the son of
Andrew Jackson and Lodusky (Jones) Crawford, and was born in the Brooks
Community of Panola County. Their marriage ceremony was performed by
Lee's father, who was a Baptist minister and circuit riding preacher. The
wedding took place in the open hallway of the Burks home at Brachfield, in the
presence of family and friends.
Lee was born and reared in the home where she was married. She was a good
reader and often read from the Bible for her father when he was tired from
working in the fields. When she finished the school at Patrick, she spent
six weeks in Henderson at a summer Normal. That enabled her to get her
teacher's certificate and become a school teacher. She taught at Liberty
School in Rusk County for two years. Then she taught at Brooks School in
Panola County. After a year of teaching at Brooks School she married
Chester and devoted her time to rearing her family. She was also an
excellent cook and seamstress.
Lee's love of reading was a constant thing throughout the balance of her life.
Her knowledge of the Bible and her teaching experience made her an
outstanding worker in her church, the First Baptist Church of Beckville.
For many years she taught the adult Sunday School class and was a leader in the
Women's Auxiliary. Failing health and eyesight forced her to give up her
active church work only after she had passed her eightieth birthday.
Until after Chester's death Lee always kept a milk cow and took great pride in
having a good quality cow and keeping it in top condition. It reminded
her of the fine livestock she had helped tend on her parent's farm. Her
initial milk cow was a wedding present from her father. She loved flowers
and worked tirelessly to keep something blooming almost year round.
Chester was born and reared on the family farm in the Brooks Community.
He quit school when he was in the fourth grade, but continued his education by
good reading. In 1914 he entrusted his wife and two small children to the
care of her parents while he went to Houston to attend a barber college.
He and his brother Samuel Scott "Sam" Crawford operated a barber shop
in Pine Hill in Rusk County for a few years. As the shop was unable to
support two households, Chester and Lee moved back to the Crawford family farm
to live. Chester then farmed five days and week and, on Saturdays, worked
with his brother Sam at the shop in Pine Hill.
In the fall of 1920 Chester opened a barber shop of his own in Beckville and
soon moved his family "to town". He continued that occupation
until the fall of 1943 when he went to work as a guard at the Longhorn Ordinance
Plant in Karnack. When World War II ended and the guards were no longer
needed, Chester returned to his chosen profession as a barber. He began
working at the Whiteway Barber Shop in Carthage. Since Chester never
owned a car and never learned to drive, he hitchhiked to and from Carthage each
work day until he finally retired.
Chester loved sports of all kinds and was a staunch fan of all the Beckville
High School athletic teams. For many years, he raised game chickens and
delighted in seeing the roosters spar with each other. He also raised fox
hounds and enjoyed hunting them. After he reached retirement age, he
changed from fox hounds to beagles and delighted in taking them rabbit hunting
and listening to the chase.
Both Chester and Lee were devoted to their six children and took great pride in
the fact that all of them graduated from high school as that was a considerable
accomplishment in the time in which they were raised. As their children
grew up, married and moved to other locations, their happiest times were the
holiday when their house would overflow with their children and
grandchildren. As several of their grand daughters were accomplished
piano players, the family gatherings always included hours of hymn singing.
In good weather card tables were set up on their front porch or out in
the yard and the 42 playing would begin. During these gatherings there
was always a lot of laughter, a lot of love and a lot of good cooking.