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Submitted: 6/9/21 • Approved: 6/9/21 • Last Updated: 6/12/21 • R425787-G0-S3
April 18, 1886-February 11, 1970
Photo/information, courtesy of Edith Guynes Stanley
*Obituary
BORGER - Funeral services for Robert L. Ellis, 84, of Borger, will be at 2 p.m. Saturday in Ed Brown and Sons Chapel of the Fountains.
The Rev. Carlton Thompson, pastor of the First United Methodist Church, will office. Burial will be in Highland Park Cemetery.
Mr. Ellis died Wedensday [sic] in North Plains Hospital.
Survivors include his wife and several neices [sic] and nephews.
(Published in The Amarillo Globe-Times (Amarillo, Texas) - 13 Feb 1970, Fri - Page 8)
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Mr. Robert Lea Ellis and Miss Lucy Josephine Kahrs were married Monday, July 22, the Rev. L.J. Coats, pastor of the Cumberland Presbyterian church, officiating. Mr. Ellis is a native of Fayetteville, but has been in this city for the past few years, being a fireman on the Frisco. Miss Kahrs was born in this city. She is a charming young lady and has a host of friends. The young couple are visiting at Fayetteville, where they will remain about a week, after which time they will be at home to their friends at the residence of Mrs. Anna M. Kahrs, 1001 North Fifth street.
(Published in Fort Smith Times (Fort Smith, Arkansas) - 28 Jul 1907, Sun - Page 10)
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Robert Lea Ellis and I, Guida Hardin were married February of 1928 in Vernon, Texas. Robert's family came from Cheshire, England in 1740. The three brother's adopted different spellings of their name from Lee, Leigh and settled on Lea. General Robert E. Lee of the confederate Army, was related to the Lea family. One brother had helped Daniel Boone blaze the "Wilderness Trail in 1775." Robert's father and mother had moved the family from Georgia in a covered wagon to Arkansas.
Robert came to Borger in 1926, as the engineer on work train, while the new tracks were being laid for the fist railroad to Borger from Panhandle, Texas. Borger was so wild, he was afraid to sleep anywhere except in the railcar on the prairie. Later he drove a Taxi to Amarillo, Texas. Using almost the same highway we now travel trough Fritch, Texas. At this time, the road went through a little town called Dial.
My father, Frank P. Hardin, freighted supplies by oxen from Yankton, South Dakota to the Black Hills. In 1907, Frank and his son took an immigrant car to Romero, Texas to homestead land in Union County Territory, New Mexico where my mother arrived in November. My mother's people had come over on the Mayflower.
The first time I came to Borger was in 1927 with Mrs. Hugo Loewenstern. Cars and trucks were stuck in the mud and a Coca Cola truck was turned over in the ditch between Panhandle and Borger. The odor from the gas was terrible. While eating lunch we felt as though we were eating rotten eggs. We were both glad to leave Borger and return to Nara Visa, New Mexico, where I was teaching school. I never dreamed that a year later Borger would be my home. Robert and I enjoyed Borger's second birthday. The weather was perfect (for March) there were many beautiful floats in the parade.
Robert started working for the McMillan Oil Co. Then for the Skelly Alamo Plant, which was a small experimental plant at the time, on the cooling rack and later as a stillman. We had our first company house. Our paper boy was Spook (Raymond Braden).
In his spare time, Robert built a duplex where the Phillips Laboratory was later built. 1928 was a big year for us! We joined the First Methodist Church. I played the piano and was Choir director for them until they moved to Dixon Creek. I also played for the first Baptist Church which wasn't very large. The men's class met in the Rex theater. I was the accompanist for solos and for a large chorus during music week in Concert Hall, Borger High School, led by Mrs. Neighbors. Several people asked me to teach their children. We needed the money for I had to put cardboard or paper inside my shoes. I am still teaching piano and organ now in 1978...At one time I had a large accordian [sic] band. Herman Epps was one of my first pupils, he now lives in Phillips and is married to Molly Berry, another of my former pupils. I taught kindergarten from 1932 to 1940. Times were hard but we enjoyed our life.
Robert like to hunt and fish. On one of the rabbit hunts, the Claude Moore's went with us. Mr. Moore was driving. Robert set on the bumper, and Mrs. Moore and I in the back seat. Someone took a shot at us and the bullet hit the lock on the car door and went through my leg, otherwise it would have killed Mr. Moore. They took me to the hospital which at this time was next door to city hall in Borger. The sheriff, Bob Ayers, thought Robert had shot me, so he put him in jail. He soon found out Robert had a shot gun and a bullet was found in the car pocket. Robert was released, but he was so mad he expressed himself pretty freely! Back to jail he went. I didn't know this until the Doctor told me Robert had cussed the officer. He was finally released. The sheriff followed us down the sidewalk and apologized. He said he would have acted a lot worse, if it had been his wife. They shook hands. That was on Easter Sunday I'll never forget!
In the early 1930's we could go to the American Theatre on Friday night for a dime. Saturday night was a big, busy fun night for most. You could shop for groceries until 11:00 at night. If you had a car, you parked on Main street and watched the people window shop. Otherwise you walked up and down the street, meeting friends, talking and laughing. I remember also that Mary Cox now Mosier [sic] and her sister Gladys had a beauty shop. If you took your own pins and had washed your hair, you could get a set dried and combed for a dime.
Once about 1935 the Oberammergau players from Germany had missed connection and had to stay in Borger one Sunday. A large tent was set up for the Passion Play performance. Different soloists, sang at different churches. The one who sang Mary Magdalene, sang at the Presbyterian Church where I was the pianist. That was a great day for me. Also, in 1928, Charles Lindbergh's teacher was in Borger taking passengers up in his plane for $5.00. This was my first ride in a plane and I felt relieved when we landed.
Robert was box maker for United Carbon Company in the late 1930's. At that time Borger was the Carbon Black Center of the World. The boxes were used to ship carbon black to foreign countries. Paper bags were used for the United States.
About 1940, Borger had a big celebration, a pair of coveralls was thrown out a second story window to a large crowd below, whoever caught them got a new suit of clothes. Robert and another man caught them, neither would give up. The store finally said the new suit would go to the Salvation Army.
Robert was later injured and became a building contractor until his health failed. He passed away in 1970. I am still teaching music and enjoy it. At one time I stopped saying I was from Borger, because people would say, "Oh, that's the tough oil town that grew up overnight." Now I am proud to say I am from Borger, Texas.
(Published in History of Hutchinson County Texas, 104 Years, 1876-1980, Submitted by Guida Ellis)
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Arkansas, Birth Certificates, 1914-1917
Name: Robert Leea Ellis
Gender: Male
Birth Date: 18 Jan 1886
Birth Place: Fayetteville, Washington, Arkansas, USA
Father: Gideon Wesley Ellis
Mother: Lucinda Jane Ellis
Certificate Number: 398
Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957
Name: Robert Lea Ellis
Gender: Male
Age: 21
Birth Year: abt 1886
Residence: Fort Smith, Sebastian, Arkansas
Spouse's Name: Lucy Josephine Kahn
Spouse's Gender: Female
Spouse's Age: 17
Spouse's Residence: Fort Smith, Sebastian, Arkansas
Marriage Date: 22 Jul 1907
Marriage License Date: 22 Jul 1907
Marriage County: Sebastian
Event Type: Marriage
FHL Film Number: 1034046
U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918
Name: Robert Lee Ellis
Race: White
Birth Date: 18 Jan 1886
Residence Date: 1917-1918
Street Address: Bunie Add
Residence Place: Sebastian County, Arkansas, USA
Draft Board: 1
Physical Build: Slender
Height: Tall
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown
Relative: Sucia M Ellis
U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942
Name: Robert Lee Ellis
Gender: Male
Birth Date: 18 Jan 1886
Residence Place: Borger, Texas, USA
Military Draft Date: 1942
Relationship to Draftee: Head
Texas, Death Index, 1903-2000
Name: Robert Ellis
Death Date: 11 Feb 1970
Death County: Hutchinson
Gender: Male
U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
Name: Robert Ellis
Birth Date: 18 Jan 1886
Issue Year: Before 1951
Issue State: Texas
Last Residence: 79007, Borger, Hutchinson, Texas, USA
Death Date: Feb 1970
Contributed on 6/9/21
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Record #: 425787