Mary EASTERWOOD LOONEY

December 4, 1853, Jackson, Hinds County, Mississippi - March 26, 1942, Marlin, Falls County, Texas

MRS. MARY E. LOONEY AGED PIONEER IS DEAD

Mrs. Mary Easterwood Looney, 83, a native of Mississippi, and a resident of Milam county for more than three quarters of a century, died in Marlin on Thursday, March 26, 1942.
In recent years she had spent much time in Marlin, making her home there during the winter and in the late spring and summer returning to her home in Branchville over looking the valley of Little River.
Mrs. Mary Easterwood Looney, widow of the late W. C. Looney, pioneer, was born on December 14, 1853, in Jackson, Mississippi.
When a small child she moved to Texas with her family, and settled in Bell county in the community of what is now the City of Temple. At that time the city had not been established as the Santa Fe railroad was yet to be surveyed through this portion of Central Texas.
Shortly after the civil war, her father, E. E. Easterwood, former officer in the Confederate army, in order to obtain educational advantage for his family of six children, left Bell county and moved to Port Sullivan in Milam county.
Port Sullivan, on the Brazos river was a thriving town and had a college of recognized standing. Time and the path of development were later factors that saw it recede to a village and finally to disappear as one of the early landmarks of Texas.
Not far away now stands a concrete pier built in the stream to make Port Sullivan and other towns along the river commercially important. The Looney home at Branchville where Mrs. Looney spent her summers is within a short distance of the place where the Easterwood family settled when Port Sullivan was a college town.
Cameron was the oldest settled community near that date and later Belton came into existence.
In 1888 she was married to the late W. C. Looney, thereafter making her home in Branchville where for many years Mr. Looney operated a mercantile business in addition to large farming interests.
Mrs. Looney was buried in the Port Sullivan cemetery on March 29, 1942, near the scenes of her early childhood.
Several years ago Mrs. Looney spent a winter in Cameron, living in the home of the late Mrs. Lula Hefley. During those months, Mrs. Looney was an insiration to many. When news came of her death her many friends in Cameron were deeply shocked and grief stricken.
She belonged to a day and generation more revered in history than any other period. Cultured, the influences of the Old South predominated in her gracious nature. Their passing removes from the sphere of mortals the best who have yet come to habit this world.
She was a life long member and active worker in the Methodist church; a member of the Daughters of the Confederate, Womans Christian Temperance Union and the Order of Eastern Star during its early history in Texas.
Mrs. Looney is survived by two sons Wilber C. Looney of Beaumont and Ralph D. Looney of Houston. One sister, Mrs. D. L. Edwards of San Antonio, survives. There are five grand children as follows: Elberta Randall of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Mrs. Albert Leland of Los Angeles, Calif., C. W. Randall of Leavenworth, Kans., William and Thryza Lee Looney of Beaumont. One great grand child is among the survivors, Philip Pearce of Los Angeles, Calif. A number of nieces and nephews survive.

The Cameron Herald(Cameron, Texas), 23 Apr 1942, Thu, Page 4

Family Members
Parents
William Calhoun Easterwood
1822–1899

Martha G Hughes Easterwood
1820–1889

Spouse
William Carroll Looney
1844–1912 (m. 1888)

Siblings
William Edward Easterwood
1853–1925

Henry Bascom Easterwood
1856–1919 (m. 1879)

Emily Catherine Easterwood Finnie
1872–1915

Children
Wilber C Looney
1890–1978

Ralph D Looney
1892–1985

Photo courtesy of: Karen Neal Morey

Contributed on 7/17/20 by lynst.peters62
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Record #: 334629

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