EPPRIGHTS - TWO SONS - TOO SOON

George Jacob and Nannie Harris Eppright had a total of 14 children; 9 of them were boys. This photo from around 1904-05 show all 9 of them. Tragically, two of them would die before their time. 

The first of the children to die was George David Eppright. Born on June 21, 1896 he was just one month past his fourteenth birthday when he died July 23, 1910 from a severe case of typhoid fever. 

The Austin Statesman July 26, 1910

He was buried in the Eppright family plot in the Manor City Cemetery.

Eighteen days later, his father would also die at the age of 56 and be buried near him. 

Next to die would be the oldest of the 9 boys; Frederic Gillespie Eppright, born in 1881. He married Mabel Collier in San Antonio, Tx on October 17, 1906. 

Sometime between April, 1910 and January, 1913 they moved to the Rio Grande Valley to the city of Donna in Hidalgo County, where Fred established a farming operation. 

On occasion they would return to Manor to visit the family members who still lived there, as evidenced by this mention in the San Antonio Express newspaper dated January 5, 1913.

On August 26, 1922 Frederic, along with his wife Mabel and their two young sons, Fred, age 4 and David, age 2 were traveling by automobile from their home in Donna to Manor to visit with relatives. According to a story in the August 28th Austin Statesman newspaper, the family had stopped in Floresville, TX for a picnic lunch. Because the brakes on the car were not in good condition, the car was left in gear to keep it from rolling. While Mabel packed up the remains of the picnic lunch, Frederic, using a motor pump,  began to pump up a tire on the car in preparation for their continuing the journey to Manor.

 A motor pump is a small air compressor attached to and powered by the car's engine. Forgetting that the car was still in gear, Frederic started the engine to use the compressor and the car immediately began to roll towards the ditch beside the road. While he was attempting to stop the car, it overturned in the ditch, crushing Mr. Eppright beneath it. By the time Mabel was able to get help, Frederic was already dead. 

Austin Statesman August 28, 1922

Frederic Gillespie Eppright was 40 years and 9 months old at the time of his death. (death certificate shows middle name as George)

He was buried in the Eppright family plot in the Manor City Cemetery. 

An advertisement in the December 17th issue of The Houston Post newspaper stated that Mabel Eppright was paid $1000 by the National Casualty Insurance Company due to her husband's death in the automobile accident.