[ Home ] [ Up ] [ Adamson ] [ Bartels ] [ Bodemuller ] [ Burnfin ] [ Chester ] [ Cooley ] [ Creswell ] [ Deese ] [ Doornbos ] [ Fletcher ] [ Franklin/Griffin ] [ Gibson ] [ Goodwin ] [ Green ] [ Haizlip ] [ Handley ] [ Hawkins ] [ Hayslette ] [ Henson ] [ Hise ] [ Hooks ] [ Housenfluck ] [ Johnson/Ryder ] [ Jones ] [ Jordahn ] [ Kelly ] [ Kieschnick ] [ Kirkwood ] [ Koelemay ] [ Leatherwood ] [ McInnis ] [ McLain ] [ Morgan ] [ Moye ] [ Munson ] [ Newton ] [ Pelloat ] [ Quarles ] [ Rasberry ] [ Rienstra ] [ Ritter/Price ] [ Sanderson ] [ Singleton ] [ Spencer ] [ Streetman ] [ Sticker ] [ Sweeney ] [ Theriot ] [ Thompson ] [ Tyer ] [ Vanderweg ] [ Van Oostrom ] [ Van Randen ] [ Viterbo ] [ Weber ] [ Westerterp ] [ Whitley ] [ Winters ] [ Yentzen ]

A HISTORY OF THE ALLEN MONROE FLETCHER AND CHARLES RAY FLETCHER FAMILIES

By W. T. Block

Allen Monroe Fletcher was born at Rosepine, Vernon Parish, Louisiana, on Christmas Day of 1894, the son of Albert Riley Fletcher (b. October 30, 1872, Rosepine, La.) and Susan Louisa Holliday (b. June 5, 1878, Deridder, La.). A. M.Fletcher was the grandson of Richard A. Fletcher, who was born in Mississippi in 1837, and Elizabeth Cryer, who was born in Louisiana on February 14, 1841. Richard A. Fletcher had come to Louisiana during the early 1840s with his parents, Patrick H. Fletcher (b. North Crolina, 1811) and Martha Ann Arnold (b. North Carolina, 1812), and settled on Anococo Creek, near the mouth of Mill Creek, northwest of Rosepine, Louisiana.

On October 22, 1914, Allen M. Fletcher married Bertie Mae Packer, the daughter of Walter Moses Packer and Mittie Belle Murry of Vernon Parish. Her paternal grandfather was Henry Packer and her maternal grandparents were Zack C. Murry and Mary Elizabeth McElveen.

Allen and Bertie Fletlcher became the parents of three sons, all of them born at Rosepine, Louisiana, as follows: (1) Guy Maurice Fletcher (b. August 13, 1915-d. August 9, 1952), who was a Beaumont fireman, who had no children; (2) Glen Eugene Fletcher (b. November 11, 1919-d. July 20, 1923); and (3) Charles Ray Fletcher, who was born on October 3, 1926.

Allen and Bertie Mae Fletcher moved to Nederland, Texas in 1932. They lived at 212 Fifteenth Street for the first three years, before they bought their home which still stands at 2112 Helena. Their house formerly had been occupied by Rev. Troy Brooks, the Baptist pastor.

Allen M. Fletcher was a carpenter by trade, and he soon went to work for the old Pure Oil Company refinery after arriving in Nederland. In 1936, he was caught up in the massive Pure Oil (now Unocal) layoff, which saw half of the plant employees, about 350 men, laid off in a single day. Soon afterward, he was employed as a carpenter by the Sabine Towing Company, and he worked for that company for eighteen years until illness forced him to retire. Sometimes his duties would require that he go to sea aboard one of the Sabine Towing Company tankers during their voyages between Smith's Bluff refinery and Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania. Allen Fletcher died on December 15, 1955, and is buried at Rosepine, Louisiana.

Charles R. Fletcher came to Nederland in 1932 at the age of six and attended the Nederland schools. During his teenage years, he worked at several locations, namely, the Percy Devries dairy on Helena, Woodward's Drug Store, Nederland Pharmacy, and the Rio Theatre. In 1944, at the end of his junior year in high school, C. R. Fletlcher joined the United States Navy and was discharged in 1946. He then returned to Nederland High School to finish his senior year and graduated in 1947.

Charles R. Fletcher worked two years in the Nederland Post Office before he quit in October, 1948, to begin work in the office of Neches Butane Products Company in Port Neches, where he remained until 1979.

On January 14, 1949, C. R. Fletcher married Alta Grey Block, who was born in Port Neches on August 17, 1930. Her parents were Will Block, Sr. (b. August 2, 1870-d. February 26, 1933) and Sarah Jane Sweeney (b. Grand Chenier, La., August 4, 1884-d. Nederland, June 12, 1983, age 99). Her paternal grandparents were Albert Block (b. Prussia, 1840-d. Port Neches, 1893) and Ursula Schmidt (b. Johnson's Bayou, La., 1848-d. Port Neches, 1914). Her maternal grandparents were James Hill Sweeney (b. Grand Chenier, La., September 25, 1849-d. October 7, 1891) and Lou Ellen Smith (b. Mississippi, January 10, 1847-d. Nederland, June 12, 1923). Alta Grey's paternal great grandparents, George Frederick Block (b. Prussia, 1802-d. Orange, March, 1893) and Augusta Wippenitz (b. Prussia, 1817-d. Orange, Tx., 1885), arrived in Port Neches, Texas in May, 1846, perhaps the third or fourth family ever to settle in that community.

Alta Block Fletcher moved to Nederland from Port Neches at age five on October 17, 1935. She graduated from Nederland High School in 1947. She was employed for thirty-three years as City Secretary-Tax Assessor Collector of Nederland from 1948 until 1981. During those years, the City Hall was located at four different sites, namely, the old Scout Hut that once was on the southwest corner of Ninth and Boston, at 216 Thirteenth Street, at the first city-owned City Hall on the northwest corner of Ninth and Boston, and at the present location at 1400 Boston.

Charles and Alta Fletcher also attended many semesters of real estate classes at Lamar University. Both Charles and Alta received their real estate salesman licences, and they continued to pursue their real estate educations until they received their broker's license. They have operated the Fletcher Real Estate agency for many years.

They are also the parents of three children. Rhonda Rhea Fletcher was born in Nederland on August 13, 1951, and on December 17, 1977, she married Gary Lynn Posey, who is a pipe fitter. They are the parents of one daughter, Amanda Leigh Posey, born on September 19, 1982. Rhonda Posey is a graduate of Nederland High School and holds both Bachelor and Master's degrees from Lamar University. For the past eighteen years (1973-1991), she has taught history at Central Middle School.

Rex Alan Fletcher was born in Nederland on December 15, 1954, and graduated from Nederland High School. He is employed by Quantum USI. On October 4, 1974, Rex Fletcher married (1) Darlene Thibodeaux and they became the parents of one daughter, Melissa Ann Fletcher, born on January 28, 1978. In December, 1981, Rex married (2) Gayle Coffey, and they are the parents of twin sons, Dusty Ray Fletcher and Rusty Clay Fletcher, born on September 22, 1982.

Johanna Meryl Fletcher was born in Nederland on October 21, 1956, and graduated from Nederland High School. She also attended Lamar University for three years. For many years, she was an employee of the Physicians' Clinic in Nederland, but in 1991, she went to work in the Groves Post Office. On September 8, 1983, she married Gary Porter, who is a Nederland policeman.

Allen Monroe Fletcher was a member and past Worshipful Master (1927) of the Masonic Lodge in Rosepine, Louisiana. Charles Fletcher is a longtime member of the Nederland Masonic Lodge.

As city secretary, Alta Fletcher attended all Nederland city council meetings for a great many years, and the Fletchers have always been very active in civic affairs, particularly those pertaining to the City of Nederland. Charles and Alta Fletcher lived at a number of addresses in Nederland before building their present home at 1516 Elgin Avenue. They are both retired and enjoy travelling in their motor home as often as circumstances permit.