Samuel Gann of Winchester Va Family

From Galen Gann, 821 Reveille Rd, Fort Worth, TX 76108-4030 12/15/98

Wilburn and brothers cleared fields surrounding the Stovall Hot Water Wells at South Bend, TX. Wilburn's job was keeping firewood in the steam tractor. With early life experience in driving cattle and butchering, he was the community butcher, helping neighbors and fellow workers to kill and process their animals for family consumption. He raised large gardens each year and freely gave of his harvest to the elderly and needy. He enjoyed calf roping, training horses, etc. He was affectionately known among friends as "Cowboy," but to many he is remembered as the rattlesnake hunter, a pasttime he enjoyed as long as his eyesight permitted.

Wilburn worked for several ranchers as a young man. While working for Willie Corbett in 1919, he married the bosses daughter. Wilburn and Iva lived in Ivan, Caddo, Eliasville (member of the Masonic Lodge there) and Hamlin, TX. He was a ranch hand, butcher, truck driver, blacksmith and oil field worker. He worked for Phillips, Mid-Kansas, Ohio, Marathon and T.P. Oil Companies. Most of this on the Hill lease west of Eliasville. He was an active booster of youth activities.

After his retirement, Wilburn and Iva Lee moved to a cabin on Veal Creek where it runs into Cedar Creek close to the old Veal Creek school ground. Truly, they had come home. At this home there was no need for TV, etc., for many old timers and relatives came to visit and sit in the shade relating incidents of the past. Example, one night a community gathering took place at the Veal Creek schoolhouse. As smaller children fell asleep, mothers would carry them out and place them in the family wagon. The "big boys" then exchanged the children and vehicles. Imagine, as a mother, when you arrived home only to find the sleeping child was not your own. Oh well! Boys will be boys!