- Eunice married Arthur Hurst in 1901 and was a young widow with three small children by 1914. They had had two children earlier who had died young. Eunice worked very hard trying to provide for herself and her three children, Arthur Lee, Farris, and Elzonia. She took in washing to earn a meager living. In that day and time the laundering was done outside in a large black wash pot. The water was heated by building a fire under the wash pot and usually had a "bar" of homemade lye soap in it to clean the clothes. The water had to be brought from the cistern or well of water or from a stock tank. It was carried one bucket at a time from the source and poured into the pot. A rub board was inserted into the pot with the clothes and the soap was rubbed on the ridges of the rub board and then the clothes were rubbed over the soapy ridges to clean them. Such was the work of this little widow trying to provide for her three children. Eunice was a Baptist.
- Eunice only lived a year and a half after the death of Arthur. She died of Pneumonia and jaundice. The children of Eunice and Arthur were taken by a sister of Eunice, Jane Abney Pickens. Jane had a house full of children of her own, as well as two of her grandchildren whose mother had died in childbirth, to care for, but looked after the Hurst children as long as she could. She made them each some new clothes and then had to place them in the Buckner Orphans Home just East of Dallas, Texas. The children grew up there.
- In the year 2001, one of the grand-daughters of Jane lives next door to one of the grand-daughters of Eunice.---notes by Betty Pickens Phillips, grand Neice of Eunice.
Eunice is on the left. Pictured are left to right: Eunice, Her mother, Sally Abney, Sister, Mattie. This photo was made after the death of Francis Marion Abney.
Arthur, Eunice & their three surviving children, Athur Lee, Farris, & Elzonia. Arthur Hurst Born February 02, 1874 -- Died September 23, 1914 -- in VZC Buried Van Zandt Co., Texas Highland Cem. This is just one tombstone with names on all four sides. I took the pictures a few years ago.
Eunice S. Abney Born December 01, 1883 in Kaufman Co., Texas -- Died April 17, 1916 -- Van Zandt Co., Texas buried Highland Cem.
Essie Eula Hurst Born January 12, 1903 in VZC -- Died January 08, 1905 -- Buried Van Zandt Co., Texas Highland Cem.
Joel Francis Hurst was named for his grandfather, Francis Abney. Born December 17, 1901 -- Died September 12, 1902 -- Buried Van Zandt Co., Texas Highland Cem.
Page last updated June 20, 2008
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