Ravings of a Retired Government Writer: 07/02/10

Descendants of Benjamin Taliaferro PORTER - 9 Jul 2008
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FIRST GENERATION

1. Benjamin Taliaferro PORTER was born about 1817 in Lincoln County or Bedford County, Tennessee. He died in October 1856 in Titus County, Texas.
Killed in the line of duty while serving as sheriff of Titus Co., TX. Listed in Wills-Probates of Titus Co., November term 1856, William Porter, Administrator.

Listed in Franklin Co., AL 1840 census. Moved to Red River (now Titus) County, TX about 1842. Benjamin T. purchased land 2 miles W. of Mt. Pleasant, TX in 1844.

1850 Titus Co., TX census:
Porter, Benjamin, age 33, b. TN, farmer
Porter, Rebecca, age 32, b. AL
Porter, William, age 12, b. AL
Porter, Reese, age 11, b. AL
Porter, Charles, age 9, b. AL
Porter, George, age 8, b. AL
Porter, Nancy, age 7, b. TX
Porter, Benjamin, age 6, b. TX
Porter, Frances, age 4, b. TX
Porter, James, age 2 mos., b. TX

Robert P. Porter

On Fathers' Day by Richard Porter, third son of Robert P. Porter

I have never written anything to anyone about my/our father, Robert Percival Porter, born Hazel Porter in Butner OK on 6 August 1909. He changed his birthdate in the family bible to read 1908 in order to get into the US Navy when he was 16. He always maintained that his birthday was 1908. His mother, our "Ma", said it was 1909 because she and Hugh were married in Nov 1908 and he was not born before they were married. I would think that would be the case as children were not usually born "out of wedlock" in those days. However, the proof positive shows up in the 1910 Oklahoma census recorded in June. It shows the Hugh Porter household of one male 27 years old and a woman 23 years old and a "baby girl" named Hazel, age nine months. I supposed the census taker never ask the sex of the infant but only the name. They made the assumption that the infant was a girl. So now we've verified by the US Census that Hazel (Bob) was indeed born in 1909.

His childhood was unremarkable as he was not a good student. Rumor has it that his mother spoiled him rotten as they were successful farmers with some assets and he was the only child. She was over protective and would not allow his father to discipline him. He left school after the 8th grade and served a four year hitch in the US Navy in the 20's and upon discharge, went pretty much from job to job not really accomplishing much. He'd met a "pen pal" named Lillian Thames, a west Texas farm girl who couldn't wait to get off the farm. Her mother had long since died and her father had just remarried and she was not comfortable with her new mother in law and her lecherous grown son. (Editor's note: Her daddy died shortly before she graduated from high school. She was very close to him and at her own death bed talked about her being reunited with him in Heaven. She lived off and on with various relatives, but had no home after her daddy died.) She wanted to get away bad enough to marry a immature sailor boy from Oregon who wasn't ready to settle down and accept the responsibilities of a family. He wound up going into partnership with Hugh and Edna Earl Porter (his parents) in a hotel in Chemult, Oregon. This did not work out as he and Hugh did not see eye to eye on very much so he forced his dad to buy him out. At that point he hadn't much to do so he re-enlisted in the Navy just before WWII retaining his rate at Boatswain's Mate First Class. During WWII, he quickly rose to Chief Petty Officer and felt he'd pretty achieved anything a man could want.

After WWII, he went to work selling chemical products eventually getting his own west Texas franchise for Turco Products from Houston. It went well for some years while in Big Spring but his restless nature got the best of him and he began to wander, letting his business go to pot. Our mother persuaded him to move to Odessa where she thought business opportunities would be better. After a couple of years there, he lost his family and wound up in Bakersfield and started another one. He was even less successful as a father on this venture than on the first one. He abandoned his wife and dropped his kids off at various places for others to raise. He eventually was reduced to manual labor jobs and died in the Veterans' Hospital in Big Spring, TX at age 56. He is buried in Roswell near his parents, Hugh and Earl Porter.

I've been trying to come up with some positives in his life. His children never felt a hug or an "I love you" or "good job" or "you are going to college". I guess the only thing positive I can say about him is that he was not a tightwad.

Sincerely

Richard Porter

Reflections on Robert P. Porter from our cousin, Georgie Sikes

My thoughts and remembrances for Uncle Bob. My dad, (Uncle Bill to most of you) thought Uncle Bob acted like a dandy; wearing white shoes! Real men did not wear white shoes! (Editor's Note: Daddy was a meticulous dresser and was extremely attentive to his personal hygiene. I think Georgie characterized him with the word, Dandy.)

He was partial to girls and would let me get a head lock on Gary... so I would WIN.

When I lived in Roswell in about 1960 or 1961, Uncle Bob was cooking at the jail in Roswell. Uncle Bob came to visit us several times and cooked dinner at our house one time. Was very good. He had some good stories to tell.... some of them might have been tall tales.

I know he was not easy on you boys and Aunt Lillian but he was good to me. Georgie

Bob and Lillian