Family Histories
Cochran County, Texas
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ROGERS
Four generations of Rogers have lived in Cochran County intermittently since 1913, when Richard Overton Rogers, nicknamed "Six Shooter Dick" came in to Cochran County to manage
a ranch on the state line.
Son of Samuel L. Rogers and Jane Smith, Richard was born on the family ranch in Kaufman County, Texas, Feburary 1862. At 22 he married Minnie Howard, February 1888, in Albany, Shackleford County, Texas, where he ranched and owned a drug store
among other real estate.
His two older sons, Samuel Leander and Howard Overton Rogers came to work on the ranch. Howard, born in the Albany family home September 15, 1893, was nicknamed "Happy" Rogers by the neighbors when he was a small motherless
boy and later became "Hap" Rogers for over 75 years.
Howard and Lydarene Silvers, who was born July 1, 1896 in Floresville, Wilson County, Texas, were married December 26, 1915. She was the daughter of James William "Jim" and Sara "Sallie" Silvers, who pioneered in New Mexico in
1909. The couple attended a Christmas night dance at the Slaughter Ranch headquarters south of Morton. Accompanined by her brother and a friend, they drove in their buggy to Redland, New Mexico after the dance and were married
by LeRoy Baugh.
They spent their first seven years working on such ranches as Slaughters, living at the Alexander Line Camp and Whiteface Camp, X Bars, and the big Syndicate Hotel in Farwell, Texas. They homesteaded in south Roosevelt
County near Bluit, New Mexico, and a record of patent was filed November 1921 for 320 acres.
Their first child, a daughter named for her mother and uncle, Charleyrene, was born January 30, 1922 in the hotel in Portales, New Mexico. The parents and new baby went to the Mallet Ranch in Cochran County to work for over
2 years. Charley Henry Silvers, an uncle, and Alvie Harris worked here at the same time.
In 1924 they left Cochran County to live in Littlefield, Texas, where a second daughter, Montell, was born February 22, 1925. They lived in Albany, Texas from 1926 to 1932 where the girls started to school having the
same primary teachers as their father. In 1932 to 1935 the family lived in Bledsoe where Hap operated a service station and later drove a school bus. The youngest Rogers brother, Richard Overton Rogers, Jr. "Dick" managed the W. T. Lewis ranch north
of Bledsoe from 1930 to 1937.
Moving to the old Rogers ranch in 1935 near Lingo, New Mexico, the family lived there and Portales for 15 years. In 1950 Hap and Lydarene moved back to Morton where they resided for the next 20 years and referred to this
as the best years of their lives. Her parents and two brothers with families lived here and also their daughter, Charleyrene and Fred Danforth with their two children.
The fourth Rogers generation, D'Rene and Hap Rogers Danforth attended school in Morton where their parents were teachers until 1954 when the Danforth family mvoed to Curry County, Texico, New Mexico.
Because of ill health, Hap and Lydarene moved to Carlsbad, New Mexico in 1970 to be near Charleyrene. Howard, who died in November 1972 and Lydarene, who died in May 1978 are buried in Rest Haven Cemetery in Lubbock, Texas.
Submitted by Charleyrene Danforth.
This family history came from Cochran County Legacy Vol. I Copyright Cochran County Historical Commission. Published with permission. The information contained on this page may not be reproduced or published elsewhere without the express written permission of the Cochran County Historical Commission
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