TWO OBITUARIES FOR CLEMENTINE MILLETT


[1]

[The following article was printed in the San Antonio [Texas] Daily Express,
Sunday, February 3, 1907, on page 9.
Some of the facts as reported are not correct.
The most obvious error is the statement, in the final section,
that her grandfather was Joshua Bartlett and that
he was a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence.
Material in brackets has been added.

[Her picture accompanied the article.
The text below the picture reads:  "Mrs. Clementine Millett.
Mrs. Clementine Millett, who recently passed away in Fort Worth,
was one of the pioneer white women of early Texas.
She came to Texas with her father in 1832
and was present at the battle of San Jacinto."
]

 

TEXAS PIONEER
WOMAN DIES IN
PANTHER CITY
__________

 Remains of Mrs.Clementine Mil-
lett Will Be Interred Today
in San Antonio.
__________


CAME TO TEXAS IN 1832;
PRESENT AT SAN JACINTO
__________

The body of Mrs. Clementine Millett, who died in Fort Worth Friday [February 1, 1907] at 6:30 o'clock p.m., will arrive in this city early this morning.

Mrs. Clementine Millett had resided in Texas probably longer than any other white woman now living. She came to this State as one of the original Austin colonists in 1832.

Mrs. Millett was Miss Clementine Bartlett. She was born in Knoxville, Tenn., on Dec. 29, 1815. Her father, Jesse Bartlett, had won fame for his service in the Seminole War under General Jackson, and when Stephen Austin made a call for colonists to come to Texas he was among the first to respond, and she came with him.

The long trip was made overland, and on arriving at the place which is now Hempstead her father, Major Bartlett, decided to leave his family there, on account of the outlawry then existing in Austin's colony.

Married her Teacher.

She went to school to Samuel Millett, who was a young graduate of Bowdoin College, and came to Texas as an educational missionary. The school teacher fell in love with his pupil, and they were married in 1833, when Miss Bartlett was 18 years old.

With her husband, she moved to Grimes County, where she lived during the Mexican War [Texas Revolution], except during the time when all the women were fleeing from Santa Ana's [sic] army.

When the Mexican army invaded the country, the women followed as closely as possible, the husbands, who were in General Houston's army.

At San Jacinto.

At the battle of San Jacinto the women with their little children were standing on the banks of Buffalo Bayou. Mrs. Millett has often told how they listened to the roar of the guns, while their little children clung frightened to their skirts. The women all decided that if the Mexicans won there was no hope of life and they were going to drown themselves and their children in the bayou.

After the war Mrs. Millett with her husband moved to Austin and was there during the early days of the Republic. She attended the first Congress of the Republic of Texas and was acquainted with nearly all of the statesmen of those days. General Sam Houston was an intimate friend of her husband's.

After leaving Austin, Mrs. Millett and her husband moved to Houston, where she lived for several years. From Houston they went to Seguin, where Samuel Millett died in 1863. Mrs. Millett had four sons in the Civil War, and one of them, Leonadus Millett, was killed.

Historic Ancestors.

Mrs. Millett came from one of the oldest and most historic families in the United States. Her grandfather, Joshua Bartlett, was a signer of the Declaration of Independence.

Mrs. Millett is survived by three sons and two daughters. They are Capt. Eugene Millett of Arizona, Alonzo Millett of San Antonio, Hiram Millett of New Mexico, Mrs. H. N. Smith of Fort Worth and Mrs. E. R. Lane of Millett.

The funeral will be held from Travis Park Methodist Church at 4 o'clock this afternoon, and interment will be made in City Cemetery No. 1. The pallbearers have not yet been announced.


[2]

[The following article was printed in the Dallas [Texas] Morning News,
Monday, February 4, 1907, on page 3.
As with the article from the
San Antonio Express, above,
some of the facts as reported are not correct.
]

 

DEATH OF WOMAN PIONEER.
_____

Mrs.Clementine Millett Said to Be
Oldest Texas Resident.

Special to The News.

San Antonio, Tex., Feb. 3.—Mrs. Clementine Millett of Fort Worth, who at the time of her death had resided in Texas longer than any other white woman, was buried in this city this afternoon.  She came to this State in 1832 as one of the original Austin colonists and had resided in the State continuously since that time.  She was born in Knoxville, Tenn., in 1815 and in 1833 was married to her teacher, Samuel Millett, who was a young graduate of the old Bowdoin College.  With her husband she moved to Grimes County, where she lived during the Texas Revolution, except the time when all the women were fleeing from Santa Anna's army.

After the war Mrs. Millett, with her husband, moved to Austin and was there during the early days of the Republic.  She attended the first Congress of the Republic of Texas and was acquainted with nearly all of the statesmen of those days.   Gen. Houston was an intimate friend of her husband.

After leaving Austin Mrs. Millett and her husband moved to Houston, where they lived for several years.  From Houston they went to Seguin, where Mr. Millett died in 1863.  Mrs. Millett had four sons in the Civil War, one of whom, Leonidas Millett, was killed.

Mrs. Millett is survived by three sons and two daughters.  They are Capt. Eugene Millett of Arizona, Alonzo Millett of San Antonio, Hiram Millett of New Mexico, Mrs. H. N. Smith of Fort Worth and Mrs. E. R. Lane of Millett.

The funeral was held from Travis Park Methodist Church this afternoon, with the interment in City Cemetery No. 1.


Additional material

Her "memories of pioneer days" are recounted in a 1905 article in the Houston Chronicle, a transcript of which is here.