|
FROM CRADLE TO GRAVE Elmo Lively was born in December 1935 to parents, Lawrence and 0lla Lively, in Kaufman county, Texas. Dr. Bill delivered Elmo at the county hospital. The original Birth Certificate was properly completed by Dr. Bill and filed with the County Clerk, who was the Local Registrar. The clerk made a certified copy for his files, recorded the certificate, and forwarded the original to the State Bureau of Vital Statistics in Austin, Texas. Elmo grew up and attended the Forney public schools. While Elmo was in high school, he attended a party one Saturday night. While returning home from that party, a peace officer apprehended Elmo and charged him with a DUI. His case was filed with the clerk's office. Elmo never drank again. Later, he volunteered for military service and served in the army for two years. After his discharge, he recorded his military papers in the clerk's office. Elmo came back home and fell in love with Poetry. They came to the County Clerk for a Marriage License. The ceremony was held in Lone Star. While en route to their honeymoon destination in Crandall, the cans and decorations hanging on the back of their model A became detached, and a deputy stopped them for littering. He congratulated them and sent them on their way. After the marriage ceremony, the clergyman returned the Marriage License to be properly recorded with the Clerk's office. Elmo and Poetry eventually purchased a small farm in a rural area of the county. Their property deed was recorded in the County Clerk's office. They then decided to buy a few head of cattle to graze on their pasture. Elmo went to the clerk's office to record a Mark and Brand for his cattle. Another farmer, named Rand, purchased a bull and two cows from Elmo. Two days later, the cattle died of black leg. Rand filed a civil suit in the county court to recover his loss on the cattle and the County Clerk's office filed the necessary paperwork. Rand was successful in receiving a court judgment against Elmo, and had an Abstract of Judgment was filed in the County Clerk's office. Rand had the Clerk issue a Writ of Attachment to get enough of Elmo's cattle to pay Rand for his loss. Elmo decided to end his ranching career, bought a tract of land near Forney, and subdivided it into smaller 5 acre lots. Elmo had the county surveyor draw a map of the subdivision and presented it to the commissioner's court for approval. A copy of the plat was filed with the Clerk. An approval for the filing of the subdivision was noted in the Commissioner's Court Minutes kept by the County Clerk's office. One of Elmo's hobbies was carpentry and he did work on one of the houses in the subdivision. The homeowner refused to pay Elmo for the work and he filed a lien against the homeowner in the Clerk's office to protect the value of his work in the home. Elmo's wife decided to start a little business that she named "Tots to Teens." Poetry recorded her Assumed Name (dba) in the County Clerk's office. She purchased a sewing machine and some furniture from a store in Kaufman. Poetry did not have the cash to pay for these items, so the storekeeper made the sale on credit, and had Poetry sign a financing statement, filed with the County Clerk, to protect the storekeeper's lien on the items. Poetry did a booming business in her store, but she had a lousy bookkeeping system and ran short of funds. The state comptroller filed a state Tax Lien against Poetry in the Clerk's office. Later that year, they were unable to pay the income tax due on the business, and the Internal Revenue Service filed a Federal Tax Lien against Elmo and Poetry with the County Clerk. Elmo and Poetry had two children, one boy and one girl. When their son, Becker, was ready to begin elementary school in Kemp, Poetry was unable to locate his Birth Certificate. She came to the County Clerk's office to purchase a certified copy. Years later, Becker, began to drink heavily during his high school years and, at the age of 18, began to hear voices telling him that he was the Messiah. Elmo and Poetry had him committed to the local State Mental Hospital. Becker's case was heard by the County Court Judge and clerked by the County Clerk's office. In their later years, Elmo and Poetry became interested in genealogy, and spent many hours in the Clerk's office researching their roots. They researched birth and death records, cemetery records, land records, and marriage records. Several years later, Elmo died of a heart condition, and a copy of his Death Certificate was filed with the County Clerk. Elmo left a will in safekeeping at the Clerk's office. In his will, he left Poetry all of his property with the exception of the old home place in Blackjack, which he left to Rose. Poetry filed the will for probate with the Probate Clerk in the County Clerk's office. And, as for Rose, she grew up, married a fellow named Rosser who was from Styx, and lived happily ever after in a little community called Scurry. Most
of this story seems to be rather tragic, whenever a person has to use
all of the services that are provided in the County Clerk's office.
Elmo did not use "all" of the County Clerk's services, but
most of them were used during his lifetime. This story demonstrates
the contact that the County Clerk has with most of the people who live
in the county. Nearly everyone has some occasion to come to the County
Clerk's office for some of the services provided here. Obviously, there
is a lot more detail to most of the things mentioned, and persons in
need of guidance or direction regarding those records can receive that
help from the Clerk's office. |