Elizabeth Ashby-Stiff
ASHBY - STIFF
By Jeanette Odle Whitworth
Gordon Thomas, son of William W. and Carlista ( Thomas) Stiff was born in Bowling Green, Kentucky in 1875. Elizabeth (NMI) Ashby was born in 1877 in the Winningkoff community, south east of McKinney.
Gordon (Gord) was a part time farmer and part time merchant. He and Elizabeth tried farming but after four small daughters were born, they decided to go into the mercantile business.
They opened a general store at the intersection of what is now Bridgefarmer road and #546. This was the heart of the Lowry Crossing Community. This was town to most of the children of the community. Many of them had only been into the town of McKinney a few times. Most of the children were allowed to go into town only during their parents Christmas visit, provided the weather permitted. The six or seven mile trip, riding in a wagon with two mules, required a matter of hours instead of minutes.
The family’s home was built just behind the store and they continued to live there until Gordon’s untimely death at the age of 39.
After Gordon’s death, Elizabeth took her small girls and moved to a farm that they had recently bought near the Bishop community. The farm had a small tenant house and Elizabeth was able to hire help to run the farm. She raised mostly cotton, corn, and as she always said "Johnson grass".
The girls were Lena Mae(Odle), Nina Marie (Allen), Anna Maria (Odle), and Sally Katherine ( Brockman).
By Jeanette Odle Whitworth
Gordon Thomas, son of William W. and Carlista ( Thomas) Stiff was born in Bowling Green, Kentucky in 1875. Elizabeth (NMI) Ashby was born in 1877 in the Winningkoff community, south east of McKinney.
Gordon (Gord) was a part time farmer and part time merchant. He and Elizabeth tried farming but after four small daughters were born, they decided to go into the mercantile business.
They opened a general store at the intersection of what is now Bridgefarmer road and #546. This was the heart of the Lowry Crossing Community. This was town to most of the children of the community. Many of them had only been into the town of McKinney a few times. Most of the children were allowed to go into town only during their parents Christmas visit, provided the weather permitted. The six or seven mile trip, riding in a wagon with two mules, required a matter of hours instead of minutes.
The family’s home was built just behind the store and they continued to live there until Gordon’s untimely death at the age of 39.
After Gordon’s death, Elizabeth took her small girls and moved to a farm that they had recently bought near the Bishop community. The farm had a small tenant house and Elizabeth was able to hire help to run the farm. She raised mostly cotton, corn, and as she always said "Johnson grass".
The girls were Lena Mae(Odle), Nina Marie (Allen), Anna Maria (Odle), and Sally Katherine ( Brockman).
