Tag Archives: Wink

Beekman Ezell, back to the Wink Wildcats!

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Beekman Ezell, 1937

Beekman Ezell, 1937

I just can’t resist these Wink Wildcats. A rugged Texas team of young men, many of whom would go off to war, and Beekman Ezell was no exception. Born on December 5,1919 in Louisiana to Jefferson Ezell and Pearl White, Beekman Benjamin Ezell was the 2nd of four children born in rapid succession. Older brother Jeff was born in 1918, Beekman in 1919, Dee Earl in 1921, Don in 1922!

It appears that dad, Jefferson Ezell, died in 1925 in La Salle, Louisiana where the family had lived. Pearl remarried by 1930 and she and her children lived in Wink, Texas with new husband Hobart Little. The children are actually listed with the last name Little in this census. But that’s corrected by 1940, when the family is still in Wink.

Beekman enlisted in the war effort for the army in 1941. He was single at the time with 2 years of college. He was released from the arm in 1945 and went back to college at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas, and he also went back to playing football. A 1946 newspaper article discusses the issue of vets who receive disability payment playing football. They, and Beekman was mentioned by name, would have to take a physical and if they didn’t pass, choose either football or benefits, but not both.*

Beekman appeared to live in or near Winkler for most of his adult life. Beekman Ezell died August 19, 1999. He was preceded in death by his first wife and remarried, passing away before his 2nd wife. He is buried in Kermit cemetery. A wonderful obituary of his brother Don on Find a grave, outlines more of the family history.

Looks like serving their country and TCU football were in the Ezell boys’ blood!

*Friday, November 1, 1946, Seattle Daily Times (Seattle, WA), Page: 31

Bert E. Page Jr. #22 for the 1937 Wink Wildcats

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Happy-go-luckly looking #22 is Bert Elwin Page Jr. Here’s what I know about Bert after a short bit of research. He was born in Texas on September 28, 1921 to Bert E. Page Sr. and an unknown mother. His father was a widow according to the 1940 census, and I never found his mother named anywhere else. He had an older brother Phillip Page. The family lived in Winkler county in 1940 where Bert worked as a filling station attendant.

Bert joined the Marines and served in World War II according to his cemetery stone. He died in Abilene, Texas on July 27, 1992 leaving his wife Elva Womack Page and at least one daughter, Patricia Ann. He may have had more children. Other snippets of information are that Elva & Bert lived in Albuquerque, NM in 1959 according to a local directory. They also sold some real estate in Jefferson Parish in 1984 according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

I did not find any families with Bert Jr. in their online trees, some do list Bert Sr.  so hopefully this photo will be of interest to them. Good luck Bert!