From Proud Heritage, Volume I by DCPA, currently out of print.
Charles O., son of George W. and Leana F. Adams Vinyard, was born June 16, 1878 in Dallas County, Texas three miles west of Cedar Hill on Mountain Creek. Tod, as he was known, was a lover of horses. He worked for local cattle ranchers and traveled with wagon trains to the southern and western parts of Texas. He met Lucretia Barker (called Louie) while working Martha Barker’s land. They were married December 18, 1904. After a winter in Midland, where they had to live in a dugout, and three years in Bellevue, Clay County, Texas, they bought the C. T. Barker homeplace. This remained in the family until 1970.
Lucretia was a local historian. She not only documented church history, but also wrote a book The History of the Cedar Mountains published by the Rhea Printing Company. It is no longer in print. It depicted the lives of early settlers of the southwest part of Dallas County. A copy is in the Dallas Collection of the Dallas Public Library.
Tod and Louie witnessed many important but difficult years in this area. The times were not easy. After surviving the Great Depression of the 1930’s, they saw their only two sons go into combat in World War II.
Clayborne, a pilot of a P-38 in Iceland, and a Mosquito Bormber in England, was shot down over Germany and taken prisoner. He survived, returned home and now lives in Austin, Texas. He and his wife, Virginia Hancock Vinyard, have two daughters, Judy E. and Mallie Ann.
George W., a radio gunner on a B-26 with the 8th Air Force, returned home and married Julia Ann Jorden. They have one son, Todd Allan.
Tod and Louie’s two daughters were Verna and Zelda. Verna married Chester Howard Plummer of Cedar Hill, Texas. They now reside in Duncanville and have one daughter, Mona Fay. Daughter Zelda Fay married Thomas Raymond Johnston and was blessed with three children: Bobby Jo, Thomas Ray, and Lucretia Ann.
Charles Oliver Vinyard died October 11, 1961. Both Charles and Lucretia are buried at Little Bethel Cemetery in Duncanville, Texas.
By Zelda Vinyard Johnston, Duncanville
