The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1916-10-27
'cRANDMA" FERRIS DIED
HERE EARLY FRIDAY
WIDOW OF i4tTE JUDGE }. ".
FERRIS PASSED AWAY At
FAMILY HONE.
Funeral VIII he Held Saturday Morn
ING at ~ Otlock We
man spent siNty-Two Years
In Ellis County.

Mrs. Martha J. Ferris. aged 50.
wife of the late Judge J w. Ferris.
died at the family home on Ferris
avenue al ! O'Clock this FRIDAY,
morning following brief illness
Funeral services will be held Satur-
day morning at 10 O'Clock at the Fer
ris home with Rev. W n. Andrews.
pastor of the First Methodist church.
conducting the service.
The announcement of Grandma
Ferris death brings grief and sorrow
to thousands OF homes in Ellis coun-
ty and North Texas. She has been a
citizen OF Waxahachie for siSty-two
years, coming here with her ilmstri-
Gus husband in 1854 from Jefferson.
Texas, where they lived during the
first four years OF their married
life. Mrs. Ferris was formerly Miss
Martha J. Grow. daughter OF A. ID.
Crow OF Floydburg. Ky. She left
her old Kentucky home to brave the
hardships OF pioneer life in Texas
with n husband who had much to do
With the moulding OF the present
civilization we enjoy, and she proved
wonderful helpmate to him as
well as a loving and devoted vito.
Old friends In recounting the many
services performed for county and
state by the late Judge J. w. Ferris
do not fail to give due credit to the
influence OF his wife. woman OF
larked Intelligence and distinguish
ed for many lovable qualities.
The lives or the two were 80 link
ed In the growth and development
OF Ellis county and Waxahachie that
mention OF some OF the deeds ac-
credited to Judge Ferris will be very
appropriate. Judge Justin Wesley
Ferris after receiving his education
chose the profession of law. gradual
ing the spring OF 1916 from the
TRANSATLANTIC university at Lexing
ten, Ky. After spending one year
at Alexandria. La, he moved to
Texas and located at jefferson in
1S47 1t was here he really began
his professional career as D lawyer.
His briefs began to appear In the
supreme court reports as far back
as Fourth Texas. For one year, dur
ing the presidential campaign of
1852 he was editor OF the Jefferson
Herald. and did good service for the
democratic party. He was elected
during that year to the Texas legis-
lature. The authorship of the COM
mon school system then adopted for
Texas was in large measure justly
attributable TO him, he having
prepared the bill and followed 1t up
TO its final passage. On account OF
his health he moved from the East
Texas swamp country to Waxaha-
chic before the period of his office
expired. In 1860 he was one of the
nominees of the Ellis county conven-
ton, assembled for the election OF
delegates to a secession convention,
called to meet at Austin but he was
compelled to decline the nomination.
The following year he was elected to
the office of judge of the Sixteenth
judicial district, which position he
held until the end OF the war. The
frontier having receded his became
the border district, infested with OUT
laws and desperadoes OF every kind.
At one time his life was threatened
in case he should attempt to open
court and empanel a grand Jury in
Parker county, then part OF the
district. The court was held. how
ever, and the parties were indicted
and tried In due course of time.
Judge Ferris and w. III. Getzen-
daner organized the first bank in
Waxahachie in 1868. In 1876
Judge Ferris was commissioned by
Governor Coke to sit as special Judge
In the Supreme court and decide
the celebrated case of the Interna-
tional Railway company VISA. Bled- |
soc, comptroller. growing out OF
a preemptory mandamus to compel
that officer to countersign certain |
J