Elizabeth Love Yeary Bertrand
Elizabeth Yeary Bertrand was admitted into The Daughters of The Republic of Texas on 12 May, 1938 through the James Butler Bonham chapter. Mynnie E. Schenkenberg, a charter JBB member and, herself, a REAL DAUGHTER, was serving as the chapter president that year. Elizabeth’s Member Number was 2390.
Elizabeth’s was born 17 January, 1870 in Farmersville, Texas to James Knox Polk Yeary and Mary Love Bickley. Her father, James was born on 02 October, 1845 and he was the son of Fannin County residents, Walter Yeary Sr. and his first wife, Louisa Jane Butler. James was one of those INFANT ANCESTORS of the Republic and, at the time of Elizabeth’s joining of DRT, was NOT RECOGNIZED as a bonafide Republic of Texas Ancestor.
Elizabeth chose her great-grandfather, John Yeary, as her Republic of Texas ancestor. He, along with his son, Walter (Elizabeth’s grandfather), both earned unconditional 3rd class headrights in Fannin County in 1845. Because her application used her great-grandfather’s service to the Republic, Elizabeth’s status as a REAL DAUGHTER was only realized after DRT changed the definition to include parents who were children — “infants” — during the Republic. Sad to say, in her lifetime, Elizabeth never enjoyed the benefits of being a REAL DAUGHTER and, of course, was not included on chapter’s list of REAL DAUGHTERS.
TODAY, thanks to the efforts of The Children of the Republic of Texas, Elizabeth takes her rightful place as one of our honored REAL DAUGHTERS. Her father, JAMES YEARY, served the Republic of Texas by by being among those who populated the Republic … and, right before statehood!
So, who was the YEARY family into which James Knox Polk Yeary was born? [Well, there are TWO versions — there’s the family’s traditional version and, then, there is as History has revealed. Texas was (and is) a storyteller’s dream! And any connection with those thrilling accounts of the victory at San Jacinto inspired many Texas family legends.]
Elizabeth wrote that her great-grandfather, John Yeary, was a commander of a company of Texas Rangers. On her application, she wrote: “According to family tradition, Great-Aunt Vina (Malvina) Yeary was in the retreat before Santa Anna’s Army at San Jacinto. We have no definite record of Captain John Yeary’s activities, expect that he was one of the first settlers in Fannin County and a Captain of a Company of Texas Rangers. It is reasonable to suppose that he was active in the struggle for Texas’s Independence.
“Captain John Yeary, as he was known, entered the United States Army as a private in the Florida wars with the Indians. He rose to be a Colonel and was ordered to reinforce Gen. Jackson in that memorable battle of New Orleans, where Jackson was victorious and Gen. Packingham was killed. He was among the men who rolled the cotton bales ahead of them for breastworks.”
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Elizabeth’s account of her great-grandfather’s military service prior to immigrating to the Republic, was nearly right. He did hold a command under Andrew Jackson during the Florida Indian Wars. He earned his reputation and his rank as an Indian fighter and was a commander for moving the Cherokees westward - to Oklahoma. He served in a company of Arkansas Mounted Gunmen and his company was called out in 1836 by General Edmund Gaines for the protection of the Sabine frontier. He stationed at Fort Coffee in Oklahoma in 1836 and 1837 and, reportedly, earned the rank of captain. John resigned his commission and it was somewhere around 1838 or 1839 that he and his family headed for The Republic of Texas.
John Yeary received a 3rd class headright in 1839 in Fannin County.
Historian Stephen L. Moore, in Vol III of his 2007 SAVAGE FRONTIER series about the Rangers, Riflemen and Indian Wars in Texas during the Republic provided those details on John Yeary’s military career. It was part of a bigger story about the Yeary family.
But, what about Great-Aunt Vina … and why was she, especially, cited in the family legend as rather heroic? Historian Moore uncovered statements made by a contemporary neighbor of the Yearys, William H Bourland. On 14 March, 1841, at the Yeary family’s homeplace near, what is now, Honey Grove, in Fannin County a raid of about 15 Indians came calling. John Yeary, one of his sons, and a servant were in the garden, working the land.
Inside the cabin was John’s 37-year-old wife, Mary Elizabeth Chenault Yeary, who was in the early stages of pregnancy with their 10th child. The smaller children were in the cabin as was her 19 year-old daughter, Malvina. It was Malvina who spotted the Indian’s approach to the cabin and her mother took swift action, barring the door. The raiders were struggling to break through when John, his son and the servant arrived.
Bourland’s statement described the hand-to-hand combat between Yeary men and the raiders. John’s wife, “Mary and their daughter, Malvina, finally threw open the cabin door and rushed into the fight with loaded rifles. Mrs. Yeary was shot in the thigh with an arrow, but managed to offer a rifle to her husband, who leaped the fence to retrieve it from her. Melvina passed the other rifle to her brother.”
At the sight of the two rifles, the Indians fled. Mary survived.
Neighbor Bourland was impressed with the determination of Yeary in maintaining his frontier Fannin County residence, according to Moore. Bourland said: “Captain Yeary was strongly solicited by his family and friends to leave the frontier, but he refused, and said he felt as though he could succeed every time. Even if double the number should attack him, he has kept his ground and is now living in peace, not dreading the approach of Indians.”
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Our REAL DAUGHTER, Elizabeth Love Yeary, married John Rene Bertrand in Gatesville in 1895. He was in the poultry business for many years in Dallas. Elizabeth was known for her club, garden and art activities. She was a charter member of the SMU Mother’s Club, University Park Book Review Club, the Women’s Society of Christian Services of Highland Park Methodist Church and The Daughters of The Republic of Texas. She died of Leukemia at the age of 82 on 20 November, 1952.
She is buried in the Pioneer Garden Section.
Three children survived her: Mary Eufaula Bertrand Wood (who is also buried at Hillcrest Memorial Park); Milton Leroy Bertrand and Robert Love Bertrand.
Mary was also a member of DRT, and joined James Butler Bonham chapter in 1935 — before her mother became a member. Her Member number was 1993. She died in 1971 and she and her husband had no children.
Elizabeth’s sons had children. However, Sparkman-Hillcrest has no contact information and further research has found her descendants have moved out of the area.
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