Marilyn Corder Recalls Hudson and Bates Family History for TAGHS

January 26, 2017 - Marilyn Corder never wanted to live in Timpson, she freely admits. Although both her parents are from Timpson, she was born in Wright City, near Kilgore, and graduated from Crockett High School , where she met her husband, J.P.  But her parents brought her to Timpson frequently to visit relatives and the Corinth Homecoming was like a religious pilgrimage every year, she laughed. Today, her parents, both sets of grandparents, as well as aunts and uncles lie in the Corinth Cemetery. Over her adult life she and her husband have lived a number of places, including Dallas, Phoenix, Memphis, Chattanooga, Shreveport, and ...Timpson.

Timpson? How did that happen? Speaking to the January meeting of the Timpson Area Genealogical and Heritage Society last Wednesday, Marilyn related that she had many wonderful memories of her Timpson visits. Her “Papa” Bates owned a flatbed truck that he had neither a license or sufficient skill to drive but he did anyway, allowing the kids to ride on the back. “Do not get on the back of that truck with him driving!” she says her mother cautioned, but they did anyway, of course, “and no one ever got hurt”. Her grandmother Hudson was a “worrier”, always afraid something would happen to one of the grandchildren. “She would hardly let us out of her sight” she said, but the grandchildren still managed to have fun.

As her parents aged, the need to be closer to them grew. Her husband, J.P., had always wanted to own a farm and they found one near Timpson and then later one in Timpson. Mrs. Corder says she likes to stay busy, so when she was asked to help with local elections, she accepted.  “One thing led to another” she says, and soon she was involved with the Timpson Chamber of Commerce. “George Green was president of the Chamber at that time” she recalls. Over the years, Timpson Frontier Days had declined in popularity and Marilyn took the festival on as a project in 1996. “There was a small crowd that first year” she remembered. Things began to improve each year. The gospel singing was added and is now a big success. “The cake auction is a big deal” she said. “We now have 2000 to 2500 visitors for Frontier Days.” She said she would like to retire from her community service but finds it hard to walk away from it. Most Timpson residents would say our community is a better place because of Marilyn Corder.

TAGHS meets at 2pm on the third Wednesday of each month in the Meeting Room of the Timpson Public Library, located on the corner of Austin and Bremond streets. The public is invited.