Oldest Member of Presbyterian Church At Mesquite, Mrs. Mollie Chapman, Dies

Dallas Morning News
Tuesday, 5 September 1939, Page II-12

Special to The News

MESQUITE, Texas, Sept. 4 – Mrs. Mollie Chapman, 92, oldest member of the Presbyterian Church in Mesquite, died at her home here Monday.

A native of Tennessee, Mrs. Chapman came to Texas in 1874 with her brother, the late J.C. Rugel, and settled in Mesquite. Two years later she was married to J.C. Chapman and moved to Irish Ridge, south of Forney, where they lived for a year. Mrs. Chapman was the daughter of the late Dr. and Mrs. Ferdinand Rugel. Dr. Rugel was sent here from Germany to conduct research in American plant life. He and his wife liked the country so well they returned to live after he had completed his work.

Mrs. Chapman, mother of five children, was active in orphans’ home work. Her brother for a number of years was president of the board of the Reynolds Orphanage at Vickery, and Mrs. Chapman made donations to this home and to the Bernard Orphanage in New York that amounted to about a tenth of her annual income.

She is survived by two brothers, F.C. Rugel of Dallas, G.A. Rugel, Cushing, Okla.; a son, Claude C. Chapman, Kansas City; a daughter, Mrs. S.H. Whitehurst, Mesquite; nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 4 p.m. Tuesday at the Mesquite Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Carlton C. Allen, the Rev. M.U. Conditt of Fort Worth and the Rev. A.O. Rue officiating. Burial will be in the Mesquite Cemetery.