Biography of Richard MOORE 1864-1912
Nacogdoches Businessman, and beloved Husband and Father
Richard MOORE was born on 31 July 1864 in Nacogdoches, TX. The Civil War was still going on at that time. Not too long after little Richard's 2nd birthday, his mother, Elizabeth B. WHITE had another baby, a little girl, Mary S. MOORE. Tragically, Elizabeth died in childbirth, and the tiny Mary died after only a month.
Richard had four older sisters: Ann Eliza, Rosanna, Angelina, and Martha. He had 3 older brothers: James Jones (Jones), Thomas Jefferson and Sterling Price. Those older sisters surely looked after and took care of the younger children: Martha was 12, Tom Jeff around 9, Sterling 4 and Richard barely 2.
By June of 1890 when his father, Asa Moore died, Richard, his brother Sterling and his sister Martha were the only ones left in his family.
As Richard grew up, he dreamed of going to A&M to study and become a veterinary doctor, but his father, Asa Moore, wanted him to go into business. Although Richard never became a vet, he now has a great-great granddaughter who is headed in that direction.
When Asa Moore died in 1890, he left several buildings located on the town square in Nacogdoches to his sons, Sterling Price and Richard. These buildings are still standing in 1999 and one can still see the initials R & SP Moore on one of the buildings. At one time, Richard and Sterling owned a saloon. However, when Richard married, his wife made him give up the saloon. He and Sterling then went into the furniture business.
Richard married Jennie Griffith VOIGT in 1892. She was the daughter of Frederick VOIGT and Elizabeth Muirheid HOWELL and one of the most beautiful and loveliest young ladies in Nacogdoches. Richard and Jennie had seven children: Mary Elizabeth (Mollie), Angelina (Angie), Eleanor Patterson (Nellie), Charles Richard, Amelia Lillian, Martha Emily and Frederick Asa (Fritz)
Charles Richard lived only a few months, and Nellie died as a young married woman, but Mollie, Angie, Amelia, Martha and Fritz all grew up, married and had families and long, full lives. Martha is still living in November of 1999!Unfortunately, Richard didn't live nearly long enough to enjoy his children and their children. He succumbed to tuberculosis in 1912. His daughter, Amelia, who later studied nursing under Dr. Stephen Tucker, was one of his primary caregivers in his last illness -- she was not quite 12 when he died.
Richard Moore is buried at the Christian Cemetery on the Press Road about 6 miles south of Nacogdoches.