In 1903, the E. H. Dement family came to live in the Driftwood Community and played a prominent part in it for many years. They had lived in other parts of Hays County so were not strangers to this area. They had lived at Fischer’s Store in Comal County also, where Mr. Dement had a blacksmith shop. Mrs. Dement was Mary Anne English before her marriage and she and Mr. Dement had seven Children.
Four of the seven children were married when the Dements came to Driftwood but their three single children came with them. They were John, Nannie and Alex. The Dements bought the blacksmith shop from Wesley Puryear and his home across from the shop. They were to live in this home until Mrs. Dement’s death in 1922.
Mrs. Dement was a kind, gentle woman always ready to help anyone in need. She was much beloved by all in the neighborhood. Her husband called “Pappy” was equally ready to help anyone in need but had a quick temper which might explode at a moment’s notice but soon burned itself out. He liked to play practical jokes on people and in turn was the target for many pranks played on him. His two sons, John and Alex helped him in the shop and John freighted for the Driftwood store for several years.
John married Lanier Davis of the Dripping Springs Community in 1912 and they lived in Austin, Texas for several years, then in San Antonio and lastly in San Marcos, Texas. They had three sons.
Alex served in World War I and came back and married Fay Hall, a neighborhood girl. (See Frank Hall Family). They lived Driftwood for several years and Alex and his father ran the blacksmith shop, a grist mill and a wood saw. They had two children, Dora Dean and S. A. Jr.
They moved to San Antonio where Fay passed away. Alex now retired, and his two children make their home in San Antonio, Texas (1969) where he is a member of the “old Trail Drivers Association”, and still likes to trip the light fantastic at their annual balls.
Source, DRIFTWOOD HERITAGE The History of Driftwood, Texas Copyright 1970.
