George Caldwell Kennedy

     George Caldwell Kennedy was born on 31 July 1896 at Bryan Beach, Brazoria County, Texas. He was the son of Walter Kennedy and Sarah Kimbrough Munson. He married Hattie Bonner in 1926 in Port Arthur, Jefferson County, Texas. He died on 26 April 1981 at his home in Angleton, Brazoria County, at age 84.¹ He was buried in Angleton Cemetery.²
     
     In 1870, 1884 and 1885, George's grandfather, Mordello Munson, bought adjoining properties at Bryan Beach totaling 144 1/2 acres, but because of beach growth, the original land had expanded to approximately 320 acres by the 1940s. At some date Mordello built a large summer home on the beach property, about two hundred yards from the water. This became the Munson family's summer home. George, who was named for his uncle, George Caldwell Munson, was born there in 1896. One of his first memories was the 1900 Storm. The family was at Bryan Beach, and a carriage was sent to take them to Angleton where they rode out the storm. The beach house was destroyed.

     The Kennedy's inland home was Waverly Plantation, near Chenango, but George's father sold it and moved his family to Angleton about 1903.³ George graduated, from Angleton High School where he organized their first football team. He also attended San Antonio Academy. He and his brother Bill moved to Port Arthur where Frank Smith had secured jobs for them at the Texas Company. Later they operated a petroleum distributing business there. He met and married Hattie while living in Port Arthur. They moved back to Angleton, and he and Armour Munson owned and operated a meat market in the 1930s. He was a cattleman most of his life and accumulated much acreage, mostly in Brazoria County.

     George was always active in the annual Brazoria County Fair, and in 1955 was President of the Fair Association. For years he provided steers to boys and girls to raise and show at the Fair, and in 1953 he bred the Grand Champion Steer. The 1981 Brazoria County Fair was dedicated to his memory. He was also active in the Cattlemen's Association, Lion's Club and a number of other organizations.

     Writer's note: Cuz and Cousin Hattie, who had no children of their own, were much more like grandparents than distant cousins to my brothers and me. We moved next door to them in 1945 when I was two years old, and I spent every minute I could at their house from the time I can remember.

George C. Kennedy appeared on the 1 June 1900 Federal Census of Brazoria County, Texas, in the household of his parents, Walter and Sarah Kennedy.⁴

George C. Kennedy appeared on the 15 April 1910 Federal Census of Angleton, Brazoria County, Texas, in the household of his parents, Walter and Sarah M. Kennedy.⁵

George Kennedy appeared on the 1 January 1920 Federal Census of Angleton, Brazoria County, Texas, in the household of his father Walter Kennedy.⁶

George C. and Hattie Kennedy appeared on the 1 April 1930 Federal Census of Jefferson County, Texas, enumerated 29 May 1930.⁷