Letter from Billie Culwell Avis to Frances Brown 1987
(C. Avis Catalog entry #659)
April 12 1987
Dear Mrs. Brown,
I was so pleased to hear from you several months ago.
I have always wished to track down the Avis family.
I have not had time to pursue this as much as I would like but I have been visiting with family here - visiting cemeteries etc. I am sending you what I have so far and I will continue to work on this.
I am inclosing the sheet you sent - as well as the descendants of the 1st James David who came to Texas and landed in Montage Texas.
All we know about him is that he moved from Maryland to Missouri as a small child - He came to Montage as a young man - and married Mahala Catherine Webb. They had a general store and lived in a log cabin that was fortified by a tall stockade fence for protection against Indian raids - Mr. Avis died as the results of wounds inflected in an Indian raid. They had four children - Mrs. Avis carried on in the store but soon married a Mr. White who came to the store as a salesman. They moved to Wichita Falls - in 1890s and were very successful in a general store there - as well as ranching and other interests -
As you well see from my inclosed family tree - the Wichita Falls Aviss did not keep up with the Aviss who moved to California and to Hereford Texas -
James David Avis - Wichita Falls, Tex
Frank Avis - to California
Della Avis Palmer - to California
Belle Avis Hodges - to Hereford
I will write again as I track down more information -
Yours
Billie Avis
Mrs. James David Avis IV