Horace "H.L." Lafayette Ribble, Jr was born to Horace Lafayette Ribble, Sr and Zuma Perry Tipton Ribble on August 3, 1903 in Young County, Texas. Friends and family would call him H or HL all his life.

Birth Record for Horace Lafayette Ribble, Jr

He was their first child. On June 14, 1905, his only sibling, a sister, Fatine, was born. He was born and lived in what was then known as the Henry Chapel Community. On the picture below, Horace, Zuma, and Fatine are standing on the far left. In front of Horace his sister Dellas is seated on the graound. Between Della and her father, W.A., is H.L.. He is about 3 years old leaning on his grandfather.

ca 1907 back row l to r: Horace Ribble, Fatine Ribble being held by her mother, Zuma Tipton Ribble,
Ida Chandler Ribble, Eddie Ribble & Amiee B, Ora Ribble Jarnagin,
Will Jarnagin with Sue Jarnagin in his arms, standing in front of Willl is his son, W C Ribble
Front row l to r: seated on ground Della Ribble, standing behind her is H.L. Ribble, Jr, seated is W. A. Ribble,
Norman Carson Ribble, seated is Nannie Kutch, seated on ground is Josie Ribble.

The 1910 census shows H.L., and Fatine living with their parents on Henry Chapel Rd.

At some point their home burnt down. No one was injured but they lost everything. During this time they moved into the barn and lived there until Horace could build a new house. Horace and H.L. built a rock house.   This is probably why there are not many family pictures.

Rock House close to Finis, TX that Horace built.

On August 18, 1913, the Ribbles had a fish fry. Zuma, Horace, and children are in this picture, but yet to be identified. The fish were probably caught in the Brazos River or one of the creeks that flow into it.   The location of Ribble Park is unknown, but it was probably at the home in what is now Graham, Texas. At the time, the property was located just outside the city limits of Graham. (Roll-over the picture with a mouse and the recognized ones have a link)

1913 Ribble Fish Fry

January 2, 1920 a census taker interviewed Horace. This census shows Horace, Zuma, H.L., and Fatine living on Plum St. in Graham, Texas. The same census shows his father, W.A. “Bill” Ribble, living off Finis Rd., which is where Horace and Zuma built the rock house after the fire. Plum St home was a home on part of his father’s land that was partially within the city limits of Graham. On the census, he states that he owns the home mortgage free. The reason to move into town is probably so that H.L. and Fatine could attend Graham schools. Horace and Bill worked together ranching and farming.

1920 census for Horace Lafayette Ribble's family.

H. L. attended the Graham schools and went to Graham High School, which was then located at what was later called East Ward on Virginia St. between 2nd St. and 1st St.

The building where H.L. attended Graham High School.

Since he was a boy, he worked with his father and grandfather with the farm and stock. He learned at lot and listened to all the stories his grandfathers, William Alexander Ribble and Samuel Houston Tipton told him. His mother, Zuma Tipton, had a sister, Pearl Tipton. Pearl married Lorenzo Dow Bullard III and had 2 children: Ammie Elizabeth Bullard and Walter "Red" Bullard. Red was 2 years older than H.L. they became lifelong friends. When they were young men they were running around in a pasture and found a bag of pennies. There had been a robbery in Graham and the thieves had gone through that pasture and were lightening their load by dropping the bag of pennies. They turned them into the bank, but they gave them to the boys to split up among themselves.

H.L. married neighbor Jimmie Lorraine Dillinder on October 22, 1922 in Young County, Texas. Fatine married Jimmie's brother, Loyd, and Red Bullard married their sister, Lois.

Jimmie Lorraine Dillinder and H. L. Ribble's marriage license

Jimmie and H.L. had their first child, Billy Loyd Ribble, Jr. on September 17, 1926.

Billy Loyd Ribble

H.L. Ribble

1920 census Horace, Zuma, HL, and Fatine

By 1930, Horace and Zuma are back living in the Henry Chapel and Finis area.

1930 census for H.L. Ribble Family
Below is the breakdown of questions on 1930 census

Lining up for a parade ca 1932 from L to R: Billy Loyd Ribble (Bill's great grandson),
H.L. Ribble (Bill's grandson), Horace Ribble (Bill's son), Bill Ribble

This picture is in bad shape, but it is Billy Loyd, H.L., and Jimmie.

By 1940 census, Horace and Zuma are living in the Henry Chapel/Finis area next door to H.L., Jimmie, and Billy Loyd, Horace and Zuma's first grandchild.

1940 census shows Bill and his parents living next door to his grandparents
Below is a breakdown of the census questions and answer.

September 7, 1941 H.L. and Jimmie welcomed a new daughter, Modene, to the family.

H.L. Ribble family.
seated l to r: H.L., Modene, Jimmy,
standing: Billy "Bill" Loyd Ribble

H.L. and Modene playing with a dog

From l to r: Horace, Bill, unknown, H.L.

From l to r: Horace Ribble, Bill Ribble, unknown, H.L.Ribble

H.L. Ribble's son, Billy "Bill" Ribble joined the marines for WWII. When he came back from the war he married Jackie Phinney daughter of Tige and Toots Phinney.

H.L. Ribble and Tige Phinney

In 1946 Horace bought a place in Stephens County close to Breckenridge, which is only about 30 miles from Graham.. His father, W. A. 'Bill" Ribble had moved closer to the town of Graham, in Young County around 1910.

H.L. and Jimmie's first grandchild was born January 3, 1948, a boy, Wayne Gordon Ribble.

On the first Sunday of the month of June, has always been Gooseneck Day. It has been called a homcoming day, a pioneer day, and a clean-up day. Lunch is pot luck and there is a short church under the tabernacle. On Sunday, June 6, 1948, there were 5 generations of male Ribble in attendance. They sat on a bench in front of the rock wall of the tabernacle at Gooseneck to have their photograph taken. Below is that picture.

June 6, 1948 - W.A. "Bill" Ribble, Horace Ribble (Bill's son), H.L. Ribble (Bill's great grandson),
Billy Loyd Ribble (Bill's great grandson), Wayne Ribble (Bill's great great grandson)

Bill Ribble, Wayne Ribble, H.L. Ribble

In September 28, 1948, H.L.'s grandfather, W.A. Ribble died. H.L. was one of the pall bearers.

W.A. Ribble's funeral

On December 7, 1949, H.L. became a grandfather for the second time with a little girl, Cheri (pronounced Cherry).

Around 1950 H. L. Ribble moved to Kansas and then Oklahoma and worked as a foreman on a ranch.

On August 5, 1954, another grandchild, Dana Ribble was born. And then again on November 16, 1955 another little girl was born. She was named Penny Ribble. That was that last of the grandchildren for H.L..

H.L. with his 2 youngest granddaughters, Dana and Penny

H.L. at his home in Oklahoma

H.L.'s mother, Zuma, had a stroke in 1963. When she started feeling better she wanted to go to Oklahoma to see H.L.. At that time he was living outside of Edmond, Oklahoma. H.L.'s son, Bill and family took Zuma to Oklahoma and picked her up again after about 6 weeks.

H.L. with Zuma at his home in Oklahoma

H.L. and Jimmie Dillinder Ribble

H.L. Ribble outside Edmond, Oklahoma ca 1967

H.L. and Jimmie Ribble in Graham visiting Bill
from l to r: Bill Ribble, Jackie Phinney Ribble, H.L. Ribble, Dana Ribble, and Penny Ribble ca 1968

In 1971 at the age of 68, H.L. retired and moved back to Graham, Texas. On October 22, 1972 H.L. and Jimmie celebrated their 50 wedding anniversary.

H.L. Ribble and Jimmie Dillinder Ribble celebrate their 50th anniversary.

H.L. Ribble and Jimmie Dillinder Ribble celebrate their 50th anniversary.

Family meal at Toots Phinney's home in Graham
from l to r: Bill Ribble, Jackie Phinney Ribble, Cheri Ribble Williams,
Vicki Phinney Mills, Chuckie Mills, Margie Stone Phinney, Glenn Phinney, and H.L. Ribble

H.L. visiting with son in Graham.

H.L. visiting with Bill and grandkids in Bill's camper van

A few months after H.L. moved back to Graham, his son, Bill moved to Lafayette, Louisiana for work. He was a helicopter mechanic.

from l to r: Jimmie, Dana, and H.L. ca 1973

from l to r: Jimmie, Jackie, Margie, Cheri,
Penny, Toots, Dana, Glenn, H.L., Wayne

from l to r: Jimmie, Bill, and H.L. going for a helicopter ride

Christmas of 1976
back row from l to r: H.L., Ryan (Penny's baby), Wayne, and Jimmie.
front row from l to r: Dana, Penny, and Cheri

from l to r: Bill, H.L., and Wayne Christmas of 1977.

H.L. Ribble

from l to r: H.L., Bill, and Penny at back Vicki and Chuck.

Bill and H.L. at Bill's brother in law's place on Rock Creek

H.L. visiting Bill in Lafayette, LA

Picture taken by grandson, Wayne, in 1979. H.L. and Jimmie

H.L. Ribble

from l to r: H.L., Dana and Bill, Christmas of 1983. H.L. was sick, and not feeling well at all

H.L. shortly before he died. He was in so much pain, but he was able to flash a smile.

H.L. died at 81 in the Olney Hamilton Hospital in Olney, Texas on October 30. 1984 and was buried in Pioneer Cemetery, Graham, Texas. He had been ill a long time with cancer and suffered much.

H.L.'s Death Certificate

H.L.'s headstone

H. L Ribble's obit