Massilon Pittman Pegues

b. 2 December 1845, d. 15 September 1909
  • Massilon Pittman Pegues was born on 2 December 1845 in Mississippi.
  • He was known as Dock.
  • Oliver Hazard Perry Pegues and Nancy Adeline Purcell appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1850 in Marshall County, Mississippi. Other members of the household included Massilon Pittman Pegues, Alexander M. Pegues, Thomas Henry Pegues, Philip Alston Pegues, John G. Pegues, Eugenia Pegues, Ann Eliza Pegues, Oliver Hazard Pegues, Mary Jane Pegues and William W. Pegues. Also in the household was overseer Elbert P. Hoshall. Children were enumerated out of age order; son James is not included in the household, and apparently son John G. and daughter Eugenia were consolidated into male "Gordentia W."
  • Oliver Hazard Perry Pegues appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1860 in Cotton Plant PO, Rusk County, Texas. Other members of the household included Massilon Pittman Pegues, James Alston Pegues, John G. Pegues, Eugenia Pegues, Ann Eliza Pegues, Oliver Hazard Pegues, Mary Jane Pegues, Benjamin F. Pegues, Albert G. Pegues and Libbie T. Pegues. Also in the household was Sibbie/Libbie Pegues (age 20), born in Texas, whose origins are not yet known.
  • He married Eliza Moore Hutchings, daughter of Alexander D. Hutchings and Emeline Ann Alston, circa 1871.
  • Massilon Pittman Pegues and Eliza Moore Hutchings appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1880 in Gregg County, Texas. Other members of the household included Alex Pittman Pegues, Oliver Thomas Pegues, Ben Henry Pegues and Emma Pegues. Also in the household was Eliza's sister Alice (age 8.)
  • He was a drygoods clerk, according to the 1880 census.
  • The following appeared on 17 December 1897 in the Abilene Reporter: The news has come to Abilene that Dock Pegues is dead. This prominent Baptist Sunday School worker died at San Antonio, after a long illness and hopeless struggle with an incurable malady.
         He was well known here and loved by all Baptists. Away back in the eighties he was associated with his brother Oliver in the mercantile business here. Their store was on North Second street, near where the Wells Fargo office is now. At the time he was superintendent of the Baptist Sunday School. The greater part of his life had been taken up in evengelical and Sunday School work. He was a third cousin of E. C.
    and J. L. Pegues, both of whom have resided here for many years.
         The following account from the Fort Worth Record tells of his death and history:
         Dock Pegues, recently of Fort Worth, and well known over Texas and surrounding states as a lay preacher in the Baptist church, died Wednesday in San Antonio. He had been in failing health for more than a year and before he left Fort Worth early in the summer he was confined to his bed with what the physicians deemed an incurable malady.
         Fe men in the state have lived a busier life than did Mr. Pegues. Coming to Texas from Mississippi when quite a child, in an ox wagon, he settled with his parents in Cherokee county, where he was raised. He educated himself largely by his own efforts, and early in his business career he located in Longview, where he built up a considerable business.
         While there he formed the acquaintanceship of Governor T. M. Campbell, then a struggling young man, and gave his encouragement in many ways and Mr. Pegues had in his possession a letter from the governor telling him that he owed as much of his success in life to the encouragment that he received from early in his career as to any other source. To Mr. Pegues was also given the privilege of a close acquaintance with Governor James Stephen Hogg during Mr. Hogg's early work as an editor in Longview.
         In the early nineties Mr. Pegues felt impressed to quit his business and devote his time to active religious work, and from that day until his death forbade any further work he as col- [sic] porter, lay evangelist and numerous capacities as a church worker. He has labored in many Texas places and over large portions of Oklahoma and Mississippi, laboring always as a layman and not as a preacher.
         Last fall after partially recovering from his breakdown in Oklahoma, Mr. Pegues came to Fort Worth and made his home with his daughter, Mrs. J. L. Stedham, then a resident ofn Fifth Avenue. He sank gradually after an operation about January 1. Early in the summer he was carried to Austin with the hope that a change would bring some benefit, but the improvement was only slight, and when Mrs. Stedham recently moved to San Antonio he followed her to his old home there, where he died shortly after 1 o'clock yesterday afternoon. He was conscious during the morning, but at noon he fell asleep and passed away without waking.
         His life and work have been the source of inspiration to many persons of less faith in divine help, and because of this and in the hope that his example might be an inspiration and help to others, Mr. Pegues had been prevailed upon by his friends to undertake an autobiography of his life. He began this in May in this city, but he soon became too week to give dictation and the matter was dropped.
         He is survived by several children. One of them, his daughter Mrs. Stedham, recently of Fort Worth; another is Mack Pegues, who is with the Fair; a third is Mrs. Judd B. Holt of Austin, and there are several others.
         The announcements of the funeral have not reached Fort Worth.
  • Massilon Pittman Pegues and Eliza Moore Hutchings appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1900 in Dallas, Texas, at 177 Simpson. Other members of the household included Alex Pittman Pegues, Allie B. Keener, Oliver Thomas Pegues, Ben Henry Pegues, Emma Pegues, Phillip Alston Pegues, Allie Dee Pegues, Mack Pegues, Perry Purcell Pegues and John A. Pegues. Also in the household was Eliza's unmarried sister Alice Hutchings (age 28.)
  • He was a state missionary, according to the 1900 census.
  • Massilon Pittman Pegues became a widower at the 1902 death of his wife Eliza Moore Hutchings.
  • The following appeared on 16 December 1904 in The Ada Evening News: Rev. Dock Pegues, of Dallas, Texas, a well known Baptist minister of that state, came in this morning to visit his relatives P. T. Pegues and family and also [Mrs.] H. C. Thompson and family. He will make a talk to the children and young people of Ada tomorrow at 3 p. m., at the Baptist church and will also preach at night. All are invited.
  • Massilon Pittman Pegues died on 15 September 1909 at age 63 in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas.
  • He was interred at City Cemetery #2, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas.
  • The following appeared on 16 September 1909 in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram: (San Antonio, Sept. 16) Dock Pegues, Baptist missionary, known over Texas and the South, is dead here at the age of 64.
  • The following appeared on 17 September 1909 in the Abilene Daily Reporter: The news has come to Abilene that Dock Pegues is dead. This prominent Baptist Sunday School worker died at San Antonio, after a long illness and hopeless struggle with an incurable malady.
         He was well known here and loved by all Baptists. Away back in the eighties he was associated with his brother Oliver in the mercantile business here. Their store was on North Second street, near where the Wells Fargo office is now. At the time he was superintendent of the Baptist Sunday School. The greater part of his life had been taken up in evengelical and Sunday School work. He was a third cousin of E. C.
    and J. L. Pegues, both of whom have resided here for many years.
         The following account from the Fort Worth Record tells of his death and history:
         Dock Pegues, recently of Fort Worth, and well known over Texas and surrounding states as a lay preacher in the Baptist church, died Wednesday in San Antonio. He had been in failing health for more than a year and before he left Fort Worth early in the summer he was confined to his bed with what the physicians deemed an incurable malady.
         Fe men in the state have lived a busier life than did Mr. Pegues. Coming to Texas from Mississippi when quite a child, in an ox wagon, he settled with his parents in Cherokee county, where he was raised. He educated himself largely by his own efforts, and early in his business career he located in Longview, where he built up a considerable business.
         While there he formed the acquaintanceship of Governor T. M. Campbell, then a struggling young man, and gave his encouragement in many ways and Mr. Pegues had in his possession a letter from the governor telling him that he owed as much of his success in life to the encouragment that he received from early in his career as to any other source. To Mr. Pegues was also given the privilege of a close acquaintance with Governor James Stephen Hogg during Mr. Hogg's early work as an editor in Longview.
         In the early nineties Mr. Pegues felt impressed to quit his business and devote his time to active religious work, and from that day until his death forbade any further work he as col- [sic] porter, lay evangelist and numerous capacities as a church worker. He has labored in many Texas places and over large portions of Oklahoma and Mississippi, laboring always as a layman and not as a preacher.
         Last fall after partially recovering from his breakdown in Oklahoma, Mr. Pegues came to Fort Worth and made his home with his daughter, Mrs. J. L. Stedham, then a resident ofn Fifth Avenue. He sank gradually after an operation about January 1. Early in the summer he was carried to Austin with the hope that a change would bring some benefit, but the improvement was only slight, and when Mrs. Stedham recently moved to San Antonio he followed her to his old home there, where he died shortly after 1 o'clock yesterday afternoon. He was conscious during the morning, but at noon he fell asleep and passed away without waking.
         His life and work have been the source of inspiration to many persons of less faith in divine help, and because of this and in the hope that his example might be an inspiration and help to others, Mr. Pegues had been prevailed upon by his friends to undertake an autobiography of his life. He began this in May in this city, but he soon became too week to give dictation and the matter was dropped.
         He is survived by several children. One of them, his daughter Mrs. Stedham, recently of Fort Worth; another is Mack Pegues, who is with the Fair; a third is Mrs. Judd B. Holt of Austin, and there are several others.
         The announcements of the funeral have not reached Fort Worth.
  • Last Edited: 19 Mar 2015

Family: Eliza Moore Hutchings b. circa March 1851, d. 1902