The Crosses
by Reba Cross Seals
~ An Alpine Family
W
hile
there
are
arguably
families
more significant to
the history of Alpine than the
Crosses, I’ll bet very few have
had so many members stay in
the community or leave and
return to make Alpine their
home. Therefore, I’m having a
heck of a time condensing my
story into 1,200 words and
including mention of all who
were significant in Alpine busi-
nesses and at Sul Ross.
Even at the present time,
there are seven adults who have
businesses or skilled positions
here, three children in Alpine
public schools, one currently in
Sul Ross and one on the Alpine
ISD school board. It’s hard to
decide which are more impor-
tant to mention than others,
now and in the past. I have
already eliminated ones who
moved away.
Older Alpine residents will
recognize all these names, as I
did not include any who mar-
ried into the family but did not
live here. The story is long, but
trying to decide where to sever
is difficult.
Ewing Smith Cross and wife,
Eula May (Paul), moved their
family of five boys to Alpine in
1917 from Goliad. Cross, who
had owned a furniture store and
mortuary in Goliad, purchased
Alpine Furniture from C.W.
Livingston, located at 103 W.
Holland Ave., which later
became the location of White’s
Auto Store. Soon he traded
locations with Shirley Scales’
Kandy Kitchen, and the new
Cross Furniture Company
started business on the ground
floor of the Masonic Building at
the corner of Fifth Street and
Sul Ross Avenue, where the
Alpine Avalanche office is today.
Cross was a good business-
man, but his helpmate was just
as astute. She had the knack of
decorating hats with feathers,
veils and flowers, and soon her
220 East Oak
Photo courtesy Reba Cross Seals
Christmas, Alpine, Texas, circa 1936. Left to right: Lois and Tom Cross,
Margie and Jack Cross behind daughter, Jackie Louise, Frank Cross,
matriarch Eula Mae Cross, teenagers Dorothy and Mae holding little
brother Robert (Robo) in front of their parents, Mary Lea and D.L.
Cross and Lorena Cross (wife of Frank) holding son, Paul, with daugh-
ter, Patricia, the smallest girl in the front row.
straw and felt creations were in
demand. She added a small line
of belts and stockings and then
ladies’ clothing, taking up a con-
siderable portion of the store.
In 1930 Ewing sold the fur-
niture part of the business to
Storey-Whiteside Lumber Co.
and devoted his time to his
wife’s line. And soon the busi-
ness was E. S. Cross Furniture
& Mrs. E. S. Cross Millinery.
The Cross’ second son, Jack,
and wife, Margie (Bennett),
joined the women’s ready-to-
wear business under the name
of Cross & Cross Dress Shop.
The store relocated to 119 E.
Holland Ave., next door to
what’s now Front Street Books,
where it remained a successful
Alpine business. The store sold
in 1961 to Thad Corkins who
operated under the Cross and
Cross name for years.
Cross’ son, Dick Leo,
worked as a sales representative
for Casner Motor Company,
where Bam Motors is now
located. It was a Buick and
Ford agency that sold new and
used cars. Dick’s youngest son,
Robert (Robo), remembered
that he and his dad, both fluent
in Spanish, would often each
drive a used car to Ojinaga on
weekends, sell the cars and take
the bus home.
Dick and Mary Lea
(Burke)’s five children attended
public schools, and most
received degrees from Sul Ross
State Teacher’s College and
married into Alpine families.
Frank, Ewing’s third son,
was a star athlete at Alpine
High School and Sul Ross. He
served Alpine as chief deputy
county clerk and court reporter
for Brewster County in the late
1920s.
Son Tom became an attor-
ney and vice-president in the
Lone Star Gas Company in Fort
Worth, and after retirement he
and wife Lois (Dugger) moved
back to Alpine.
My husband, Robert Cross,
and I bought the beautiful old
house at 205 W. Avenue B,
which had been home to three
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continued on page 27
Cenizo
Second Quarter 2011
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