The Sadler Tree
Annie Maude McCarty was born to Dr. William Dawson McCarty and Willie Coreen Moore in Porter Springs, Texas. Maude's mother, Willie, died when Maude was only eight years old; she was buried in Porter Springs. Sallie Braziele later married Dr. McCarty and reared Maude and the other children and later had two of their own.
After completing school in Grapeland and Sam Houston Normal Institute, Maude taught at the Methodist Home in Waco one year. She met William Cleveland Sadler, who was born in the area of Ioni Creek north of Grapeland. His father had died when Cleve was only six months old, therefore, being the only boy, he had quite a home responsibility with his mother and four sisters. After World War I and Cleve was out of the army, he and Maude married August 17, 1919 in Grapeland, Texas. One of the highlights of this occasion was Mississippi kinfolk making that then long and tiring trip to attend the wedding. They lived in Grapeland a while, having one child there, then moved to the Sadler farm Northeast of Grapeland. There, it is told that while awaiting the birth of a second child, Dr. McCarty and others went to the farm when it was nearing time, and while awaiting the birth, had a real McCarty party and good time. A second daughter was born.
In 1924, Cleve went to work for the Missouri Pacific Railroad but also continued farming and cattle raising. A lovely home was constructed on North Main Street in Grapeland in 1926. On each side of the front porch were cement banisters, one reading Sadler, the other 1926. In this home, two other daughters were born to Cleve and Maude. Cleve's work required him to be away from home often, working in Troup, Overton, Trinity, Hearn and Conroe. Finally the family moved to join him in Conroe. After the reunion of the family only one year, Cleve suffered continuously worse attacks with his heart and died in the Missouri Pacific Hospital in Palestine, Texas on April 12, 1940.
At this point, Maude had four daughters and no means of support. She moved to Huntsville, took in boarders, and entered her two older girls in college. After both married, she moved back to Grapeland in 1943. During World War II, both Josephine and Willanette were on the West Coast with their armed forces husbands. Maude took Josephine and the first grandbaby back to California after a visit, and found that she could better find work to support her two remaining girls there during the war boom of work. Betty Jean and LaVerne both graduated from Burbank High School in Burbank, California.
In 1949, Maude became seriously ill and was flown back to Texas. Just prior to this, a warm reunion was enjoyed by her in Los Angeles with Cousin Hettie Hamilton who lived there. During a hospital stay, Maude enjoyed Hettie's visits so much. Maude outlived the doctor's predictions but suffered many years, having bad spells then being better for a time. After a brave and courageous fight, she died September 25, 1955. She was buried along side Cleve in the Grapeland City Cemetery who died fifteen and one-half years earlier.