9680 Individuals
in our Database | |  | Marks - 12 Individuals Found | | Photo | Name / Spouse | Father / Mother | Notes |  | Atha Elizabeth Marks | Father: Emil Henry Heinrich Marks
Mother: Maud May Smith GA GA | |  | August Emil Marks
b.1879
d.1964 | Father: August Texas Marks
Mother: Elisabeth Schultz | |  | August Texas Marks
b.1843 AUG 15
d.1891
Spouse: Elisabeth Schultz | Father: Godhilf Marks
Mother: Sophia ? | CO C Wauls Legion Texas Vol Inf Confederate Sates Army |  | Ellen Marks
b.1827
d.1864
Spouse: William Vincent | Father:
Mother: | william marks father |  | Emil Henry Heinrich Marks
b.1881
d.1969
Spouse: Maud May Smith | Father: August Texas Marks
Mother: Elisabeth Schultz | Emil Henry Marks, a rancher, was the son of Prussian immigrants, August Texas Marks (born as their ship arrived at Galveston) and Elizabeth Schultz. He was survived by his wife, Maud May Smith Marks. The Marks family ranch, LH 7, located at Barker, near Katy, held the original Texas Longhorn herd and is a Texas landmark. In 1952, Emil Henry Marks also started the annual Salt Grass Trial Ride that kicks off the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo every February. He married Maud May Smith and they had four children. He was a rancher and raised cattle for sale and help save the Texas Longhorn. He was one of the founding members of the Salt Grass Trail Ride Association. Although he didn have a long term education, he was a really smart man (according to his grandson, Rusty Marks). Although he didn have a long term education, he was a really smart man (according to his grandson, Rusty Marks). When one thinks of Houston, Texas, one does not immediately think of ranches and cattle. Most people think of the city that is home to one of the world’s busiest ports and a major petrochemical hub of the United States. However, there was a time when livestock was king and the cattle industry was the lifeblood of the city. Today, areas that are home to parks, universities and museums were once pastures where thousands of head of cattle roamed and grazed. Neighborhoods like Montrose and tony River Oaks were once the sites of bustling cattle sales packed with buyers and sellers doing their part to get beeves to market. The LH7 Ranch was part of this chapter in the story of the city of Houston. The LH7 Ranch is not one of the oldest ranches in the state, but is has played an important role in the Texas cattle industry. The ranch was established in 1907 by Emil Henry Marks who was the descendant of Prussian immigrants who arrived in Texas in 1843. In fact, Emil’s father, AT Marks, was born as the family’s ship arrived at Galveston. Emil Marks (most people called him “EH”) was born on October 26, 1881 in Addicks, Texas and was the youngest of five children. Emil’s parents died when he was ten years old and he went to work as a cowboy for an uncle who owned a ranch near Pattison, Texas on the Brazos River. Over the years, EH worked for a number of ranches in East and Southeast Texas until he decided to strike out on his own. In 1898, EH took the first step toward realizing his dream when he registered the LH7 brand in Harris County. EH Married Maud May Smith and started his own ranch in 1907. The LH7 Ranch started with a modest 63-acre plot of land located east of Addicks, Texas. In 1917, EH moved his ranch to a section of prairie near Barker, Texas. The following year, the US entered World War I and manpower was in short supply and many area ranches helped one another during branding the spring branding. In an effort to thank his neighbors for their help, EH organized a riding and roping contest to provide some entertainment. This simple act was the seed for an annual ranch rodeo that became a local attraction for three decades. Marks also left his mark on the business of cattle breeding in Texas when he became among the first cattlemen to cross Brahman bulls with longhorn cattle. The cross-breed proved to be a good fit for the Texas Gulf Coast region because it was resistant to heat and parasites. The LH7 Ranch became an important supplier of the Brahmin-longhorn mix and supplied breeding stock to ranches from Texas to Florida. While Marks was crossing longhorns with Brahmins, he was also working to preserve the longhorn and prevent the breed from becoming extinct. His efforts to preserve the breed began in 1923 when he started a program to select the best specimens from ranches all over east Texas and concentrate them at the LH7. Marks’ handiwork led to the creation of two cattle operations – one operation with 6,670 head of crossbred cattle on a 36,000-acre ranch and another operation with 500 pure Texas longhorns. These efforts led to Marks becoming one of the “Seven Families of Longhorn Cattle.” The fruits of EH Marks’ relentless effort did not last long as the Great Depression and World War II exacted a heavy toll. During the Depression, Marks and Houston oilman WA Paddock parted company and the dissolution of their partnership left EH with little more than his longhorn herd and 1,000 acres. During World War II, the US Army Corps of Engineers claimed 450 acres of Marks’ ranch for use as a flood-control reservoir to protect vital war industries from flood damage. The land claimed for the Addicks-Barker reservoir included the LH7 rodeo grounds. Marks was not the type of man who allowed these losses to dampen his spirit. In 1952, Marks participated in the first Salt Grass Trail Ride which started one of Houston’s best known traditions. Marks and other pioneer cattlemen in the parade formed a link between the city’s past and it’s present. This trail ride is remembered each year as the kick-off event for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Marks dearly loved the cattle business and the ranching lifestyle and continued to work cattle on horseback well into his eighties. EH Marks ceased to ride on his beloved coastal prairie on September 15, 1969. Upon his death, the remnants of the LH7 passed to his daughter, Maudeen Marks, who continued to maintain her father’s legacy – a herd of longhorns surrounded by an ever growing metropolis. Now, the buildings that once served as the nerve center of a thriving, vibrant ranch are rotting and slowly crumbling. The land, at the urging of Marks’ grandchildren, is no longer listed by the Texas Historical Commission as an agricultural landmark and developers have claimed the last piece of the LH7 for residential and commercial use. There are markers and a memorial at the site to commemorate the LH7s contributions to the cattle industry in Texas. |  | Emory Myron Marks
b.1908
d.1989 | Father: Emil Henry Heinrich Marks
Mother: Maud May Smith GA GA | |  | Emory Myron Marks
b.JUN 10 1898
d.OCT 25 1989 | Father: Emil Henry Heinrich Marks
Mother: Maud May Smith GA GA | |  | Godhilf Marks
Spouse: Sophia ? | Father:
Mother: | |  | Maudeen Martha Marks
b.1918
d.2009 | Father: Emil Henry Heinrich Marks
Mother: Maud May Smith GA GA | Maudeen Martha Marks passed away at her ranch in Bandera Friday, March 20. She was born on April 2, 1918, at the family home in Barker to Maud and Emil Marks, who preceded her in death. A prominent resident of Harris County, Miss Maudeen was known for her public relations work with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and Salt Grass Trail. Additionally, she was a lifetime member of the Texas Longhorn Breeders Association, actively ranching in both Barker and Bandera. She is survived by her sister Atha Dimon of Barker and Runge, and a host of nieces and nephews, great-nieces and nephews, great-great nieces and nephews and great-great-great nieces and nephews, as well as numerous other relatives. Miss Maudeen also leaves behind a bounty of friends. She was also preceded in death by two brothers, Emory Marks and Travis Marks. Visitation was held Wednesday, March 25, at the Schmidt Funeral Home Chapel in Katy. Funeral services will be held at 1 pm Thursday, March 26, at the Memorial Oaks Mausoleum Chapel with Rev. Carolyn Sissom officiating. Interment will follow in Memorial Oaks Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Milo Marks, Jon E. Marks, Blevins Bundick, Leonard Steffens, Eugene Vaughan, Travis Marks Jr., Clayton Vaughan and Kevin Bundick. Honorary pallbearers include Stephen A. "Rusty" Marks, United States Congressman John Culberson and fifteen great nieces and nephews. Additionally, a remembrance gathering for Miss Maudeens many friends in Bandera will be held from 2 pm to 4 pm, Saturday, April 4, at the LH-7 Ranch. Memorial gifts may be made to the Maud Marks Library, 1815 Westgreen Boulevard, Katy 77450. Maudeen Martha Marks BIRTH 2 Apr 1918 Barker, Harris County, Texas, USA DEATH 20 Mar 2009 (aged 90) Bandera, Bandera County, Texas, USA BURIAL Memorial Oaks Cemetery Houston, Harris County, Texas, USA PLOT Section 1 MEMORIAL ID 35267870 · View Source MEMORIAL PHOTOS 3 FLOWERS 2 Bandera Texas Newspaper Maudeen Martha Marks 1918-2009 Maudeen Martha Marks passed away at her ranch in Bandera Friday, March 20. She was born on April 2, 1918, at the family home in Barker to Maud and Emil Marks, who preceded her in death. A prominent resident of Harris County, Miss Maudeen was known for her public relations work with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and Salt Grass Trail. Additionally, she was a lifetime member of the Texas Longhorn Breeders Association, actively ranching in both Barker and Bandera. She is survived by her sister Atha Dimon of Barker and Runge, and a host of nieces and nephews, great-nieces and nephews, great-great nieces and nephews and great-great-great nieces and nephews, as well as numerous other relatives. Miss Maudeen also leaves behind a bounty of friends. She was also preceded in death by two brothers, Emory Marks and Travis Marks. Visitation was held Wednesday, March 25, at the Schmidt Funeral Home Chapel in Katy. Funeral services will be held at 1 pm Thursday, March 26, at the Memorial Oaks Mausoleum Chapel with Rev. Carolyn Sissom officiating. Interment will follow in Memorial Oaks Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Milo Marks, Jon E. Marks, Blevins Bundick, Leonard Steffens, Eugene Vaughan, Travis Marks Jr., Clayton Vaughan and Kevin Bundick. Honorary pallbearers include Stephen A. "Rusty" Marks, United States Congressman John Culberson and fifteen great nieces and nephews. Additionally, a remembrance gathering for Miss Maudeens many friends in Bandera will be held from 2 pm to 4 pm, Saturday, April 4, at the LH-7 Ranch. Memorial gifts may be made to the Maud Marks Library, 1815 Westgreen Boulevard, Katy 77450. Funeral services were held under the direction of Schmidt Funeral Home. FROM THE BANDERA COUNTY COURIER NEWSPAPER: Maudeen – dancing with the stars By Stephanie Parker "My idea of heaven," Banderas pioneer longhorn rancher Maudeen Marks once said, "would be to own Texas, stock it with Texas longhorn cattle, staff it with Texas Rangers, ride from windmill to windmill and have a dance every night." Heres hoping that Marks, who died on Friday, March 20, just shy of her 91st birthday, is now two steppin across the Milky Way. In life, she collected everything longhorn – from jewelry, sculptures, paintings and hides and historic memorabilia inside her LH7 Ranch in Bandera to the beloved purebred longhorn cattle grazing in her pastures. As a pioneer rancher, Marks was never deterred from her mission to save Texas longhorn cattle from extinction. Heart and soul, Marks was consumed by her quest to maintain the purity of Texas native cattle. Still hand feeding the immense critters at age 86, even while recovering from a broken hip, Marks explained her longhorn passion by praising their intelligence. "Ive seen them straddle a sapling," she explained, "and walk it to the ground so they can eat the top. They use their horns to shred brush. Ive seen them climb a tree with their front feet to eat moss. Longhorns can get through any fence. You have to keep them happy to keep them at home." At age 88, Marks was still keeping her longhorns happy – a Herculean task due to a continued severe drought. Waving the drought aside, she commented on the cattles survival instincts. "The longhorn is natures product, not mans. If they sent animals to the moon, theyd be longhorns and theyd probably find water on Mars, too. They paw for water and reach for anything green." Maudeen Martha Marks was born in Barker on April 2, 1918. Her father, Emil Henry Marks, had established the LH7 Ranch in western Harris County in 1907. In 1923, he handpicked longhorns for a select herd to keep the Texas breed alive. His 500 purebred longhorns brought Emil Marks recognition as having one of the nations finest and largest herds of the iconic cattle. He earned the distinction of being named as one of "Seven Families of Texas Longhorns," an honor that passed on to his daughter after his death. The purity of the breed, which Emil Marks registered in 1898, was certified by Texas A&M. In fact, A&Ms longhorn database is formulated from genetic information extracted from the LH7 herd. Emil kept the ranch until his death in 1969, continuing the ranching tradition in the shadow of Houstons ever-encroaching high-rise buildings. He instituted annual rodeos and trail rides to the Houston Livestock Show. The Texas Historical Commission designated Houstons LH7 Ranch as a state archeological landmark in 1985. While Emil left an archeological landmark in Houston, he bequeathed something more important to his daughter – a passion for longhorns. "My father believed that these cattle should be preserved," Marks explained, "because they have qualities and characteristics of survivability that might be needed sometime in the future." After their fathers death Marks and her brother, Travis, split Emils herd and ranching operations. After looking at 97 ranches, Marks finally settled in Bandera County in 1982, keeping the LH7 name and brand. Marks quickly became a Bandera icon. She operated a guest ranch, led trail rides and participated in local parades. The tributes never ceased. In 2007, the Bandera County Chamber of Commerce Directors presented Marks with the Wilton Crider Cowboy Preservation Award Cowboy Capital Award. She also received the Jack Phillips Award from the Texas Longhorn Breeders Association of America. Her longhorns won rows of top-placing ribbons and "Twisty Cheerleader" was the one thousandth Texas Longhorn to cross the ring of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Additionally, February 25, 2003, was proclaimed "Maudeen Marks Day in Harris County." In spite of all these accolades, Marks was most proud of becoming an inspector for the Cattlemans Texas Longhorn Registry and having a longhorn named after her. Her biggest fear was not death; it was that no one would continue the fight to maintain the purity of Texas longhorns. "I can be replaced," she said in 2004, while recovering from a fall. "Its not these broken bones that hurt, its my heart. Who will carry on?" In 2008, the LH7 purebred longhorn herd celebrated their 110th anniversary. |  | Travis Smith Marks
b.1915
d.1997 | Father: Emil Henry Heinrich Marks
Mother: Maud May Smith GA GA | |  | Wilhemine Sophia Marks
b.1874
d.1957 | Father: August Texas Marks
Mother: Elisabeth Schultz | |  | William Marks
b.1877
d.1965 | Father: August Texas Marks
Mother: Elisabeth Schultz | | |
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