FIFTH GENERATION

532. Leonard Conaiah East was born on 21 May 1882 in Halletsville, Lavaca County, Texas. ⁽¹⁰¹⁾ He appeared on the census in 1910 in JP #7, Burnet County, Texas. ⁽⁸⁸⁵⁾ He appeared on the census on 2 Jan 1920 in 205 E. 2nd Street, 7th Ward, Austin, Texas. ⁽⁸⁸⁶⁾ He appeared on the census on 7 Apr 1930 in Austin, Travis County, Texas.⁽⁸⁸⁷⁾ He died on 23 Apr 1969 in Austin, Travis County, Texas.⁽⁸⁸⁸⁾ He was buried in Oakwood Cemetery, Austin, Travis County, Texas. ⁽⁸⁸⁹⁾ From the Austin Newspaper, May 29, 1929:


Two Men Escape From River After Being Marooned

Horses Drown But Cowmen Are Saved From Raging Waters

L. East, Austin wholesale produce dealer and cattleman, and Delbert Stone, 40-year-old cowboy, outwhipped flood waters of the Colorado river and beat its second attempt to take Mr. East's life in a sensational battle in which their saddle horses were lost here Tuesday afternoon.

Pinned to a small island in Robert's bottom by a wall of headwater that caught them midway between the Congress avenue bridge and the Montopolis bridge, within the city limits, the veteran cowmen took thought of their own safety only after a herd of 100 head of cattle were driven to safety with a loss of but 8 or 10 of the herd.


Horse Fails To Swim Stream

For a quarter of a century, Mr. East has punched cattle along the banks of the Colorado. His ex-perience Tuesday was not new, and when the wall of water, cut them from the mainland with 300 yards of swirling, log-laden, muddy water, he turned to the one scheme that would work. Saddles and bridles were stripped from the horses, and the men clung on, hoping to go with their mounts across the stream.

Stone had made less than one half of the distance when he saw further attempt to make the crossing would be fatal. His horse, a spirited sorrel animal, was somewhat overcome, and when Mr. East motioned Stone to return to the island, he turned the horse midstream to go back.

The gush of water carried an entanglement of wire that tripped the bay horse to which Mr. East was clinging. Both were submerged and to give the animal a better chance against the flood, East turned loose and depended upon his own strength for the remaining 150 yards to the bank. Both man and horse swam to safety, and Mr. East lost no time hurrying rescuers to the aid of Mr. Stone.

East's horse was later drowned in efforts to rescue Stone.

From 2 p.m. until 5:30 P. M. when he was reached by a crew and a boat, Mr. Stone stood in water that at first was but a little above his shoetops, but which rose to his waist.




From the Austin Newspaper, April 24, 1969:

EAST'S RITES SCHEDULED FOR TOMORROW


Funeral for Leonard C. East, 86, pioneer rancher and Austin businessman, will be Thursday at 4 p.m. at Weed-Corley Funeral Home. The Rev. Theodore McElroy, minister of the Hyde Park Christian Church will officiate. Burial will be in Oakwood Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Marshall Ford Game Association or a favorite charity.

East died at his home, 307 East Second Street, Tuesday. He had been a resident of Austin since 1913 coming here from Lampasas. He was a partner In the L. East Produce Company and East Ranch. He was in business here for the past 54 years.

He was a member of the Marshall Ford Game Association, Texas Cattleman Association, and the Travis County Pecan Growers Association. East moved the last bunch of cattle that crossed the Congress Avenue Bridge.

Survivors are his wife, Mrs. Vida Henderson East; daughter, Mrs. Oswald G. Wolf; son, Alvin G. East, all of Austin; one brother, Jasper East, Austin; three sisters, Mrs. Ollie Sheppard and Mrs. Ethel Hancock, of San Antonio, Mrs. Annie Vines of Eastland; four granddaughters, Mrs. James R. Bouldin, Mrs. Harry M. Bouldin, Mrs. Allan Fielder and Mrs. Kenneth Aune, all of Austin, and seven great-grandchildren.

Pallbearers will be Floyd. Henderson, Elton Rutledge, Horace Miller, Kenneth Kramer, Douglas Kullenberg and Jim Boswell.

East entered the Austin business scene in 1915 and at one time he bossed the biggest wagon yard in Texas on a site between West First Street and the Colorado River at the foot of the Congress Avenue bridge.

He was married to Vida Holly Henderson (daughter of Jefferson Davis Henderson and Mary Anne Roten) on 5 Oct 1904. Vida Holly Henderson was born on 16 Jan 1886. She died on 15 Jun 1977 in Austin, Travis County, Texas.⁽⁸⁹⁰⁾ She was buried in Oakwood Cemetery, Austin, Travis County, Texas. ⁽⁸⁹¹⁾
From the Austin Newspaper, June 16, 1977:

Funeral Notices

MRS. LEONARD (VIDA) EAST

Mrs. Leonard (Vida) East, age 92, 307 East 2nd Street, died Wednesday at her residence. She was the widow of the late Leonard East who found-ed L. East Produce in 1915, and her son, Alvin East, still operates the business. Mrs. East had been resident of Austin since 1913, and was a charter member of the University Avenue Church of Christ where she was very active. She was also a member of the Eastern Star and for many years was associated with Austin Mu-tual Life Insurance Com-pany.

Survivors are a daughter, Mrs. Oswald G. (Jewell) Wolf, Austin; son, Alvin G. East, Austin; brother, Wiley Henderson, Austin; 4 sisters, Mrs. Lucy Rutledge, Austin, Mrs. E.J. Nobles, Mrs. Elmer Cox, both of Lampasas, and Mrs. Ophia Barnes, Houston; 4 grandchildren, Mrs. James R. (Vida) Bouldin, Sr., Mrs. Harvey N. (Nita) Bouldin, Sr., Mrs. Ken (Dorothy) Aune, all of Austin, and Mrs. Allan (Dorothy) Fielder of Lockhart; 11 great grandchildren, and 1 great-great grandchild.

Funeral services will be 3:30 PM Friday at the Weed-Corley Funderali Home with Minister Lanny Henninger of the University Avenue Church of Christ officiating.

Burial will be in Oakwood Cemetery.

Pallbearers will be James R. Bouldin, Sr., Harvey Neal Bouldin, Jr., Leonard Wolf Bouldin, Thomas T. Smith Jr., Kenneth Aune, all Of Austin, and Alan Fielder of Lockhart.

The family requests that memorials be sent to the G.H.P. Showalter Scholarship Fund, the University Avenue Church of Christ, 1903 University Avenue, Austin, Texas 78705.



From the Austin Newspaper, June 17, 1977:

DEATHS AND SERVICES

EAST, Mrs. Leonard (Vid), 92, 307 E. 2nd St., died Wednesday. Services 10 a.m. Friday at Weed-Corley Funeral Home. Survivors: Mrs. Oswald G. (Jewell) Wolf, Austin; son, Alvin G. East of Austin; brother, Wiley Henderson of Austin; sisters, Mrs. Lucy Rutledge of Austin, Mrs. E.J. Nobles, Mrs. Elmer Cox, both of Lampasas, Ophia Barnes of Houston; four grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren, and one great-great grandchild.



Leonard Conaiah East and Vida Holly Henderson had the following children:

+1180 i. Alvin Given East.
+1181 ii. Althea Jewell East.