DR. MARVEL WHITNEY SELLERS
Dr. Marvel Whitney Sellers,
born July 7, 1853, Alabama, was the son of Dr.
John Ward Sellers and Lynia
Jane Godwin. Marvel was named after Bishop
Marvel and Eli Whitney.
The Sellers moved to the Cactus Hill area, Wise County,
Texas, by wagon train in
1854, and on to the old Edmond place 10 miles north of
Gatesville, by the 1870
census. On March 21, 1875 at Mt. Zion, Marvel married
Rebecca Jane Wilson (Born
August 12, 1860, Beckville, Panola County), daughter
of Arthur Wilson (born 1818
NC) and Mary Lee (born 1818 NC). They married
July 2, 1844, Johnston Co.,
NC. By 1880, Marvel and Rebecca were living near
Burnet, neighbors to his
father, sister, Emmaline Sellers Bruner, and aunt,
Elizabeth Sellers Wilson.
He then moved his family, by wagon train, to New Mexico,
while doctoring along the
way. In 1900, Marvel was living and working as a
physician back in Texas,
at Fort McKavett, Menard County. Dr. M.W. Sellers, as
he was usually called, did
much of his work in central and west Texas and New
Mexico. He was especially
noted for his treatment of typhoid and other hard to
cure fevers of his time.
The last few of his over 40 year career was devoted more
to skin cancer and many
patients came to his home for special treatments after
his own health and age prevented
his working away from the house. Marvel
and Rebecca's children were:
Oscar, born 1877, Burnet County, married Addie
Wahrmund and had Chester
and Ferdinand. Tennie, born 1880 Burnet County,
married Thomas Marlar and
had William, Virgie, Essie, Jessie and Fred. Tenia
(called Eddie), born 1883,
Coryell County, married James Minix and had Violet
Pearl and Addie Mrytle.
Arthur Ward, born 1886, Kerr County, married Stella
Sageser and had Jettie,
Fern, Arthur Lee, Whitney and Joe. Ira Francis (called Frank),
born 1889, San Miguel, New
Mexico, married Lillie Doss and had Claudene & Edith.
Lida Elma, born 1892, Brown
County, married George Jeanes and had Vera Mae,
Arthur, Elmer and Claudia.
While living with their son, Arthur, Marvel died of a
stroke March 4, 1928. He
is buried in Harper, Gillespie County. Rebecca died
of pneumonia one month later
on April 5, 1928, after surgery in Waco, and is
buried in Fairview Cemetery,
Bosque County.
Submitted by great-great-granddaughter, Lynda Wyatt Green