Waightstill A. Montgomery, in addition to his knowledge of farming, learned the trades of blacksmith, wagon-maker, and saddle-tree maker, and worked at these until and after the outbreak of the late war, in conjunction with farming, his original vocation. In 1857 he came to Texas, and in 1858 married Miss Mary E. Largent, daughter of Marcus L. Largent, of North Carolina. In 1862 Mr. Montgomery enlisted in the Confederate army, under Captain John K. Bumpass, Company F, of Martin's regiment, and served in the Indian Territory and Texas until the end of the desperate struggle, when he returned to his home and resumed farming, which occupation he followed until 1886, when he went into mercantile business with his eldest son, William A. Montgomery. The warehouse of the firm is located near the home farm, adjacent to Fayburgh and is stored with a full stock of general merchandise, meeting the wants and tastes of the whole neighborhood. The children born to Waightstill A. Montgomery and wife were eleven in number of whom nine survive and are named - Susan, William A., Julia, Alice, Delia, Joseph, Lena, Dudley and Hugh. Mr. Montgomery is a member of the Grange and the Farmers' Alliance, and also a firm adherent of the Christian church.
From Weekly Democrat-Gazette, Thrusday, April 23, 1908
The reaper - Death - took from our midst on March 30 at 3 o'clock p.m., our friend and neighbor, father and grandfather, Waightstill A. Montgomery. He was born in North Carolina in 1834, came to Texas in the early fifties, was married to Miss Mary E. Largent, 1858. To them were born eleven children, seven girls and four boys, who reside at the following places:
Mrs. B.D. Rodgers, W.A. Montgomery, Jr., Joe Montgomery, Mrs. Willie Drain, live near the old home place near Fayburg in East Collin. Mrs. Julie Bilderback, Hugh Montgomery, Mr. J.E. Gaines, live in and near Durant, Oklahoma. Mrs. Pennington resides in western Texas. Dudly Montgomery died at the age of 17 and two children died in infancy.
Uncle Waits, as he was commingly [sic] known, gave his service to the Texas Rangers during the civil war. After the war closed he settled 17 miles east of McKinney. In May 1897 he lost his wife, then he broke up housekeeping, bought property in Durant, Oklahoma where he was living at the time of his death, with his son Hugh Montgomery. His wife was a sister of Joseph E. Largent of McKinney and W.B. Largent, who dies [sic] some ten years ago, also of McKinney. He joined the Christian church in 1887, and lived a devoted Christian life to the end. His remains were layed [sic] to rest in the old family graveyard one and one-half miles east of Fayburg on April the first 1908. Since all must die, since the blood of Christ has cleansed our beloved father and grandfather, from all unrighteousness, and since there was awaiting him a home with the redeemed, we reverently submit to the will of the "I am that I am."
Unfortunately, there is no photo of him available at this time.