From the El Paso Times, Tuesday, October 30, 1956, Page 1 and Page 9:
Judge Isaacks, Veteran Solon, Dies
S. J. Isaacks of El Paso - judge, legislator, attorney and civic leader - died Monday at the age of 87.
In failing health for many months, the pioneer El Pasoan had served the citizens of Texas for more than 50 years.
Judge Isaacks served his first elective office as state legislator from Bastrop County in 1903.
He was a member of the Texas House of Representatives from El Paso for a continuous period from 1938 to 1954, when he resigned.
Considered the dean of the Legislature until his retirement, he was succeeded in his legislative post by his daughter, Miss Maud Isaacks, recently re-elected for a second full term.
Judge Isaacks was a Texas through and through.
His grandfather, Samuel Isaacks, was one of Stephen F. Austin's 300 original settlers who came to Texas in 1821, when the territory was still part of Mexico.
The judge was born in Bell County, Texas, and raised on a farm. He taught country school while preparing himself for the law.
On a doctor's advice, he moved from Bastrop County to Midland in 1903 and was that city's first mayor upon its incorporation in 1906. He was re-elected mayor in 1908.
In 1909 he was appointed district judge of the new 70th District and was re-elected to the post in 1910 and 1914.
Judge Isaacks resigned his position in 1916 and moved to El Paso "on the last day of December" in that same year.
He later recalled that he moved here because "I thought El Paso was the coming metropolis of all the Southwest, and I wanted to be a part of it."
Entering law practice here, he was a Presidential elector in 1920, when he voted for Cox and Roosevelt for President and Vice President.
WROTE TAX BILL
He served on El Paso School Board in 1922-23, and was elected to represent the 89th District in the Legislature in 1938.
When Judge Isaacks returned to the House of Representatives in 1939 after his long absence, he was immediately acknowledged one of the top leaders of that body, and many bills in the ensuing years bore his stamp.
He led a fight against tax bills recommended by Gov. W. Lee (Pappy) O'Daniel, charging that they were measures which would burden the poor.
Judge Isaacks was co-author of a resources bill which eventually brought a surplus to the general revenue fund.
He was author of an anti-lynching bill, supported a fair redistricting measure, strengthened drunken driving statutes and backed the Gilmer-Aiken laws reorganizing the schools.
Judge Isaacks was chairman of the House Judiciary Committee in the 48th, 50th, and 52nd Legislatures. He also served on the Judicial Districts, Labor and Privileges and Suffrage and Elections Committees.
His fellow legislators honored him on numerous occasions. In one bill setting up a judges retirement system for the state, the legislators wanted to include a special amendment to benefit Judge Isaacks and persons of his qualifications.
Judge Isaacks objected to the bill.
"It's hard to tell you how much I appreciate this," he told the House. "But this is not a proper amendment to a bill. The state has paid me for my services and I don't want any other payment."
BILL KILLED
When he added - "Please, for my sake, vote no on the amendment" - members of the House applauded, and the amendment was withdrawn.
In 1953, the House adopted a resolution congratulating Judge Isaacks on his 84th birthday and upon his span of 50 years of service as a member of the House.
Judge Isaacks once said it was is boyhood ambition first to be a printer, then a locomotive engineer and finally a lawyer.
Perhaps reflecting his own career, he once advised young men going into business "to select a vocation, resolve to be a leader in it, override every obstacle and keep your goal in view."
The Judge was a member of the Five Points Masonic Lodge, El Maida Shrine, El Paso Bar Association, Texas Bar Association, American Bar Association, Sons of the Republic of Texas, Sons of the American Revolution and First Christian Church.
His wife died in 1934.
Survivors include three sons, E. Buford Isaacks of Cleburne, Texas, and Rutledge and Bill Isaacks, both of El Paso; a nephew, Carel Marlow of Abilene, Texas; two nieces, Mrs. Annis Starr of Lubbock and Mrs. Richard Ruffner of Kermit, Texas; five grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday in the First Christian Church, with Dr. C. M. Yocum and the Rev. Keith Pierce officiating.
Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery under the direction of Kaster and Maxon. The family requested that flowers be omitted.
Members of the El Paso Bar Association will serve as honorary pallbearers.
From the El Paso Times, Wednesday, October 31, 1956, Page 8:Judge Isaacks Funeral Wednesday
Services for Judge Samuel J. Isaacks, 87, of 3021 Federal St., will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday in First Christian Church with Dr. C. M. Yocum and the Rev. Keith Pierce officiating. Active pallbearers will be Dr. Robert B. Homan, E. M. Pooley, Judge Morris Galatzan, Maj. W. H. Henderson, Charles H. Price and R. E. Ross. Members of the El Paso Bar Assocation will serve as honorary pallbearers and are requested to be at the First Christian Church at 10:45 a.m. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery by Kaster and Maxon Funeral Home. The family has requested no flowers. Masons from the Five Points Lodge No. 1137 AF&AM will be in charge of graveside ceremonies.
An updated history of the Isaacks clan has been authored by Gary Isaacks, a descendant of Minnie Rutledge and Samuel Jackson Isaacks. Mr Isaacks also contributed family infmormation for this website.1910 Midland County census:
Weatherford Street
Isaacks Samuel Head M W 41 M1 23 Tx Tx Tx English 70 Judicial Distr Judge W No 0 Yes Yes O F H I222
Isaacks Miriam? Wife F W 43 M1 23 7 7 Tx Tx Tx English None Yes Yes I222
Isaacks Eula Dau F W 23 S Tx Tx Tx Public School Teacher W No 12 Yes Yes I222
Isaacks Luania? Dau F W 21 S Tx Tx Tx Law Office Stenographer W No 12 Yes Yes 10 8 6 X I222
Isaacks Buforn Son M W 19 S Tx Tx Tx None Yes Yes Yes I222
Isaacks Irene? Dau F W 16 S Tx Tx Tx None Yes Yes Yes I222
Isaacks Rutledge Son M W 14 S Tx Tx Tx None Yes Yes Yes I222
Isaacks Jack Son M W 11 S Tx Tx Tx None Yes Yes Yes I222
Isaacks Bill Son M W 4 S Tx Tx Tx None I222
Isaacks Annie? Mother F W 64 Wd Tx La La English None Yes Yes I222
From the El Paso Times, September 3, 1934:
DEATH TAKES MRS. ISAACKS
El Paso Lawyer's Wife Succumbs to Illness of Two Weeks
Mrs. Minnie Rutledge Isaacks, 68, wife of S. J. Isaacks, died yesterday at her home, 3021 Federal Street, after two weeks illness.
Mrs. Isaacks, a resident of El Paso for 17 years, had been a consistent and active worker in the Christian church for more than 50 years. She was a member of the First Christian Church of El Paso at her death.
Of Pioneer Family.
Mrs. Isaacks was a member of a pioneer Austin family. Her father, Edward Rutledge, moved to Austin from Tennessee before the Civil War to engage in farming. Her mother was Mary Francis Young Rutledge, also of an early Texas family.
Mrs. Isaacks was married to Judge Isaacks nearly 50 years ago. They made their home at Midland until 1917, when they came to El Paso.
She is survived by her husband; a brother, John W. Rutledge, of Austin; four sons, E. Buford Isaacks of Tucson, Ariz., and Jack Isaacks of El Paso; three daughters, Mrs. Wade Johnston of Cisco, and Miss Maude Isaacks and Mrs. Inez Foster, both of El Paso.
Funeral Rites Today.
Funeral services will be held at the First Christian Church at 4 p.m. today with the Rev. Arthur A. Hyde, pastor, officiating. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery.
Pall bearers will be Judge E. F. Higgins, Del W. Harrington, R. R. Jones, S. A. Sackett, Dr. R. E. Homan, Sr. and Judge Charles Windberg.
She was married to Samuel Jackson Isaacks (son of Wesley Carel Isaacks and Purity Ann Foreman) on 4 Nov 1884 in Austin, Travis County, Texas. Samuel Jackson Isaacks was born on 18 Feb 1869 in Salado, Texas. He appeared on the census on 1 Jun 1900 in Precinct #4, Bastrop County, Texas. He appeared on the census on 27 Apr 1910 in Weatherford Street, Midland, Texas. He appeared on the census on 19 Jan 1920 in 3701 Hastings Street, JP #1, El Paso, Texas. He died on 29 Oct 1956 in El Paso, El Paso County, Texas. He was buried in Evergreen Cemetery, El Paso, Texas.
Maud received bachelors and masters degrees form the University of Texas at Austin. She taught school in El Paso High School, where she was chairman of the English department. She served in the Texas Legislature from 1954 to 1968, taking her father's place there after he resigned. She was the only woman in the 59th legislature, and was known as a champion of education. She was forced to resign due to poor eyesight. During the summers she was an accomplished genealogist, and provided much of the research that has yielded this study. She was a member of the First Christian Church, Retired Teachers Association, Delta Kappa Gamma, and the Daughters of the Republic of Texas and Daughters of the American Revolution.
From Handbook of Texas Online:
ISAACKS, MAUD (1885?-1980). Maud Isaacks, teacher and state legislator, daughter of Samuel Jackson and Minnie (Rutledge) Isaacks, was born near Austin, Texas. She moved to El Paso in 1916 and began a long teaching career in the public school system. She taught at El Paso Junior High from 1916 to 1921 and at El Paso Senior High from 1927 until 1954; from 1940 to 1954 she was chairman of the English Department. She was also a member of the state textbook committee. She earned a B.A. from the University of Texas in 1927 and an M.A. in 1940.
In 1954, when ill-health forced her father to resign the seat he had held in the Texas House of Representatives for more than fifty years, Maud Isaacks won the special election to fill his place. She took a leave of absence from the classroom to complete her father's term and was returned in the regular election in July. She was one of only five women in the House that session. She resigned from the El Paso school system on January 1, 1955, to take her seat in the legislature and was elected to five more consecutive terms. During her legislative career she served on the education, penitentiaries, public health, school districts, state hospitals, and special schools committees. As a former teacher, she was especially concerned with legislation for the public schools. She supported raising teachers' salaries, eliminating the office of county superintendent of schoolsqv in areas where independent school districts had been established, and raising academic standards in public schools and colleges. Her bill to trim the number of education courses required of potential teachers was strongly opposed by the Texas State Teachers Association,qv which successfully lobbied for its defeat. Isaacks also supported legislation to tighten insurance controls, strengthen narcotics regulations, and establish statewide soil and water conservation programs. She sponsored bills to lengthen the waiting period for divorce and to abolish the poll tax. In 1961 she was appointed to the Special Interim Committee on Education, which consulted with the Texas Legislative Councilqv in its study of teacher certification.
She was the only woman in the Fifty-ninth Legislature when she retired at age eighty, at the conclusion of the 1966 session. She died in El Paso on January 22, 1980, and was buried there in Evergreen Cemetery.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: El Paso Times, January 24, 1980. "Texas Women: A Celebration of History" Archives, Texas Woman's University, Denton. Vertical Files, Barker Texas History Center, University of Texas at Austin. Who's Who of American Women (1966-67).
Judith N. McArthur
From the El Paso Times, Thursday, January 24, 1980, Page 1-B:Former Legislator Isaacks dies
Maud Isaacks, who followed her father's footsteps and represented El Paso for several consecutive terms in the state Legislature, will be buried Friday.
Miss Isaacks, 95, died Wednesday in an El Paso nursing home.
She became a legislator in 1954 when her father, Judge S. J. Isaacks, resigned as representative of the El Paso district place 1. He had held that post since 1903 and was called "the dean of the Texas Legislature."
Miss Isaacks was elected to fill the position and thereafter served five consecutive terms - a total of 14 years.
A 1965 newspaper article stated her departure from the Texas government marked the end of the longest family tenure in the history of the Texas Legislature. When "Miss Maud," as her fellow representatives called her, left office in 1967, she was the only woman in the 59th Legislature and was known to her colleagues as a champion of education. She is credited with introducing numerous bills concerning teacher salaries and qualifications.
In 1963, she introduced the bill that successfully abolished the El Paso County school superintendent's post, which she considered expensive and unnecessary with the advent of independent school districts.
Other measures she supported included tightening insurance controls, strengthening narcotics regulations and providing statewide soil and water conservation programs.
Miss Isaacks lived in El Paso from 1917. Before serving in the legislature, she taught English in the public schools for more than 40 years and was chairman of the English department at El Paso High School. She also was a longtime member of the Texas State Textbook Advisory Committee.
She earned bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Austin. She was a member of the First Christian Church, Retired Teachers Association, Delta Kappa Gamma, Daughters of the Republic of Texas and Daughters of the American Revolution.
Survivors include her two brothers, Bill Isaacks of El Paso and Buford Isaacks of Cleburn, Texas; two nephews, Dick Isaacks of El Paso and Sam Isaacks of Alpine; and a niece, Guinnell Schwarzbach of El Paso.
Graveside services will be held at Evergreen Cemetery at 11 a.m. Friday.
Kaster, Maxon and Futrell Downtown funeral home is in charge.
From the same newspaper, Page 6D:ISAACKS
Maud Isaacks died Tuesday, January 22, 1980. She was a fifth generation Texan, the daughter of Judge & Mrs. S. J. Isaacks. She moved from Midland to El Paso in 1917 & taught English in the El Paso Public School System for over 40 years, retiring to serve in the Texas Legislature for 5 consecutive sessions. She received her BA & MA degrees from the University of Texas at Austin. She was a member of the First Christian Church, Retired Teachers Association, Delta Kappa Gamma, Daughters of the Republic of Texas and Daughters of the American Revolution.
She is survived by two brothers, Bill Isaacks, El Paso and Buford Isaacks of Cleburn, Texas, 2 nephews, Dick Isaacks of El Paso & Sam Isaacks, of Alpine, Arkansas, & a niece, Guinnell Schwarzbach, El Paso. Graveside services will be held Evergreen Cemetery at 11 AM Friday.
Kaster & Maxon & Futrell Downtown Chapel. 201 E. Yandell 532-3431
1860 Census, Georgetown, Williamson County, TX:
E. A. Rutledge 33 M W Farmer 500 TN
Mary F. Rutledge 31 F W TN
William P. Rutledge 14 M W TN
Martha J. Rutledge 12 F W TN
James F. Rutledge 10 M W TN
Mary A. Rutledge 8 F W TN
Gustavas A. Rutledge 5 M W TX
Delila Rutledge 2 F W TX
John W. Rutledge 3/12 M W TX
1880 Travis County, TX Census:
W. P. RUTLEDGE Self S Male W 32 TN Farmer TN TN
Mary F. RUTLEDGE Mother W Female W 52 TN Keeping House TN TN
Jno. W. RUTLEDGE Brother S Male W 20 TX Farmer TN TN
Minnie RUTLEDGE Sister S Female W 16 TX TN TN
Cornelia RUTLEDGE Sister S Female W 14 TX TN TNNote that Minnie's age is off by two or three years. Still, this is too much of a coincidence to not be her, especially since in Minnie's obituary it mentions a brother, John W. Rutledge. SLM
1880 Travis County, TX Census:
W. P. RUTLEDGE Self S Male W 32 TN Farmer TN TN
Mary F. RUTLEDGE Mother W Female W 52 TN Keeping House TN TN
Jno. W. RUTLEDGE Brother S Male W 20 TX Farmer TN TN
Minnie RUTLEDGE Sister S Female W 16 TX TN TN
Cornelia RUTLEDGE Sister S Female W 14 TX TN TN