From Matagorda County History & Genealogy page
Among the early businesses in Bay City during the first decade of the 1900s was Badouh Bros.
The Badouh brothers, Edward M. and Anton Michael had a storefront on a 7th Street corner whose sign read Badouh Bros. General Merchandise.
They were active in the business, social and religious communities in Bay City.
Available census records indicate Edward Badouh immigrated to the United States in 1891.
Ellis Island immigration records include Antonio Badouh, a Syrian male age 18, occupation clerk, departed from LeHavre on the French ocean liner LaBourgogne bound New York City.
The ship arrived on October 28, 1895. [Note: the family was from Tripoli, Lebanon, but it was a part of Syria at the time of their immigration.]
Y. M. C. A.
Bay City, Texas, October 14. — Some of the business men of this place have promoted a Young Men’s Christian Association, and the probabilities are that within sixty days Bay City will have as fine equipment in the way of baths, gymnasium and reading room as any city of her size in Texas.
The upper part of Boney’s new brick has been secured and improvements will be made at once.
The officers selected to serve until January 1, 1906, are: E. Fowler, president; William Cash, vice president; A. D. Hensley, secretary and A. M. Badouh, treasurer.
It is expected that 100 members will be secured easily. —Houston Post, October 16, 1905
Bay City News Notes
E.M. Badouh of the firm of Badouh Bros. will leave tomorrow morning for Galveston. He will sail from there via the Mallory line for New York, where he will spend about two months. —Houston Post, July 13, 1906
A company has been organized for the purpose of building an opera house here of sufficient size and equipment to meet the demands for the next fifteen or twenty years. The capital stock amounts to $10,000. The incorporators of the new enterprise include the following successful business men of this city: J. M. Corbett, T. J. Poole, Henry Rugeley, John T. Sargent, J. W. Rugeley, A. M. Doubek and A. M. Badouh.—Houston Post, February 21, 1907
New Chapter at Bay City
Thirty-second Degree Men Included in Roster.
BAY CITY, Tx., March 30—A Royal Arch chapter of Masons was organized here last night with fifteen charter members. The following officers were elected: John W. Gaines, high priest; T.J. Poole, banker; John Sloan, principal sojourner; J.M. Corbett, secretary; Dr. T.C. Brooks, scribe: A. M. Badouh, third veil; L. LeTulle, first veil: J. W. Miller, guard. —Houston Post, March 31, 1909
The parents of Edward and Anton, Michail [Anton Michael] and Asma Badouh, arrived in New York City on October 27, 1908.
They traveled aboard the ship Nord America, departing from Naples.
Their nationality was listed as Turkish having been born in Turkey. [Lebanon was a part of the Turkish empire at the time of their births.]
Their last residence was also Tripoli. At their time of immigration they were 65 and 50 years of age.
They continued their travel to Galveston and then on to Bay City to join their sons.
Most of the records for the Badouh family indicate they were from Syria [Lebanon].
They had been living in Tripoli prior to immigration which is present-day Lebanon.
Their fellow countrymen would be known as the Syrian and Lebanese Texans.
Later generations of the family indicated they chose to settle in Bay City due to its proximity to the coast as Tripoli, Lebanon was a coastal town.
The Badouh family in Bay City were:
Anton Michael Badouh born August 20, 1831/32
Asma Badouh born 1848
Edward M. Badouh born January 9, 1876
Anton Michael Badouh born February 12, 1878
Nellie Badouh born February 10, 1885
Asma’s obituary listed another daughter, Hana Debe, still living in Lebanon. Hana was also mentioned in Edward’s will in 1946.
A. M. Badouh, Sr.
Mr. A. M. Badouh, Sr., father of our fellowtownsman, E. M. Badouh, died at his home in this city last night and will be buried in Cedarvale Cemetery Wednesday morning at 10 o’clock.
Only yesterday Mr. Ed. Badouh took his father and mother to Gulf in an automobile.
After returning home the elder Badouh complained of feeling bad and was helped to bed.
Shortly afterward he passed away. Decedent was in his 88th year of his age.
He was born and raised in Syria and has been living with his children in this country for the past ten years. Besides his wife, three children survive, Ed. M. Badouh, of this city; A. M. Badouh, of El Paso, and Mrs. Nellie John, of Cuero.
The Tribune joins the many friends of the family in sympathy for them in their bereavement.—
Daily Tribune, Bay City, Texas, February 16, 1920
Mrs. Asma Badouh
Dies At Age 98
Mrs. Asma Badouh, 98, died in a Galveston hospital Wednesday at 12:40 p.m.
A resident of Bay City since 1907, Mrs. Badouh was a native of Syria, and one daughter, Mrs. Hana Debe, still lives in Tripoli, Syria.
Funeral services will be held from the Episcopal Church Friday afternoon at 2 o’clock. Reverend Aubrey Maxted will officiate.
Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Matchett-Newman Funeral Home. The active pallbearers will be J.C. Lewis, Frank Thompson, P.G. Huston, William Walker, Gifford Reiman, R.O. Kiser. Besides her daughter in Syria, she is survived by two sons, Anton Badouh of San Antonio and E. M. Badouh of Bay City. Also surviving are ten grandchildren and ten great grandchildren.—Daily Tribune, December 5, 1946
Edward M. Badouh and Anton M. were in business together.
They owned and operated the Badouh Bros. General Merchandise store on Seventh Street as well as two other locations, also on Seventh Street.
Edward never married and continued to operate the Bay City store until his death on February 6, 1951.
He was buried with his parents at Cedarvale Cemetery.
Anton Michael married Muneerah K. Maluf on July 27, 1907 in Pottsville, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. Maneerah was born August 15, 1883 in Syria.
After moving to Bay City, she moved her church membership from the Presbyterian Church in Pottsville to the First Presbyterian Church in Bay City.
Family tradition says that Muneerah traveled around the United States conducting poetry readings and during her travels met Anton.
Their children, Asma, Edward, Fred, Marian and Anton Michael, Jr. were all born in Bay City. By November 26, 1916, Anton M. had moved his family to El Paso, Texas.
Edward stayed behind and continued to operate the Bay City store, but they were still partners in both businesses. Their new store in El Paso was Badouh’s Shoe Company.
He later opened another store, The White Bootery.
Anton’s family participated in the business and civic life of El Paso, including the Syrian-American community, until the mid 1940s, when they moved to San Antonio.
Their children and their descendants continued to be active members of the San Antonio and New Braunfels communities.
Nellie, the sister of Edward and Anton, married on Feb. 10, 1917, to Abraham John who lived in Cuero.
The wedding took place at the Badouh home in Bay City.
Abe was also Syrian and had immigrated to the United States in 1889.
He became a naturalized citizen in 1905 and owned a grocery store on West Main Street in Cuero.
JOHN – BADOUH
Mr. Abraham John, of Cuero, and Miss Nellie Badouh, of Bay City, were united in marriage at the bride’s home Saturday morning, February the tenth, the Rev. John Sloane of the Episcopal church officiating.
Mr. and Mrs. John will make Cuero their home, the groom being a business man of that city.
The bride has lived in this city for a number of years and has many friends who join in wishing her a successful and happy life.
The wedding was a quiet home affair, the ceremony being held in the presence of the members of the family and a few intimate friends.—Matagorda County News & Midcoast Farmer, February 13, 1917
Nellie moved to Cuero and she and Abe had one daughter, Mary born about May 1919.
Their family also included Abe’s son, Abe, from his first marriage, who had been born c 1905.
Sadly, Abraham died on February 26, 1920, from complications brought on by the Spanish Flu and was buried at Hillside Cemetery in Cuero.
Nellie continued to live in Cuero, ran the grocery store and raised Mary there.
Although no members of the Badouh family now live in Matagorda County, descendants named Parker, Wilkins, Therrell and Owen, still live in other parts of Texas and Louisiana.
It is possible that all current United States residents named Badouh could be descendants of this Matagorda County family.
For more information on the Badouh family, visit https://www.usgenwebsites.org/TXMatagorda/family_badouh.htm