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Photo used with express permission from the Friends of Connie Hagar. Reproduction of this photo is strictly prohibited and protected by copyright.

Rockport's Legendary Bird Woman: 1886 - 1973

Born June 14, 1886 in Corsicana, Texas to Robert Scott and Mattie Yeater Neblett.  As the eldest of three children, Martha Conger Neblett (Connie) was brought-up in a refined and well educated family environment: music, art, literature, history, and nature were combined with the graces of "being a lady" as was characteristic of the era.  Her aristocratic ancestry was Scottish-Irish, and her grandparents had been born in the Old South.  They settled in Texas and soon became staunch and proud supporters with regard to their great state's welfare.  

Robert Neblett was the mayor of Corsicana, a distinguished title and position within the small community, located in Navarro County.  Mattie lavished her children with the finer things and experienced life to its fullest with all three children through the means of frequent vacation travel.  She used these trips to educate and enlighten her children about the big world that lay outside their 3-story Victorian home with its spacious front porch and white pillars.

As a young girl, Connie was somewhat of a tomboy and one of her favorite pastimes was going on long walks with her father to study nature.  Together they would walk the shady-grass lawns, listening and learning the sounds of nature.  In fact, Judge Neblett was quite the naturalist himself.  Her small hand in his, he would point out various trees, plants, shrubs, and wild flowers.  It comes as no surprise that Connie and her younger sister Bert, would continue with their interest in nature too. 

Connie, petite and just under five feet tall, married her childhood sweetheart at the age of twenty.  Lynn Brooks had left school in the tenth grade to join the Navy as the United States began to engage in World War I.  He was known for his wild streak, which caused the first serious rift between Connie and her father upon marrying.  She was not comfortable with it, but did truly love Lynn.  He moved his new wife into a boarding house in Ennis, which was only 21 miles from Corsicana, but still considered a good distance away at that time.  Later in the marriage they resided in New Orleans.

As the years passed, Lynn would bring the pint-size Connie incredible gifts from his worldly travels and ports he had visited aboard the USS Oregon.  Connie had difficulty fitting-in with the circle of officer's wives and would have a lonely life to some degree during Lynn's tours of duty.  Although they still loved each other very much, she decided to return home after 14 years of marriage in 1921. Her mother had become ill, so at the age of 35 she returned to Corsicana.  

Her train arrived at the Corsicana train depot in the wee hours of the morning.  Tired from her journey and with very little sleep, she gathered her heavy suitcase, Mark Antony her pet pit bull, and a caged green finch.  She then began the 12 block walk toward her home.  The town seemed the same, yet newer somehow, and she was relieved to be home.  As she walked laboriously along Corsicana's main thoroughfare she noticed a gentleman up-the-way standing in the doorway of the old cafe.  As she passed him, his maverick smile caught her eye, but did not cause her to miss a step.  He asked if he could help her carry her suitcase and before she could answer, he was toting her bag.  

As he walked along side of Connie, he introduced himself as Jack Hagar and she replied back that she was Mrs. Lynn Brooks.  He didn't seem to care that she was already married.  He continued to walk and talk to her, telling her all about his life; he was originally from Boston but had firm roots in Texas; he was an oilman and real estate broker.  jack was persistent in asking Connie to go places and she did agree to attend the Dallas Symphony with him.  Neither knew that their love of music would join them together, forever.

Jack was different than other men in the respect that he was refreshing, pleasant, and had the ability to make her really laugh...sometimes at herself.  They continued to date for 5 years and he finally asked her to marry him.  Connie, with already one failed marriage was hesitant, but Jack was persistent.  One day her mother noticed she was still struggling with the marriage question and blurted out "Why don't you just marry him?  He's never going to stop asking!"  She wasn't even sure what she was waiting for, after all she was almost forty years old. She openly admitted her love of Jack and after plenty of soul-searching, and talks with the sister she held so dear, she decided to marry Jack in April of 1946. Jack built a beautiful house for them, and Connie was very happy with Jack.  However, within their first year of marital bliss, Connie's mother had a stroke.  Both she and Jack moved back into the Victorian home of her childhood and took care of her mother.  They  resided there for 3 long years while Mattie lay bedridden, but would eventually return to the "house that Jack built."

Oakwood Cemetery where  Judge Neblett, wife Mattie, and daughter Bert are at rest. (Corsicana, Texas)

As time went by she and her steadfast nature companion, Bert (who had also married by this time) continued their nature studies in memory of their father.  Bert had the idea to start a "nature club" in Corsicana.  They eventually had 18+ members and would meet on someone's lawn every other week to study plants, birds, wildlife, and the stars.  One day Connie was reading a magazine article that was requesting volunteers to conduct a biological survey for the U.S. government.  Needless to say, she and Bert volunteered for the survey.  They were to band birds and then continue to watch and keep count as they returned each year, if migratory, or document when the bird was seen again locally.  The year was 1934.  Their nature group had also become affiliated with the National Audubon Society and the Texas Federation of Women's Clubs.  Indoor meetings alternated with field trips to surrounding areas of Texas to include The Big Thicket and Big Bend National Park.

Connie and Bert were asked often to speak on certain topics at the nature meetings in neighboring counties, but there were no visual aids to help the listeners learn.  Speech writing was always a challenge which resulted in too many topics and really nothing to show.  The only guide they had at the time was Reed's Little Handbook and old files from National Geographic and Nature magazines.  They did not use binoculars or scopes as ornithologist do now.  Connie did however collect and study bird nests which enabled people to become familiar with the bird species and their nesting habits.  It also allowed her audience to see the construction of the nest, touch the different materials used to build the nest, and become familiar with nest architecture.  This peaked listeners interest greatly.

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