LRL Home - Legislators and Leaders - Texas Legislators: Past & Present - Member profile

John Frank Onion Full Name: John Frank Onion Date of birth: February 28, 1862 Date of death: October 31, 1918 Terms of Service Biographical Notes Committee Information Terms of Service top Chamber District Dates of Service Legislatures Party City/County Note Counties in District H 92 Jan 8, 1907 - Nov 14, 1908 30th (1)   Democrat San Antonio / Bexar   Bexar H 92 Jan 10, 1905 - Jan 8, 1907 29th   Democrat San Antonio / Bexar   Bexar H 92 Jan 13, 1903 - Jan 10, 1905 28th   Democrat San Antonio / Bexar   Bexar H 23 Jan 10, 1893 - Mar 23, 1894 23rd (2)   Democrat Tyler / Smith   Smith (1) Onion resigned 11/14/1908. Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845; Members of the Texas Legislature 1846-2004, 2005. (2) Onion resigned 3/23/1894. Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845; Members of the Texas Legislature 1846-2004, 2005.   Biographical Notes and Resources top Resolutions and Journal entries Mentioned in 86th Legislature, R.S., HR 942, In memory of former presiding judge John F. "Jack" Onion, Jr., of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, "grandson of former state representative John Frank Onion." Resolutions - Memorial. Biographical Sketches Biographical sketch of John F. Onion in oral history of his grandson. John F. Onion (died 1918) elected to Texas House of Representatives from Tyler and San Antonio; came to Tyler, Smith County, Texas, from Harrison County, Indiana in 1877; marriage to Victoria Harper; four children. John F. Onion's son was Frank Leslie Onion (1890-1955), who later took the name John F. Onion, Jr. ("Pete"), "then dropped the 'Junior,' as many families did in those days when the Senior—they didn‘t call them 'Seniors'—when the elder person with the name died." John F. "Pete" Onion's son was John F. Onion, Jr., born 1925. Oral Memoirs of John Frank Onion Jr., 5/17/2010. Baylor University Institute for Oral History, Baylor University. Other Resources Obituary and photo, "John F. Onion Dies After Brief Illness: Body Will Be Shipped to San Antonio Tonight for Burial; Prominent Dallas Man Who Died Yesterday," 11/1/1918, p. 7. Born 2/28/1862 in Harrison County, Indiana; died 10/31/1918. In 1892, "elected to the lower House from Smith County. At the end of the Twenty-Third Legislature he moved to Bexar County and was elected to the Twenty-Eighth, Twenty-Ninth and Thirtieth Legislatures." Dallas Morning News. John F. Onion, birth date 2/28/1862 in Indiana, death date 10/31/1918 in Dallas, lawyer, Vice President Southland Life. FamilySearch Texas Deaths, 1890-1976. John F. Onion, birth date 2/28/1862 in Indiana, death date 10/31/1918 in Dallas, burial in Knights of Pythias Cemetery, San Antonio. Find a Grave. J.F. Onion, member of the Texas Legislature, mentioned in biographical sketch of grandson John Frank ("Jack") Onion, Jr., Presiding Judge, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, 1971-1988, and Judge, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, 1967-1970. Justices of Texas, 1836-1986 (Tarlton Law Library, The University of Texas at Austin), 2004. Obituary, "Funeral of Judge Onion to Be Held Here Today," San Antonio Express, 11/3/1918, p. 24, crediting the Abilene Library Consortium. Death date 10/31/1918. Represented Tyler and San Antonio in the state legislature. Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries). 29th Legislature (1905) - J.F. Onion, postoffice San Antonio, nativity Indiana, age 42 (born circa 1863), lawyer, Democrat. Texas Legislative Manual. Photographs Photograph. J.F. Onion, 30th Legislature, State Preservation Board Photograph. J.F. Onion, 29th Legislature, State Preservation Board Photograph. J.F. Onion, 28th Legislature, State Preservation Board Photograph. J.F. Onion, 23rd Legislature, Texas State Library and Archives Commission Photograph. J.T. Onion, 23rd Legislature, State Preservation Board Composite Photographs on Display in the Capitol 23rd session composite photo of House members (House chamber vestibule, east wall. 2W.V1). State Preservation Board. 28th session composite photo of House members (House chamber gallery, east wall. 3W.2). State Preservation Board. 29th session composite photo of House members (House chamber gallery, east wall. 3W.2). State Preservation Board. 30th session composite photo of House members (House chamber gallery, east wall. 3W.2). State Preservation Board. 23rd session composite photo of House members by Hill (Texas State Library and Archives Commission). Texas State Library and Archives Commission. 23rd session composite photo of House members by Journeay (Texas State Library and Archives Commission). Texas State Library and Archives Commission. Committee Informationtop 30th R.S. - 1907 Constitutional Amendments   Criminal Jurisprudence   Liquor Traffic   29th R.S. - 1905 Criminal Jurisprudence   Judiciary   Municipal Corporations   Pan American College of Commerce   Pan-American Trade Relations and Projected Trades College, Special (Co-Chair)  Public Lands and Land Office   Revenue and Taxation   State Asylums (Chair)  28th R.S. - 1903 Irrigation   Judicial Districts   Judiciary No. 2   Revenue and Taxation   23rd R.S. - 1893 Insurance, Statistics and History   Internal Improvements   Judicial Districts   Judiciary No. 1   Penitentiaries (Chair)  Penitentiaries   State Asylums

This website is a work in progress. Information on this website is provided as a public service by the Legislative Reference Library. The Legislative Reference Library makes no representation as to its completeness or accuracy and makes no warranty in regard to its use. Users assume all risk of reliance on the information included on this site.

Have a question, comment or contribution? Email the Library or call 512-463-1252.

Many photos in Texas Legislators: Past and Present are used with permission of the Texas State Preservation Board. For permission to reproduce these photos, please contact the Texas State Preservation Board graphics coordinator at 512-475-3060.