For Elizabeth
The Parson Family Story
Frank Parson JR
Chapter 06
Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Helen's Benediction
Wynn Haynie
PHOTOS
Stories and Tales
(Mostly True)
Grandparents
Robert Franklin Parson Jr.
And
Helen Elizabeth Putman Parson
Your Grandfather, Robert Franklin Parson Jr. (Frank Jr.) was born in Yarnaby, Bryan Co.,
Oklahoma on April 2, 1924. His parents were Robert Franklin Parson (1902-1967) and Doris Oleta Llewallen Parson (1904-1990).
They had farmed in Bryan Co., Oklahoma since their marriage in 1920. Frank had one older sister, Thelma, who was born in 1922, and one younger brother, Joe Douglas who was born in 1927. His father’s niece, Rose Marie DeLoach, who was born in 1932 also became a part of the Parson family in 1937, after her mother, Frank’s younger sister, Ora Della, died in
Phoenix, Arizona.
Your Grandmother, Helen Elizabeth Putman Parson was born in Kemp, Oklahoma on August 9, 1924. Her parents were Henry Clay Putman (1900-1987) and Etta Mae Thornton Putman (1903-1979). They were both born in Arkansas and were living in Kemp Township, Oklahoma by 1910.
Helen grew up in a family of ten children, one of whom, (Ruby), died in infancy in 1930. Her oldest brother, Hugh Wilson, was born in 1921 when her parents were ages twenty and seventeen. Helen, the second oldest child was born in 1924 and three more brothers and four more sisters were soon to follow; Clarence (Shorty), in 1925; Ruth Ann, in 1927; Dora Faye, in 1930; Oleta, in 1932; Thelma Kay in 1936; Donald Ray, in 1937; and Henry Clay Jr.
in 1940 when Clay and Etta were thirty-six and thirty-nine respectively.
Both Frank Jr. and Helen grew up in Bryan Co., Oklahoma. Frank would grow up on his father’s farm and developed a deep love for the land.
Helen’s early life was much more difficult. Her father worked as a farm laborer at times and often as a hired laborer at whatever he could find. Both Frank and Helen developed an incredible work ethic which they would maintain throughout their lifetime.
By the 1930’s, the depression had begun and this generation would be the most deeply affected of all. They would grow up hungrier, stronger, and more determined than any other generation thus far; hungry, not only for food, but for stability and success. And they would soon become known as “The Greatest Generation.”
Frank Jr. and Helen were both of school age by 1930. Frank Jr. would spend his school years in Yarnaby, an unincorporated community twelve miles east of Achille and Helen would spend her school years in Yuba, also an unincorporated community in Bryan Co., Oklahoma and also twelve miles east of Achille. As the crow flies, the two communities were located just three miles from each other, so it is likely that Frank Jr. and Helen
knew each other all of their lives.
By the 1930’s, every state required an elementary school education (grades 1-8) for all
students, and as the decade progressed, many schools began to offer grades 1-12. In Yuba, a K-12 school was established in 1929. Rural school schedules were still often determined by planting, cultivating, and harvesting schedules. The schools offered a rigorous curriculum of reading, writing, arithmetic, and home-economics.
On the 1930 census, both Frank and Helen are living in Kemp, Bryan Co., Oklahoma. Frank Jr. is six years old and living with his parents, Robert Frank and Doris, ages twenty-seven and twenty-five and his sister, Thelma, age seven, and his brother Joe, age two.
Helen, age seven, is living in Albany, Oklahoma with her parents Henry Clay, age thirty and Etta, age twenty-six. Also listed are Hugh, age nine, Clarence (Shorty), age five, Ruth Ann, age three, and Ruby, age 0. This is a child that did not survive infancy. In the early1930’s, probably 1932 or 1933,
Helen’s mother, Etta Mae, would be terribly burned in a kerosene explosion, while cooking. While attempting to pull her out of the fire, Clay’s hands received severe burns, leaving him incapacitated for many months. Etta Mae was burned so severely that the country doctor, (Doc Bolinger), moved in with them and stayed for several months, and it took several years for Etta to heal. She had to learn again how to talk, walk, and use her hands, feet,
arms and legs.. It took a miracle for her to survive. But she did. What an incredibly strong woman she was!
At this time Hugh would have been eleven or twelve; Helen, nine or ten; Shorty, seven or eight; Ruth Ann, five or six; Dora Faye, two or three; and Oleta, just an infant. With her brothers Hugh and Shorty’s help, they were able to pull this family out of this crisis. They nursed both their mother and their father back to health, raised the younger children, planted and harvested the garden, fed the chickens, did all of the cooking and washing, and
somehow Helen still became a serious student. This experience certainly left scars, leaving Helen completely resistant to ever talking about her childhood.
And Frank talked, and talked and talked about his.
These were their school years, and both she and Frank were excellent students. As the end of the 1930’s approached, the world was again being drawn into global conflict. By 1937,
Japan was in an undeclared war with China and by 1938, Germany had annexed Austria with no interference from either Britain or France. In 1939, Germany invaded Poland and the world was outraged. World War II had begun.
This was a time when Frank Jr. and Helen were in High school where each of them would graduate as Valedictorians of their class and then go on to Southeastern Teacher’s College in Durant for one semester. They were each the first members of their families to do so.
The 1940 census shows the Parson family still living on the same farm in Bryan County. Robert Frank and Doris are ages thirty-seven and thirty-five. Three children are still living in the home; Frank Jr., age fifteen; Joe, age twelve; and Rose Marie, age eight.
In 1940, Clay and Etta, ages forty and thirty-seven, are living in Kemp Township (E of Range Line between Ranges 9 and 10 in Townships 8 and 9). Helen, age sixteen; Clarence (Shorty), age fourteen; Dora Faye, age ten; Oleta, age eight; Kay, age four; and Don, age three are also in the household.
WWII began in 1939 when Germany invaded Poland. This battle to protect a country’s right to self-determination would pitch the Allied countries of the British Commonwealth, Canada, and the United States against the Axis powers of Germany and Italy.
In the years prior to 1940, America was still in the throes of the Great Depression. America had turned inward and was determined to remain neutral in this conflict. With the rise of Nazism in Germany, Fascism in ltaly, and Militarism in Japan, all sowing seeds of global war, America’s neutrality soon became an implied neutrality, with the United States doing whatever it could to aid the allied powers of Britain and France. After Japan occupied
Indo-China in 1940, the U.S. seized Japanese and Chinese financial assets and cut off all exports to Japan. America was becoming involved, but not militarily, although the U.S. did deploy the Pacific Fleet to Japan. The Lend- Lease Act, passed in 1941, allowed America to provide supplies and armaments to the allies in their determination to halt German aggression and take back conquered territory.
This world conflict would eventually involve fifty nations and the deployment of 100 million soldiers. The United States entered the war on December 7, 1941 after the Japanese bombed the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in a surprise attack by Japanese Kamikaze bombers.
This attack devastated the American Navy, sinking four
battleships, damaging the rest, and killing 2,403 Americans. It also ended the U.S. policy of
isolationism. The following day, President Roosevelt, in a speech to congress, declared
December 7, as “a day that will live in infamy,” and asked for a declaration of war. The “Sleeping Giant” had awakened and war was declared on two fronts, Europe and Asia.
The U.S. entry into WWII helped put the nation’s struggling economy back on it’s feet. Seventeen million new jobs were created and for the first time in the nation’s history, women joined the workforce; often working as “Rosie the Riveters” in aircraft plants, munitions plants, and shipyards. This massive mobilization effort created an economic boom unlike any previously seen in our nation’s history.
In early to mid-1942, Frank Jr. and Helen set out for Martinez, California with Helen’s brother Hugh and his wife Birdie. Never having traveled further than thirty miles away from Bryan Co. Oklahoma, they loaded up Hugh’s old car and headed west, probably on old I-40, to Martinez, California, a distance of 1,707 miles.
Frank Jr. could not pass his physical, due to a lung condition, and this was, perhaps their way of contributing to the war effort. Frank Jr.”s Uncle Oscar Llewallen (1889-1957) and
two aunts, Annie Lewallen Carpenter (1899-1989), and Clara Llewallen Dollar (1911-2001), were already living in Martinez.
Not un-similar to the “Old Uncles”, this trip led them to a place they loved. Martinez was a small, but prosperous, oil refinery town located on the southernmost shore of the easternmost end of the Carquinez Strait in the San Francisco Bay. It is situated in a small valley, largely surrounded by water. It’s official nickname is “The Bay Area’s Hidden Gem”. Martinez was the site of the state’s first oil refinery, established in 1904 and would become dominated by Shell oil in the coming years, It is here that Frank Jr. and Helen were married
on August 7, 1942, soon after arriving in Martinez.
Helen would turn nineteen two days later, on August 9, and Frank was eighteen.
They would quickly get jobs, along with Hugh and Birdie, and from 1942-1944 were working at one of the eighteen Kaiser Ship-building yards in the San Francisco Bay area.
These shipyards had developed a revolutionary new way to build Liberty ships, and
to build them quickly. These Liberty ships, developed to meet British orders for transports to replace ships that had been lost, were mass produced on an unprecedented scale and came to symbolize U.S. wartime industrial output. Between 1941 and 1945, 2,710 were built; an average of three ships every two days, easily the largest number of ships ever produced from a single design.
Frank Jr. and Helen lived in an attached upstairs apartment in the home of Mrs. Lakey, who adored Frank Jr., allowing him, and only him, to stretch out with his feet up on her Davenport.
Frank Jr., at age twenty, was crew chief over a group of thirty or so men who were mostly in their thirties and forties. He had the only company pickup for his crew and spent many hours hurriedly bouncing up and down over the winding, hilly streets of San Francisco and the Bay area hauling and delivering supplies to his crew. Helen had a secretarial job at the same Kaiser Shipyard. She worked in the office of the team that built a Liberty ship in the record time of four days, fifteen hours, and twenty-nine minutes. This record was set in November, 1942.
Back in Oklahoma, on July 5, 1943, Boise City became the only U.S. city to be bombed in WWII. At 1:30 A.M., a B17 Flying Fortress mistakenly dropped it’s payload in the center of the town square. Fortunately, there were no injuries and little damage, as the practice bombs contained only four pounds of dynamite and seventy pounds of sand.
Most Americans who remained at home supported the war effort in any way they could,
whether by buying Liberty Bonds or rolling bandages. Rationing became the norm as
production of everything from steel to nylon became critical for the war effort. This became the most patriotic era of our nation’s history.
Although Germany was initially successful in their effort to control all of Europe, the tide of battle turned on June 6, 1944, the D-Day landing on the beaches of Normandy, France which was then occupied by Nazi Germany. The Allies had secretly been planning a massive invasion across the English Channel since early 1942. By November, 1943, Hitler had become aware of this plan and began to heavily fortify the beaches all along the English
Channel. Not knowing exactly where the invasion would take place, he ordered the building of an “Atlantic Wall,” a 2,400 mile fortification of bunkers, landmines, and water obstacles.
A massive Allied deception campaign operation was carried out to convince Hitler that the assault would take place at the most narrow point of the English Channel. This deception included fake equipment, double agents, fraudulent radio transmissions, and a phantom army.
On the morning of June 5, over 5,000 ships and landing craft began the trip across the English Channel. Over 11,000 aircraft were mobilized to provide air cover and support for the invasion. By dawn, on June 6, thousands of paratroopers and glider troops were already on the ground behind enemy lines, securing bridges and exit roads.
The amphibious invasion, code named Operation Overlord, began at 6:30 A.M. on June 6.
While the British and Canadian troops overcame light opposition to capture beaches code named Gold, Juno and Sword, the Americans also experienced light opposition at Utah Beach. However, the Americans faced heavy and deadly resistance at Omaha Beach, with over 2,000 casualties.
Almost 156,000 Allied troops had landed on the Normandy beaches in northern France by the end of the day. Casualties from these landings numbered over 4,000. Less than a week later, over 326,000 troops, 50,000 vehicles, and 100,000 tons of supplies had landed on the Normandy beaches.
As the Allies fought their way forward, by the end of June they had seized the vital port of
Cherbourg and landed another 850,000 troops and 150,000 vehicles. As they continued their march across France, they would liberate Paris in August, amid wild cheers, huge celebrations, and Parisian tears. The Allied forces would next turn their sights on
Germany, where they would meet up with Soviet forces moving in from the East.
There, they would be confronted by the horrors of the Holocaust, the systematic state-sponsored killing of the Jewish people by Adolf Hitler and his collaborators. Unimaginable atrocities occurred beginning in 1933, spurred by a wave of pre-war anti-Semitism, with Jews losing their citizenship, homes and businesses and ultimately their lives in Jewish concentration camps. The heroics of the Jewish underground resistance units and selfless individuals saved thousands, but millions died.
The depravity of this “final solution” left American G.1.s shocked and stunned as they began
to liberate the concentration camps of Auschwitz, Buchenwald, Dachau and a thousand others.
Back in California, Frank Jr. and Helen continued to work at the Kaiser shipyard until sometime in early 1944. Then they headed east, back to Oklahoma; across that dry, barren and empty desert in an old, rusty Ford that required engine work after every couple of hundred miles. Each evening, they would pull up to a small, often dilapidated roadside motel. Frank Jr. would crawl up under the hood to tinker enough to assure
another couple of hundred miles the next day and Helen would fix whatever they had for an evening meal and then wash a load of Carole Ann’s diapers, hanging them up to dry on sticks in the desert wind.
This trip was made when Helen was again pregnant and Carole Ann was probably around six months old, having been born in Martinez, California.
On May 8, 1945 . the war in Europe ended. Four months later, on September 2, Japan surrendered after the devastating effects of the U.S. dropping atomic bombs on both Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The war was finally over, and the nation celebrated. On VE Day, Frank Jr. and Helen took
eleven month old Carole Ann and celebrated with ice cream cones.
During World War Il, 330,000 American soldiers were killed and thousands were left with
permanent and often devastating injuries. In Oklahoma, 90,000 soldiers served, and 5,500 made the ultimate sacrifice.
WWII proved to be the deadliest international conflict in history, taking the lives of 60 to 80 million people, including 6 million Jews who died at the hands of the Nazis during the Holocaust. This includes 50-55 million civilians and 21-25 military personnel. Millions more were injured and tens of millions lost homes and properties.
The atomic bombing of Hiroshima and and Nagasaki would henceforth change the state of
world politics. The legacy of war caused a global shift in power from Europe to two rival superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union.
The Cold War had now begun. After returning from California in early 1945, Frank was again farming in Bryan Co., Oklahoma. One month after the war in Europe ended, on June
23, 1945, Frank Jr. and Helen would welcome their first son, Ronald Frank Parson and the following year their family would grow again with the addition of twin daughters, Paula and Paulette on June 19, 1946.
At some point between 1945 and 1950, Frank Jr. was diagnosed with TB and spent several months at St. Vincent’s Sanitarium in Sherman, Texas. TB, or tuberculosis, was a mycobacterium lung disease, often spread by infected cattle, that peaked in the
late 1800’s to mid 1900’s. The only treatment, at the time, was isolation, rest, fresh air and exercise.
This disease was eventually cured with the development of the drug streptomycin in the
1940’s. As Frank Jr.s lungs failed to heal, he was subsequently diagnosed with Farmer’s Lung, a type of hyper-sensitivity pneumonitis caused by, among other things, moldy hay and straw. The symptoms included shortness of breath, rapid heart rate, cough, fever chills, and a general feeling of sickness. There is no cure for Farmers Lung, only symptomatic treatment. He was advised that he would need to avoid continued exposure and to
stop farming and move to a drier climate. And so he did.
The 1950 Census shows that Frank Jr. and Helen were still living and farming in Bryan Co,, Oklahoma, but by August of that year they would be living in Lovington, Lea County New Mexico, where Frank Jr. had bought a small grocery store, and where they would soon become adjusted to the rolling tumble weeds and the blowing sand in this sparse, dry
landscape.
Their children had all become a year older in June of that year: Carole turned six, Ron
turned five, and the twins turned four. Carole would begin the first grade, not in Oklahoma, but in New Mexico.
In 1950 there is one particular event of note. Frank Jr. would, henceforth, be called
Frank.
Federal law requires that United States Census reports cannot be released publicly until seventy six years after the census is completed. Therefore Federal Census results for 1960 will not be publicly available until sometime in 2036. The 1970 and 1980 (the year you were born) censuses will not be available until 2046 and 2056, thus making this the
last census report we will have on Frank and Helen for this narrative.
The 1950’s were extremely prosperous years for the Parson family. Having begun their life in New Mexico by living in the back living quarters of the first small grocery store, they then moved to a small two bedroom house on fifth street, and then, by 1953, to a new modern three bedroom house located at 319 N. 6" street.
These were the years when home decorating, for the first time in our nation’s history became fashionable for ordinary citizens; the 1950’s trend was pink and grey (influenced by the popularity of Elvis Presly) and the house on 6 street was suitably appointed; grey with pink accents on the exterior, grey carpet and pink appliances on the interior.
Frank always preached “location, location, location” and this house fit the bill, being located just across the street from Lovington’s Jefferson Elementary School, Central Jr. High School, Lovington High School, Wildcat Gymnasium, and Wildcat Stadium; the last three of which would soon move to Avenue K, with Frank and Helen following when the children
became High School age.
It was also around this time that Frank and Helen purchased a new, modern building at 614 W. Ave. D, where they opened Frank’s Food Market, with a wonderful butcher shop in the back, run expertly by Frank who skillfully cut up chickens and butchered sides of beef and pork. This location also proved to be well thought out and the grocery store thrived until Frank and Helen later decided to double the square footage of the building and open a furniture store in the same location.
For the first time in their lives, Frank and Helen were not only working hard, they were also
determined to enjoy life. Frank loved to hunt and he and Ron often spent weekends dove hunting or quail hunting with friends. They especially enjoyed deer hunting, evidenced by the deer head and antelope head mounted in the den on 6" street. Whether deer meat or fish, Helen cooked many wonderful meals with this bounty.
Frank bought a motor boat and both Frank and Helen learned to water ski and the entire family enjoyed weekend trips to Lake McMillan; not a pretty place but, nevertheless, a place with water.
Both Frank and Helen loved to fish, a rather difficult pastime in the desert. This was solved, in the late 50’s, by two week trips in August of each year to Lake Vallecito in Southwestern Colorado with a rather large group of other Lovington families, and by fishing trips to Mexico; once with Helen’s sister and her husband Clyde Harris, and once with their
friends Ruth and Jack Nelms.
Frank and Helen also loved to dance and regularly attended the monthly country and
western dances held above the Bull Barn at the Lovington fair grounds.
They participated in many community activities. Frank was an Oddfellow, (Isn’t that a funny name?), an organization of small businessmen and Helen was secretary of the sister organization, Rebecca sorority.
Except for the underlying threat of a Cold War, life in the 1950’s had been good to Frank and Helen, as well as to most Americans. The “Greatest Generation” was being rewarded for their service
and their sacrifice. Their America was a strong America, still based on the religious values of our
Founding Fathers.
In the 1960’s Frank and Helen’s children would be growing up and another son would be added to
the family, Thomas Shelton Parson. As the older children reached high school age, the family moved
to 819 W. Ave. J, around the corner from the High School. Again, it was all about location, location,
location. Here they would remain until after all of the children had graduated.
During these years, Frank Sr. would become sick and Frank would buy a small farm and join the
Sheriff's Posse. They would attend the football games to cheer on Ron; and Helen, would
masterfully sew twirling outfits for the girls.
America would become engaged in two more wars and the Cold War would continue. The Korean War, often called “The Forgotten War” because it was wedged into such a small area of time and space, compared to the global war which had just ended, began on June 25, 1950 when the North Korean Communist army crossed the 38" Parallel, (an imaginary dividing line) into South Korea, then being supported by the U.S. and other allies. It was basically a “proxy war”, with neither side willing to risk a global nuclear confrontation, but which, nevertheless, caused the deaths of three million people, including 36,634 American casualties. An estimated 25,000 New Mexicans served with approximately 200 killed, POW or MIA, five of which were from Lea County. This was a three year war ending, not in victory, but in an armistice
agreement on July 27,1953. However, it did, for a while, stem the tide of the growing threat of Communism.
As the Cold War continued, and as American children hid under their desks during air raid drills,
the small Asian country of Viet Nam became a hot bed of hostility. Official U.S. involvement began on
November 5, 1955. This would be a war for the next generation to fight and would not end until
April 30, 1975.
These years would be punctuated by Viet Nam protests, Hippies, and “the Summer of Love,” all of which little affected the small cities in the southeastern part of this dry, desert state.
During the 1970’s, Frank and Helen would continue to run the grocery store from 7 A.M. to 7 P.M. until the older children had graduated and then they would open Frank’s Furniture and Appliances, doubling the building size, and creating another very successful business. Helen loved going to Market in Dallas, and Frank could fix anything and proudly wore his Maytag “Agitator” badge. And yes, he was that!
Helen would take a two-week visit to Spain with her good friend Ruth Nelms. This was a Maytag
sponsored trip won by Frank and Helen but which Frank refused to go on. However, he and Helen did
take two trips to Hawaii during this time, which they both really enjoyed.
The children would become adults and begin to have children of their own, eventually giving them
nine grandchildren and Frank and Helen would become Nana and Papaw.
Frank and Helen would move once again, to 2000 W. Ave J, in the Sunset Addition just west of town. It is here that their grandchildren would have fond memories of wonderful meals and neverending card and domino games all played while Frank incessantly listened to ESPN. Frank would hire a younger man, Charles Waits, to help with all the miscellaneous work projects he continued to do, and he quickly became “Our Charlie” and a much loved member of the family.
These would be the years of playing golf and traveling with the Good Sams club with a large and
close group of their Lovington friends. Frank would become President of this club and Helen, secretary.
They enjoyed these years so much, and made even more life-long friends.
These are also the years that Helen would continue to cook; like only a Putman girl could, always being sure to cook each child and grandchild’s favorite dish when they came; Pecan pie for Troy and banana pudding for Wynn.
Frank would begin collecting 1\16 scale model tractors, especially Farmall, John Deere, and Case.
He would spend hours searching for new ones, painting and restoring old ones, and researching,
organizing and displaying all of them. His collection would soon grow to around five hundred. Years
later. Troy and Paulette Harris would acquire this collection, knowing that he did not ever want it split
up, and which they would eventually donate to the Lea County Museum where it is on display.
By the 1990’s, Frank and Helen moved back to town, again to lovely home at a corner lot on Ave. ]
and 13t Street. (Location, location, location)! Helen continued to produce delicious meals and the
grandchildren began to produce children of their own eventually numbering thirteen great
grandchildren; and time marched on.
Frank died on September 6, 2002 at the age of seventy-eight in Lovington, New Mexico.
Helen moved in with her daughter Paula and then they both soon moved to Amarillo where Helen would
be near all three of her daughters. She died there on April 1, 2006 at the age of eighty-two.
Both she and Frank are buried at Lovington Cemetery, Lovington, New Mexico where they will always be
lovingly remembered by their children and grandchildren. A heart-felt salute to all of the great Americans of the “Greatest Generation”.
Frank Parson Jr Helen Elizabeth Putman Parson
Click for Larger Photos
Robert Franklin Parson Jr.
Rabbit Holes
The Missing “S”
During the generation of your Great Great Grandfather, the “s” on the last name Parsons began
to be dropped. Robert Lee Parson appears to have dropped the “s” soon after the turn of the century.
His brother, Dewitt Cleveland Parsons continued using the “s”, but early census records from the
1930’s and 1940’s show that both Robert Lee and Robert Frank had dropped the “s” on their last name,
although the missing “s” does appear on Robert Frank’s headstone.
Although this partially solves the mystery of the who”, “what”, “when”, and “where”, it leaves
unanswered the “why”. This would remain our unsolved mystery for many years, until PaPa Frank
informed us that the missing “s” was dropped in order to enable him to claim a ministerial discount.
Rabbit Holes
The Amazing Etta Mae
Joyous! That was Etta Mae! Throughout her life, she had little and laughed much. She would throw
her arms around her grandchildren and shout, “Oh! You little heifers are here!” She radiated joy.
She never, ever mentioned being burned so badly and was a proud, strong woman whose hands
were never idle. One could always hear the laughter in her voice as she constantly cooked,
crocheted, quilted, ironed, and sewed. She never had a sewing machine and whether mending,
sewing clothes from flour sacks, or making quilts there would be laughter in her voice and a twinkle
in her eye. She sewed everything by hand, each stitch meticulously measured, and each product
flawless.
The food at her table was always plentiful. Whether cooking for ten or thirty, no one would go
home hungry. Along with her chickens, her pantry only rarely included any more than fresh or canned
vegetables and her monthly supply of commodities. But her meals were delicious: red beans,
cornbread, fresh tomatoes, squash, green beans, and pies and chicken for Sunday meals, along with a
cold glass of ice tea.
Until the 1950’s, she never had indoor plumbing; just a water pump in the yard, a galvanized tub for
Saturday baths, and the old outhouse out back. Nothing to complain about, life was good!
In the mid-1950’s, Clay and Etta Mae now in their fifties, along with sons, Don and Henry, moved to
Lovington, New Mexico to be near Frank and Helen. They lived in a little 8 by 24” trailer. Clay worked
for Ferguson Construction and Etta Mae took in ironing at $5.00 a dozen. Both boys worked part
time and turned their checks over to Clay. It was not spending money. They made a meager living,
but, to Etta Mae, life was good.
In the very early 1970’s, Clay and Etta Mae moved back to Oklahoma and Frank and Helen
bought them their very first small, modern, two bedroom home. Etta Mae had missed her chickens
and her garden!
In the 1970’s, their great grandchildren were coming along and being greeted as boisterously by Etta Mae as had the grandchildren before them.
Her great grandson Wynn Haynie and she would whoop and holler as they watched wrestling on TV:
Wynn, lying on the floor, and Etta Mae sitting in her rocking chair beside a small table holding her
chewing tobacco and her spit cup, as they rooted for Haystack Calhoun, Andre the Giant, and Hulk
Hogan. Life was good!
Etta Mae was not a refined woman, she was so much more; she was a fine woman. She had so
little and she gave so much, the amazing Etta Mae!
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