Ed. note: In this chapter, we have introduced to us more clearly the young widower, Frank Noel, whose wife, Lola while pregnant, died of the Spanish Flu in February 1920. You will hear some Noel family names that may be new, so I will make notations in […] for those names to help orient the reader. Here is the family “tree”:
Enjoy. RAN
(Pearl’s writing begins)
School was barely out in the Spring of 1920 when a Carnival came to Frederick, the county seat of Tillman County. It had been widely advertised, and Viola and Lona Noel began to wish they could go. [ Recall, these two Noel girls were near Pearl’s age, Viola was a fast friend, and they were younger sisters of Frank Noel] Some three months following the death of his wife, Lola, the youthful 25 years old Frank thought that would be a good diversion, and said he would take them to the Carnival. Naturally, they invited me, and Papa approved. Frank’s sister-in-law, Lillie (wife of Austin) wanted to go, too, probably to keep an eye on Frank and the girls. Lillie’s daughter, Oleta was about eighteen months old and was a hefty load to carry at that time, so Frank had the responsibility of the child, which he resented somewhat.
We traveled in a Ford Model T Touring car, and some six and one-half miles on the way, it began to rain. We quickly pulled the car into the driveway of Mr. J.D Burke, who Frank and Lillie knew; also, Alta Burke French was there visiting her parents. Lillie discovered this when she went in to explain our presence in the driveway. This was a pleasant surprise for both Lillie and Alta, as they could each show off their offspring, as Alta had a baby girl, too. Frank and the girls took the side curtains from under the back seat of the car and proceeded to put them up. The rain had stopped by then, but we left them on to be safe, taking them down for our return home. Even though they had Isinglass windows, they were most unpleasant to use.
The Carnival was a thrill to a greater or lesser degree to each of us. And we kids learned a new song! Well, the melody wasn’t new, but the song, a parody of “Smiles”, was sung by a beautiful young singer who came out on an improvised stage and sang “Kisses”. I will insert the words to both songs!
“Smiles”
Refrain:
“There are smiles that make us happy,
There are smiles that make us blue,
There are smiles that steal away the teardrops
As sunbeams steal away the dew.
There are smiles that have a tender meaning
That the eyes of love alone may see;
But the smiles that fill my life with sunshine
Are the smiles that you give to me!”
“Kisses”
“There’s the kiss you get from mother,
It’s the first real kiss you get;
There are kisses that you get from others,
The kisses that you’ll soon forget.
There are kisses of the tender greeting,
Many other kisses I recall.
But the kisses that I get from you, dear,
are the sweetest kisses of all!”
Ed. note: I could not find a “you-tube” version of “Kisses”, 1920 version. RAN
Sadness again gripped our neighborhood at the death of Bertha Stiles McCurry. Bertha and Vivian McCurry were in their first year of marriage, and they were expecting a child. Bertha began having trouble early in her pregnancy and her doctor recommended her to a doctor in Clinton, Oklahoma. She had been there for some weeks when we began to get reports that she was not doing well. Then, the sad news that she had died broke our hearts. I’m sure Frank was sympathetic with the young husband, as he had just lost his wife under similar circumstances. So, he asked the girls if they would like to attend graveside rites for Bertha at the Grandfield Cemetery. They answered in the affirmative and called me to go with them. The event was very sad as we empathized with the family, having felt similar losses in each of our families in recent months.
Frank experiences conversion
Sometime after Lola’s burial, as Frank was spending most of his time recuperating from the Spanish Flu and still in deep grief, he and his mother, Mandy Noel, who lived across the road, were talking one afternoon. She had used every means at her command to help him through this period of grief. They had read the Bible, and apparently claimed all of its promises; all except one, I suppose, which was Romans 10:9-10, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God had raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation.” To her surprise, Frank sprang up from where he sat on his trunk and began shouting! He had, at last, met the conditions to receive salvation; his burden of sin and self was gone. He was left with joy ringing in his heart! Mandy stood with him shouting her joy, also!
Because of his physical condition, Frank was not expected to recover from his severe bout with the Spanish Flu, so he was rejoicing, whatever befalls him, life or death! Mr. Davidson, about a mile away, heard about Frank’s conversion experience and I’m sure, visited him. I believe he took him to church at Pleasant Valley School where a small Baptist church was meeting. There, Frank made a public profession of his conversion experience and offered himself for membership in the church, following the rite of baptism.
Rev. D. M. Howell, the pastor of the Baptist congregation, baptized Frank in the cool clear water of the Thornton’s swimming pond that had resulted from the “sand diggers” hauling away sand for making concrete. Only a few were gathered there for the ceremony; a few men from the Baptist church, the mother, Mandy Noel, and Frank’s family, the Thornton family, and that was all.
Frank shows increasing interest in Pearl
I was not aware of this, but Frank had begun eyeing me as we were associated in the various trips and activities of the past weeks. The Wiggins, Oma, and Houston [Oma is a married sister, four years Frank’s junior] had an ice cream party for all the family and, as usual, Viola called for me to attend. Two heart-searching and life-changing decisions confronted Frank at this ice cream supper. The moonlight was bright from a full moon, as I recall, so the event was conducted out of doors. Chairs, benches, and other facilities were moved out to accommodate us all. Along with Viola and Lona, Mandy and the two younger children [Lavada and David] were present, as well as Austin and Lillie. Frank separated himself from the crowd and lay down upon the storm cellar door. He was happy in his recently-professed Christian faith, but a troubling thought haunted him; although Lola had professed Christianity some two years prior to her death, he was not sure she had really had a true confrontation with God. His own experience was so vivid and so real; as he had had an association with her, he couldn’t believe that she had a moving experience akin to his own, or it would have come across in a more convincing way! So, he had prayed much, searched his own heart, and asked for peace concerning his dead wife.
Suddenly, as he prayed, there appeared to him, as he lay on his back on the cellar door, a white cloud above him. On this cloud Frank saw Lola sitting and smiling at him, portraying to him the assurance that she was at rest and joyful in the Heavenly Realm! Also, he told me later, that it was on that evening that he realized he was in love with me. I’m not sure which experience came first, but apparently, the heavenly apparition proceeded his earthly decision to seek a new mate for himself.
My father, P.H. Thornton bought a car that summer. I can’t say who had previously owned it; someone in Grandfield, I believe. A neighbor, Mr. Hogan, drove Papa into Grandfield to close the deal for the car, a 1916 “brass front” model T Ford. Mr. Hogan drove him home as Papa didn’t know how to operate the car yet. In fact, Mr. Hogan took Papa to his grass pasture and gave him driving instructions as he drove around and around in the Hogan pasture. The next day Mr. hogan and Papa went back to Grandfield to bring the Hogan automobile home and, also, to let Papa try his hand at the steering wheel of his own Model T.
The Thornton family made a few thirty-mile trips to see the relatives in the Randlett area that summer. Aunt Dove and Uncle Elias lived there, and Roy Thornton’s family, Uncle Bert’s son; also, and some dear friends, the Floyd Anglins still lived in the area. Naturally, I invited the Noel girls to go with us on these trips. Sometimes, only Viola would go, but for pastime experiences while driving, we girls began to count horses along the road. Mandy Noel told us that there was a saying when she was young that said, “after you had counted 100 horses, begin looking for a white (gray) horse. Then, watch out! The first man we shake hands with will be the man we marry!” How exciting! Mandy was, in addition to being a warm, understanding person, a lot of fun to us kids!
Another means of entertainment that summer in our small world was the attendance of a Community Singing at Chateau School, some four to five miles away. These meetings were on Sunday evenings and the songs were church and religious songs. Inspirational effects on the participants were probably minimal, but it was enjoyable, plus it gave them opportunities to meet young people from all around the community.
An interest in Frank Noel was farthest from my mind, but one evening as we left the Singing, when we walked toward the car, he clutched my arm, drawing me close to him! That was a shock to me! One that I hardly knew how to assess. I never knew whether Viola and Lona noticed or not. We didn’t mention it, but when they drove me home, as I climbed out of the back seat, Frank turned around and grasped my hand, saying he was going to be the first man to shake hands with me after the horse-counting game! Things, to my surprise, were developing!
The one most pleasurable happening in our circle in the summer of 1920 was the visits of Melvin Savage (he liked to be called Jack), Mama Bettie’s youngest brother. He was straight out of Tennessee, not many months away from France and the effects of life in the Armed Forces of the First World War. He was light-hearted and funny, entertaining us kids, Billy and me, and the Noel girls alike. Papa laughed at his jokes, as there was not much chance of getting Jack to settle down to serious conversation. Mama Bettie was perplexed at him! It wasn’t the baby brother she left at home in Tennessee some ten years ago! The old War had ruined him, she surmised, but he joked and sung his way into our hearts.
Jack knew all of the popular songs we knew and many we didn’t know, of course. Older songs were revived and given a new meaning as soldiers, longing for their girls back home sang “For Me and My Gal”, “I’m Sorry I made you Cry”, “They Go Wild, Simply Wild over Me”, “Sweet Adeline” and others. But we delighted in his singing the popular songs, in which we could join him. “Smiles”, “ Til We Meet Again”, “Over There”, “Goodbye Broadway”, Hello France”, “I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles”.
Jack didn’t seem to share our love for the Country and Western songs, “Utah Carl”, “The Streets of Loredo”, and others. He tended more toward the Eastern U.S. culture and even the city. But he made our summer! He fell for Viola, her beauty, and her joyful attitude. Viola for him, too, possibly became more involved than Jack in the affair. Being some 8 years senior and having his worldly experiences, he could “love and leave” in a romantic affair easier than Viola could, perhaps.
He stayed a week to ten days the first time he came, before returning to his brother’s home in McLean, Texas. After another ten days he returned, and we all rejoiced! Papa and Mama welcomed him gladly, too. Besides being their brother/brother-in-law, he was a good hand in the field and had good fellowship with Mama Bettie, after she accepted him just as he was.
Ed. note: This coming chapter will find Pearl and Frank getting more serious. Frank goes for mechanic training. Pearl hopes to go to high school. Stay tuned. RAN