CHAPTER 41
1926: Three Noel Families Move Away From the Farm, to Carnegie, Oklahoma
Editor’s note: The numerous sibling given names, especially of Frank’s large family, that appear may be a bit daunting for most readers. Please refer to the insert below for names and ages, which may be helpful. Frank’s mother, his brother, Austin, and his sisters, Viola, Lona, and Lavada, as well as his young brother David, are all mentioned. I hope this helps navigate these connections. RAN
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Frank’s and Pearl’s Parents and Siblings Mentioned in writings
Jim Noel m. Amanda Jane Long, 1893 Peter H. Thornton m. Melvina Watts, 1896
Frank b. 1894 Pearl b. Jan., 1905
Austin b.1896 Billy b. April, 1909
Oma b. 1898 (Melvina-entered Texas State Asylum-Feb.1910; dies there 1965 )
Viola b. 1904 Peter remarries- Betty Savage-1913
Lona b.1906 Arthur Thornton b. 1914
Lavada b.1908
David b. 1910
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Pearl’s narration begins here:
All of the changes of the new year seemed to fall into place. Frank helped his brother, Austin, Arthur (Lona Noel Crossland’s husband), and Grandma Mandy Noel haul all their household things because the move to Carnegie through the Wichita Mountains was quite a trek. In the caravan were wagons, teams, plow tools, agricultural supplies, and one Model T truck, which had to be helped up a hill or two with its load. I don’t recall the exact length of time spent on the venture. But logically, it would have to be three days with two nights camping out beside the mountain road. The women and children waited at convenient places until the men returned to drive the families in loaded automobiles along the mountain way to their destination.
Editor’s note: This is a modern map of the section of Oklahoma described in this chapter. In 1926, highways and roads were less developed, often consisting of dirt roads. The Noel farms were located 10 miles southwest of Grandfield, , just south of US Highway 70, near the Red River. Traveling to Lawton first, then north and west on State Hwy 58 to Carnegie at junction of Hwy 58 and Hwy 9. This route through the Wichita Mountains is most likely the mountainous roads along the path Pearl describes to get to Carnegie. RAN
We made a few trips through the mountains to visit the folks in Carnegie, but we soon drove a few miles out of the way to avoid this tiring drive. At first, the mountain drive was interesting. We learned a few familiar places: Beers was a country store and post office in the Wichita Mountains. This place still exists as I write in 1980. You can find it on the map. We learned where to expect “pow-wows”, meeting places for some Indian tribes who lived in the area. Saddle Mountain began to be welcomed as a herald, telling us we were coming out of the mountain wilderness soon. The children never liked the road through the mountains.
The year 1926 was about to become quite an eventful one. Around the end of January, my elderly neighbor, Mrs. J. M. Smith, 3/4 miles to the south, stopped by that wintry afternoon to visit, while her husband drove to the county seat to render his taxes for the new year. The ladies of the new community, Pleasant Valley School District # 255, were trying to stir up enough interest to organize a Home Demonstration Club. This plan sounded very wonderful to me; also, very vague, as I had not the slightest idea of what it might involve! Mrs. Smith assured me that when the committee decided to organize, I would be notified.
Pearl and Frank are expecting a baby again!
Sometime in April, I discovered that I was pregnant. Viola and Ueal were expecting a baby in the summer, and our baby would be born in the winter. There were many new neighbors. The Ab Davidsons lived up on the hill west, less than a half mile. Neither the Davidsons nor the Smiths were total strangers to us, as Papa had known both families near Davidson, Oklahoma, when we lived a short while on granddaddy Ware’s place when I was 2 years old (1907). More recently, the Davidsons and younger members of the Smith family helped organize a church that met at the Rita Schoolhouse. The church meeting location was later moved to Pleasant Valley Schoolhouse, closer to where the greater number of members resided. There were other neighbors whom I had not known before. The Alfred Parks family lived across the intersection from us. The Loyace Hicks family, including their two-year-old daughter, Mozelle, and Loyace’s father and mother, lived nearby. Some of these were known, some we had not met: Emory and Blanche Hagy lived a mile north; Sutherlands lived two miles south; Hoyt and Bertha Clemmer lived some two and a half miles west. All of these newly arriving neighbors would become well-known to Frank and me within a year.
Home Demonstration Club Organized
At the organizational meeting of the women’s club, I also met Mrs. W. E. Brister, who lived just east of us, over in the Fort Augur school district. We enjoyed being with Mrs. Bertha Clemmer, and the meeting took place at the Smiths’ place. The Smith’s daughter, Icy, and Minnie Germany, Mrs. Smith’s spinster sister, were among the Charter members of the club. Mrs. Brister was elected president, and Miss Icy Smith was elected secretary, with the other officers to be elected at a future meeting. I can recall feeling very good and very fortunate to be a member of the newly organized Home Demonstration Club when I returned home that day.
High Risk and Fear of Childhood Diseases
Sorrow and sadness darkened our community that spring when Loyal and Dollie Hick’s two year old daughter came down with a case of croup. Dr Fuqua was summoned, as they couldn’t seem to control the attack with home remedies. Frank was in the home visiting them when her sore throat began, but neither he nor the family considered it a serious case. Little Mozille’s condition didn’t improve. It only became steadily worse, despite all that the family and the doctor could do. She died in only a few short days with what was diagnosed as membranous croup. It was the same disease that Billy was afflicted with at age 5, when the doctor administered the proper antitoxin, which saved his life! I recall that we attended the funeral services for Mozelle, which were painful for us, as neighbors with young children, too.
Sewing Machines and Mildred’s Humor
In early 1926, Alta and Jim Green and their two daughters, Thelma and Dorothy, moved into Grandfield. Jim had become an agent for Singer Sewing Machine Company and had an office in the corner of the large second-hand furniture store. As he went about his work, contacting prospective customers and knocking on doors to make appointments for later dates to catch husbands at home, he wore a straw sailor hat. Of course, he dressed in a jacket and tie, and the hat topped off his costume, proper for a respectable sewing machine agent. Mildred, four-going-on-five, was fascinated by the straw sailor hat. We saw very few of these hats, but some businessmen wore them in the summer. Each time Mildred saw a straw sailor hat, she would say, “Look, he’s wearing a Sewing Machine hat!” That was her name for Jim Green’s hat, a Sewing Machine hat! We spent much time with them during the Greens’ stay in Grandfield. We bought a new sewing machine, which served us well until electricity came to our rural area. Then, we traded the treadle machine in for an electrically powered Elgin machine.
Ed. note: This image is of a 1926 model of the Elgin Sewing Machine, similar to what is mentioned. RAN
Frank Is Wrongly Accused by Native American “Indian” Land Owner
Frank was enjoying his new farm, and we were both happy with our large flock of white leghorn hens, which we had purchased from Charley Wrenchy. He had moved from his farm located on the highway between our home and Grandfield. He had resettled in the West Texas Plains and, for some reason, could not move the flock of chickens with him. Frank and I could envision those lovely white hens making our living in the near future. A bit of unrest developed on the adjoining farm that we had just vacated. The Indian owner, William Wyatt, accused Frank, through the Indian Department, of removing the “two large wooden gates” from his fence and relocating them as part of our present fence. Frank was very troubled at first and discussed it with others, getting their opinions. Finally, after reading the “fine print” on the lease contract, he found that it read thus:
“You shall not remove any structure or portion
of the structure if it has been permanently
fastened to another structure…”
Obviously, the gates, which Frank had constructed, installed, and used there, were fastened to nothing more permanent than fence posts. They were Frank’s, and he moved them to his new farm. Consequently, when Frank presented his case to the Indian Department, he was found to be “Not guilty” of any wrongdoing. Frank and the neighbors had many laughs at the poor Indian fellow, an educated man, but lacking knowledge of Indian Lease contracts. He had requested, in the accusation, that Frank bring those “two large wooden gates” back and replace them in his fence. When he found his accusations to be false, he not only failed to get the gates back, but also had to build new gates, if he really needed them. His face was probably quite red from both embarrassment and anger! He never really found his place in the community in his year or two on his farm.
Best Friend and Sister in Law, Viola Has a Baby
Frances Jo was born to Viola and Ueal Bowman that year on August 4, 1926. I don’t believe that Mandy came down from Carnegie at Frances Jo’s birth, but she and young David, now 16, came down later in the fall and were there in the winter. Lavada, now 18, stayed up in Carnegie, as she was socializing with young people, making new friends readily. She was also a help to her big sister, Lona, in Carnegie, who was expecting a second baby that fall. After the illness and death of Dollie’s and Loyace’s little girl, we learned that Dollie was also expecting that winter.
Pearl and Frank’s Third Baby is Born: JT
The day after Christmas, 1926, Frank and I had sat around our house all day with only Calvin, our two-year-old. Grandpa Thornton had begged for Mildred to stay with them that day when he came over to check on my welfare, in my time of late pregnancy, in the morning. Papa had brought her home before nightfall. About 8 pm, I went into labor, and Frank went to Mr. Parks’ telephone to call Dr. Fuqua. He also went to Viola’s and picked up Mandy. On December 26, around 10 pm, a “bouncing baby boy” was born, weighing eleven pounds, the doctor said. Mandy always said the baby was not that big; the doctor’s scales must be wrong. During the process of our second son’s delivery, Loyace Hicks appeared on the scene, asking the doctor to stop by his home, as they believed Dollie, his wife, was ready to give birth. Once he had completed examining the baby and me, the doctor visited the Hicks’ home. However, upon examination, Dr. Fuqua judged that Dollie’s delivery was some hours away, so he returned to town. The next evening, though, Loyace was calling Dr. Fuqua to deliver Theresa, a baby girl, for Dollie and Loyace. Jokingly, the doctor asked why she couldn’t have saved him a 12-mile trip! Dollie, with her good sense of humor, assured him that she did try!
Frank and I disagreed on a name for the baby. Frank wanted to name him Thomas Grover, but that sounded, to me, like such an ancient name for a baby. I really didn’t have a choice, but Mandy saved the day by suggesting the initials “JT” in honor of her husband, James Thomas, who was, of course, Frank’s father. She had wanted to name one of her sons for him, but he wouldn’t allow it. She sold us on the idea, so “JT” it would be. Lola, Frank’s first wife, had a baby brother who died, whose name was Grover, and that was probably the reason this name came to Frank’s mind. More than once, something pertaining to his dead wife would surface during our life together. I suppose this is understandable, as she was an important part of his young adult life. J.T. was an easy baby to care for. He was healthy, so he spent much of his time lying in the baby bed we had used for both Mildred and Calvin.
Every time Viola came and found him in bed, she picked him up, commenting on how he was being neglected. She said that Frances Jo, her baby daughter, who was about five months older than J.T., was being held by a family member constantly. She did admit that there were four adults present, including Mandy and David, in their home, which was drafty and cold. As soon as JT was old enough, however, we put him in the high chair, which he enjoyed very much.
Ed. note: This image is from the 1920s, according to Almay. Imagine J.T. sitting happily there. Of interest, JT weighed 11 pounds at birth, according to the doctor. Daddy gave him the nickname “Heavy” at some point soon thereafter. I wonder if Daddy got the nickname from that fact? RAN
The Young Two Year Old Calvin’s Frightening Adventure
I recall an occasion when JT was about five months old; we had come from Viola’s and Ueal’s, and put him in his chair. A young neighboring couple, Ora and Taylor Hill had come by, and we were all enjoying JT, as he laughed and played with us for the first time! Taylor and Frank had stepped outside, but Ora and I were still in the kitchen talking when Calvin, two and a half years old by then, came in the door. I saw that he had been crying, but I forgot, momentarily, and then recalled, that he had been visiting with Viola and Ueal. I looked out to see if they had brought him home, and not seeing them, I asked Frank if they had dropped Calvin off. Frank and Taylor had seen him, but they, too, failed to realize, for the moment, that he was not supposed to be there.
Then we became alarmed and began to question him. How did he get home? Did he walk? He said, “Yes,” “Were you afraid?”, we asked. He shook his head, “yes”, and then said, “I cried ‘Mama’ at the bridge!” Calvin, 2 and 1/2 years old, had walked one and a quarter miles, uphill and downhill, crossed two bridges that spanned Cooper Creek! We knew we must let Ueal and Viola know, as they would be frantic! Just as Frank and Taylor went to the car, Ueal and Viola drove in and soon saw Calvin. They explained that Ueal had gone to the barn, and Viola thought Calvin had gone with him. She didn’t miss him until Ueal came in and they began to question each other. Of course, their first thought was that he might have fallen into the creek. What a relief to us all that he was safe after the ordeal he had gone through! Even though Aunt Viola favored Calvin Wayne, I don’t recall another time he stayed with them alone; perhaps, after he was older. He and Aunt “Vi” really loved each other, and she would tease him by saying, “Calvin’s a rotten tater!”. Then, he would respond with, “You’re a rotten tater!” One day, when he was a little older, he would sit down beside me, playing with something while I sewed, or maybe I was holding JT. Anyway, right out of the blue, he said, “Mama, Aunt Vi’s a rotten tater!”. That indicated their affection for one another!
Ed. note: We look forward to 1927, a prosperous farming time with many new events in the Noels’ lives. Stay tuned. RAN
Thanks, Dad. There are so many interesting details. That story about Calvin finding his way home at 2 1/2 is harrowing.