Who's Your Mama Update - Step #1 Complete

This is the first follow-up to the Who's Your Mama? post I did in April.  I have been trying to find out who my great grandfather's(William Thomas Spradling) mother was.  It could have been Cynthia or her sister Amanda (we have always thought it was Amanda).  The problem I had was that Will's birthday did not match up to his father's (William Alexander Spradling) and Amanda's wedding date.  You will have to click on the above link for the full story.

There are several steps involved to help solve this mystery.  The first one I have completed which was to order Will's death certificate.

I like it when I receive a death certificate in the mail.  It contains so much information.  This sounds morbid, but to a family historian it is like getting a birthday present in the mail.  I'm such a nerd.

Anyway, I checked the date of birth first.  Will's date of birth is listed as Sept. 15, 1878, which is one year later than I had in my notes or what is on his tombstone according to findagrave.com and to the Oklahoma cemetery records online.  So if his death certificate is correct then Amanda, not Cynthia, was his mother.  Keep in mind that the information on a death certificate is only as good as the person providing it.  So if the mortician is asking questions to someone who is distraught then most likely the information will not be accurate.  I will discuss this later because it can interfere with your research.

This is Will's death certificate.  He was born in Dexter, Texas and his parents were William A. Spradling and Amanda (unknown).  This was common for the mother's last name to be listed as "unknown".  His wife's name is listed as, Mrs. W.T. Spradling, so funny, and she provided the information for his death certificate.  Mrs. W.T. 's real name was Effie Gideon Carter.  Will died of a heart attack at the age of 83.  He had lived at his residence 54 years.  He was retired and had been an engineer which I understand meant that he worked for the railroad.  Now this is what I like.  He  lived at 1416 Pecan Street in Duncan.

from Google maps

The house he lived would have been to the right, but it is an empty lot now.  The building at the end of the block is the old Bethel Assembly of God Church.  Will walked to this church for services.

With Google maps you can see where your ancestors actually lived.

Brothers:  l: John Edgar and r: William Thomas

Anyway, now that step 1 is complete my question is still not answered.  Was Amanda Will's mother?

I need to find out what happened to the first wife, Cynthia (also Amanda's sister).

I'll keep you posted.

Happy Grandma's Day.

Love,

Territory Mom 

He Was Her "Little Joe"

Clint Walker from Cheyenne

One day I stopped by my Grandma's house after work for a visit.  We always had good visits just the two of us.  We got to talking about Little Joe Cartwright and how much we loved to watch reruns of Bonanza.  (I actually remember watching Bonanza on primetime)  Like every American girl I had a crush on Little Joe.

Anyway, my Grandma shared with me that her favorite western was Cheyenne and the reason was Clint Walker as Cheyenne Bodie.  He stood 6'6" and was part Cherokee.  Well, he is still because he is still living.  You can check out "The Big Guy" at his official website, here.

I saw this photo of Clint Walker and thought, "Grandma".

No wonder she liked him.

Happy Grandma's Day.

Love,

Territory Mom

P.S. I forgot to mention that Cheyenne is on every afternoon after The Virginian on the Encore Western channel

We Called Him, Bake

Harold Jeff Baker

April 2, 1918 - April 20, 1998

This was my grandpa aka "the preacher".  He was the patriarch of our family.  We called him "Bake".  My nephew was due to be born in April, 1998.  As Bake lay in his hospital bed he said that he wanted to see my nephew.  My sister had already named him so Bake called him by his name.  My nephew didn't arrive until May, but  I think they did meet each other on their journeys home. 

Love,

Territory Mom

I Can't Get to Wal-Mart

We have known for quite awhile that this bridge was going to be replaced.  I didn't get photos of it until the beginning of last week's ice storm.  The guys at Oklahoma Bridges have posted some great photos and a some information about this old bridge that gets us across Deep Fork River and to Wal-Mart.

I thought it was the same bridge as the one in the photo below:

My husband's grandma and her sister

It's not the same bridge but it could be this bridge which also crosses Deep Fork:

Anyway, I can't get to Wal-Mart.  Did that bridge really need to be replaced?  It wasn't in such bad condition, was it?

Happy Grandma's Day.

Love,

Territory Mom

Happy Birthday, Maggie!!!

Susan Margaret "Maggie" Brashear was born on this day, November 17th in 1869 to Walter W. Brashear and Nancy W. Brewer, in Pope County, Arkansas. She had two half sisters from her father's first marriage to Mary Rackley. They were, Sarah M. Brashear who married Wiley Duvall and Amanda Melvina Brashear who married Henderson Pigg. She had six other sisters; Mary Elizabeth "Bettie" Brashear, married A.C. Bowden, Victoria, married Sinclair Perry, Martha Lou, married R. Hannibal Vaughn, Ursula Evelyn, married William J. Chronister, Lillian, who never married, she died at the age of 18, and Mamie H., married Elton Lewellen(he died tragically, not far from where I live now) then she married Ralph Vassaur. Maggie also had seven brothers, Mortimer M., died at age 3, Lincoln, died at age 2, Adam C., married Joanna Burris, Howell, died at birth, Burgess Ford Brashear, (a mystery, left home and moved to Canada before 1900), Rev. David Warren , married 1st Ruth Beesley and 2nd Sarah Johnson, Rev. Thomas L. "Tommy", married 1st Della Ennis and 2nd, Amanda "Mandy" Barham Maggie married Charles Henry "Charlie" Dunn on September 26, 1886. They had nine children; Maudie Velma, married Weldon Wright, Chester, died at birth, Nancy Pearl Emily, married John Jackson Barham, Ruth, married Herman Paddock, Mamie F., married Charles H. Barnett, Homer, married Ruth Jackson, Roscoe Blaine, married 1st, Esther Jackson and 2nd, Theola ________ Burgess, (I can't remember his wife's name, sorry), and Charles, Jr., died at 5 months of age

Kinder Cemetery

Maggie died from pneumonia on Feb. 27, 1905, two weeks after Charles, Jr. was born. She was only 34 years old. She is buried in Kinder Cemetery, located on Pope Mountain, Pope County, AR.

This is her grave, She is buried with her sons, Chester and Charles, Jr. The grave behind hers is her parents.

Happy Birthday, Maggie

Love,

Territory Mom

Negatives From An Old Kodak Brownie Camera

I received an email from my new found cousin and it stated, "I remembered I had some negatives from an old Kodak Brownie Camera". I was so excited. I'm all about the old photos.

Anyway, he had 99 negatives from the 1940's and 50's in a safety deposit box. He graciously had them developed and email them to me. Below are the first photos he sent me:

Cousins

l, Inez Smith and r, my grandma

When my grandma saw this picture she said, "Inez always had store bought dresses."

More cousins, my mom is in the center

The men folk: sitting: C.H. Dunn. L to R: John Barham(my great grandpa), Herman Paddock and Harold Baker (my grandpa)

This photo was taken before my grandpa became a preacher. He always looked the same age to me. Herman Paddock and his wife Ruth Dunn Paddock raised their niece and nephews. I spoke with one of the nephews and he called him "Dad" and said that "he was the greatest man to walk this earth". I don't think you can get a better compliment than that.

Happy Grandma's Day,

Love,

Territory Mom

Best Wishes, Dean

This is my grandma's cousin, Dean Barnett Brown. She died on December 30, 2007 at the age of 78. I have recently been contacted by a Dunn cousin who found my website. He put me in touch with his mother and last night I talked to his uncle. I will blog about our conversations later. Right now I am soaking in their voices of "home". I will tell you that I feel more connected to my Dunn side than ever before. Anyway, we found out Dean died. Her mother was Mamie Dunn Barnett and her father was Charlie Barnett. She was born and raised at Comanche, OK. When I was a little girl my grandma took me to her house to visit Aunt Mamie. Dean was caring for her. We went into this little house with sparse furnishings. It was the cleanest house I had ever seen. We sat on a vinyl couch or devan in the front room while my grandma visited with her cousins, Dean and Inez. Then my grandma took us into the next room where her Aunt Mamie lay dying. Her bed was in the corner with a little table and a chair next to it. The floor was linoleum and it was sparkling clean. I can still see Aunt Mamie, she was small and her hands looked like my grandma's. She had dark skin and long white hair. I thought she was very pretty.

The 2nd Aunt Mamie

Mamie Dunn Barnett

I found Dean's obit in the Duncan Banner:

The Duncan Banner

January 2, 2008 Angie Verdean ‘Dean’ Brown

COMANCHE — Angie Verdean “Dean” Brown 78, of Comanche, passed away Saturday, Dec. 29, 2007, in Waurika. Memorial service will be at 1:30 p.m. Thursday in Ray of Hope Church with Dow Pannell officiating

Today, I found her obit from the Dudley Funeral Home:

Angie Verdean Barnett Brown, seventy-eight, of Waurika, Oklahoma, passed from this life December 30, 2007, in the Jefferson County Hospital. She was born November 5, 1929, in Comanche, Oklahoma, to Charley and Mamie Dunn Barnett. She attended Comanche High School up to her junior year when she dropped out to marry Bob Brown. Mrs. Brown was a lifelong resident of Comanche, except for a year and a half when she moved around with Mr. Brown while he worked in the oilfields. She was a charter member of the Comanche Rebekah Lodge, a member of the Womens' Club, the 49er's Club, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Lions Club. She worked at Opal's Style Shop, the drugstore on Main Street, and owned two flower shops - one in 1974 named the Comanche Tepee and one in the '80s called Dean's Flowers. She was preceded in death by her mother in 1971, her father in 1962, her beloved husband in 1996, and a grandson who died at birth. Survivors include: her son Daniel Brown and his wife of Duncan, OK; her daughter Robbie and her husband Bret Bernethy of Waurika, OK; two grandchildren - Krystal Henderson of Comanche, OK, and Robert Wayne Davis of Comanche, OK; three great-grandchildren - James Matthew Smith, Whitney Lynn Davis, and Mason Luke Houston; one brother-in-law - Jack Brown of Comanche, OK; two nieces - Debbie Carr and Sandi Odom; and several cousins including Wilma Fitzgerald and Linda Bailey. A memorial service for Mrs. Brown will be at 1:30 PM, Tuesday, January 3, 2008, at the Ray of Hope Church in Comanche with Dow Pannell officiating.

Happy Grandma's Day.

Love,

Territory Mom

http://www.dudleyfuneralhomes.com/angiebrown.html

Gettin' a Mule to Cross a Bridge

I'm going to take a break from blogging for a few days. I need to get my house in order, which covers a lot of territory. I thought I would leave you with this photo of my husband's grandma and her sister when they were teenagers.

I think this bridge is on the list of repairs for this year.

Happy Grandma's Day,

Territory Mom

This is My Grandma

We call her "Ma" because when she became a grandma she felt she was too young to be called grandma. She is a complicated woman. She loves the Lord and can't wait to get to heaven to be with her husband, "the preacher". She still drives at age 87, a black Ford F150. She is concerned her truck maybe out of style.

Her parents were John Jackson Barham and Pearl Dunn. They moved to Oklahoma from Arkansas to be farmers. Ma is very proud that she was born in Comanche. She had 4 sisters and one baby brother. Her mother had a difficult childhood and the sadness from it may have carried over to her children. Ma doesn't talk about her childhood anymore, but when she did there was a sense of shame in her voice.

I always thought she was pretty.

Happy Grandma's Day,

Territory Mom

Chocolate Gravy Recipe, now this is country.

If you grew up in Oklahoma or your grandma came from Arkansas or in my case my son's babysitter you have had chocolate gravy. 1 1/2 cup milk

2 T. cocoa 1/2 cup sugar 2 T. flour 1 T. butter

1 tsp vanilla pinch of salt In a saucepan stir milk and butter over medium heat. When butter is melted gradually add dry ingredients. Use a whisk and stir until thick (like pudding). When desired thickness is reached add vanilla, stir.

Pour gravy over hot buttered biscuits. You don't have to use homemade biscuits, this taste great over whop em biscuits, well this just taste great.

NOTE: If you are on a diet run very fast from chocolate gravy. Enjoy, Territory Mom

Grandma's Quilt

This is a quilt that my husband's grandma made. Its just a simple 9 piece square pattern made out of polyester, but its the warmest quilt I have ever used. There is no batting but its very heavy. One day last week my husband was having a particularly hard day so I said to him "do you want to sleep with your grandma's quilt". He slept like a baby. Now my husband is a tough ironworker but there is something about your grandma's quilt that just makes you feel better. It gets you back where you belong. God's love covers us like that, its warm, safe, comforting. God's love gets you back where you belong.

Have a great day,

Territory Mom

Looking for Emily

I'm looking for information about Emily T. Singleton Dunn Kinder, she is my ggg grandmother. She was born in Arkansas about 1848. She died about 1898 and is buried next to Adam in the Kinder Cemetery near Atkins, AR. Her father's name was Joseph, mother's unknown. Her first husband was James Dunn (absolutely no information about him).

They had a child, Charles Henry Dunn about 1867(this is my line). According to the 1870 census records, Emily was married to Adam Green Kinder. Her son Charles is listed as age 3 with the last name Dunn. Other census records show him as Kinder, which is incorrect. Charles Dunn later married Maggie Brashear, they are my great great grandparents.

It starts to get confusing from here on out. Emily and her 2nd husband Adam Kinder had a son,** Andrew who married Lillie Mae Barham, who is the older sister of my great grandfather, John J. Barham who married one of Charles and Maggie's daughters. So my gg grandmother on the Brashear/Dunn side and my gg aunt on the Barham/Willis side shared the same mother-in-law.

Also, Adam Kinder's mother was a Chronister, Maggie Brashear's sister Ursula married a Chronister and also another Barham sister married a Chronister.

But for now my focus is on Emily. Who was she? Is there a photo of her somewhere? What were her hobbies? What happened to her first husband?, etc. Can anyone out there shed light on this mystery?

Thanks,

Territory Mom

** NOTE: Emily and Adam Kinder had other children. My research is ongoing.

Buttermilk Biscuits

This is my husband's grandma. Her name was Minnie. When this photo was taken she lived with her family in a tent in Arkansas where she was born. As a little girl her family traveled to Oklahoma. They had to go over the Winding Stair Mountains to get to their destination. When she was older Minnie worked in the local cafes as a cook. She was well known for being a great cook, a hard worker and the "best grandma". She loved church. Sometimes if she didn't have a ride she would walk 6 miles to get to church. Her biscuits were a family favorite. I finally got the recipe and make them about once a week, which makes my husband very happy. I asked my father-in-law if his grandma, Minnie's mother, taught her how to make the biscuits and he said "that is just how everyone made biscuits on a wood burning stove". So, with that being said this recipe must belong to everyone. You can call them Pioneer Biscuits, Okie Biscuits, Buttermilk Biscuits or just what my husband calls them, "Grandma's Biscuits."

Enjoy,

Territory Mom

Buttermilk Biscuits:

3 cups self-rising flour

1 t. soda

2 cups buttermilk

Sift flour and soda together, add buttermilk and beat. Pour on to floured surface and knead adding flour as needed until not sticky. Roll and use a floured cutter to cut out biscuits. Place in pan with oil, dipping one side in oil and then placing in pan on other side. Bake at 400 degrees until brown on top.

NOTE: The recipe above is the first written version, so I recommend halving the recipe until you get the hang of it. Don't add all of the buttermilk at once do it slowing until the dough feels right. Also the biscuits are more moist if they are a little sticky. I have never made biscuits without shortening so this took a little while for me to get right. The shortening is not necessary because of dipping the biscuits in oil. The easiest way is to add the oil to your baking pan then dipping one side then the next. I usually bake for about 10-12 minutes, but watch them closely. You will love these biscuits!!! Good luck!

Out feedin' the chickens . . .

This is my mom's grandma. She was born in the 1890's in Arkansas. She lived most of her life in Comanche, OK and is buried in the Comanche Cemetery along side her husband. She had three names. That's a 1st name and 2 middle names. Anyway her first name was also her grandmother's name, Nancy. What I know about her is that she was a fine cook and she made a delicious yellow cake. She always welcomed company with a meal. Sometimes during a visit she would somehow disappear, but everyone knew she was "out feedin' the chickens". I guess it was her therapy.

Territory Mom

Grandma's Day

This is my grandma when she was a girl in the late 1920's. We call her Ma, which is what my son calls me. Tuesdays are going to be "Grandma's Day". A day to share a story about your grandma or a story your grandma told you. I chose Tuesday because when we would go to my grandma's we had to get up early on Tuesdays and go with her to the women's prayer meeting. After the prayer meeting the ladies would quilt. Ma taught me to quilt.

Territory Mom