Family Ties

Holiday Poem, 1962

One Veteran

One of my favorite relatives was my great-uncle, Frank Edwin Alexander. I don't know a lot about his service, but I do have this clipping from the paper:

Durant Daily Democrat

May 16, 1947

Frank E. Alexander, pharmacist’s mate third class, son of Mrs. Edna Alexander of Caddo, Okla. has arrived at San Francisco, Calif. aboard the transport U.S.S. General A. E. Anderson. The Anderson is transporting civil service workers, Navy, and Marine personnel from Pacific base to the United States.

 

I sure wish I had asked him about his military career, but I was too young to care about that part of his life. 

Blizzard

I'm pretty sure I've posted this Liberty Hill column before. However, it takes on new meaning when paired with the descriptions of the storm that I found this week. 

Caddo Herald

January 18, 1918

Some Winter Weather

            Last Thursday night a real blizzard struck this part of the country and since then ice and snow have been plentiful, even though, possibly, unwelcome. About an inch of snow fell Thursday night while the mercury fell also to 4 degrees below zero, the coldest it has been in ten years. The mercury played tag with zero for two days, then went up a little. Monday a big snowstorm came, after a drizzling rain which froze as it fell.

            People who know tell the snow is good for crops and we believe them, for nature hardly ever wastes anything. But it’s pretty hard on owners of small coal and wood piles, to say nothing of thin clothes and porous shoes. Anyway, we’re glad it come so early in the winter, so that it will not interfere with crop planting.

 

Saturday Morning Advertiser (Durant)

January 19, 1918

Worst Weather Here in Fifteen Years

Cold Snow, Followed by Sleet and Coal Shortage

Imposed Many Hardships on Community

                This immediate community has probably suffered more from the cold snap that commenced about supper time Thursday night of last week than from any similar cold spell in fifteen years, according to the old-timers who have spent their lives in this county.

                Beginning Thursday night with a cold norther and snow which pushed the thermometer down to one degree below zero, this was followed by a slight thaw Sunday and this by a bad sleet Monday morning early, making conditions unpleasant in a great many ways.

                Friday and Saturday of last week the coal situation was relieved as far as supply was concerned, but the orders piled up on the dealers to the extent that they could not commence to deliver them. Monday’s sleet made it impossible to deliver anything in the city with horse-drawn wagons, unless the horses were shod for such work, as few of them were, and this condition kept many homes cold early in the week.

                The sudden freeze froze up the plumbing in dozens and dozens of homes and the Sunday thaw allowed the frozen and bursted pipes to leak, and there was little or no relief from the situation save cutting off the water, if that were possible, or sopping up the water as it leaked out, as the limited number of plumbers in the city could not begin to answer the calls that came to them.

                Home-canned fruit in glass jars froze and containers burst, potatoes stored away in supposedly warm places froze and were ruined; and many other articles which a freeze spoils were destroyed.

                Monday any kind of road traveling by autos or horses was almost impossible, owing to the sleet, and city delivery hacks made their deliveries with great difficulty.

                Train schedules were knocked sky high on all lines and traffic generally was pretty badly tied up.

 

The Caddo Herald

February 1, 1918

Liberty Hill Items

By C. W. Banta

            With six inches of snow and the thermometer below zero the scribe has but little opportunity to get the news of the neighborhood.

            Uncle Jim Green and wife had a fine girl to come to make her home with them. It was born last Saturday morning. Mother and babe are doing well, but so far they have been unable to find a name good enough for it.

            Grandma Baine has been on the sick list, but is better now.

            Dr. Dale passed Liberty Hill Sunday night, going “somewhere in the country”.

            The Literary Society at Liberty Hill had a very good attendance Friday night. The program was short, but interesting. All seemed to enjoy the spelling match. Next Friday night we will have debating and speeches by the little ones. Everyone is invited to come and take a part in the program.

            There was a prayer meeting at F. M. Green’s residence Sunday night. On account of bad weather, only a small crowd was present.

            Liberty Park Grocery will have a fresh supply of garden seed soon. We cordially solicit our friends to give us their patronage in this line of trade. We handle only the best.

            We have been completely snowed under. No work of any kind has been possible. One did well to have fires to keep from freezing.

 

May, 1946

More Ribbons

Indian Citizen

April 26, 1945

Atoka County 4-H Club Round Up

Note: I only copied the names of students from Liberty Hill.

Song Contest

Blue Ribbon- Liberty

 

Girls’ Timely Topics

Blue- Beverly O’Hern

Red- Maxine Dufur

 

Girls’ Team Demonstration

Blue- Marjorie (Margie) Colleen Springer and Patsy O’Hern

 

Boys’ Timely Topics

Blue- Glendie Rains

Red- Jimmy Murray

 

Hand Towels

Blue- Colleen Springer, Doris Mayes, Maxine Dufur, Wanda Wilson, Patsy O’Hern

Red- Dorothy Childers, Maribob Murray

 

Pillow Case

Blue- Beverly O’Hern

Red- Helen Thompson

 

Wash Cloth

Blue- Amarylis Dufur

 

Scarf

Blue-Amarylis Dufur

 

Handkerchief

Blue- Amarylis Dufur

 

Apron

Blue- Ted Rains, Kenneth Wilson

Blue Ribbons

Indian Citizen (Atoka)

September 14, 1944

Achievement Day Results

Atoka County Home Demonstration and 4-H Club Achievement Day exhibit was held at the grade school Saturday, September 9. (Note: I only copied the Liberty Hill winners.)

Home Improvement

Blue ribbon: Maxine Dufur, Ella Mae Lane, Patsy O’Hern, Maggie Walker, Colleen Springer, Dorothy Childers, Wanda Wilson, Maribob Murray, Helen Thompson

Canning

Blue ribbon: Patsy O’Hern, Colleen Springer, Helen Thompson

Red ribbon: Maribob Murray, Maxine Dufur, Dorothy Childers

Clothing

Apron

Blue ribbon: Maxine Dufur, Ella Mae Lane, Colleen Springer, Dorothy Childers, Wanda Wilson, Maribob Murray, Helen Thompson

Cotton School Dress

Blue ribbon: Helen Thompson

Garden seeds

Blue ribbon: Eugene Snow

Miscellaneous

Blue ribbons:

Maxine Dufur, apples

Maxine Dufur, eggs

Billy Dufur, eggs

Dorothy Childers, potatoes

Red ribbon:

Maxine Dufur, potatoes

Visiting, 1940

Indian Citizen

April 4, 1940

Liberty Hill News

Reporter Lillian Crites

Hello, folks, here we are again, just as happy as can be.

Sunday school is progressing fine and everybody seems to be interested in it. Remember the pie supper and cake walk Friday night and plenty of music. Everybody come.

There will be a school program at the end of the school, which will be the 26^th of April.

Opal Crites spent Sunday with Colleen Springer.

Clarence Hunter spent Sunday with John Springer, Jr.

Christine Lane spent Sunday with Lillian and Arkie Crites.

Curtis Springer spent Sunday with Alvin Hunter.

Everyone enjoyed the goat roping.

Geraldine Frazier spent Wednesday night with Hattie Dillard.

Bro. Hazelwood of Caney will preach here Sunday and the Brotherhood of Caddo will also be here.

Mrs. Richard Berry spent Sunday afternoon with Mr. and Mrs. W. R. Snow.

Will see you again next week.

Liberty Demonstration Club, 1939

News, 1917

The Caddo Herald

December 28, 1917

Liberty Hill Items

By C. W. Banta

            Liberty Hill school had a genuine treat last Thursday evening. We had an address by Mrs. Elizabeth Ward on home canning and home economy in general. We had in connection an excellent speech by Mr. P. G. Phelps of the State University. Mr. Phelps is a live wire and created quite an interest in the Red Cross work.

            Mr. George Wilson was chairman and established a Red Cross chapter at Liberty Hill. C. W. Banta was made captain and Miss Antionette Peters, Sec. Friday night they held their first meeting, securing $23. The following members were enrolled:

            Mrs. Fara, Miss Catherine Fara, C. W. Banta, C. C. Smith, A. F. Danier, T. J. Galvin, Jim Nix, Noah Johnson, and Hardin Green. Mr. Kilmer subscribed four members and Mr. Shaw three. Several took a two-dollar membership. The Caddo workers obtained More Liberty Hill people than the home chapter did.

            Grandpa Drake is very sick at this writing with pneumonia.

            School has been suspended for the holidays. Business will be resumed Dec. 31.

            We are expecting a large attendance after the first. Our teachers seem to have their interests centered toward the betterment of the school and the children are learning fast.

In giving the list of Red Cross members we forgot to mention the names of Charlie Evans and Miss Oline Norscut. If we have overlooked anyone it was entirely unintentional as we are proud of all our members.

            Elder Smiser preached Sunday afternoon at 3pm, that being his regular appointment at Liberty Hill.

T.L. Green has bought land near Antlers, Okla. where he is to move soon. Mr. Green is a good citizen and we recommend him to Antler’s people.

School Woes, 1950

The Atoka County Times

June 15, 1950

Letters to the Editor

            There seems to be a great deal of discussion about the disposition of the Liberty School. As a former member of the Liberty School Board, I want to state these facts:

            Enough pupils lived in our school district for a one-teacher school. But due to some transferring out (over protest of the school board) it left us with an average daily attendance of  10.2 and the school law reads, you must have an average daily attendance of 13, or be more than seven miles from the High School serving that area, or the school becomes the property of the school district whose transportation area you are in. Which in Liberty’s case, was Caddo, of Bryan County.

            Liberty is the second richest rural school district in Atoka County, the valuation being $127,000, due to the M.K.T. railroad running the full length of the district.

            Before it became mandatory that we go to Caddo, the majority of the people in our district signed a petition to consolidate with the Caney School District of Atoka County. The petition was presented to the State Board of Education, Oklahoma City.

            I was one, and proud of it, that wanted so see us stay in Atoka County. I was born here, went to school and own my farm here. Spent all my life in this county except for what years I was away, going to Normal School and then playing baseball.

            Any fair-minded citizen can understand that Caddo would have liked to have our fine children and the revenue from this Liberty District. We thought we should keep it in Atoka County for a number of reasons, and we did.

            Ross Faudree

            Director, Liberty School District

 

Indian Citizen (Atoka)

June 22, 1950

Liberty Voters Answer to Faudree

            In answer to Mr. Faudree’s explanation as to the way Liberty School was consolidated with Caney, the following statement can be made: Mr. F failed to explain that when the people of Liberty signed that petition for an election, we thought that the residents of Liberty district were the only ones to vote and we were content to have an election and abide by the wishes of the people of Liberty.

            We admit our ignorance of the difference between consolidation and annexation, and the Powers That Be were very careful not to explain the difference. When we did find out that should an election be held all of Caney district, which by that time already took in Voca and Rock Springs, would be permitted to vote with us, we immediately set to work to get our names removed from the petition for an election. But to no avail, because it had gone so far, they went right ahead and held the election.

            When the final votes were counted there were more than 50 votes against it. Count the voters in Liberty district and see how many you think were left wanting to go to Caney.

            We know that our school is gone and nothing can be done about that, but we don’t like to be made to look like a bunch of gripes with nothing to gripe about.

            Folks, when a politician begins dictating to the people instead of serving them, it is time to remove that politician from office.

            Mr. F didn’t explain, or probably the good man doesn’t know, how the jobs of several of those who dared oppose were threatened, and some were even ousted. Does that sound like democracy? That’s a great incentive for wanting to stay in the county, isn’t it?

            We love our homes just as much as Mr. F. That’s why we are seeking to better our lot so we can afford to stay here.

            Our lot may not be helped by this article, but maybe it will be a warning to some other small school and also open the eyes of the voters of the county to the trend of dictatorship toward which we are heading.

            After we lost our district we asked to be annexed to Caddo and our petition was refused. The reason given not being that we did not have sufficient grounds for an election but that the State Board of Education had made a RULE that another election could not be held within a year of the last one. We then applied for transfers to Caddo and those also were denied. Seems odd that this happened because last year they were all granted out of our district, even those to Caddo.  

            Why is it so bad for Atoka county children to go to school at Caddo? At present Caddo is hiring two of our Atoka county teachers, even though they live in Atoka county. After all, we all still live in the same state. Why be so petty about county boundary lines? Is not the welfare of our children more important?

            We might point out to you that our main opposition was not from people who had children of school age. Some of them didn’t have any children at all.

            When you go to vote, just stop and consider whether the man on the ballot has tried to serve the people or tried to dictate to them.

            -- Mrs. Harry Parker, Harry Parker, Mrs. J. E. Fox, J. E. Fox, J. L. Springer, M. C. Nunn, Pink Williams, Harve Dillard, Josie Dillard, J. D. Dowd, J. C. Smith, A. J. Cowart, Curtis W. Springer, B. F. Brown, Roy O’Hern, May Dowd, Edgar Smith, Mrs. Edgar Smith, Mack Dufur, Willie Mae Dufur, Velora Smith, Esther Smith, Della Springer, Irene O’Hern.