Grandfather:
James Lee
Grandmother:
Ellen Decker
***********************************************
A life story written by Linda Clark her grand daughter.
Myrtle May Thomas, My Granny
Myrtle May Pillow was born near Rockdale, TX in 1884. She grew tall and strong. She was at least five feet nine inches and, after her willowy youth, she weighed over 200 pounds most of her adult life.
Her Dad Ransom Pillow (known as Dock) and her mother Josephine T. Lee were tenant farmers or renters of land. As Myrtle was growing up, they lived on the Holtzclaw land grant in Milam County. When Myrtle was eighteen years old, the family moved about two hundred miles in a wagon to Cass County. Through the years, she repeated the story of their move, and always concluded with "I walked all the way".
When she was twenty-two, she accepted the marriage proposal of Tom Thomas, a man who had grown up in Arkansas and Indian Territory making a living in the timber industry. She was the eldest living child, so learned early the skills of homemaking and how to supervise the work of younger family members.
Tom and Myrtle lived in Cass County until their first son
Raymond Lee , was born, then they returned to Tom's family's home in the new state of Oklahoma. They lived there until another baby girl, Hazel Edith, was born. She died at age 7 months. Myrtle was close to her family and missed their presence in her life, so she and Tom returned to Cass County. James Elvin was born in 1910 andPaul Lee was born in 1911 followed by Irene Gertrude in 1913, R.B. in 1915 William Hayward in 1917. Myrtle probably thought her child bearing years were over, for five years passed before Cleo Mae was born in 1922, followed by Laura Bell(Dadie) in 1924.
Tom continued to work and travel hauling timber, while Myrtle stayed at home with her large family. When the kids were not in school, she supervised the older boys while they farmed. In the meantime, she tended her garden and chickens, canned food for the winter, and cooked for her family of field hands. Irene worked alongside her and helped the boys with the farming. Cleo was young when Irene married and she had to take Irene's place. She preferred the kitchen and was glad when her brothers sent her to the house to make a cake or cobbler for their noon meal.
Myrtle washed all of those boys overalls outdoors in a wash pot of boiling water. The water had to be drawn from the river in the early days and later from the well. It took many buckets to get the clothes cleaned and rinsed. Several of the children were required to help with the all day chore. They began by filling the iron wash pot with water and building a fire around it. The home made lye soap was added to the pot then the dirty clothes. She lifted the clothes out of the boiling water with a broom stick, while the smoke always seemed to get into her eyes. She scrubbed the dirt away on a wash board, then rinsed them in two tubs of water. After all of that, she put them on the clothes line to dry.
Myrtle made biscuits in a dough bowl, pinching the dough off in uniform pieces, rolling a ball in her floured hands, and dipping both sides in a pan of hot bacon grease and put them in the oven. They rose tall in the pan with a crusty top and bottom and were delicious whether they were just buttered or covered with red eye gravy or sorghum syrup. The middle of the table always held a spooner with the teaspoons in it, sorghum in an aluminum no-drip pitcher, and a gallon jar of canned pickled peaches. She liked for the yard to look nice, so she planted flowers and usually had a crepe myrtle and gardenia bushes. Grass was not permitted to grow, so the yard had to be swept to pick up every stray match stick with a brush broom. The yard broom was made of small limbs bound together with wire.
A total of twenty-three grandchildren grew up visiting their grandparents often. The older ones were endeared and spent time at their grandparent's home. Myrtle had one requirement; they had to work. She was the eldest of a big family, and, like her mother, was hard working and required everyone to be involved in whatever needed to be done. When family came to visit, Myrtle and the women worked in the kitchen while Tom entertained the men and younger children on the front porch. He told them stories of the Indians in Oklahoma and hidden gold while leaning back in a wooden chair with a cow hide seat. When the kitchen was clean or when she recruited older grandchildren to wash dishes, she took her place in a large wooden rocking chair.
Granny enjoyed dressing up and wearing a hat, even though her clothes were few. She allowed the grandchildren to brush her long hair that laid in tiny waves, then she twisted it into a neat bun and pinned it to the back of her head. She cleaned her brush, rolled up the hair, and saved it in a hair receiver. Her thigh high cotton stockings were tightened by twisting any extra fabric into a knot and turning it inside the stocking and rolling it down a couple of rolls.
She grew up in the Church of Christ, but when her oldest daughter married a firey young Baptist preacher, she became a Baptist. Church was the main social gathering in that time, and Granny enjoyed going to church. Grandchildren can remember sitting beside her in a brush arbor or on a hard wooden bench while singing hymns.
Myrtle was loved and revered by her children and grandchildren. If she could not say something good about someone, she just said nothing. When she had a chance to rest her tired body, she had a pleasant demeanor and a twinkle in her eye. She was liked in the community and cherished by her family.
This story was written by "Linda Clark" a granddaughter and has been posted with her permission.
James Lee
Grandmother:
Ellen Decker
***********************************************
A life story written by Linda Clark her grand daughter.
Myrtle May Thomas, My Granny
Myrtle May Pillow was born near Rockdale, TX in 1884. She grew tall and strong. She was at least five feet nine inches and, after her willowy youth, she weighed over 200 pounds most of her adult life.
Her Dad Ransom Pillow (known as Dock) and her mother Josephine T. Lee were tenant farmers or renters of land. As Myrtle was growing up, they lived on the Holtzclaw land grant in Milam County. When Myrtle was eighteen years old, the family moved about two hundred miles in a wagon to Cass County. Through the years, she repeated the story of their move, and always concluded with "I walked all the way".
When she was twenty-two, she accepted the marriage proposal of Tom Thomas, a man who had grown up in Arkansas and Indian Territory making a living in the timber industry. She was the eldest living child, so learned early the skills of homemaking and how to supervise the work of younger family members.
Tom and Myrtle lived in Cass County until their first son
Raymond Lee , was born, then they returned to Tom's family's home in the new state of Oklahoma. They lived there until another baby girl, Hazel Edith, was born. She died at age 7 months. Myrtle was close to her family and missed their presence in her life, so she and Tom returned to Cass County. James Elvin was born in 1910 andPaul Lee was born in 1911 followed by Irene Gertrude in 1913, R.B. in 1915 William Hayward in 1917. Myrtle probably thought her child bearing years were over, for five years passed before Cleo Mae was born in 1922, followed by Laura Bell(Dadie) in 1924.
Tom continued to work and travel hauling timber, while Myrtle stayed at home with her large family. When the kids were not in school, she supervised the older boys while they farmed. In the meantime, she tended her garden and chickens, canned food for the winter, and cooked for her family of field hands. Irene worked alongside her and helped the boys with the farming. Cleo was young when Irene married and she had to take Irene's place. She preferred the kitchen and was glad when her brothers sent her to the house to make a cake or cobbler for their noon meal.
Myrtle washed all of those boys overalls outdoors in a wash pot of boiling water. The water had to be drawn from the river in the early days and later from the well. It took many buckets to get the clothes cleaned and rinsed. Several of the children were required to help with the all day chore. They began by filling the iron wash pot with water and building a fire around it. The home made lye soap was added to the pot then the dirty clothes. She lifted the clothes out of the boiling water with a broom stick, while the smoke always seemed to get into her eyes. She scrubbed the dirt away on a wash board, then rinsed them in two tubs of water. After all of that, she put them on the clothes line to dry.
Myrtle made biscuits in a dough bowl, pinching the dough off in uniform pieces, rolling a ball in her floured hands, and dipping both sides in a pan of hot bacon grease and put them in the oven. They rose tall in the pan with a crusty top and bottom and were delicious whether they were just buttered or covered with red eye gravy or sorghum syrup. The middle of the table always held a spooner with the teaspoons in it, sorghum in an aluminum no-drip pitcher, and a gallon jar of canned pickled peaches. She liked for the yard to look nice, so she planted flowers and usually had a crepe myrtle and gardenia bushes. Grass was not permitted to grow, so the yard had to be swept to pick up every stray match stick with a brush broom. The yard broom was made of small limbs bound together with wire.
A total of twenty-three grandchildren grew up visiting their grandparents often. The older ones were endeared and spent time at their grandparent's home. Myrtle had one requirement; they had to work. She was the eldest of a big family, and, like her mother, was hard working and required everyone to be involved in whatever needed to be done. When family came to visit, Myrtle and the women worked in the kitchen while Tom entertained the men and younger children on the front porch. He told them stories of the Indians in Oklahoma and hidden gold while leaning back in a wooden chair with a cow hide seat. When the kitchen was clean or when she recruited older grandchildren to wash dishes, she took her place in a large wooden rocking chair.
Granny enjoyed dressing up and wearing a hat, even though her clothes were few. She allowed the grandchildren to brush her long hair that laid in tiny waves, then she twisted it into a neat bun and pinned it to the back of her head. She cleaned her brush, rolled up the hair, and saved it in a hair receiver. Her thigh high cotton stockings were tightened by twisting any extra fabric into a knot and turning it inside the stocking and rolling it down a couple of rolls.
She grew up in the Church of Christ, but when her oldest daughter married a firey young Baptist preacher, she became a Baptist. Church was the main social gathering in that time, and Granny enjoyed going to church. Grandchildren can remember sitting beside her in a brush arbor or on a hard wooden bench while singing hymns.
Myrtle was loved and revered by her children and grandchildren. If she could not say something good about someone, she just said nothing. When she had a chance to rest her tired body, she had a pleasant demeanor and a twinkle in her eye. She was liked in the community and cherished by her family.
This story was written by "Linda Clark" a granddaughter and has been posted with her permission.
Grandfather:
James Lee
Grandmother:
Ellen Decker
***********************************************
A life story written by Linda Clark her grand daughter.
Myrtle May Thomas, My Granny
Myrtle May Pillow was born near Rockdale, TX in 1884. She grew tall and strong. She was at least five feet nine inches and, after her willowy youth, she weighed over 200 pounds most of her adult life.
Her Dad Ransom Pillow (known as Dock) and her mother Josephine T. Lee were tenant farmers or renters of land. As Myrtle was growing up, they lived on the Holtzclaw land grant in Milam County. When Myrtle was eighteen years old, the family moved about two hundred miles in a wagon to Cass County. Through the years, she repeated the story of their move, and always concluded with "I walked all the way".
When she was twenty-two, she accepted the marriage proposal of Tom Thomas, a man who had grown up in Arkansas and Indian Territory making a living in the timber industry. She was the eldest living child, so learned early the skills of homemaking and how to supervise the work of younger family members.
Tom and Myrtle lived in Cass County until their first son
Raymond Lee , was born, then they returned to Tom's family's home in the new state of Oklahoma. They lived there until another baby girl, Hazel Edith, was born. She died at age 7 months. Myrtle was close to her family and missed their presence in her life, so she and Tom returned to Cass County. James Elvin was born in 1910 andPaul Lee was born in 1911 followed by Irene Gertrude in 1913, R.B. in 1915 William Hayward in 1917. Myrtle probably thought her child bearing years were over, for five years passed before Cleo Mae was born in 1922, followed by Laura Bell(Dadie) in 1924.
Tom continued to work and travel hauling timber, while Myrtle stayed at home with her large family. When the kids were not in school, she supervised the older boys while they farmed. In the meantime, she tended her garden and chickens, canned food for the winter, and cooked for her family of field hands. Irene worked alongside her and helped the boys with the farming. Cleo was young when Irene married and she had to take Irene's place. She preferred the kitchen and was glad when her brothers sent her to the house to make a cake or cobbler for their noon meal.
Myrtle washed all of those boys overalls outdoors in a wash pot of boiling water. The water had to be drawn from the river in the early days and later from the well. It took many buckets to get the clothes cleaned and rinsed. Several of the children were required to help with the all day chore. They began by filling the iron wash pot with water and building a fire around it. The home made lye soap was added to the pot then the dirty clothes. She lifted the clothes out of the boiling water with a broom stick, while the smoke always seemed to get into her eyes. She scrubbed the dirt away on a wash board, then rinsed them in two tubs of water. After all of that, she put them on the clothes line to dry.
Myrtle made biscuits in a dough bowl, pinching the dough off in uniform pieces, rolling a ball in her floured hands, and dipping both sides in a pan of hot bacon grease and put them in the oven. They rose tall in the pan with a crusty top and bottom and were delicious whether they were just buttered or covered with red eye gravy or sorghum syrup. The middle of the table always held a spooner with the teaspoons in it, sorghum in an aluminum no-drip pitcher, and a gallon jar of canned pickled peaches. She liked for the yard to look nice, so she planted flowers and usually had a crepe myrtle and gardenia bushes. Grass was not permitted to grow, so the yard had to be swept to pick up every stray match stick with a brush broom. The yard broom was made of small limbs bound together with wire.
A total of twenty-three grandchildren grew up visiting their grandparents often. The older ones were endeared and spent time at their grandparent's home. Myrtle had one requirement; they had to work. She was the eldest of a big family, and, like her mother, was hard working and required everyone to be involved in whatever needed to be done. When family came to visit, Myrtle and the women worked in the kitchen while Tom entertained the men and younger children on the front porch. He told them stories of the Indians in Oklahoma and hidden gold while leaning back in a wooden chair with a cow hide seat. When the kitchen was clean or when she recruited older grandchildren to wash dishes, she took her place in a large wooden rocking chair.
Granny enjoyed dressing up and wearing a hat, even though her clothes were few. She allowed the grandchildren to brush her long hair that laid in tiny waves, then she twisted it into a neat bun and pinned it to the back of her head. She cleaned her brush, rolled up the hair, and saved it in a hair receiver. Her thigh high cotton stockings were tightened by twisting any extra fabric into a knot and turning it inside the stocking and rolling it down a couple of rolls.
She grew up in the Church of Christ, but when her oldest daughter married a firey young Baptist preacher, she became a Baptist. Church was the main social gathering in that time, and Granny enjoyed going to church. Grandchildren can remember sitting beside her in a brush arbor or on a hard wooden bench while singing hymns.
Myrtle was loved and revered by her children and grandchildren. If she could not say something good about someone, she just said nothing. When she had a chance to rest her tired body, she had a pleasant demeanor and a twinkle in her eye. She was liked in the community and cherished by her family.
This story was written by "Linda Clark" a granddaughter and has been posted with her permission.
James Lee
Grandmother:
Ellen Decker
***********************************************
A life story written by Linda Clark her grand daughter.
Myrtle May Thomas, My Granny
Myrtle May Pillow was born near Rockdale, TX in 1884. She grew tall and strong. She was at least five feet nine inches and, after her willowy youth, she weighed over 200 pounds most of her adult life.
Her Dad Ransom Pillow (known as Dock) and her mother Josephine T. Lee were tenant farmers or renters of land. As Myrtle was growing up, they lived on the Holtzclaw land grant in Milam County. When Myrtle was eighteen years old, the family moved about two hundred miles in a wagon to Cass County. Through the years, she repeated the story of their move, and always concluded with "I walked all the way".
When she was twenty-two, she accepted the marriage proposal of Tom Thomas, a man who had grown up in Arkansas and Indian Territory making a living in the timber industry. She was the eldest living child, so learned early the skills of homemaking and how to supervise the work of younger family members.
Tom and Myrtle lived in Cass County until their first son
Raymond Lee , was born, then they returned to Tom's family's home in the new state of Oklahoma. They lived there until another baby girl, Hazel Edith, was born. She died at age 7 months. Myrtle was close to her family and missed their presence in her life, so she and Tom returned to Cass County. James Elvin was born in 1910 andPaul Lee was born in 1911 followed by Irene Gertrude in 1913, R.B. in 1915 William Hayward in 1917. Myrtle probably thought her child bearing years were over, for five years passed before Cleo Mae was born in 1922, followed by Laura Bell(Dadie) in 1924.
Tom continued to work and travel hauling timber, while Myrtle stayed at home with her large family. When the kids were not in school, she supervised the older boys while they farmed. In the meantime, she tended her garden and chickens, canned food for the winter, and cooked for her family of field hands. Irene worked alongside her and helped the boys with the farming. Cleo was young when Irene married and she had to take Irene's place. She preferred the kitchen and was glad when her brothers sent her to the house to make a cake or cobbler for their noon meal.
Myrtle washed all of those boys overalls outdoors in a wash pot of boiling water. The water had to be drawn from the river in the early days and later from the well. It took many buckets to get the clothes cleaned and rinsed. Several of the children were required to help with the all day chore. They began by filling the iron wash pot with water and building a fire around it. The home made lye soap was added to the pot then the dirty clothes. She lifted the clothes out of the boiling water with a broom stick, while the smoke always seemed to get into her eyes. She scrubbed the dirt away on a wash board, then rinsed them in two tubs of water. After all of that, she put them on the clothes line to dry.
Myrtle made biscuits in a dough bowl, pinching the dough off in uniform pieces, rolling a ball in her floured hands, and dipping both sides in a pan of hot bacon grease and put them in the oven. They rose tall in the pan with a crusty top and bottom and were delicious whether they were just buttered or covered with red eye gravy or sorghum syrup. The middle of the table always held a spooner with the teaspoons in it, sorghum in an aluminum no-drip pitcher, and a gallon jar of canned pickled peaches. She liked for the yard to look nice, so she planted flowers and usually had a crepe myrtle and gardenia bushes. Grass was not permitted to grow, so the yard had to be swept to pick up every stray match stick with a brush broom. The yard broom was made of small limbs bound together with wire.
A total of twenty-three grandchildren grew up visiting their grandparents often. The older ones were endeared and spent time at their grandparent's home. Myrtle had one requirement; they had to work. She was the eldest of a big family, and, like her mother, was hard working and required everyone to be involved in whatever needed to be done. When family came to visit, Myrtle and the women worked in the kitchen while Tom entertained the men and younger children on the front porch. He told them stories of the Indians in Oklahoma and hidden gold while leaning back in a wooden chair with a cow hide seat. When the kitchen was clean or when she recruited older grandchildren to wash dishes, she took her place in a large wooden rocking chair.
Granny enjoyed dressing up and wearing a hat, even though her clothes were few. She allowed the grandchildren to brush her long hair that laid in tiny waves, then she twisted it into a neat bun and pinned it to the back of her head. She cleaned her brush, rolled up the hair, and saved it in a hair receiver. Her thigh high cotton stockings were tightened by twisting any extra fabric into a knot and turning it inside the stocking and rolling it down a couple of rolls.
She grew up in the Church of Christ, but when her oldest daughter married a firey young Baptist preacher, she became a Baptist. Church was the main social gathering in that time, and Granny enjoyed going to church. Grandchildren can remember sitting beside her in a brush arbor or on a hard wooden bench while singing hymns.
Myrtle was loved and revered by her children and grandchildren. If she could not say something good about someone, she just said nothing. When she had a chance to rest her tired body, she had a pleasant demeanor and a twinkle in her eye. She was liked in the community and cherished by her family.
This story was written by "Linda Clark" a granddaughter and has been posted with her permission.
Family Members
Spouse
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
