I REMEMBER THEM COMING TO OUR HOUSE WHEN THEIR HOUSE BURNED, AND STAYING WITH US UNTIL THEY RENTED AN INDIAN LEASE SOUTH OF CEMENT. AUNT ALICE, GRANDPA'S SISTER LIVED WITH THEM. SHE HAD MARRIED JACK SNELL LATE IN LIFE. THEY WERE ONLY MARRIED A SHORT WHILE. HER HUSBAND BROUGHT HER BACK TO GRANDPA'S AND TOLD THEM EVEN THE DEVIL COULD NOT GET ALONG WITH HER. I DON'T THINK SHE EVER SAW OR HEARD FROM HIM AGAIN. SHE ALWAYS SEEMED TIMID AND QUIET TO ME. SHE WAS A TINY LITTLE WOMAN. GRANDMA WAS A LITTLE PLUMP AND A LITTLE CRANKY. GRANDPA WAS QUIET AND NEVER TALKED MUCH.

WHEN GRANDPA AND GRANDMA CAME FROM INDIANA THEY LIVED NEAR VERDEN. GREAT GRANDPA AND GREAT GRANDMA ARE BURIED IN VERDEN CEMETERY.

THEY LIVED IN THE KECHI COMMUNITY SOUTHWEST OF CHICKASHA.THEY HAD HIRED A PRETTY YOUNG TEACHER FOR THE KECHI SCHOOL. DADDY AND SOME OF THE OTHER YOUNG MEN OF THE DISTRICT STARTED BACK TO SCHOOL. DADDY WAS TWENTY-ONE AND IN THE FIFTH GRADE. ONE DAY HE RODE HIS HORSE INTO THE SCHOOL BUILDING--THAT ENDED HIS EDUCATION BUT HE WAS SMARTER THAN A LOT QF CQLLEGE EDUCATED MEN. MAMA WENT THROUGH THE EIGHTH GRADE AND HER TEACHER WANTED HER TO TAKE THE COUNTY EXAM AND BB A TEACHER BUT SHE WOULDN'T DO IT.

GRANDPA AND GRANDMA LIVED NEAR BUZZARD ROOST AT ONE TIME AND AUNT RILLA AND AUNT DELILAH WENT TO BUZZARD ROOST SCHOOL.

JOHN AND JULIA ELDER WERE FRIENDS OF BOTH DADDY AND MAMA. THEY LIVED SOUTH OF CEMENT AND DADDY AND MAMA MET AT A PARTY AT THEIR HOUSE. DADDY WAS DRUNK. HE SAID HE TOLD EVERYONE HE WAS GOING TO MARRY THAT WOMAN--AND HE DID. THEY SAID THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE TWELVE KIDS--AND THEY DID BUT ONE BABY WAS STILLBORN.

THE FIRST PLACE I REMEMBER US LIVING WAS ON THE LAST STREET NORTH IN CEMENT. WE LIVED THERE WHEN AUNT ETHEL (UNCLE JIM'S WIFE) DIED. I REMEMBER DADDY AND MAMA GETTING A LETTER--THE ENEVELOPE WAS EDGED IN BLACK, TELLING THEM ABOUT HER DEATH. THELMA AND OLA THE TWO OLDEST DAUGHTERS WERE MARRIED. THE OTHER GIRLS, DOLLIE: HELEN, CECIL AND EXIE CAME T0 LIVE WITH GRANDPA AND GRANDMA.

DOLLIE WAS ABOUT RUBY'S AGE, HELEN A LITTLE YOUNGER THAN IVA, CECIL A LITTLE YOUNGER THAN ME AND EXIE A LITTLE YOUNGER THAN SALLY. THEY RODE THE TRAIN FROM TEXAS AND CAME TO OUR HOUSE IN A TAXI. YES, CEMENT DID HAVE A TAXI THEN. WE TOOK THEM TO GRANDPA'S THAT AFTERNOON.