Oklahoma City Oklahoma

Lee, Harker Hamilton – Obituary

Funeral services for Harker H. Lee, 612 W. 59th Terrace, who passed away Sunday [November 25, 1934], age 55 years, will be held Tuesday morning, 10:30 o’clock, from the Hahn Funeral Home, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Interment Fairlawn Cemetery, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Survivors: Wife, Mrs. Abbey Lee; daughter, Miss Adelaide Lee, brother, Harley E. Lee, sister, Mrs. Nellie Bracken; Miss Marie Bracken, both of Kingfisher, Oklahoma; nephew George L. Bracken. Contributed by: Shelli Steedman

Biographical Sketch of Mrs. W. L. Brown

(See Downing) Leona Deen, daughter of Clement and Rebecca Caroline (Bryan) Hayden, was born August 18, 1886, at Chouteau. She was educated in her native village and Stephens College, Columbia, Mo. She married at Chouteau March 5, 1905, William L., son of Wifford C. Brown and Sarah Francis Brown, born July 7, 1883, in Anderson County, Ky. He was educated in his native county and Danville, Ind., and graduated from Waddy College, Waddy, Ky. They are the parents of Eloise Caroline, born Feb. 8, 1906, Charles Hayden, born Aug 5, 1907 and William L. Jr. born Sept. 1, 1909,. Mr. … Read more

Slave Narrative of Hannah McFarland

Person Interviewed: Hannah McFarland Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Place of Birth: Georgetown, South Carolina Date of Birth: February 29, 1853 Age: 85 I was born in Georgetown, South Carolina, February 29, 1853. My father was name James Gainey and my mother was name Katie Gainey. There was three chillun born to my folks doing slavery. My father was a free man, but my mother was do slave of the Sampsons, some Jews. My father was do richest Negro in South Carolina doing this time. He bought all three of we chillun for $1,000 apiece, but dem Jews jest wouldn’t sell … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Mrs. Hubert Ambrister

(See Grant)-Julia Theresa daughter of William Columbus and Jane (Davis) Patton, married Dr. Francis Bartow Fite; and they were the parents Frances Fite, born Sept. 24, 1893, in Muskogee. She was educated in National Cathedral School, Washington, D. C., and graduated from Vassar College. She married at Muskogee July 7, 1920, Hubert, son Samuel A. Ambrister, born Feb. 1891, in Norman County, Oklahoma. Mr. Ambrister was educated in Norman High School and is graduate of University of Okla. He is practicing law in Oklahoma City. He served two years in the Aviation Corps during the World War. Thomas James Adair … Read more

Slave Narrative of Amanda Oliver

Person Interviewed: Amanda Oliver Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Place of Birth: Missouri Date of Birth: November 9, 1857 Age: 80 I ‘membuh what my mother say, I was born November 9, 1857, in Missouri. I was ’bout eight years old, when she was sold to a master named Harrison Davis. They said he had two farms in Missouri, but when he moved to northern Texas he brought me, my mother, Uncle George, Uncle Dick and a cullud girl they said was 15 with ‘im. He owned ’bout 6 acres on de edge of town near Sherman, Texas, and my mother … Read more

Slave Narrative of Francis Bridges

Person Interviewed: Francis Bridges Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Place of Birth: Red River County, Texas Date of Birth: 1864 Age: 73 Occupatio I was born in Red River County, Texas in 1864, and that makes me 73 years old. I had myself 75, and I went to my white folks and they counted it un and told me I was 73, but I always felt like I was older than that. My husband’s name is Henry Bridges. We was raised up children together and married. I had five sisters. My brother died here in Oklahoma about two years ago. He … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Mrs. Snowden Parlette

(See Oolootsa) James Columbus Morris married Ellen F. McElrath, and they were the parents of Mary Trimble Morris, born at Fort Gibson October 5, 1882, and was educated at Tahlequah and the Female Seminary. She married at Tahlequah May 15, 1898, Snowden, son of Franklin and Alice Parlette, born Jan. 29, 1880 in Wamego, Kansas. He was educated in Baker University and graduated from Harvard University. They are the parents of John, born April 17, 1911, and Snowden Parlette, born Jan 16, 1918. Mr. Parlette is in the wholesale book and stationery business in Oklahoma City. He is a thirty-second … Read more

Biography of John T. Cooper

Checotah numbers among her representative citizens John T. Cooper, attorney at law with offices in the Peoples National Bank building. He is a southerner by birth, born in Scottsboro, Jackson county, Alabama, on the 7th of August, 1881, a son of Abe and Julia (Anderson) Cooper, both natives of that state. The father engaged in agriculture in Alabama until 1894, in which year he removed to Indian Territory and located at Sallisaw. He engaged in farming there for three years and subsequently came to McIntosh County. He became one of the prominent and successful agriculturists of this community. He is … Read more

Biography of John William Bartholomew

In no profession does advancement depend more entirely upon individual merit and ability than in the law. Close application, keen analysis, clear mental perception and careful preparation are indispensable elements in the life of every man who attempts to gain prominence in this arduous calling. That John William Bartholomew is lacking in none of these requisites, is indicated in the fact that he is numbered among the most capable lawyers of Miami and throughout his career he has maintained the highest standards of professional ethics. A native of Indiana, he was born near Morocco, in Newton County, November 20, 1858, … Read more

Magers, Amelda Edith Lee – Obituary

Mrs. M. Majors [Magers] sister of Mrs. A. E. Bracken died Tuesday night [December 18, 1923] at her home on South Seventh Street, following a stroke of paralysis a few days ago. The funeral was held from the A. E. Bracken home this morning at 10 o’clock. The body was taken to Oklahoma City for burial. Kingfisher Weekly Free Press, December 20, 1923 (Front Page) Contributed by: Shelli Steedman

Slave Narrative of Hal Hutson

Person Interviewed: Hal Hutson Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Place of Birth: Galveston, Tennessee Date of Birth: October 12, 1847 Age: 90 I was born at Galveston, Tennessee, October 12, 1847. There were 11 children: 7 brothers; Andrew, George, Clent, Gilbert, Frank, Mack and Horace; and 3 girls Eosie, Marie and Eancy. We were all Hutsons. Together with my mother and father we worked for the same man whose name was Mr. Barton Brown, but who we all call Master Brown, and sometime. Master Brown had a good weather-board house, two story, with five or six rooms. They lived pretty well. … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Mrs. John R. Alley

(See Grant, Downing, Ghigau and Ross) Clara Eva, daughter of Edward Daniel and Elizabeth Henryetta (Musgrove) Hicks, was born in Tahlequah on February 10, 1890. She was educated in the Female Seminary, from which she graduated. She married at Claremore Aug. 15, 1908, John Reed, son of Frederick and Sarah Dameron Alley, born Sept. 26, 1873, Yell County, Ark. They are the parents of Lawrence Alley, born May 21, 1910. Mr. Alley is a contractor in Oklahoma City, and a member of the Masonic fraernity. They are members of the Presbyterian Church. Francis Marion Mushgrove married Clara Eva Alberty, and … Read more

Fort Gibson Conference with the Indians, 1834

Catlin Painting a Chief at the Base of the Rocky Mountains

One of the most important Indian conferences ever held in the Southwest, occurred at Fort Gibson in 1834 for it paved the way for agreements and treaties essential to the occupation of a vast country by one hundred thousand members of the Five Civilized Tribes emigrating from east of the Mississippi; to the security of settlers and travelers in a new country; to development of our Southwest to the limits of the United States and beyond and contributed to the subsequent acquisition of the country to the coast, made known to us by the pioneers to Santa Fe and California traveling through the region occupied by the “wild” Indians who, at Fort Gibson, gave assurances of their friendship. It is true, these assurances were not always regarded, and many outrages were afterwards committed on the whites and by the whites, but the Fort Gibson conference was the beginning and basis upon which ultimately these things were accomplished.

Durr, Carolyn Bonitz Mrs. – Obituary

Halfway, Oregon Carolyn Durr, 70, died Nov. 5, 2004, at St. Luke’s Hospital in Boise. Her graveside service was at 1 p.m. today at Pine Haven Cemetery in Halfway. Friends were invited to join the family for a reception at the Lions Hall afterward. Carolyn Durr was born to Aubrey and Thelma Bonitz at Oklahoma City, Okla., on June 14, 1934. Her family later moved to Albany where she graduated from Albany High School. It was in high school that she met David Durr. They were married in 1954 while he was serving in the U.S. Marines. They spent the … Read more

Lee, Myrtle Belle McMillen Grogam – Obituary

Mrs. Myrtle Belle, 600 W. 59th, passed away Fri. morning [December 30, 1932]. Survived by husband, Harley Essex Lee, 600 W. 59th; 2 brothers-in-law, Oscar G. Lee, 94th and State Line; H. H. Lee, 642 W. 59th Terrace. Funeral services and burial will be held in Oklahoma City, OK [Fairlawn Cemetery]. Mrs. Lee will lie in state at D. W. Newcomer’s Sons Community Chapel on Paseo at Robert Gillham Road until 8:30 o’clock Sat. evening. Contributed by: Shelli Steedman

Slave Narrative of Jane Montgomery

Person Interviewed: Jane Montgomery Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Place of Birth: Homer, Louisiana Date of Birth: March 15, 1857 Age: 80 I was born March 15, 1857, in Homer, Louisiana. I claim to be 75 years old, but that’s jest my way of counting. My mother was Sarah Strong and my father was Edmond Beavers. We lived in a log cabin that had jest one door. I had two sisters named Peggy and Katie. Mammy was bought from the Strong family and my pappy was bought from Beavers by Mister Eason. We slept on wooden slabs which was jest make-shift … Read more

Lee, Oscar Grant – Obituary

Funeral services for Oscar G. Lee, pioneer realtor and hotel man of Oklahoma City who died in Kansas City, Mo., Wednesday afternoon [June 13, 1934], will be held here at 10:30 a.m., Friday, it was announced Wednesday night. Death, caused by hardening of the arteries, came to Lee following almost a year’s confinement in St. Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City. He had been a resident of that city since leaving Oklahoma City in 1913. While Lee was supposed to have staked out a claim in Oklahoma City following the run of 1889, friends of his here recalled that he originally … Read more

Biography of William C. Kandt

William C. Kandt, a native of Kansas, and member of a pioneer family in the state, has been a banker all his active career, and while he maintains offices and has his home at Independence he is active cashier of the Wayside State Bank and president of the Citizens State Bank of Elk City. His birth occurred in Dickinson County, Kansas, August 24, 1877. His grandparents, John and Mary Kandt were German people who came to this country in the early ’50s and in 1857 pioneered into Dickinson County, Kansas, where they were among the first to break the virgin … Read more

Lee, Burnham ‘Bernie’ D. – Obituary

Bernie Lee, 52 years old, brother of Oscar Lee, pioneer city developer, died Monday [September 12, 1932] in Kansas City after an illness of 11 months. Services will be 2 p.m. Wednesday at Hahn’s Funeral Home, with burial in Fairlawn Cemetery [Kingfisher Co., OK]. Survivors are his wife [Julia], a sister, Mrs. A. E. Bracken [Nellie] of Kingfisher, and three brothers, Oscar, Harley, and Harker of Kansas City. With his twin brother, Harker, Bernie Lee once was prominent in University of Oklahoma athletics. He was an Oklahoma City resident for 20 years before moving to Kansas City eight years ago. … Read more

Lee, Adelaide Marie Murray Howard – Obituary

Funeral services over the body of Mrs. Oscar Grant Lee who died Saturday afternoon [September 2, 1911] at 3 o’clock in St. Paul’s Cathedral. The body of the deceased arrived in Oklahoma City Monday morning [died in Cook Co., IL] and will remain at the residence of Harley E. Lee, 212 West Thirteenth Street, until the time of the funeral. Contributed by: Shelli Steedman