Oklahoma City Oklahoma

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

Biography of George B. Franks

George B. Franks. Considered as an art, landscape gardening is one that has a definite place in life, appealing to and satisfying that innate sense of the beautiful that all possess to some degree. Nature points the way and it is the precious gift of the landscape gardener to be able to reproduce, in limited space, her noble effects and most pleasing arrangement of tree, shrub and flower. The wonderful facility in this direction, as in other artistic talents, is largely an inherited gift, although to make it practical, of course, there must be much definite knowledge, mathematical and otherwise. … Read more

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

Biography of Sidney Clarke

Sidney Clarke, one of the early members of Congress from Kansas, was born at Southbridge, Massachusetts. October 16. 1831, and in his early manhood published and edited a weekly newspaper which he had founded in his native town. He became an active free-soil advocate, supported Fremont in 1856. and three years later, upon the advice of his physician, went west and located at Lawrence. He hecame an ardent supporter of the radical wing of the free-state party, and in 1862 was elected to the State Legislature. The following year President Lincoln appointed him adjutant general of volunteers, and he was … Read more

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

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

Slave Narrative of Red Richardson

Person Interviewed: Red Richardson Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Place of Birth: Grimes County, Texas Date of Birth: July 21, 1862 Age: 75 I was born July 21, 1862, at Grimes County, Texas. Smith Richardson was my father’s name. and Rliza Richardson my mother’s. We lived in so many places round there I can’t tell jest what. but we lived in a log house most of the time. We slept on the flo’ on pallets on one quilt. We ate cornbread, beans, vegetables, and got to drink plenty milk, We ate rabbits, fish, possums and such as that but we didn’t … 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 Wesley Kieff

John Wesley Kieff, widely known throughout Oklahoma as a journalist, is now serving as justice of the peace of Miami and is generally conceded to be the most capable incumbent in that office in the history of Ottawa County. A native of Indiana, he was born in Tippecanoe County on the 9th of March, 1857, his parents being John and Mary (Ryan) Kieff, the former a native of Ireland, while the latter was born in the Hoosier state. The father followed the occupation of farming and both parents passed away during the childhood of the subject of this review. John … 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

Biographical Sketch of Mrs. Roy Letteer

(See Grant)—Lahoma Lucile, daughter of Chief William Charles and Nannie (Haynie) Rogers, was born at Skiatook, May 4, 1900. Educated at Skiatook and married in Oklahoma City, Oct. 19, 1920, Roy, son of Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Letteer. They are the parents of Jane E. Letteer, born September 11, 1921. Mrs. Letteer is the daughter of William Charles Rogers the last chief of the Cherokees amid the great grand-daughter of Captain John Rogers, the last chief of the Old Settler Cherokees.

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 Alice Alexander

Person Interviewed: Alice Alexander Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Place of Birth: Jackson Parish, Louisiana Date of Birth: 1849 Age: 88 I was 88 years old the 15th of March. I was born in 1849, at Jackson Parish, Louisiana. My mother’s name was Mary Marlow , and father’s Henry Marlow. I can’t remember very much ’bout slavery ’cause I was awful small, but I am remember that my mother’s master, Colonel Threff died, and my mother, her husband, and as three chillun was handed down to Colonel Threff’s ‘poor en folks. Colonel Threff owned about two or three hundred head of … Read more

Carroll, George L. – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon George L. Carroll, 77, of Baker City, died July 19, 2002, after a five-month illness. There will be a private family graveside service Saturday at Mount Hope Cemetery. Mr. Carroll was born in Oklahoma City, Okla., on Sept. 29, 1924. He moved to Baker City with his family when he was seven years old. He attended Baker schools and joined the Navy during World War II. He married Mary Williams on Feb. 17, 1946, in the old Christian Church in Baker City. They had four children and raised their family in Esparto, Calif. Mr. Carroll was a … Read more

Slave Narrative of Nancy Gardner

Person Interviewed: Nancy Gardner Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Place of Birth: Franklin, Tennessee Date of Birth: 1858 Age: 79 Well, to tell you de truth I don’t know my age, but I was born in 1858, in Franklin, Tennessee. How, you can figger for yourself and tell how old I is. I is de daughter of Prophet and Callie Isaiah, and dey was natives of Tennessee. Dere was three of us children, two boys and myself. I’m de only girl. My brothers names was Prophet and Billie Isaiah. I don’t ‘member much about dem as we was separated when I … 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, Abbie Holston Purdum – Obituary

Mrs. H. H. [Harker Hamilton] Lee, Kansas City, Mo., former city resident, died Sunday [May 2, 1948] after an illness of several weeks. Services will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday in Newcomer & Sons Funeral Home in Kansas City. Burial will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday in Fairlawn Mausoleum here. Mrs. Lee lived in Oklahoma City from 1905 until 1921. She had remained an active member of the Oklahoma City ’89ers Club and was a past member of the Sorosis Club. Survivors include a brother, Perry Purdum, Dewey; two sisters, Mrs. G. O. Dunseth, Tulsa, and Mrs. Maude Temple, Los … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Eugene Warren Martin

(See Oolootsa, Ross) Eugene Warren, son of William Henry and Sarah Jane (Lowrey) Martin, born January 30, 1886, was educated in Tahlequah District and the Male Seminary. Married at Oklahoma City, April 1, 1915 Neva, daughter of Hosea Claude and Alice I. Frizielle, born Dec. 19, 1889 in Polk County Missouri. She was educated in the Public Schools in Oklahoma City. They are the parents of Pauline Mae, born Dec. 22, 1917 Harold Leroy Martin, born May 24, 1919. Mr. Martin is a business man in Oklahoma City. William Henry Martin is a grand son of Hercules Martin a fullblood … Read more

Biography of H. B. Rodecker

H. B. Rodecker, an enterprising and successful druggist of Ramona, was born near Eureka, Illinois, on the 22d of August, 1874, and was taken by his parents, William B. and Leona (Hellen) Rodecker, to Newton, Harvey county, Kansas, in 1880. The mother is a niece of the late Cecil Rhodes, multi-millionaire and statesman of South Africa. The father was a tinner by trade and followed that pursuit until 1889, when the family removed to Oklahoma City and he entered the employ of W. J. Pettie, a hardware merchant, conducting a business that has since been developed into a large wholesale … 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