South Main Street, Weatherford, TX                                           Top

My first memories were when I was about 4 years old^[1]. We lived off South Main in Weatherford. We lived across the road from Uncle Ed^[2], Catherine^[3] & Pauline^[4]. Also, one of the Curtis', an Uncle Jeff^[5] lived next to them, he was the brother of Uncle Ed.  He was kicked in the head by a mule when he was a teenager and was never normal after that.

While we were living there Mama^[6] fainted and her fall broke the rocker of a chair. I don't know whether you remember, but we had that chair for many years. It’s a wonder that she didn’t cause herself permanent injury.

About that time Dad^[7] and I went to the graveyard to visit his mother’s^[8] grave. I remember he was crying and I thought, "Why is he crying that must have many years ago". I don’t know how old daddy was when his mother died but it was several years before he married Mama.

We moved to Petrolia^[9] soon after that.

Petrolia, Texas                                                             Top

Dad worked for the city several months digging trenches for pipelines; probably water lines. Uncle Owen[12] was working for the Lone Star Gas Company in Petrolia at that time and asked dad to come up there and live with them until he could get a job with the gas company. We lived with Uncle Owen[13] & Willie Mae all winter before Dad got a job with the Lone Star Gas Co.  We moved to the town of Petrolia in 1919.  Lawrence[14] was born in that first house. Many years later Elmer, Willie Mae’s brother bought the house and remodeled it.  I have a photo of the house.

Starting School in Petrolia                                     Top

At that time I was about four and a half years old and had to be five before I could start to school in September.  I would not be five until December so I could not start to school until the next year.  This made Mama very angry with the school, because she said I would be almost six when I would be starting kindergarten and that would put me too far behind.

Sport                                                                                Top

I had a dog, named Sport, when we lived in the house in Petrolia, Texas. It was given to me before we left Weatherford as a baby pup because dad had killed my dog that I was fond of. That dog would come half-way to the school to meet me every day when he knew it was time for me to come home.

There was a drug store owner that lived next door, by the name of Dr. Kates.  He didn’t like dogs and poisoned Sport.  Sport died in terrible pain while he looked at me with wistful eyes.

Picking Turkeys                                                           Top

We moved to Weatherford from Petrolia in 1923 or 1924.  Dad[15] had a shoe shop on one corner of the square in Weatherford.  It was around Thanksgiving or Christmas, I remember that because we, that is George Withers and I were picking turkeys for ten cents apiece.  I must have had fifty cents more or less when I went over to Dad’s shop.  He said that I had made more money that day than he had.  I guess it must have been before Christmas because Dad’s sister Lucille felt sorry for us and brought over food and Christmas presents for all of us

Hunting for Possums                                                Top

Granddad Current[16], Donald, his brother Junior, Elmer - Willie Mae’s brother, and I would go hunting for possums in the winter.  Every winter we would go to farmer’s large farms and gather pecans on the halves.  Granddad Current always did the cooking, most of the time what he cooked wasn’t fit to eat, but we ate it anyway. The biscuits were always mostly dough and the rabbits we caught were never cooked until done. I have pictures of some of the pecan picking times. 

Jensen House             Jensen House Picture                     Top

I think you have a photo of the Jensen home.  If you look at the front door, the windows to the right was the living room, it was seldom used. The room to the left was a bedroom that was used when the family was growing up. Straight back from the front door was a long hall that went to the back porch, which went completely around the back of the house. Half way back from the front door a hallway went to a large bedroom, if you look at the roof of the photo you will see a peeked roof to the right, that was Grandma[17] and Grandpa[18]’s bedroom. That was the room Grandma passed away in. Straight back from there was a large dining room with a large dining room table large enough to seat twenty people.

To the right through a door was a large kitchen that Jessie[19] would bake bread in. Woodrow[20] and I used to really enjoy those times good old baked bread butter and milk. Out of the back door was a pantry for all the canned goods, a large overhead grape-arbor, a windmill, and water tank.

I remember when Mama had long hair that she put up like they did in those days. I can just see her today as she was setting in a chair under the grape-arbor with Granddad Jensen; his barber tools in this hand ready to cut Mama’s hair off. She would “yes”, then “no”, and then “I am not sure”, finally she said, “OK”.

At the back there was a large lot for the cow. Further back was a large barn. On the front lawn was a large swing with seats on both sides. I guess that is about all about the house, but I think it is a shame that it burned down. I think it was arson for the insurance.

Yes Mama lost a baby, she was very sad about that. I don’t remember much about that.

Jensen House

Grandmother Jensen                                                Top

Grandmother Jensen[21] passed away when I was twelve years old. The funeral services were held in the front yard. I think you have a photo of the house in Weatherford that was the family home. We lived in Petrolia at the time. We went to the funeral and I remember I was angry with the Lord for taking my grandmother. I remember taking my cap off and trying to tear it up in my anger.

Grandmother Jensen was sick for a long time in one of the large rooms of the family house. About the only other thing that I remember is when she visited Mama when we lived across from Catherine & Pauline. She was sitting in the chair that Mama broke. I was under the back of the chair and was poking at her legs. She raised a foot up and let me have it. I don’t know what happened after that.

Limburger cheese and beer                                    Top

Granddad Jensen[22] and Grandma liked Limburger cheese and beer. Granddad would stop by the bar and get a bucket of beer on his way home. You would get your beer in an open bucket in those days. On the way home, after dark, he stumbled over a pole of some kind that he thought was a shadow. Guess they didn’t have the beer that night.

Did you know that long before granddad[23] married Valley, she lost a son in the navy? He must have fallen overboard or was thrown overboard.  No one ever knew for sure.

Aunt Jessie          Jessie Jensen                                         Top

Aunt Jessie was always a wonderful person. Mama told me when they were children growing up they would tell each other their future plans.  Aunt Jessie wanted to get married and have a large family. But, problems at home with Grandma Jensen and other problems that I don’t know about put a damper on her plans.  Mama said that Jessie said that she would stay home and take care of things as long as she had too, which turned into many years.

Sleeping Outside                                                        Top

I remember when we were kids we use to move our beds outside during the summer months. It was great sleeping outside. I remember that a shower came up a time or two and we had to grab our covers and run for the house.

Tornados                                                                       Top

Do you remember spending time in a cellar when we thought a tornado was imminent? When we lived at Petrolia we could see twisters running through the Red River valley every year. The valley was just a few miles from Petrolia. Only a few times part of the twisters reached Petrolia, tore a few shingles of a few houses, but no heavy damage.

Bootleggers                                                                  Top

About the house you asked about, I don’t remember the graveyard you mentioned, but I do remember the Catholic Church close to the house. The bootleggers use to hide their whisky under the church.  Lawrence would drink part of it and leave the rest so the bootlegger would not find another hiding place.

Exotic Birds                                                                  Top

You[24] were only twelve years old  (1938) when we moved from the green house to that one. I don’t remember much about the house except the kitchen and the stairway and the room upstairs. Lawrence and I had our bedroom up there. If you remember, that is where Dad spent no telling how much money on exotic birds. He built several birdcages. I don’t remember how long he had them, but he got rid of them before we moved from there out to the country place.

Turkeys & Chickens                                                   Top

Do you remember that Mama raised turkeys to make some money, but could not sell even one of them. Also, the chicken house was down by one of the gardens and someone stole every one of them one night.

Elmer’s wife                                                                  Top

Elmer’s wife was a Mayo.  That is a family that lived on a farm close to the Lone Star Gas Co.  There were several men, but I don’t remember if there were other girls.  They use to raise rodeo horses. When we visited Elmer I took movies and I mentioned her name.  Do you have a VCR, if you do I will make a copy of several trips that Pete and I made together.  You may enjoy them.

Wichita Falls Hospital                                             Top

Many years ago, I think it was 1932 or 1933, when I was working at the hospital in Wichita Falls, Texas; I was friendly with a young doctor just out of medical school. He did surgical work, mostly appendectomies.  After surgery, I took care of the patient at night on my shift.  He told me one of the things he learned in medical school was never to remove the stitches from a surgical incision until there was no possibility of the patient rupturing the incision.

Over the years I have been amazed at the stupidity of some doctors, I think many of them should have settled for being plumbers or truck drivers, right up to the doctor in Weatherford that diagnosed Pete’s[25] coughing as pneumonia when it was caused by his heart. That was one of the symptoms at the final stage of the type of problem that Pete had. Now I will say the person that removed the stitches from Albert was premature and should lose his license. Enough said!!!

Washington, D.C.                       Top  

Lawrence[26], Janie Ruth[27], Earline[28], and I went to Washington in early 1941. I worked for General Accounting as an auditor.  I took a course in accounting while I was working at the Hospital in Wichita. But, I found that I could not set at a desk and needed a more active work so I quit.  While there Lawrence worked for a Coca-Cola firm.  He delivered coke to government offices.  Kegs of coke that went into machines that put the coke into paper cups.  He made friends with some of the officials in government offices.

David Lawrence Current                                        Top

Lawrence and Janie’s first baby was born in Washington.  When we came back to Texas, Lawrence went to work in McGregor, Texas for a company that made 1000 pound bombs for the army. Later, Earline and I went to work for the same company. When I quit there, Earline and I both went to work for Consolidate.  That is the same company that Raymond worked for, for so many years.

I quit working there to go to Florida to a Maritime training school. When I came back to Texas, Mama lived in the house at the corner of the square, across from the bank. Next I parked my 1940 Oldsmobile next to the house and caught a bus to California. That was about the time that Lawrence was drafted into the army and was stationed in Mineral Wells, TX.  He bamboozled his way out of the army and came to California.

 Shoe Repair                                                                   Top

When Dad was quite young, he started working for Melvin Huffaker, in his shoe repair business, (that is where dad learned the trade). Later dad[29] and his dad[30] went in the shoe repair business together. I guess granddad supplied the money for the shop. At that time granddad was married to a woman named Rosa, she was the mother of Henry, Dad’s half brother. I am sure you remember Henry as he visited Mama and Dad in Weatherford several times.

Rosa didn’t like Dad[31] for some reason and talked granddad[32] into kicking Dad out of the business; causing bad feelings between dad and granddad for many years.

Rosa                                                                                 Top

To answer your question about when Granddad married Rosa; Henry[33] was three or four years older than me, so I would say 1911 or 1912.  I don’t think the marriage lasted many years because I don’t think she was easy to get along with.  Also, Henry was more fond of Granddad.  I don’t know when Granddad married Valley, but I think I was 14 or 15 years old at the time.

Those Peanuts                                                              Top

While we were still living in Weatherford, Granddad tried to make amends with Dad several times, one time he brought a bran sack full of peanuts which Mama[34] started eating, she must have been depressed or something because she could not stop eating those peanuts.  She developed those lumps of fat under her skin. I am sure you knew about the lumps that stayed with her throughout her life.

Lone Star Gas Company                                            Top

Dad and Uncle Owen both worked for the Gas Company and bought shoe repair machinery. When we moved to Weatherford, Dad took the shoe repair machinery with him. I don’t know if he repaid Uncle Owen for his part in the machinery. He did several things to Uncle Owen that he should be ashamed for

Yes, Warren and Katy were Coy’s parents, if you remember the house that they lived in it was once our home. Dad gave three hundred for it. When we lived there I was twelve years old.

Driving in Jacksboro                                                  Top

Dad bought the car that we had at Jacksboro. When we lived at that house Mama tried to learn how to drive and she did pretty well. She drove to Petrolia to shop many times, but when she came home she had to turn right off the main road. She would not slow down for the turn, it was quite a laugh for the neighbors.

Uncle Owen and Willie Mae                                    Top

Willie Mae’s mother and Dad’s mother were sisters. Willie Mae’s maiden name was Helm. There were three brothers, Elmer, Perry, and another brother that worked for the Lone Star Gas Company in Oklahoma. His wife was Ethel. There were two daughters in that family, whose names I have forgotten.

The Shoe Shop                                                               Top

One more thing about Dad and the shoe shop. In the first location on the square, he started making excellent money, more than he ever expected. So he hired D Been, a neighbor that built the hotel that I am sure you remember.  So Dad spent his time over at the pool hall and where else who knows. Something like that doesn’t show much feeling for Mama and the kids. Uncle Owen was always more of a father to me than Dad ever was.

Barber Shop                                                                   Top

About Granddad Jensen’s barber shop.  I don’t know anything about it except that Mama’s brother Otto learned the trade there.  Later Otto went to work at the criminal lockup there in Texas. He was an alcoholic that died very young.

Curtis’                                                                             Top

Another of the Curtis boys spent his whole life digging for Mexican treasure.  The Curtis’ went to California at the beginning of last century and became very rich.  He owned hundreds of acres of land that is now San Bernardino.  He was also in the shipping business.  He killed a man, left everything and hid out in Texas.  Lost everything.  Uncle Ed, Catherine, and Pauline went to California about 1921 to investigate and found everything had been taken over by the state.

Dates:                                                                               Top

1914–1919 -- I was 4½ years old

1919 – we moved from Weatherford to Petrolia

1929 – We moved from Petrolia to Weatherford. We were there only 2 months or less.

1930 – We moved from Weatherford to Jacksboro

I was sixteen years old when we lived in the green house. Where I carried you on my back.

1937 – was the year that we made the trip to Arkansas. At that time I had been working at the State Hospital since 1935.

About 1938 is when I moved Mama and you kids to Weatherford. I guess you must have been twelve or thirteen years old. Do you remember the two-story house that you first lived in? I gave a non-sufficient fund check to get you in that house and had to make a quick trip back to Wichita to cover it

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