Lea County Families, Then and There, Vol I, 1979
The History of Elizabeth Lucy Tomlinson and Alfred Vernon Clark
Submitted by: Elizabeth Clardy
The family of Leonard Osborn Tomlinson and his wife, Lenora Ann Banks, came to New Mexico from Texas in 1903. They settled about 18 miles northeast of Monument, Eddy County, New Mexico, and homesteaded 320 acres of dry land, no trees or water for miles. There was a spring at Monument, the reason for the rancher being there, but there was a god cover of buffalo grass when it rained.
They came in a covered wagon and a sick wife and four children: John Franklin, William Roy, Elizabeth Lucy and Robert Osborn, also L.O. )known as Auby by his family), his father William Leonard Tomlinson, and his wife Cynthia Angeline Riddle, and their children: Robert Franklin and his wife, Mary Francis McBride, and two children: Ora Mae and B. William, William Henderson Tomlinson, not married, and Walter Turner Tomlinson, about 12 ears old.
They settled nearby and built houses with lumber hauled from the railraod in Midland, Texas, plod, dug wells for water, put up windmills. Very few fences were here; so stock had to be watched, and early mornings we say grey wolves prowling the countryside for something to eat. The dogs would bark and let us know that something strange was on the horizon. The men would shoot at them but seldom hit one, for the first shot they were gone. In the spring feed was planted and a garden was put in, for we surely needed fresh vegetables. These were watered from dirt tanks, and it was hard work to put in a garden. The men worked for ranchers and were gone for days.
A small town of Knowles, a few miles north gegan to materialize on theopen land. Soon we had a store with all kinds of things we needed. There was some work for the men building roads, houses and pens for stock.
My mother was in very poor health with bronchitis asthma. That was one reason my family left Texas. In 1905 we were blessed by a baby brother, Tom Henry. He was a joy to all of us. Due to my mother's health I learned to cook at a very early age. My dad told people that I could make a meal whe I was 9 years old. I still love to cook for my family.
A few miles from where we lived the families built a one roomed school house, East Barber, where we went to school as their was quite a few children in the community. We had gatherings on Sunday and studied the Bible. On occasion we would have a Minister of the Gospel come by. This would be a great day for all to meet and hear a real preacher and visit together.
My mother was ill namy times whe the weather would be cold, and we had much dry cold wind in those days. When my father was away for work, my mother and the small boys and I would stay with our grandparents who lived about a mile from our house. My brothers, John and Roy, would stay at the house.
On a cold November day, the wind blew; John and Roy had done all their chores and had seen to things for the night. Then they had gone about a mile east to where the teacher lived to get help with their lesson. They studied awhile and bid the teacher goodnight and walked home. We used coal oil lamps at that time. They lit the lamp and got ready for bed. We had two rooms. They blew the lamp out and went to bed in the next room. Seems it was not long before something waked them; the entire room was in smoke. They put on their pants and tried to get things out of the burning house. It was going so fast that they decided to get help. They were barefoot and did not have tome to get a coat. One walk to the teacher's house and one to Gtandpa's house for help. Neighbors came for all around to help keep the sacks of feed from burning. The house was gone, but the wind blew sparks everywhere. The men wet the feed sacks down and tied tarps over the sides to keep them fom burning.
This was a sad day for my mother sick in bed, Papa of at work, the children with no clothes but the ones we had on that day, and no food. The neighbors came to our rescue, took the boys in, brought us clothes and food and started a house for us, and we made it for the winter. My mother's family in Alto and Rusk, Texas, sent us a huge box of things we could use. They came by railroad to Midland and were hauled by wagons to us. What a glorious time we had with all the things in the box.
We children went to school in East Barber, then to the Knowles school; then in 1914 we came to Lovington for school. We spent the ween and went home on the weekends. Then in early 1920 my father found work in Lovington. He worked for the schools and was Justice of the Peace for several years. My parents continued to live here until their deaths.
The year 1909 brought many more people to the open plains to farm and raise cattle. Very few had sheep in our area.
The family of Alford Ranson Clardy and his wife, Cora Louise Byars, and four children: Minos Ferdnand, Lawrence Lafette, Alfred Veron and Velmah Spears Clardy settled to the west of us, east of what is now Humble City. The Clardy family came to New Mexico from McCulloch County, Texas, near Brady. With the family was also a bachelor older brother, John L. Vlardy. Mr. Clardy with John and Minos bought homestead rights in the area. They lived there for several years, Minos and Lawrence were away working most of the time. Then in 1917 the family moved to Lovington. Velmah was in school. Vernon stayed at the homestead with Uncle John and cared for the cattle, horses and dry land farming for several years.
Vernon helped many of the ranchers with cattle. He helped drive a herd of nearly two thousand head to the Lincoln National Forest near Cloudcroft for grass. Several owners of cattle went togther for this cattle drive. It took them several weeks to make thetrip. Soon after this Vernon received his notice to serve in the United States Army as World War I had been in progress for awhile.
Alfred Vernon Clardy and Elizbeth Lucy Tomlinson were married April 15th, 1918, in the court room just after school was out one evening. Many of the classmates came to the wedding. Asa B. Morton, Justice of the Peace, and Minos Clardy were the ones to sign the license.
Vernon was to be in Carlsbad for induction in the service in a few days. We went by mail car; it took all day to go. Vernon's brother, Lawrence, was the driver. Passengers were welcome to go as long as there not to many mail sacks. They were tied all over and some water bags were carried, for there was only one place for water just below the caprock which cost twenty-five cents for a gallon. There was lots of sand ofn the roadway which was a mere cow trail made by wagons. When the wind blew, the mail car always got stuck in the drifts of sand. The passengers were glad to help dig out of the sand.
Vernon was in Carlsbad several days before the train was loaded for the men to be on their way to Camp Funston, Kansas. Many boys were picked up on the way. Vernon arriced at camp, was given clothes as well as many innoculations for various diseases, assigned to the quarters and given duties. Vernon ws in the 49th Co. 164th Depot Brigade where he served for seveal months and was given an honorable discharge and came home.
Elizabeth stayed with her family near Knowles while Vernon ws gone. She helped with many things as her brothers John and Roy were in the Navy, her Uncle Walter Tomlinson was in the Navy, also. Grandfather Tomlinson and his wife stayed with us for awhile, as my grandfather was very ill. He had the dreaded disease of cancer and needed special medication which had to be purchased in Lovington. As there was no one else to go for it, I would leave home horseback and ride the 22 miles to Lovington. I had about twent gates to open, buy the medicine, spend the night with the Clardy's and go home early the next morning. And I did many other chores for the family. My grandfather died August 1918.
Vernon came home in a few days. We rented a house in Lovington, and he went to work for a garage. He work for the Buick and later the W.M. Snyder garage for some thirty years., then worked for the City of Lovington until his retorement in 1967.
I worked at many things. I liked working for the ready-to-wear ladies' shops which I did for a number of years while my children were in school. I worked at the Hobbs Air Base for five years, then drove one of the Lovington school buses for ten years and quit to take care of my father, which I did for fifteen years after the death of my mother. Then Vernon and I built a house on Fifth Street and have enjoyed our children and grandchildren and have great-grandchildren.
The children of Elizabeth and Vernon Clardy, all born in Lovington, are: Wretha Maudra Clardy, May 30, 1919; Wayne Traverse Clardy, January 16, 1921; Richard Marion Clardy, August 16, 1923; Clinton Hugh Clardy, AUgust 16, 1925; and Nat Eugene Clardy, Febraury 17, 1928.