Dingler, Tom and Vera

Lea County Families and Histories, "Then and Now", Vol II, 1984

Submitted by: Vera Patterson Dingler

     James Thomas (Tom) and I with sons, James Lyman, born January 12, 1934 in Lindsay, Oklahoma: Joe Stanley, born near Maysville, Oklahoma, March 10, 1935 and John Elton born in Oklahoma City, September 9, 1937, arrived in Monument, Thanksgiving night, 1944.

     Tom had come out nine moths earlier and was hired by "Gyp" Uterback (who was superintendent) to work at the Warren Gasoline Plant.

     Because of the acute housing shortage the boys and I couldn't come until the Kenneth Turnes bought Clarence Jordan's small sheep ranch. On the recommendation of Luke Campbell, Turners rented us the house which had been the Jordan's home. In the Spring of 1945 we moved into the Warren Camp and where we lived until the death of our beloved husband and father August 16, 1958.

     Lyman was in the fifth, Joe in the fourth and Elton the first when they began their school days at Monument. They enjoyed their school days there and made many friends. When Lyman was a senior the high school was consolidated with Hobbs. Lyman's was the last class to graduated from what is now Houston Jr. High in 1952. Joe's was the first to graduate from the new high school in 1953. That same spring Elton graduated from the ninth grade at Monument. One thing Joe remembers is that the lights went out for a few seconds the night of his graduation.

     We enjoyed the unique way of life in a camp and being part of a community where activities centered around the school and churches. At school affairs and at sports everybody turned out to give their support.

     Before the boys were old enough to work, they, with others swam in and played around the earthen tank the Monument Springs filled. They spent happy days in the wide open spaces hunting with, "rubber guns" and playing games.

     Our first vacation was spent at the Amerada "shack" and fishing in the Pecos River, seeing that bat flight at the Carlsbad Caverns and a tour through them after we visited relatives in Artesia. I am thankful our sons were being raised in the same community and graduated from the same school.

     Joe married Gay Elizabeth Hamilton, August 3, 1956, at the Grace Lutheran Church, Hobbs. Elton and Barbara Carolyn Greer married at the Monument Baptist Church, July 31, 1958. Lyman and Mary Ellen Sisk married December 29, 1962 at the Asbury Methodist church, Hobbs. Gay lived in Hobbs, Barbara (Bobbie) in Monument and Mary had come to Hobbs to teach school. The first child of each couple was born in Lea General Hospital, which is now Good Samaritan.

     After the burial of Tom in Memory Gardens, August 15, 1958, I moved to Hobbs where I still reside. Later Joe and family were transferred to Louisiana where they live in Buras. Lyman and family live in Twin Oaks, Oklahoma and Elton and Bobbie still live here where they raised their girl and boy.

     I have seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren.