Tarrant County Family Stories

Story of Viola Lewis Berry written June 3, 1972

This is my life to the best of my knowledge. I was born in Hope Arkansas December 18, 1884. I am not old, just been here a long time. I have had a useful life. I just can remember a few things around Hope. Mama and Papa's people live around close to us. I can remember them coming and we would all have a great time together. I don't remember my Grandpa very well but I can remember my Grandmas. I don't think I ever saw Papa's father. He died young in life. I don't know much about Mama's father. Papa's mother stayed with us a lot. She was strict on us children. I can remember that. Guess she had to be. We played outside mostly. We were not entertained like children are now. We played under big oak trees. Made play houses, we called them; had broken dishes for our dishes. We did not know what bought dishes were. We would gather big oak leaves and sticks for pins and make our dresses out of. We had a great time when Mama and Papa had company. We went to play. We did not bother them. Now days, you entertain children and not your company.

I can remember Papa's mama always made Mama soap. Mama made her own lye in winter. She saved her ashes out of the fireplace and Papa made her ash hopers. She would put her ashes in it and put water over the ashes and would drip lye and that's what she made her soap with. It would be so pretty and white. I remember one time she made a wash pot full and she told us kids not to bother it, but when it got hard, I remember getting a broom stick and punching holes all in it. So she went to see about her soap and holes all in it and wanted to know who did it. No one knew. Somehow she found out it was me She got after me but I out ran her and got under the bed where she could not get me. I was always doing something to her.

Mama was a great fisherman. Could almost catch fish on dry land. I don"t know how long we lived at Hope. We had a big log house and a big porch. The well was on the porch and had a pump on it. We had all kinds of fruit and Mama always put up and dried enough for one year to the next. We had a big garden and raised all kinds of vegetables, and chickens, turkeys and all kinds of fowl. I can remember having geese and picking them to make feather beds and pillows. We all had feather mattresses on our beds; no blankets just quilts. Mama worked hard. She was only 14 when she married. I have heard her say many times, she never knew anything but married life. She was young when she was a mother. She had to work hard -- no money. Not much had to buy. She made a hand in the field. All kids worked that was big enough. I can remember we had big tall baskets they put cotton in when they picked it. She would put the baby in it and the ones that were not large enough to work would watch the baby. She had no easy life but was happy. Very little sickness. I remember Papa being bad once with typhoid fever and how quiet us kids had to be. That's about all I can remember at Hope. (Arkansas).

We moved from Hope to Red River County close to a little town called Lydice. I do not remember the year, but I do remember there is where our sorrow began. All got sick. Chilling. Lived on a farm. Mama got sick, had milk leg. That's what they called it then, but now it's call flebitus(?). Us kids all small and chilling and Papa was chilling. Take our medicine to the field and take to keep off chills and if we had one, go to house when fever left us we would go back to the field. Mama never was well anymore-- nearly a year before she could be on her legs. We had it hard-- no money and all sick. I can remember Mama hiring a woman to come help out and she had epileptic fits and would scare us kids to death. Mama let her go. Lonnie and I were big enough for Mama to tell us what to do. She finally got when she could sit up and she would go in the kitchen and sit and tell us and show us what to do and how to wash clothes. We had rub boards-- all hard, manual labor by soap and wash pot and rub board.

We finally left Red River and moved to Texas, Hamilton County. Moved in covered wagon; shipped our things. I don't know how long we were on the road, several days. We stayed in wagon yards at night. We had lot of fun on the road. Cooked our dinner on the ground in a dutch oven. I was about ten years old, Lonnie twelve. We had two or three horses we led behind the wagon. I can remember us kids -- one of us would play like we were blind and one would be leading us. I know people would pass us and just stare at us. Of course, Mama or Papa did not know it. We crossed two or three rivers. I know Red River and The Trinity and Brazos. I don't know if anymore or not but we crossed them on ferry boats. We did not chill any more after we got malaria out of system. Papa farmed there. Mama got where she could sew and she would make bats and spin thread and make our stockings and petti coats. The cloth for our petticoats was called lindsy -- it was wool and would be so warm. I remember Mama bought us an organ. She did not have money to make down payment so he took quilts for down payment. We sold milk and butter to make our payments. We had a great time. I loved the playing and learned to read notes and played by notes. We had lot of fun. When kids came in, we would play and
sing.

So we moved from there to Theny (later Comyn) Texas, on a farm. We like it there so much. We were close to church and went every Sunday to Sunday School. and in the summer when the crops were laid by, we would having singing schools and Lonnie and I went. Was ten days of it. I sing alto and Lonnie soprano. We kids never did get to start to school when it opened, as we were picking cotton. And, when we got ours out, we picked out to buy our clothes. We always had to quit school to chop cotton. Not any of us finished school. Lonnie and I had begun to date some but not too much. We did not live there but two or three years and moved to I do not remember the name of the town, but not to far from there. Lots of people called it Comyn. This place we moved to between Theney and Dublin on my uncle's place.

Ben Lafferty we all loved that place. I don't know how long we lived there but quite awhile. My dad farmed--that is all he knew to do. We had great times there. We were getting up big kids, Lonnie and I both dating. Mama and Papa always had parties and ice cream suppers at home for us and we had such great times. Mama and Papa were young with us kids. I can remember there when we would get out a bale of cotton Papa carried it to the gin and he would always bring us candy and apples and stalk of bananas. We would always look forward to that. One time he told me and Lonnie if we would pick cotton hard when we got this bale out he would let us go to Dublin on the bale of cotton with him. So we worked hard to get the bale out and he took us with him. He bought each of us a plain band ring -- oh, I thought that was the prettiest ring.

My Lucille McJilton has it now. I guess it is 70 years old and still just like it was. We were living there when I met my husband. I met him at a party, but he went by Samson, a nickname. So I went to Kileen to go to school and I got a letter from him and was signed Iris Barry. I did not know who it was. But I answered and soon found out who it was. I did not stay down there long, too homesick. So I came home and went to school there. We dated four years before we got married. He live about ten or fifteen miles from me and he always came on horseback; he came about twice a month. Sometimes he came over more often. We usually stayed at home-- sometimes we went to church at night. We always went by horse back; did not have a buggy. He didn't. We had a lot of fun. Always a bunch of kids at our house and would play organ and sing. We lived there when I got married. We married at Roach School house-- and was a big meeting going on there and Sunday we were going to get married at close of service. Just drive up and get married and no one know it.  He rented a buggy but I think the whole church was out there. We were married sitting in the buggy. Some one told it and all was out there. But we did not tarry long after it was over. We went back home and so many there. Had cake, ice cream and all -- no reception.

So we soon moved to Comanche on John Bryson's ranch. We went to work for him for $20 a month. The house was furnished, three rooms and a porch. I know a lot about cooking for had so much of it to do at home for Mama was sick so much and my husband taught me a lot of things. I did not know how to cut up a chicken and he taught me how. So many things he taught me to do. Mr. and Mrs. Bryson were so good to me. She was just a mother. She had five or six children. They were worth a lot of money, I know. We were hard up -- just $20 a month so I went to do her washing and ironing for $1.75 a week and they were huge washing, but I did it until I was expecting Roy and got so big I could not do it any more. So after Roy was born in June, in the fall I went to picking cotton for a family on the ranch for 50 cents a hundred pounds. I picked my 300 ever day. The people's name was Brock. She kept Roy for me and I would go to the house three or four times a day and let him nurse. I can remember the first bale of cotton we picked-- Mrs. Brock and I went to Comanche-- road on that bale of cotton and I bought Roy's high chair and little red wagon. Of course, Roy was not very old then but I could hardly wait to get to town to get him little things-- was the joy of my life. No one had a baby but me and I.C. Mr. Bryson had his own school there on the ranch and on Christmas he always had a tree at the school for his tenants.

He worked a lot of people. He always had gifts on the tree for all. I remember the first time Roy was big enough to enjoy it, Santa Clause came in throwing popcorn. Roy would grab him some and duck his head down under the desk and eat it -- he was scared to death. We had a happy life there. Didn't make much money but we got along fine. Things then were not high like now and we saved what we made, a lot of it. Did not buy things like people do now. I just don't remember how long we lived at the Bryson Ranch, about three years I think. Ruby was born there and was a baby when we left there. Mr. Bryson wanted I.C. to move to Concho County on his ranch. Told him if he would move there he would give him $50 a month to be ranch foreman and he would give him all hides of the cattle that died. He would skin them and get 50 cents for a hide -- not much, but he did it and it helped out some. I hated to leave Mrs. Bryson and children -- they were all so good to me, but we moved and when we got there I though- oh such a lonely place to live-- way out and no houses close by and me with two babies. I.C. was gone all day. Was a lonely life. It was miserable there and I was young and I had two children, four and two years of age. I was by myself so much in the daytime and I was afraid there for I hardly ever saw any women, just the men and the Mexicans who worked there. When the men had to go to Brady to bring in a herd of cattle that left me and the two babies to go 20 miles to Mrs. Croggins house. At night I would have to go home and tend to everything and then go to Mrs. Martin's house to spend the night, which was about four miles and all I had in was a buggy and a balking horse and I was scared to death when dark caught me.

So we left the ranch and moved to Wilbager County, close to Harrold Texas. My husband bought 160 acres of land there when we left the ranch. Grandad Barry gave us a pair of mules. Wild as could be but we drove them to our place. We moved in covered wagon and shipped our things. We were 17 days on the road and camped out. Had bed made in wagon and all slept there. I had three children then: Roy, Ruby and Burt. Every morning when I.C. went to harness the team he would have to tie the tongue of the wagon to a tree to hitch them to the wagon. All would get in the wagon and he would untie them and that way we would go until they began to get tired. They never did get tame -- always wild. We landed at our place -- just landed, and that was all. No house of any kind so we lived in wagon and outside until we got a barn built and then moved in it until the house was built. We built two 16 foot rooms, no porch, but it looked like a mansion to me. We had a tank of water close by, the water was just as red as could be. I would wash the baby clothes and cry. They would look like they were dyed. We had it hard there for three years. Made nothing. I.C. farmed. We worked hard to get our crops up and corn be ready to go to making and come hot winds and burn it up. Have to cut it for fodder. We made nothing for three years. The fourth year we made so much we could not gather it all. We had to haul all our water. We borrowed _____ _from Grandad Barry so that mostly all we had for we did not have much to start with. We did not have any cow or chickens so I.C. had a fine saddle he brought from the ranch and he traded it for a Jersey cow. She was beautiful and was suppose to be fresh in a few weeks. We kept that cow a year and she never did have a calf. Just as fat as could be. We never did get any cow while there after we sold her. Bought us some chickens and two hogs and the hogs caught most of the chickens. I.C. fixed the pen where the chickens could not get in the pen but would stick their heads in the cracks and the hogs would bite their heads off. I guess that was unlucky move for us. In the spring I.C. dug us a storm cellar for that was in storm belt. I did not know anything about going in cellars and one evening I.C. and I were planting a garden. I had Burt in his buggy and Roy and Ruby were playing around. Came up a little cloud, did not look at all bad and I.C. said Viola you better take the children and go to the house. So I started and got to the corner of the house and leaned up against it and felt it coming. Roy had gotten in the house but I did not know it so it got hold of Ruby and pulled her as far as it could. I.C. ran and got her and said to me, "Where is Roy?." I did not know. He said the house may be on him for it was off the foundation. But he was in the house praying. He would say, "Oh Lord, don't let any more down."

I never did think of the storm cellar for I was not use to them. But from then on, I thought of them. Those were scary times for a while. It happened so quick that you did not have time to think. I.C. fixed a bed in the cellar. Fixed it real nice so when it looked like rain at night we just took the babies and spent the night in the cellar. Grandma Barry came and spent two weeks with us and we had to go in while she was there. She was scared of the cellar. She wouldn't sleep any and in the night she would wake me up and would say, "Viola, let's me and you go in the house." I would get up and go in with her and would be so scared. But she was so afraid of them. She was such a dear mother in law and was so good to me. I.C.'s brother came to see us there; he lived at Cahoma, Texas, and is Carl Dale's father. Carl Dale lives at Fort Worth now and is a dear to me. When I.C.'s brother, Claud, came we were in the field and did not know he was coming. I had the babies under the shade. Had wagon bows and wagon sheet stretched for shade. My baby, Howard, was about nine months old. Claud came up and I was so surprised. I was chopping grass and weeds out of the cotton, laying it by. He said, "Viola, what are you doing with these babies out here?". He said "You come on and go to the house with me and I'll help I.C. finish up the laying by." He said he couldn't hoe cotton but he could plow and I.C. could take my place and I could stay at the house with the children. I had four: Roy, Ruby, Burt, and Howard. Claud plowed and I.C. chopped cotton. So Claud stayed until the crops were laid by. Claud would come in give out. He was a barber. Had a big time with the children. He taught Howard to walk when he was nine months old. We did enjoy his visit. After he went home, he took sick with his kidneys and passed away. He was so young. He had one child, Carl Dale, who was so young when his father passed away. Don't remember to much about him.

That was the year we made a good crop. I guess that was in 1909. So we gathered crop and moved while we could. We moved close to Dublin and Proctor Texas on Grandad's place. He owned a lot of land and cattle-- a big ranch. I.C. farmed some but mostly worked for his dad. We lived in one of Grandad's rent houses not too far from them. I was so happy to get back close to my old home. We had plenty of water, which we did not have at Harrold, Texas. We had to haul all of it. But we sold our place at Harrold, Texas, and I was so proud for we had it hard there. Grandad mostly planted grain, not much cotton. He raised Cattle. He had everything, fine chickens, turkeys, guinea, and lots of bees, made his own honey, fine orchard. Grandma put up everything-- always had plenty to eat. Killed his own beef, put it up in 50 gal. barrels. Put it in salt some way and had it the year around. I know he gave us a lot. I can just see Grandma coming to our house. She would come by chicken house and bring us eggs. She always wore a little apron and would have them in her apron. She was a wonderful cook. She had six boys and two girls and it took a lot to feed them. She made such lovely cakes-- she used pure cream for her cakes. They milked so many cows.

Roy and Ruby went to Proctor to school. Everything went well until I.C. got sick -- he had typhoid fever twice. He got up with it and relapsed-- was sick so long. He went to Mineral Wells after he got up and took baths. i don't know how long he was gone but he took a course of them, which I think was 21. He came back looking so good. My Lucille was born there in 1913. My sister Rada, came and stayed with me. I know she stayed two weeks before Lucille was born and she was waiting to get married, but she wouldn't leave me. Poor thing has gone on now. She passed away 31 of last July at 77. Well, we moved again. Grandad had 107 acres at Desdemonia, Texas. It was a sand bed. So he told I.C. if he wanted it, he would give it to him. So I.C. took it and we moved to it. Had a log house on it, one big room and a side room for a kitchen. Big cracks in it and cold as could be. Our well water was good piece from the house--was fine water but so far from the house. We farmed it. Peanuts was our main crop. We raised a fine garden-- everything put out, berries and orchard. We grubbed five-acre tract of new land and put in cultivation. Usually planted corn in it and would plant peas in middle rows when we laid the corn by. We raised a lot of watermelons and cantaloupe. We had a lot to eat there out of the garden and orchard. I raised a lot of chickens and turkeys-- got lot of eggs. We could not use all our eggs so I sold a lot of them at 5 and 10 cents a dozen. I did not sell any fryers for we ate those. Got lots of milk and butter. Had our own meat. Did not have much to buy. I spent my happiest married life at Desdemonia. We had such wonderful neighbors who lived close by. We always went to church but not Sunday School, and at night I made the babies a palet at church and they would sleep.

Everybody did that had babies. We took our children everywhere we went. Were no baby-sitters in that day and time. We would go to big singins all day and carry our dinner and all spread it together. Would have the best time. We knew everyone around. When we would go to gathering our peanuts and at thrashing time, we women would help one another out- go and help cook for men at dinner-- would be 8 or 10 men, maybe more. Always ate dinner at house but not supper. Had everything good to eat at dinner but usually raised it. We were all poor working people together. We had good children who did not give us any trouble.

I remember Burt and Howard fixed them up an old buggy and had them a donkey and had the best time with it. What one couldn't think of, the other would. Roy never did not take part in things like they did. Roy was older. He and Ruby came up together. He was more like a girl then a boy. He use to help me a lot. When I pieced quilts and Roy was there he always helped me. Anything I did, he wanted to help when he was little.  I just don't remember how long we lived in old house until we built us a new house down close to the well. We had two 16 foot rooms and a 14 foot kitchen, big front porch and a back porch and bathroom. Oh, it was such a pretty place, I thought, after living in a old log house. You could see heaven between every log and when it snowed in winter, a lot of it was in the house.

We were all so proud of our new house-- I.C. and I canvassed and papered it ourselves. Had it fixed up real cute and had such a pretty yard. All kinds of flowers and shrubs. We worked hard on the farm. My husband was not much of a farmer. He tried but seems we never did have much money, just a living. Sometimes the crops were a failure. So in 1918, he decided to come to Dallas and see if he could get a job. He finally got work at a convict camp at Mesquite helping with the prisoners. He was not gone too long. They were drilling for oil on Duke place so it came in a gusher and caught fire. That was staring of a great boom at Hogtown. The children went to see it. You never saw so many people there and the leasing of land started. So I called I.C. over the phone to come home. I was afraid someone would get hold of him and beat him on lease. He caught the train and came home. That was in 1918. So he leased our land and they drilled and brought in a good well. The Magnolia Company had it. We got several good checks off it and then they got in law suit and the company plugged it and has been sealed since then. Hogtown was a booming town. Everybody seemed to move there and so much meanness. The worst streets when it rained-- the mud was upto the horses' bellies.  You could hardly get down the streets. So when things kindly quieted down, I.C. went to work for Magnolia. He worked seven days a week-- never knew when Sunday came. He walked to work--about three miles to his work. Leave early and be late when he got in.

Children and I kept things going. I planted lots of things and plowed and gathered corn--anything I planted. Roy went to work for company. He would go with his daddy and made a hand. He was just 15 or 16 years old. I hated to see Roy go to work so young but he did not want to go to school and his daddy put him to work. I'll never forget when Roy got his first check, His daddy let him get a 22 target. He always wanted one. But when Roy would go hunting his daddy would not let Burt or Howard go with him-- afraid would get careless--  So company sent I.C. and Roy to Electra, Texas, in 1923 and Roy found him a girl friend and they got married. Lucille Able, she was 16 and he was 19. They lived in our old log house; he was still with Magnolia. She was such a sweet girl. They finally got them an apartment down close to town.

We were sent to a lot of places. I.C. was construction foreman and they would build big gas plants at different places and he would have to go. They move us to Smackover, Arkansas. My Mary Lou was a baby, hardly a year old. I was so worried--didn't know a soul and lived in an apartment until the company got our house ready. Was the first time I ever lived in an apartment. We just camped seemed to me for our things were all packed up. After we got moved in the house it was not so bad as I thought it would be. So when all got fixed some of the boys that worked for I.C. wanted to board at our house so I kept them. I had six or eight-- I don't know how many. And when the big bosses came, they ate dinner at our house and some days I would have 25 or 30 for dinner. I had a girl to help me but I did the cooking myself and my daughter and her husband lived close by-- Ruby. She helped me a lot. After supper I would go to the grocery store and get my things to cook for the next day. I had a lot of hard work to do but I enjoyed it. I made enough money to run our family. We put I.C. ' salary in Savings. Everybody worked there. My son, Burt, was working for his dad. My youngest son, Howard, would not go to school so his dad took him with him and put him to work. That was what Howard wanted to do so he went to work every morning with his dad and Burt. In two or three days Howard's hands got so sore he could hardly work so he would come to me and say,"Mama, Papa makes me do all the hard work and I can't stand my hands anymore." So I fixed him up some salve, tallow, turpentine, and everything and make him grease his hands at night. He though he would get on my sympathy and I would get his dad to let him quit. But would tell him in a few days he would be use to working. He stayed with it and he has thanked me so many times that I made him stay with it. So they got the gasoline plants finished and company sent all to Shreveport, Louisiana. We were they several years but my husband wasn't at home very much. Here and there in the field.

They went to Cotton Valley and built a gas plant. They boarded with Mrs. Roby. She had a single daughter at home so she and Burt fell in love and they married. I can't remember what year that was. So after that wasn't long before my Lucille got married to O.L. Jordan in Shreveport. So I lost two at Shreveport.

From there they sent us to Kilgore, Texas. I think that was in 1932. We lived in a tent until they got company house finished. That was another big oil boom town and rough as could be. Every class was there and the street in front of our house was hub deep in mud. My baby, Mary Lou, was here first year in school. But I put her in private school--afraid to send her to public school, afraid she would be killed or kidnapped, it was so bad there. It finally got settled down some but took quite a while, but I did like Kilgore. After all was a nice place and good churches and school. It still is a great oil town. My son,Roy and his wife and baby moved there. He put in a machine shop and had a wonderful business there. In 1935 they lost their little girl, little Theda-- was just seven years old. She was never well, had a leakage of the heart. She was the joy of our homes. She is buried in Kilgore Cemetery.  Most all my children live in Kilgore. My Howard got married there to Pat Grant. So just left me two girls, Willie Pearl and Mary Lou. We lived in Magnolia camp. There were seven or eight families who lived in camp. I enjoyed living there, had such nice neighbors. All just one big family, all had children and they all got along so good. Burt and Alma, his wife, and baby lived across the street from us. Lucille and her daughter Joyce Lea, lived near us. All the children lived near. We had so many nice neighbors-- was a great place. My husband bought us a two acre lot about two miles from Kilgore on the Henderson Highway. I think that was in 1941 or 1942. He built us a beautiful ranch-style house on it-- had seven rooms and was such a beautiful place. We had double garage, carport, big work shop, chicken brooder and hen houses. I raised so many chickens there. Had my incubator. Had everything a home could wish for-- hogs, big garden I raised everything. Had two wells and a pump and big water tank. Kept it full of water all the time.

A wash house and a big basement, and fruit trees. They yard was beautiful--had rock garden, every kind of flower and shrubs and trees. People would drive by the house and stop on highway to view my yard. We worked so hard there. I had a colored girl that worked for me. She was so good, could do anything, just like a man. We usually had a colored man to help my husband. He was still with Magnolia and he couldn't do too much at the place. I like to have worked myself down there in the garden and yard and so much to do in the yard. Kids in school and my husband's health began to fail and mine too so told I.C. we just had to sell and get away from there--- so much hard work but he didn't pay to much attention to what I said. So rocked on and Willie Pearl got married there to Winston Cooper and they moved so that left me with Mary Lou and she was in college so she finished college and went to work. We finally sold. Oh, it was a task. I.C. had retired in 1943 I think it was. I did hate to sell but realized was to much for us to try to keep up and our health had begun to fail. So we sold and moved to Longview, Texas.

Bought a house on Sidney Street. Was a seven -room brick house double garage. He built a big workshop, he had to have a place to do little things. He had all kinds of tools to do with and saws and everything. I had good neighbors there. I did love Longview. Had such good churches and schools there. My daughter, Lucille, and her husband, Rable McJilton, lived there. She had one daughter, Joyce Lea. They were a lot of company to me. Our children were scattered. Then Roy and Lucille lived in Georgia and Howard and Pat were in Georgia. Burt and Alma were in Houston. all my boys were doing pipeline work.

Ruby lived in St. Louis. They were all far away. Willie Pearl lived at Kilgore so Lucille and Willie were they only ones that were close by. Mary Lou was working at Harmon Hospital. She met her boy friend there, Tommy Gregg. They got married and moved to Little Rock, Arkansas. He was in the service. So that left my husband and me just like we started. All the children married and gone.

In 1948 my husband had a heart attack and was sick for four years, in and out of the hospital. He never had a well day, just one attack after another. So in 1952, 10 August we celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary at Rable and Lucille's lake house at Cherokee. It was so nice and we got so many nice gifts. All my children except Burt were there. All the grandchildren and so many friends. We had everything to eat and homemade ice cream. They made pictures. All had a wonderful time. On the 5th of October my husband took sick and on 7th of October 1952, he passed away. Hardly two months after our 50th anniversary. He was 74 years old. All the children got there before he passed away. All were so far away. Was so hard to give him up. He was buried in Longview cemetery. He had so many friends. he knew so many for he worked so long for Magnolia and we had lived at Kilgore or so long. Was such a big crowd at his funeral. Had service in Longview Baptist Church Chapel. Dr Morris Ford preached the funeral. He was a Mason and they had a ceremony at the cemetery and the pall bearers were Masons. After the funeral, the children had to be leaving. All had jobs they had to get back to. Then when I really realized he was gone and I was left at that big house, I could not stay there at night. I went and stayed at my daughter's, Mary Lou and her husband's home. They had moved back to Longview. He had spent his time in the service and finally they sold their home and moved in with me. They had two babies. Was the joy of our home.

So in 1952? Tommy got out of work and we came to Dallas. Rented us a place for a month until we saw how his work was going to be. I finally sold my home. Was so hard for me to do, but my health was failing and I could not stay by myself. So here we are still in Dallas. Bought us a home. We have moved three times since we have been in Dallas. Both Mary Lou and Tommy have good jobs, work every day. Her two children both live here in Dallas, married and have good jobs. Judy and her husband have two girls. Nancy and her husband have three children, two boys and one girl. They come over often. Never a dull moment when all get together. I have a good home. I stay here every day by myself, me and the two dogs. I always have supper cooked when they get in at night. I just do what I want to do. We all get along fine, never a cross word. Mary Lou is the only one of my children who lives in Dallas. Others are scattered but they come about twice a year. My daughter in Longview comes more often for she isn't so far.

I lost one of my boys March 6, 1970. Was so hard to give him up. He was 62. I had seven children, three boys and four girls. The Lord has blessed me in many ways.

I am 87 years old and crippled up with arthritis. Am not what I use to be but can still get around in the house with my cane. Can't do much walking. Have a wonderful life and so many sweet memories. Some heartaches, of course, you can expect that all through life. I have just sketched my life. So many things you can't think of at the time and so many you don't tell. I guess I could fill a book. My life has been long and useful. There are three of us children living-- my brother, Brice, lives in Malvern Arkansas, 85, and still able to get around good but health failing. My sis (Lonnie) in Lubbock. She's two years older than me. Be 90 in February. Her health is bad. So you see we are all living on borrowed time. I'll be going to Longview next week on the 14th July, 1972, for two weeks with my daughter and her husband as my daughter and her husband are going on two weeks vacation. The other children are too far away and cant make the trip. I want to tell you about our home coming Mother's day. My daughter, Lucille and her husband had it was at their lake house near Longview. It is such a beautiful place. They have everything on it to make you enjoy yourself. Lots of big fish in the lake. Some fished and men had such a good time. He has a lot of cattle in the pastures. It is mostly a cattle farm. We all had a wonderful time. All my children were there but one. She was sick and could not come. She lives in St. Louis. We had everything good to eat. I thought was so wonderful for Lucille and Rable to open their home for it was so sweet in them. Will be long remembered. Lucille and Rable have a wonderful home in Longview. They have everything there to make a beautiful home They both love flowers. I guess they have every kind of flower and shrub in yard. You name it and they have it. Rock gardens. They have a garden there. Rable loves his garden. He always raises enough vegetables to put in the deep freeze. All kinds. He has two gardens a year, in the spring and the fall. He has green onions and hot peppers the year around.
 

This is July 8, 1972, so here I sit. Kids all went to lake. Took their two grandbabies for a swim. Be back sometime late this eve. They really like the lake--Is Lake Dallas. I hardly ever go. Can't get around. So I stay home and read and lay down and listen to radio and T.V.

This Sunday, the 9th of July. Nancy's babies came and spent the night and all day today with us. They are sweet children and do they like to stay at Mama and Papa's-- and Mawma, that's what they call me. Judy and George and their two Children, Tammy and Gina, are on their vacation for two weeks at Galveston. They will have a wonderful time. They are like their Mama and Dad-- like the lakes. Their children are regular water ducks. Both swim good, ages 6 and 7. I'll go. By by and love to all, Viola Barry.
Compiled by Lee Peacock, Courtesy of Jan Greer and submitted by Mary Lafferty Wilson.
 

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