Sometimes we are blessed with a bit of "serendipity" that is so special and means so much. That is the case with the information that fell in my lap from a wonderful lady named DeeDee Shackelford, who lives in Southern Oklahoma. Having some of her roots planted here in Jenks, she shared this warm and humorous story with me, and has allowed me to place it here for the enjoyment of all readers and researchers. Thank you so much, DeeDee!
If you would like to contact DeeDee, her e-mail address is:
[email protected]
Her surnames include ANGLIN, BARRETT, CLARK, SIMPSON and LASWELL, all from Rockcastle County, Kentucky.
And here is her story:
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Levi "Lee" Anglin and Miss Purnie Iva Creekmore were married in the Jenks, Oklahoma Community on the 16th or 18th of December, 1916, after which friends and family threw a party at the tent of the bride's parents. (It must be noted here that at this point in time many families had just relocated to the area and had not had time to build houses; at one point I believe Jenks was even known as "Tent City.")
There was lots of food and music to enjoy at the celebration. Later a few of the fellas decided to do a shivery, which is an old time custom where they would try to trick the newly married couple and steal the bride away where the groom could not find her. It sounds like great fun was had by all, but I'm sure that knowing Lee as these people must have, that the shivery thing didn't go too far.
The story of how Lee and Purnie met is twofold. My Grand-aunt, Dessie, (younger sister of Purnie and source of the above story) told me of how they met at a church meeting. Another aunt describes how they met on an old time Merry-go-round. I believe what might have happened is: Lee saw the young Miss Purnie Creekmore on this Merry-go-round and followed her to the church meeting. Because this meeting was an old Pentecostal meeting and Lee was very much a Baptist, I belive this (Purnie) was the reason he attended.
However they met, Lee was a handsome young man with dashing blue eyes, rather hot tempered and a man of few words. He was fiercely devoted to the young Miss Purnie. As I have gathered information and talked with people who remember Lee, the only thing they all said about Lee Anglin was how much he loved his Purnie and that he showed it, and how his love was returned by her. I remember once Grandma Purnie saying to me that Lee was the love of her life, and that few people were as fortunate as she to have found that.
Lee was born the 22nd of December, 1889, and was the son of Harvey and Martha Frances (Clark) Anglin. They moved to Jenks, Oklahoma from Rockcastle County, Kentucky, in about 1894.
Purnie Creekmore was born the 17th of August, 1898, and was the daughter of Josiah "Joe" and Elizabeth "Lizzie" (Robards/Roberts) Creekmore. They, too, were from Kentucky (Whitley County) and then Crawford County, Arkansas, before moving to the Jenks area in 1906.
* * * A QMS Deezyne * * *