William Henry Haddock's Family

 Raymond Haddock's story is given down below

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Zachariah & Chloe Haddock's Descendants in OK

Zachariah & Chloe Haddock's Descendants in AR

  Zachariah & Chloe Haddock's Descendants in GA

Zachariah & Chloe Haddock's Descendants in MO

Go to David C. Haddock's Descendants 


 

Descendants of William Henry Haddock

1 William Henry Haddock b: April 29, 1852 in Wayne Co., Georgia d: April 6, 1927 in Harmon Co., Oklahoma Burial: Cave Creek, Vinson, Harmon Co., Oklahoma + Frances Susannah Roper  aka: Fannie b: March 04, 1859 in Viola, Fulton County, Arkansas m: 1877 in Viola, Fulton County, Arkansas d: December 23, 1934 in Harmon Co., Oklahoma Burial: Cave Creek, Vinson, Harmon Co., Oklahoma [Photos are from the photo files of Kenneth Haddock and Raymond E. Haddock]

2 William Joseph Haddock b: May 20, 1878 in Fayetteville, Washington Co., AR d: May 11, 1956 in Madera, Madera County, California Burial: May 14, 1956 Arbor Vitae Cemetery, Madera, California +Frances Ozella Watson b: March 06, 1885 in Mena, Polk County, Arkansas m: January 09, 1902 in Hollis, Harmon County, Oklahoma d: January 30, 1956 in Loma Linda Hospital, Corona, California Burial: Fairhaven Cemetery, Santa Anna, California *2nd Wife of William Joseph Haddock:  +Alice b: Abt. 1878 m: Bet. 1945 - 1946 d: Aft. 1956 [Photo from the files of Raymond E. Haddock - William Joseph Haddock's family group in 1924]

2 Absolum Walker Haddock b: September 10, 1881 in Viola, Fulton County, Arkansas d: November 01, 1953 in Amarillo, Potter, Texas +Katie Irene Manuel b: January 17, 1888 in Madisonville, Madison County, Texas m: September 06, 1910 in Greer County, Oklahoma d: September 11, 1976 in Dumas, Moore Co., Texas [Photo taken in 1904, from the files of Raymond E. Haddock]

2 Mary Louise Haddock b: September 1883 in Fort Smith, Sebastian County, AR +Charles Heath b: Abt. 1883 m: Abt. 1903 [Photo taken 1908 - photo from the files of Raymond E. Haddock]

2 Cora Ellen Haddock b: September 28, 1887 in Viola, Fulton County, Arkansas d: February 10, 1971 in Enid, Garfield County, Oklahoma  +George Harry Downs b: July 22, 1878 m: 1904 in Fulton County, Arkansas d: August 15, 1973 in Tulsa, Tulsa County, OK  *2nd Husband of Cora Ellen Haddock: +Miles V. Walker b: Abt. 1888 m: Aft. 1924

2 Anna Emma Haddock b: March 13, 1893 in Madison Co., Arkansas d: March 02, 1971 in Red Bluff, Tehama County, California Burial: Oak Hill Cemetery, Red Bluff, California +Hollie Duke Brady b: April 25, 1894, Mississippi m: October 02, 1912 in Vinson, Harmon County, Oklahoma, d: September 1970, Jackson, MS  An older Anna is pictured here.  [These photos from the photo files of Kenneth Haddock]

2 Hiram David Haddock b: May 08, 1897 in Texas d: July 22, 1988 in Mangum, Greer County, Oklahoma +Ester Vivian Cook b: April 02, 1900 in Texas m: June 05, 1920 in Greer County, Oklahoma d: January 02, 1988 in Mangum, Greer County, Oklahoma  [Photo from the photo files of Kenneth Haddock]

2 Oan Jasper Haddock aka: Red b: January 27, 1898 in Vinson, Indian Nation d: March 14, 1924 in Harmon, Garfield Co., Oklahoma Burial: Red Hill Cemetery, Harmon, Garfield Co., Oklahoma +Mary Leota Gass b: October 20, 1900 m: November 03, 1920 in Harmon, Custer, Oklahoma

2 Huston Jefferson Haddock b: December 10, 1900 in Vinson, Greer Co., Oklahoma d: July 1975 in Madera, California +Lillie Mae Edwards b: December 18, 1900 in Minnesota m: September 18, 1919 in Vinson, Greer Co., Oklahoma d: August 21, 1988 in Madera, California  


Haddock Research Project

From the text of Haddock Heritage, Second Edition, pub 2003, by Donna Haddock Cooper

Death Certificate of William Henry Haddock states that he died April 6, 1927 in the city of Mangum, Greer Co., OK. (Note: Harmon Co was formerly Greer Co., OK.) His death certificate states that myocarditos was cause of death. His father was listed as Josiah Haddock, born TN and his mother was listed as Louisa Lee, born AL. This is the second death certificate of Josiah and Louisa's children (Sarah Frances (Haddock) Woods and William Henry Haddock) whose death certificate states that Louisa Lee was their mother. The informant on William Henry Haddock's death certificate was Mrs. W. H. Haddock. From the files of Raymond E. Haddock. [photo from the photo files of Kenneth Haddock]


Below are some notes I put together a few years ago to try to explain to my children and grandchildren something about my parents and grandparents. This explains the early days the William Joseph Haddock family, their moves to Colorado and return to Oklahoma by covered wagons and the move in 1923 to California. William Joseph was a carpenter and moved around a lot to find work and support the family. In early 1923, he went to California ahead of the family and then shortly after the 23 May 1923 marriage of my parents, Clyde William Haddock to Ida Belle Lemmon, the family moved to Santa Anna California where William Joseph was working. The strains of long separations had produced strains in the family and by 1924 or 1925, William Joseph and Frances decided to separate and at some later time were divorced. Frances married a Walter Morrison about 1930 and William Joseph married a woman named Alice (last name unknown) who came from Arkansas. I do not have documentation for either of these marriages or the divorce. [From the family research files of Raymond E. Haddock, Major General USA Retired]


 

THE LONG WINDING TRAILS OF WILLIAM JOSEPH HADDOCK FAMILY

FROM THE NOTES OF BESSIE B. (HADDOCK) PORTER

Provided by Raymond E. Haddock, Major General USA Retired

 

William Joseph Haddock, the first child of William Henry and Frances Susanna 'Fannie' (Roper) Haddock was born in Fayetteville, Arkansas 20 May 1878. On 29 Jan 1902, he married Frances Ozella Watson, the 5th child of William Thomas and Mary Evelyn 'Dolly' (Lowther) Watson, who was born 6 March 1885 in Mena, Arkansas. (Frances' mother, Dolly Lowther, had a lineage that included a Cherokee Indian heritage through the Quinton family line.) It is not known where, when and the circumstances that brought them together. However, William Joseph had lived in Oklahoma since about 1897 and had worked in Mangum, Oklahoma at one time. He probably met and married Frances in Oklahoma.

 

MOVE TO HOLLIS, OKLAHOMA 1902

Shortly after their marriage the young couple began what was to be a long series of moves across the nation. William Joseph was an adventurous person who seemed to have a wealth of skills, which allowed him to work at a wide variety of jobs, where ever he went. It is not known just when they got to Hollis, Oklahoma nor just what their motivations were. However, this south western section of Oklahoma had been opened up for settlement and homesteading on 18 January 1897 and that is the most probable attraction for the young couple. Land was available for new settlers at no cost and this was bringing many people into the area that was previously restricted to settlement. William Joseph and Frances were in Hollis in the fall of 1902.

They began to raise a family in the first year of their marriage with their first child, Lewis Albert, being born 27 October 1902 in Hollis, Oklahoma. On 1 April 1904, their second child, Clyde William was born in the community of Carl, Oklahoma which is about 20 miles to the north of Hollis. And then on 1 August 1906 the third son, Jesse Lee was born back in Hollis. Pearl Etta, the first girl was born in Carl on 13 July 1908. According to a post card received from a friend of the family dated 24 March 1909, the family was most likely still in Carl. Bessie B. (initial only, no name) was born in Bitternine, Texas, Wheeler County not far from Shamrock, Texas on 1 February 1911. William Joseph, according to daughter Bessie, was always away from home on a job when the children were born. She reports he was working as a carpenter in Mexico at the time of her birth and he wrote home with a post card asking if the new baby had arrived yet.

The card concerning Bessie we haven’t seen but, a post card from Mexico postmarked 28 February 1912 from W. J. Haddock was addressed to Mrs. W. J. Haddock, Binninine, Wheeler, Tex. The card read as follows: Dear Wife and children. I write you a line to let you know I am well and at work at 2:00 already. I got here at 6:00 in the morning and went to work at 2:00. I will write you again soon. This is the best place I have to work. Yet less nice than home. Signed WJH to Wife and 3 initials unk. A postscript was added to say $8.00 per day.

A second post card from Mexico with no visible Postmark was addressed to Mrs. W. J. Haddock Binninine, Tex USA. The card read as follows: Dear Wife, I am in Matimore, Mex. Today will Still have another 30. Hope you well. Good By. W. J. Haddock

Their last child, Opal Irene was born about 40 miles north of Hollis in Texola, Oklahoma on 15 February 1913. William Joseph was always on the move in his early years. Some of that could be attributed to his thirst for something better, but much was also attributable to the situation existing in the nation at the time. Masses of people were on the move to look for more opportunity and the attraction of free land was a powerful incentive.

COLORADO

Sometime after their last child, Opal Irene was born in 1913, William Joseph was attracted to stories of opportunities in Colorado. He loaded the family into covered wagons and began the trek north. The trip to Colorado was through the Panhandle of Texas then across the Panhandle of Oklahoma. They lived in several places in Colorado. As daughter, Bessie, remembers, her dad was a good provider. Each time he would complete one job he would get another that paid a little better than the last. She remembers that in one place in Colorado, her dad worked for a Mr. Massey who ran a wholesale house. As part of this job, he traveled around to other towns selling Arbuckle Coffee for a Mr. Arbuckle. She also remembers going to the wholesale house and being given permission to reach into a barrel of either chocolate drops or a strawberry like candy. This was a real treat that all the children experienced on occasion. Bessie reported that her father always brought home the money and turned it over to her mother who "knew how to make the most of it". She does not remember the names of the towns in Colorado where they lived, but there were several of them.

RETURN TO OKLAHOMA ABOUT 1917

Before the end of winter 1917, the family decided to return to Oklahoma. William Joseph had information about a lot of construction being underway. Since he was a carpenter as well as a farmer that was pretty appealing. At any rate it seemed to be better than what he had in Colorado. As Frances prepared the family for the move she hoped that this would be a final move to something permanent. The two large wagons were carefully checked over, wheels greased and loaded with all the family's possessions. Canvas was stretched over the wagon bows, the grub box was loaded with sugar cured hams, bacon, flour, beans, corn and other food. The grub box also contained the cooking pots, pans, enamel plates for eating and all the other provisions for cooking. The most used items were the frying pan, the coffee pot and a boiling pot for heating water or making soup. When the lid of the grub box was lowered, it served as a work table for Frances' cooking. Wash tubs were hung on the outside of the wagons. A water barrel was also hung on the wagon and was very important. One never knew when the next good water would be found, although the family always tried to camp near a stream. Not only was water necessary for the family, but the animals had to have water. When the wagons began to move, William Joseph and Fannie were in the first wagon drawn by a four horse team. The second wagon with a two horse team was driven by Lewis and Clyde. The children were divided between the wagons. Also along on the trip were one cow, the 6 horses to pull the two wagons and a crate of chickens to provide eggs. Another family in their wagon joined the caravan.

After only a few days of travel, storm clouds began approaching that looked like snow and cold weather. They noticed an empty house, headed in that direction, and unloaded the wagons to protect their bedding and clothing from the storm. The storm was so severe that it was not possible to travel again until spring had melted the snow and the ground had dried out enough to support the wagons. It was very crowded in the small house for two families but somehow they managed. They were fortunate to have found a house that someone else had left, perhaps to go to Oklahoma.

With the coming of spring the three wagons again began the trip. Bessie remembers that the girls slept in the back of one of the wagons and it was very comfortable. They called it their 'wagon home'. Traveling across virgin country, where for much of the way, there were no roads, was very rough. It was possible to make only about 8 miles each day. Assuming that they could travel most days this trip would have required about two to three months. Each day the wagons stopped, each person had his assigned chores. William Joseph tended to the watering and feeding of the horses. Lewis, Clyde and Jesse would head to the creek to catch fish or to the likely looking spots where they could shoot game for meat. Opal and Bessie would gather wood for the cooking fire. Sometimes when no wood was available, they gathered cow chips (dry cow manure) which also made a good fire. Frances and oldest daughter, Pearl, would do the cooking and mending clothes. Frances loved to cook and looked for opportunities to surprise the family with a pie or fresh bread. One evening she made an apple pie and had rushed so much that she mistakenly put cayenne pepper on the pie when she thought she was putting on cinnamon. She good naturedly accepted the teasing as the family commented on the pie being very hot.

Traveling along the road all day provided many adventures. There were other wagons on the move and when meeting or camping together for the night, there were opportunities to share stories. Sometimes, instead of riding in the wagon, the children would walk along with children from other families and talk. On occasion, the family would find a vacant house along the way and stop a few days to rest the horses, repair the wagon or harness or do what ever needed to be done. Frances used these times to bake bread for the next portion of the journey, mend clothes and catch up on the washing. The wagons rolled into Alden, Oklahoma in the summer.

 

ALDEN, OKLAHOMA, SUMMER 1917

Upon arrival in the Alden area, William Joseph began to search for his next job. Since construction was booming in this area, there was a demand for carpenters and it didn't take long to find work. Bessie remembers that the family lived on the Bob White Ranch. Since they lived on the ranch, it is probable that this was also the place where William Joseph worked. It was a large ranch with lots of cows, horses and pigs. The family had a garden for fresh vegetables and to preserve (can) in jars for the winter. Frances also was very good at preserving the peaches, apples, pears and berries for later use. One of the family's favorite vegetables was Mother Hubbard Squash, cut into 3 inch squares, baked in the oven with bacon and brown sugar sprinkled on top. Meat was provided by butchering their own pigs, cows and chickens as well as wild game. Hominy, made from corn, was a frequent and favorite dish. The corn was soaked in water for the day before it was to be cooked. Then early in the morning the corn was cooked in a lye solution to loosen the skin and then rinsed in fresh water to remove the lye. Rubbing the grains removed the rest of the skin. Sauerkraut was another family favorite. The boys usually helped to cut up the cabbage, placed it in large crocks and stored it in the coolest place in the house or basement to cure.

Bessie remembers that in 1917 or 1918 the family lived in a dugout house. That must have been the first home on the Bob White ranch. The house was dug into the ground with everything below the windows being below ground. Then above ground the wood frame was constructed and a roof that extended out beyond the walls to move rain water out away from the house. The earth from digging the hole for the house was placed so that the ground was sloping away from the house. Trees that were suitable for lumber were scarce in this section of the country and shipping them from areas where they were more plentiful was expensive. At any rate, the dug out was a relatively inexpensive construction that was warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

The home Bessie remembers best on the Bob White ranch was a large nice home that was wonderful. It had a windmill, was located near a creek and was surrounded by farm land. The boys fished the creek and would bring the live fish up to the house for their mother. If she didn't need the fish at that time they were placed in the water tank at the windmill. When the horses came up to drink the water, they would refuse the water if there were fish in the tank, in which case they would drink from the creek.

It was in Alden that Bessie saw her first airplane. "It flew low over the house with such a loud roar it was an unforgettable experience." Sometimes the teacher in school, when hearing an airplane approaching, would let the children go outside and watch. That was indeed a treat.

Oklahoma was a cotton producing region at this time. The area around Altus produced and ginned it's first cotton in 1897 when 200 bales were ginned. By the time the Haddock's came to the area, production was up to 124,000 bales per year. That provided lots of work in both growing and picking the cotton. Bessie remembers that all the children worked in the cotton fields on that first summer in Alden. The girls had cotton sacks that were 6 feet long and the boys had 10 feet long sacks. As a sack was filled it was taken to the end of the row to be weighed and emptied into a wagon. Bessie earned $12.00 during this cotton picking season and was allowed to use the money to buy a pair of school shoes, a red toboggan cap, new mittens and a scarf. She was so proud, at the age of 7, to be a wage earner. A special gift from the family for her hard work was a Buffalo Nickel which was a prized keepsake.

A near tragedy occurred one day after the cotton wagon had been emptied by William Joseph and the boys. The wagon was parked in front of the house and little 5 year old Opal Irene climbed up on the wheel of the wagon, and at that time the horses decided to move forward. The iron wheel rolled over her but miraculously, the soft sandy soil protected her and she survived with no ill effects. It was fortunate that the wagon was empty and very light.

Saturday mornings on occasion were an opportunity for mother Frances Haddock to get the children together and go into town to do the shopping. Food, cloth for sewing dresses, shirts or pants were on the shopping list. Frances was an excellent seamstress and made clothing not only for her own family, but also for the neighbors. This sewing for others provided money and left over materials which were used for clothing for her children. The scraps of materials that were small were saved and made into quilts. Nothing was wasted. Frances' specialty was making shirts for big men, men who couldn't find their sizes in the stores. Frances was an outgoing person and seemed to always make friends easily. Bessie remembers that on one of the Saturday morning shopping trips during World War I, a truck load of soldiers came into town and lined up along the railroad track. She was impressed with the rifles over their shoulders and the wrap leggings around their legs.

Sunday afternoons during the winter were a time for making home made ice cream from fresh snow. Fresh cream, sugar, vanilla and, perhaps some canned berries were added. Then the mixture was allowed to set a little while before it was eaten. When there was no snow, the old ice cream freezer was filled with all the fixings and then ice and salt were packed around the freezer. The boys and girls would take turns turning the handle until the ice cream was frozen. This was a special treat.

In the winter of 1918 there was a flu epidemic, not only in Alden but, throughout the country. There was sickness in almost every family and people were dying so fast that it was hard to keep up with burying them. The ground was frozen so hard that families could not dig the graves quick enough. The Haddocks were fortunate. William Joseph, Lewis Albert and Clyde William were sick for a short time but they were only in bed a few days and then were up helping their neighbors who had more problems than theirs.

Frances wasn't a large or very strong person, but she had great will power. She suffered from asthma resulting from house dust, pollen or feathers. Sometimes when she suffered from shortness of breath, she would stop and smoke a medicated cigarette. That seemed to help. She insisted on doing things so that her family looked good. She wanted good things for the children. She did her ironing with irons that had to be heated on the stove. She had two of them. One was always heating while the other was being used. To test for the right temperature she would wet her finger with her tongue and then put her finger to the iron. If it didn't sizzle it wasn't hot enough. Ironing was an all day job, but her family was not going to look like some others. Pretty dresses, clean white shirts, all neatly pressed were her minimum standards.

About 1919, the grass appeared to be greener in Carnegie, Oklahoma and William Joseph suggested that the family move to the bigger town. Frances, upon hearing that flatly refused to consider moving unless there was a proper house bought before the move. William Joseph made the trip to Carnegie to look over the job opportunities and look for a house. He came back with positive reports on both and the family was again on the move. By this time the children ranged in age from 17 year old Lewis Albert to 6 Year old Opal Irene. The boys were all old enough to be of substantial help with the move or in earning money. Wagons were loaded as before and the relatively short trip to Carnegie was uneventful.

 

CARNEGIE, OKLAHOMA

about 1919

Home of William Joseph Haddock in Carnegie, Oklahoma

Frances Ozella got her wish to have a proper home in Carnegie. It was a nice home with a reasonable amount of room by the standards of the day. It also had a garden in back and 5 large cottonwood trees on the left side. There was a large barn for the cows, chickens and pigs. Carnegie was a nice, clean town that was also blessed with a good doctor, Dr. Rogers. Having a good doctor close at hand was a real comforting feeling. There were churches, schools and a railroad track running right through the town. There was also a wide river close by and plenty of land for hunting and fishing. Clyde and Jesse were the expert fishermen in the family. They kept their nets in the river and consistently caught lots of fish. The eggs from the fish were often mixed in with chicken eggs and scrambled for breakfast. The area along the river was a delightful place for swinging on wild grape vines. Wild pecan trees were there in abundance. One year the boys, Lewis, Clyde and Jesse, gathered 15 'gunny' sacks of pecans which were great for eating. Some of the pecans were also sold in the stores in town to earn money for other things the family needed.

The family raised pigs to butcher as needed and usually killed the pigs in the fall or winter. Hog butchering time was usually an event when the neighbors would come to help. William Joseph and the boys would reciprocate by helping those neighbors who had helped them. First, the hog would be killed and then dipped in a barrel of scalding hot water. The hot water was to loosen the hair on the skin. The hog was then taken from the hot water, raised up by a rope and pulley attached to a tree. The hog was raised up just enough so that the men could scrape the hair off the hog's skin while it was still hot. The hog was then cut open and all the entrails, heart, liver, lungs were removed and put into a large tub for more processing. All the fat from the inside of the hog was kept for later processing into lard for cooking or made into soap. The meat was sugar cured or smoked and some was always made into sausage. The girls made sausage sacks from old sheets or scraps of other white cloth. The cloth sacks were about 3 inches in diameter and 18 inches long. The ground up sausage was mixed with the appropriate seasoning to aid in preserving it and to enhance the taste. These sausages were a special treat for breakfast. After cooking the sausage, a little flour and milk was added to the grease from cooking the sausage and this made a delicious gravy which was especially good with Frances' fresh made biscuits.

The large garden behind the home was a favorite of mother, Frances, since it provided the fresh vegetables in the summer and some for canning (preserving) for the winter time. Water for household use, to water the garden and to take care of the animals was drawn from a well at the back of the house. The water was usually very pure. In the spring time when a lot of ground water seeped into the well, Frances was concerned that some impurities would also come into the water and make the family sick. At those time she treated the water with sulfur to kill any potential germ carriers. Daughter Bessie remembers that the water tasted terrible for some time after these treatments. Frances would explain that the bad taste was not as bad as some illness that might occur if she failed to treat the water. During extreme winter cold, the water at the top of the well would sometimes freeze over and this would present a challenge in getting access to the water.

Saturday at the Haddock home was a time for preparing for Sunday and the next week. After Frances had prepared breakfast she would feed the chickens, work in the garden and gather some vegetables for the Sunday meals. The girls worked in the house at their assigned chores, making beds, doing dishes and churning cream for butter. Opal and Bessie would do the churning. Pearl would make 6 to 8 loaves of yeast bread, bake a cake for Sunday dinner and some cookies for the school lunches next week. The standard cookies were sugar or oatmeal. There would also be two chickens killed, plucked and readied for Sunday dinner.

Saturday was also bath night in the Haddock household, as it was in most other homes. A large pot of water was placed on the stove and heated. A large wash tub was placed in the small room off the back of the kitchen. Then everyone in the house took turns in the tub until all had been bathed. They wouldn't dream of going to church on Sunday morning without that weekly ritual of the Saturday night bath.

After breakfast on Sunday morning, everyone would begin preparing for Sunday school and church. All the clothes had already been pressed and all had to present themselves for mother's inspection before they could leave the house. She insisted on very high standards of dress. Frances believed that her image as a proper mother would be determined by how her family looked on this one day of the week when everyone was dressed in their very best clothing. Of course as the boys and girls reached that age when they were looking for special friends, they had their own interests in looking very good. The Haddock house was located on the edge of town, about a one mile walk to the center of town where the churches were located.

After church, the boys would frequently bring someone home with them to have dinner with the family. After dinner, while still wearing the Sunday clothes, the children would usually go for a walk up the railroad track past the Indian Camp and return home. The boys were frequently accompanied on the walk by their girl friends. On special days, the family would get out the ice cream freezer, put in the milk, sugar, vanilla and other ingredients, pack ice and salt around it and then take turns turning the crank until the cream was frozen. The girls would jump rope or play other games while the boys were turning the crank on the machine.

One favorite event for the young people in the fall was to gather tumble weeds along the railroad track, stack them up into a large pile as high as a house, and with all gathered around in the evening, light them. This produced a very hot and fast fire that lighted up the area for a long distance around.

Frances was a very thrifty housewife. All the chicken feathers were saved from the chickens and these were used for pillows for the beds. She also made feather mattresses for the beds which were warm and especially comfortable on cold winter nights.

During the winter months when train loads of coal came into town, the boys would help to unload the train with part of their pay being taken in coal which they brought home for cooking and heating. The boys were also responsible for gathering wood down along the river for heating and cooking.

Wash day was a major chore that required the full day and help from the girls and boys. Early in the morning, the large iron pot in the back yard would be filled with water, wood piled up under it, the fire started and water brought to a boil. Frances put some of her home made soap in the boiling water, soap that was made from a mixture of lye, rendered pig fat and other things that gave it special cleaning properties. The white clothes were the first to be boiled. They would then be taken out, put in a tub of hot soapy water and rubbed by hand to further the cleaning, The degree of whiteness was a matter of pride and every mother knew that other mothers would be commenting. The one comment that caused a mother to feel the best about her wash day efforts was, "My, did you ever see such a white shirt?". After the white clothes came out of the pot of boiling water, the colored clothes followed the same process. The last clothes to be boiled and rubbed were the work clothes. Washing in the winter time was an especially challenging task. The damp clothes had to be hung on the clothes line to dry. In freezing weather they would freeze stiff. The long underwear looked almost lifelike when frozen stiff. Sometimes when the long underwear would be needed before it would dry outside, they were brought inside and stood in the corner 'life-size' until flexible enough to hang on lines inside the house to complete drying.

Frances continued to use her skill as a seamstress here in Carnegie, as she had in Alden. She made all the family's clothing. Shirts for William Joseph and the boys and pretty dresses for the girls were her specialty. However, she also made underwear for all the family. As time permitted, she sewed for other people to make money for some extra special thing for the family. The scraps of material left over from sewing were made into doll clothing for the girls dolls, sewn into quilts or braided together and woven into area rugs. Sheets were also made in the Haddock household. Frances bought the sheet material in the normal 3 foot wide material and then sewed it together to make the proper width for the bed. Some of the sheets and pillow cases were then embroidered. Daughter Bessie remembers that these embroidered pieces were then passed on down to the children and became prized possessions.

Bessie remembers that her older brothers taught her and her sisters to shoot a gun. Tin cans would be lined up in a row and then they would shoot them down. Bessie said that sometimes the girls did better than the boys. She said, "I even began to think of myself as another Annie Oakley". The practical side of shooting was realized when the boys and girls would go together in the wintertime to shoot snow birds, bring them home to Frances for roasting in the oven as a special treat.

The Indians in the nearby camp were especially friendly with the Haddock family. They invited the family to their special days like tribal celebrations at which dances of various kinds, including war dances, were performed. They also shared other parts of their culture with the white people in their area. The 'white' families in the area reciprocated with neighborly gestures of their own. Frances shared the produce from her garden, showed them how to make various recipes, including how the prepare the sweet potato which was not known to the Indians. Churning milk to make butter was a big hit with them. Clyde and Jesse were favorites of the Indian boys because they shared their fishing and hunting techniques with their Indian friends.

Severe weather is common in Oklahoma and those who live there developed their own means of coping with it. Cyclones, tornadoes and lightning storms have often brought much destruction to the region. William Joseph had provided a storm cellar in back of the house. It was located close to the lean-to shelter off the kitchen and only a few feet away from the back door. The cellar was below ground, covered with a strong roof of heavy timbers and further covered with earth. The cellar was large enough to accommodate two full sized beds. The walls were lined with shelves where Frances kept vegetables and other things she had canned. There was a crock of sauerkraut to be found in the cellar as well as a supply of water. William Joseph kept a cautious eye on the weather. When the sky looked particularly threatening, he would not go to bed. At times, in the middle of the night he would give the alarm in the house and tell everyone in the house to go to the cellar.

 

HADDOCK FAMILY MOVE TO CALIFORNIA

In 1923, the Haddocks moved to Santa Anna, California. The move was precipitated by the difficult economic times in Oklahoma. The family was just were not getting ahead economically and it did not appear that future prospects were any brighter. William Joseph had heard of better paying jobs in California and he decided to go on ahead alone and try to find out if the prospects were really better. He was a skilled carpenter and had always been able to find work. He made his way to Santa Anna, California and began working in construction. One of his specialties, building wooden staircases in homes and businesses was his first work and allowed him to send money home to support the family’s immediate needs and the provide expenses for a move of the family to join him. Since William Joseph was not available to move the family, Clyde and Lewis as the two oldest sons, took the responsibility and organized the trip. They loaded their few belongings in two Model "T" Ford touring cars which belonged to Clyde and Lewis and started on the long journey west. Those who have read the story of the period a few years later described in The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck, can picture both the motivations the conditions. On each of the Fords, they tied a mattress and other items that were not able to fit in the car and on the rear of each they had a box for food and the necessary pans for the cooking. At night when the family stopped, Francis got busy very quickly to fix something to eat. The eight family members on the trip were Frances Ozella (Watson) Haddock, Lewis, Clyde and Ida Belle (Lemmon) Haddock, Jesse, Pearl, Opal Dell and Bessie B.

The family had very little money on the road and they had to make do with what ever they could afford. Bessie remembers that one family they met on the road was so impressed with Pearl, who was a pretty little girl, they gave her 50 cents as a present. Later her 50 cents was used to buy gas which was about 12 cents a gallon.

In Clovis, New Mexico, the rain began to fall and just didn’t seem ever to be letting up. They managed to find an empty house and occupied it for a few days to dry out and again prepared for the road. They found some dry wood stacked under the house which was used for cooking and drying clothes. There were frequent stops to repair tires and fix the cars which were in almost constant need of some repair. The trip through Death Valley in California was made in June and Bessie remembers that it did not seem too hot. They were getting closer to their destination and were eager to get on to Santa Anna, California.

On arrival, William Joseph met the family and Bessie remembers that he had a large box of big beautiful oranges which was a particular treat after the long trip. The next day he bought a full stalk of bananas for 75 cents. Gas in California was 8 gallons for one dollar and bread was 8 cents a loaf and was wrapped in paper and was not sliced. Clyde and Ida had not really intended to move to California, but Clyde was needed for the trip. Since Clyde and Ida had just married on 28 May 1928 the trip was their Honeymoon. Lewis also, did not intend to stay in California and soon after the family was settled and he had earned enough money for the trip, he returned to Oklahoma and on 24 March 1924 married his fiancée, Jewell Cora Harmon.

But all was not well with the Haddocks in California. Various differences between William Joseph and Frances Ozella, led to divorce in about 1925. William Joseph moved to Madera, California where he subsequently married a woman by the name of Alice who reportedly was a mail order bride from Arkansas, the state where he was born. The California census shows a woman named Katie in his home at one time, but this is believed to be his sister-in-law, Katie Irene Manuel who was Mrs. Absalom Walker Haddock, not his wife. His obituary lists his wife as Alice Haddock of Madera, CA. Many of his children and grandchildren had met and visited with Alice in their home. She was a reasonably pleasant woman with numerous physical problems and at least one child. No record of any marriages in California for William Joseph, including the one to Alice, have been located, although the California record of marriages has been searched. It may have been, that like many people of the time, they went across the border to Nevada to marry where there was no blood test nor other complications. Frances Ozella married Walter J. Morrison in 1936 and lived in Santa Anna, California until about 1954. The city at that time had declared the land on which their house was located was needed to build a professional sports stadium and so the city bought their home and they had to move. They moved to Corona, California not far from daughter Bessie Porter and lived there until she died 30 January 1956.

On the day Frances died, she called Bessie and asked her to come over because she needed her to help with some things. Bessie drove over and Frances asked her to return a dress that she had bought and decided she did not need. Frances accompanied her to the shop to return the dress and they had a nice lunch together with Frances having a soup and cole slaw. Frances was scheduled to go to the hospital for a check up that day since she did not feel good but she did not know any specifics of anything wrong. Although the Loma Linda Hospital was scheduled to pick her up, Bessie drove her to Loma Linda at about 4 PM, saw that she was settled and in her room and departed about 5:30 PM after telling her that she would return the following morning. At about 1900 hours a call came from the hospital saying that Frances had passed away.

William Joseph and Alice seemed to be fairly content with their life. In later years, (the 1940-50s) when Clyde and Ida Haddock and family visited with them, they seemed to be reasonably comfortable and happy. On each visit, William Joseph would give Mildred and Donald each a $10 bill and Leroy and Raymond each a $5 bill, his way of saying thank you for the visit. He reported that the other children and grandchildren kept their distance from him after his divorce from Frances. He was a frugal man who always paid cash for what ever he bought. He reported that at one time, when he was trying to get credit to buy a house, the bank would not make the loan because he didn't have any credit history. He decided to try to solve that by buying a refrigerator on credit so he would have a credit record for the bank loan on the house. He encountered the same problem at the store. Finally he pulled the cash from his pocket and showed it to the store manager. He explained his dilemma on the credit rating and managed to get the manager to agree to sell him the refrigerator on credit and to make a record of the transaction with the understanding that he would pay cash before he picked up the refrigerator. In 1954, which was the last visit by Clyde, Ida and sons Leroy and Raymond, William Joseph told Clyde that when he died, he wanted him to have the money he had saved. He told Clyde that he didn't trust banks and that he had used a pipe to dig a small circular hole in the back yard (so as to make a small clean undetectable hole) and hid his savings in a glass jar there. He instructed Clyde to take the money for himself and not to share it with the other children since the other children had maintained limited contact after the divorce. When he died in 1956, the money jar was recovered with about $1500 and, after some initial indecision on Clyde's part, shared equally with the other children. Clyde decided that family harmony was better than following the instructions of his father.

In 1925, Clyde and Ida were becoming a little disenchanted with California. The divorce of Clyde's parents also made the situation a bit uncomfortable. At any rate, in 1925 after about 2 years there, they decided they would be better off back in Carnegie. At the time of their departure, Ida was pregnant with their first child, Mildred Louise, who was born 23 March 1926. That would make their departure from California after June 1925. In addition to being pregnant, Ida was homesick to see her family. She was very close to her mother and her siblings who were still back in Oklahoma in the difficult economic situation from which the Haddock family had fled. The second child, Donald Eugene (born 6 January 1929), was also born in Carnegie. Donald reported in later years that Clyde and Ida had selected a girls name for him just in case the baby was a girl. The name selected was Clydene Eloise.

Times were hard in Oklahoma during this depression period. Clyde worked at Mrs. Flood's furniture store in Carnegie repairing furniture and, according to J. M. "Buddy" Lemmon, became very good at it, but business was scarce since no one had money. Clyde heard that opportunities were better in New Mexico so he loaded up the family in his old car, with all their possessions and moved to Roswell, New Mexico. He got work at various jobs and then in a furniture store repairing furniture, the skill he had acquired in Carnegie. He gained the reputation of being an expert in the business but work was also scarce.

Johnny Marion "Buddy" Lemmon, Ida Belle's brother had left Carnegie about 1923 to go to Van Zandt Co, Texas where he again moved in with James Calvin "Red" Lemmon. He worked for a farmer in Texas named George Archer and met and married Nettie Haley, the daughter of Acie Alvadis Haley on 24 January 1924. Buddy reported that his job in Van Zandt Co. for Mr. Archer paid him $10 a month plus a house. He also received 20 acres to farm for himself which was planted in 5 acres of wheat, 5 acres of Sudan, 5 acres of grain sorghum and 5 acres of cotton. The farming produced a living but not much more. Nettie, after having 2 children, Audrey Catherine, born 1925 and Evelyn Ida, born 1927, developed tuberculosis and was not getting any better. On advice from her doctor, Buddy and Nettie moved to the drier climate at Hale Center, Texas, hoping that the dry air would aid Nettie's recovery. Even in this better climate, Nettie's health continued to deteriorate and she became so ill that she couldn't care for her children. Ida Belle, upon hearing of Nettie's condition, persuaded Clyde to leave Roswell, NM and move the family to Hale Center, TX about Feb 1931. They moved in with Buddy and Nettie. Nettie continued to get worse and died of TB on 14 May 1931.

 


Photos and documents in this file are from the photo files of Kenneth Haddock and Raymond E. Haddock, Major General [Retired]

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