Sunday, September 27, 2009

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

1930 CENSUS RECORD


In the year 1930 I find my Grandparents, Verb and Nancy Sharp living in the Southwest corner of Oklahoma. Stephens County, Wall Township. Genola is 8, Ossalee is 6, Mirlacoys is 4 and Verbie Jr. is 1 yr. This census was taken on April 13th of 1930. Their last child, Bobby, will be born April 3, 1931. Grandma Nancy states that she is 35 and Grandpa Verb is 29. They are Farmers and they own their land.

Almost right next door lives my Great Grandparents, Fuzzy and Vernie. Fuzzy's real name was Carrol and Vernie's full name was Marylee Verna. He is 51 and she is 49. Mirl, 23 Eva, 20 and Oscar,18 are still at home. So Vas has left home (he married Lacy Barton in 1922) and of course Grandpa Verb is living nearby. In ten short years their lives will be turned upside down. They will sell their farm and head for California. They have not experienced the dust yet, nor the Great Depression. Life is hard but so good compared to what lay ahead of them.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Moses Greenworth Poole and Amanda "Mandy" Levinia Johnson




This posting will be mostly covering Amanda "Mandy" Levina Johnson and her Son Allen Preston Pool. Let me first apologize for this being such a lengthy post. It is in hopes it will squelch the myth about her Son Allen being from a previous marriage. Amanda's factual timeline follows:

Amanda was born in Feb 1874 in Arkansas City, AR...only a stones throw from the mighty Mississippi River. Her parents were Marion Johnson, b: 20 Apr 1839 in AL, and Martha Dickerson, b: 28 Feb 1845 in Tennessee.

In 1880, at the age of 6, Amanda was living in Limestone, Franklin County, AR. In the home were both her parents, 3 Sisters, Martha E, age 9, Tulda, age 4, Vicy, age 1, and her Couisin Sarah Mitchel, age 16.

(I could not locate the family in the 1890 US Federal Census Records.)

In 1900, at the age of 26, Amanda was living with her parents in Township 8, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory. Also in the home are Sisters Vica (Should be Vicy) age 20, Millie, age 18, and a Brother Jesse, age 14.

(On 25 Aug 1905, the Mother of Amanda passes away in Slaytonville, Sebastian County, AR)
In the year of 1910, in Cameron, LeFlore County, OK, you will find Amanda, at the age of 36, living with her Father Marion, listed as age of 70.

(During the year of 1912 (Exact date unknown), The wife of Moses Greenworth Pool, Missouri Elvina (Hall) Pool passes away, and is buried in Comanche, OK.)

(On 13 Mar 1913, Amanda's Father Passes away in Wickes, Polk County, AR.)

11 Apr 1915, Moses Greenworth Pool and Amanda (Mandy) Levinia Johnson get married in Cameron, LeFlore County, OK. He was 60 and she was 41.

The year 1920 shows Amanda and Moses residing in Poteau, LeFlore County, OK with one child. Son Allen Preston Pool, listed as age 2.

In 1930, they are residing in Hope, Stephens County, AR. Moses is 76, Amanda is 56, and Allen Preston is 12.

(On 8 Jun 1938, Moses Greenworth Pool passes away in either Marlow or Hope, Stephens County, AR. He is buried in Comanche, OK, next to his first wife Missouri Elvina Hall.)

10 Dec 1941, Amanda "Mandy" Levenia (Johnson) Pool marries Henderson Andrew Foy Boatman in Duncan, Stephens County, OK.

The year Amanda "Mandy" Johnson passes away is still a mystery to me, but it is my understanding that she too is buried in Comanche, OK near MosesGreenworth Pool.


Now on to Allen Preston Pool (The Son of Moses Greenworth and Amanda "Mandy" Johnson)

On 24 Sep 1940 around the age of 23, Allen Preston marries Norma Fay Early. (No other information is available.)

On 5 Jun 1942 Allen Preston enlists into the U.S. Army at Oklahoma City, OK. His enlistment records show his city and state of residence as Madera, California. His marital status is listed as seperated with no dependents. He enlisted for the duration of the war plus 6 months as a private for the Warrant Officer program.

On 7 Jun 1943, Allen marries Verna Viola Ferguson in Colorado Springs, CO. It is my understanding they have two children, but I cannot confirm this.

Allen Preston Pool passed away in Portland, OR in either 1950 or 1957. Cause of death is unknown. I cannot find a record of death for Allen.

 
All searches I have made for Amanda "Mandy" levenia Johnson were done using her Father Marion Johnson as the searchee.
 
 
John Poole.....
 



Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Bertha Mirl Poole and Emmett Earl Handy


Per your earlier request Gail...This is my Aunt Bertha and Uncle Emmett. They lived in Fresno CA for as long as I can remember. Bertha was the Daughter of Tyford Franklin Poole, Son of Moses Greenworth Pool. She was a very sweet lady. I have very fond memories of her during my younger years back in the 50's and 60's. I remember her having a great sense of humor. Emmett, pictured here in his uniform was a Night Watchman/Security Guard for the Sunmaid Raisin Company in Fresno. He worked there many, many years. Bertha and Emmett attended my wedding in 1962, and signed as witness's to the solemn occasion.
John Poole...

RESEARCH NOTES

O.Gail Poole, son of Woodrow Poole, writes: I have taken the DNA tests in trying to get information on our ancestors past our gggGrandfather, Samuel Poole. I am just about 95% convinced that our family name was actually Pettypool, as a result of those tests. I know that Samuel and a brother Isaac, migrated with their families from South Carolina, shortly after Mississippi was opened for settlement.
John Poole, son of Emmett Greenworth Poole writes: RE: Missouri Elvina, Eddy, Hall, after an 1860 Census search for Missouri Eddy, of the 1,500 names listed, I found about 90% of them were from the Northeastern part of the U.S., and not one of them was born in Mississippi. I ran across a tree not too long ago, showing her last name as Hall, with a father named Henderson Hall, born 1 Dec 1810 in Tennessee, died 11 Oct 1878 and a mother, Nancy Adeline Jones, born 1822 in Mississippi. I ran an 1860 census and found a daughter named Missouri that was the right age and was born in Mississippi. The father of Henderson Hall is Pharoah Hall born 1782 in Sampson, North Caroliina, died in Warren Mississippi. The mother of Henderson Hall is Sarah Mary Johnson, born 1783 in North Carolina, died 1852 in Warren Mississippi. This information matched about as close as I think I am going to get so I am staying with it. Besides, just think about it for a minute folks... How many men do you know that was born in Tennessee, lived in Mississippi and named a daughter, Missouri? There's gotta be something to this.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Sharps and Pooles and ????


Front and center is my Grandpa Verb Sharp. His dad, Caroll Sharp is standing behind him. His mother, Vernie Poole Sharp and wife Nancy stand to the left of Caroll. Everyone knew Caroll as FUZZY. Grandpa's brother Oscar (Bawley) is standing to the right of their dad. Verbie Jr is to the right of Bawley (fresh home from the Air Force). I (Sheena) am in the background. I do not know the two men to the far right. Does anyone know them. If so, please comment. This picture was taken at the Yettem homeplace in the early 1950's.

GAS STATION....MARLOW OKLAHOMA


Tyford Pool standing in front of his gas station at Marlow, Oklahoma. Living quarters were in the back. Famous Oklahoma artist, Orville Gail Pool was born here.

VERB and NANCY SHARP


This picture of my Grandpa Verb and Grandma Nancy was taken BEFORE they went to California. Grandma Nancy is standing over Grandpa Verb's left shoulder, Verbie Jr is standing with his arm outstretched. Ossalee stands at Grandpas right shoulder and I have to guess that Bobby is either in his lap or standing behind him. I cannot identify the others in the background and I hope someone looking at this will know who they are and comment. I notice in this picture the attempt to grow flowers. Grandma loved flowers and tried to keep something pretty growing wherever she lived in her life. Maybe someone can also identify the car off to the left.

NANCY SHARP wife of VERBIE SHARP


NANCY TAYLOR SHARP....My best guess about this photo is that it was taken not long after they arrived in California. I can see the two hills in the background that we later called MUD GAP. If you lived in that area...Yettem, Seville, Elderwood, you KNEW MUD GAP. It does not appear on maps but we all knew...you had to pass between those two hills to get to Elderwood where there was a store. Most of the time we went to Yettem to the store. It was owned by an Armenian man named MAC. It was called MACS GROCERY. That area was settled by Armenians. They called it YETTEM which meant EDEN in their language. My favorite memory of that little grocery store was the Coke Box...bright red! and full of ice water and rows/channels to slide your soda through until you could pull straight up and out with it. You could not pull one out until you put the DIME into the coin slot. Sometimes I got GRAPE and sometimes an Orange Crush but most of the time CHOCOLATE SOLDIER.

Just look at my Grandma. What was she thinking? Is she barefoot??? This was a NEW WORLD for her. It would be defined by hard work. Chopping and Picking Cotton and being THANKFUL for the work because the land they had left behind in Oklahoma had let them down. They planted and prayed but the wind came and blew the soil away.