CHAPTER FIVE

LEAVING AND CLEAVING

In the fall of 1921 Marie Hoover and her oldest sister Era rented an apartment in Spur so they could attend the tenth grade. Rooms for rent were about $5.00 a month, and board (at boarding houses) was about $16.00 a month for three meals a day. They enjoyed the niceties of town living and the larger school, but Marie missed Kay and her friends in Red Mud. So she dropped out of school at mid-term and returned home.

David and Mary Jane Scott Hoover

Earlier in the year, April 12, Marie lost her grandfather, David Hoover. He was 76, and was buried in the Hanson Cemetery in Comanche County. A year later, his wife Mary Jane, 79, was laid to rest beside him.

Kay was still operating the family farm with Ray Lil and John's assistance. When the farm permitted, he would work on a fencing crew or whatever he could find to supplement the family farming income. Marie dated several of the boys in the community but she always went with Kay when he was home.

It was during this time that the Brantner family members began leaving the farm for one reason or another. Ruby went to work in Post, Texas and Ray Lil went to Fort Worth to stay with her cousin, Minnie Smith Phillips and husband Jim, and work as a seamstress. Minnie and Jim, though childless, opened their home to a lot of kinfolk who came to the big city.⁽¹⁾

In the fall of 1922 John went to Roswell, New Mexico to help Joe and Reba Thornton with their dairy and to attend school.

An Epizutic Sets In

When an outbreak of marrying took place, "Scotch" Bill Elliot said that it was, "what my old friend Willis Smith called an 'Epizutic.'"⁽²⁾

It wasn't until about January of 1923 that Marie and Kay began thinking seriously of marriage. To seal his intentions, Kay presented Marie with a black onyx finger ring, with a small diamond in the center.

Ruby was making plans to go to Roswell and marry Joe's brother, Luther Thornton--sisters married to brothers. Luther Marciellis had come to Dickens County in 1906 (ahead of Joe, who came in 1910) and, like so many young men, ended up working as a "Spur's cowboy."⁽³⁾

About this time, Son McKay and Era Hoover were taking a lot of Sunday horseback rides and looking mooney-eyed at one another. Kay and Marie decided it was about time to set up housekeeping for themselves. Lon Hoover's household now numbered twelve, with the birth of Norma Bell on January 22 (1923). He probably was ready for someone else to support his oldest, now nineteen.

Friday May 4, 1923--a day Marie would well remember. Ruby Brantner left for Roswell (and married Luther on May 10). Son McKay borrowed his granddad Toby Smith's Model T to drive Era, Kay, and Marie to Dickens. In the county courthouse, Kay and Marie obtained their license and Judge H. A. C. "Hack" Brummett performed their wedding ceremony. A wide-eyed Son and Era looked on as witnesses, probably the first wedding they had attended.

No wedding story is complete without a description of the bride's attire. Marie was proud of her navy blue taffeta dress. A bold, floppy brimmed hat decorated with flowers, and patent leather slippers completed the ensemble. Her ring was a narrow white gold band. Kay had invested considerable hard-earned wages in a new tan suit with a tan Stetson to match.

The four returned to Spur and "ate the wedding lunch at the nicest café in town." After lunch, they drove out to the Red Mud school, which was celebrating the last day of school with various festivities that included a basketball tournament with other community schools. Everyone soon figured out Kay and Marie were married by the conspicuous way they were dressed.

That evening Ada Hoover fixed a steak supper for the newlyweds. Later, they all returned to the school house for closing ceremonies and a big ice cream and cake supper. After receiving the customary congratulations and best wishes, the couple spent their wedding night at the Brantner place where they would make their home for the next two years, caring for Ambrose and farming the home place.

Not too many nights passed until several of Kay and Marie's friends rode up to the Brantner place and began their impatient, festive vigil of the house. Finally, after what seemed ages, the last lamp wick was lowered and snuffed. The group advanced on the house after a few minutes and began the traditional charivari of the newlyweds, know better as a good-old-fashioned "shivaree." Hollering, pan-banging, and other orchestrated pandemonium was intended to distract the couple until the party group was admitted to the house. In customary fashion, the aroused hosts supplied whatever food and drink could be found to round out the party.

John came home from Roswell in June to help on the home place. Ray Lil returned from Fort Worth in the fall. They all lived together at the home place until January 1925.

Lon and Ada gave Marie a natural-finished cedar chest and fifty dollars for a wedding present. Young brides did not receive bridal showers then, nor was there much furniture to spare by the relatives. Marie saved her money until the fall of 1924.

Kay and Marie's first child, Alpha Irene, was born in the home on Sunday, December 23, 1923. Irene was Lon and Ada's first grandchild. Marie had a girlfriend named Alpha, but Irene might wish to think that the first letter of the Greek alphabet, symbolically meaning first, or beginning, had its share of significance. And of course, she was the namesake of her Aunt Reba Irene. Doctor Morris thought the child too premature to live, but admonished the parents that if they kept her warm, and if her milk agreed with her, then she might have a chance. They were not to take her out of the room to any other part of the house for three months. This they did, along with keeping the wood-burning fire constant, day and night. And Irene did well.

Dr. John E. Morris began his practice in Haskell, Texas, but was there only a few months before moving to the just-born town of Spur in the fall of 1909. He practiced in Spur until his death in 1931.⁽⁴⁾

Kay bought their first automobile in the spring of 1924--a used Ford Model T. Typically, they were prouder of it than the new cars they would buy in later years.

Kay rented some land from his uncle Toby Smith in 1924 for him and John to farm. John was to take care of the Smith place and Kay would work the home place. John, a tall, good-looking, eighteen-year-old bachelor had his hands full with a good crop in the making that summer, and all the young ladies in the community that needed attention. John often played the Hohner harmonica that had belonged to brother Carl.

It was about 1924 that Gene and Ruth Fry left the Brown Ranch and returned to Red Mud to farm with Gene's father.

In August, 1924, Robert C. Jones, a Church of Christ preacher, held a summer meeting in the brush arbor at Red Top. Kay, Marie, John, Lucille Smith, and two or three others obeyed the gospel. They were baptized in Tom McArthur's stock tank, the place most used by the local churches that practiced immersion.

As Kay gathered in a huge cotton crop that fall, he made plans for other land for the next crop year. He arranged to rent a farm from Jack Godfrey, which was about four miles south of the Brantner place in Kent County and had a four-room house.

Marie remembered, "I was so happy when we went over to Spur to pick out our furniture and all the first things of our own to keep house with." She bought a new kitchen cabinet that "was just beautiful to me." Also, she bought a three-drawer dresser "with a long mirror," a good wood cook stove and a heater, a library table, rocker, and six dining chairs to go with a table Ambrose had made and given them. She also bought linens, dishes, wash tubs and a wash board, a water bucket, an iron, and various cooking utensils. A large baby bed was also purchased and was subsequently used by the first four children. Marie kept the cedar chest all her remaining days. It contained her keepsakes, treasures, fine linens, and important documents such as school report cards needed to start the next term.

"Thrilled" and "appreciative" were the words Marie used to describe having new furniture and housewares. It meant a lot to Kay and Marie to have something "fine," more so then, than they would ever experience again in their lives.

In January of 1925 Kay finished getting the cotton crop out and they moved into the house on the Godfrey farm. They had three cows they could graze free, plus their two teams of horses and their farming equipment. Kay looked after several head of cattle for Godfrey and farmed about 150 acres of cotton and feed.

Joe and Reba Thornton (and Lavon, 9) moved their dairy cows from Roswell to the Brantner home place in March. John moved to the Godfrey farm to help Kay farm. Ray Lil stayed with Kay and Marie most of the time. Brose, 62, probably stayed with Reba on the home place with his beloved garden and fruit trees.

Uncle Toby Smith (1855-1925)

On April 6, 1925, the entire Red Mud community mourned the loss of Willis Anderson "Uncle Toby" Smith, at age 70. While sitting on a fence, a heart attack suddenly tumbled him to the ground. One of Dickens County's first farming families, Toby and Martha Ann "Aunt Mattie" raised nine children in the new land. Toby and Mattie provided a temporary home and support to relatives and friends that followed them to Dickens, and offered wise counsel to scores of others in their new and growing community. Toby's reputation served him well long after he was gone, as later generations would hear his name used with a high degree of respect. Truly a patriarch among his family, Toby was remembered as a leader by all.

On July 4, 1925, Kay and Marie celebrated Independence Day with their own brand of fireworks, the arrival of their second child, Ralph Louie, born on Saturday on the Godfrey farm. Grandmother Hoover seemed to be matching her oldest daughter baby-for-baby as, on August 7, the one-month-old Ralph had a new aunt--Robbie Lavell. Gene and Ruth Fry celebrated Lee's arrival (their fifth) on December 30.

Babies were a new experience for the older Brantners, and they were right at hand to rock, sing, play, and rough-house with the kids. They delighted in the experience.

Another good cotton crop was realized that year and Kay hired a crew of Mexican laborers to pull the crop. That fall Ory Alexander "Dock" Hoover, Marie's brother, came by for a visit. Dock was a Spur Ranch cowboy, working for the Swenson interests. He was driving a Ford "with good curtains and good tires." These were isinglass curtains that snapped on. Dock traded the car to Kay for his old one plus some cash "to boot," all or part of which was used to pay off a lien on Dock's car. Now that their family (and bank account) was expanding, the bigger car gave Kay and Marie better transportation to town and to church.⁽⁵⁾

The following summer, on Wednesday, July 7, 1926, Dock Hoover was helping with the roundup of cattle near the West Pasture ranch headquarters. About noon, while riding alone, his horse fell with him, presumably from running over a yearling. He was discovered unconscious and was taken immediately to the Nichols Sanitarium in Spur. Dock never regained consciousness and died about 4:30 Thursday afternoon, July 8. In addition to the local physician, doctors Sandifer of Lamesa and Hutchinson of Lubbock were called in for consultation. Ory Alexander "Dock" Hoover was buried in the Red Mud Cemetery.⁽⁶⁾

The tragedy that claimed the twenty-year-old cowboy was one feared daily by all cowboys whose lives and livelihood depended on their horse's sure-footedness, as well as their own skills.

Family pictures show that a vacation trip was made in 1926 to Ruidoso, New Mexico. Making the trip were Joe, Reba, and Lavon Thornton, Brose and Ray Lil, and Kay, Marie, Irene, and Ralph. New Mexico was truly a "Land of Enchantment." Sleepy little Ruidoso, tucked away in the mountain pines, became a popular vacation place for the Brantners, as did the nearby White Sands of Alamogordo, the Lincoln County courthouse, and Fort Sumner.

That fall Kay made arrangements with Jack Godfrey to rent all the cultivated land on the Godfrey ranch for the 1927 crop year--about 300 acres.

On Saturday February 19, 1927, Doris Marie was born on the Godfrey place, the third Brantner child to be delivered by Dr. Morris of Spur. Marie had planned to name her Dorothy Lou. Kay, however, did not want the name Dorothy, so they settled on Doris. Kay was also insistent that Doris have Pearl Marie's middle name.

Both Ray Lillian and Reba were good seamstresses and did beautiful handwork. For the little girls, it was white wool smocked and lined coats and bonnets, and crepe-de-Chine silk embroidered dresses. For Ralph, little suits. To the children, their Aunt Ray was the paternal grandmother they never had.⁽⁷⁾

There were the usual dangers for the children; wandering off, falling into the cistern, touching hot stoves, red ant stings, splinters from the well-scrubbed wooden floors, and the prevalent childhood diseases of measles, chicken pox, and whooping cough.

Ed and Seveatus Gaston, who farmed at Sudan, Texas came to visit Joe and Reba Thornton that summer. Seveatus was Joe's sister. They told of the new farms being put in on the Janes' ranch lands in Lamb County, on the South Plains. One farm in particular, which was close to them, was already in cultivation and was for sale. It sounded good to Kay and Marie, who were anxious to own their own place.

On December 17 Marie's second oldest sister, Leeoma Mahalla, married Elmer Cross of Red Mud. Leeoma was 19 and Elmer was to turn 28 later that month. When Elmer was a young boy, his father lost his mind. His mother, Susan, and the six younger children went to live with Edward and Edna Fuqua, Elmer's older sister, when Elmer was 10. Elmer, and his older brother James, like so many young boys of this era, had been thrust into manhood early in life.⁽⁸⁾

Elmer was somewhat small as an adult, and became a noted trainer and rider of race horses in the area around Spur. Kay Brantner recalled one winter when they were attending the one-room school. The kids were huddled around the stove and Elmer got between Kay and the stove. Kay grabbed him by his pants and said, "Sit down!" Only Elmer's pants went down--in front of all the other kids.

On January 20, 1928, Eurena Manell was born, Lon and Ada's fourteenth and last child. Lon was 46. Ada, 40, had borne 14 children in her first 26 years of marriage.

A Labor is Purchased At Sudan

After Kay and Marie got the final cotton scrapped and ginned, and the weather improved, they drove up to Sudan. On Wednesday, March 23 Kay walked the prospective farm out, liking what he saw. It had a three-room house, a windmill, and was on a graded road which provided a mail and school bus route. It was priced at $37.50 per acre, with low taxes and a thirty-year note at six percent interest. They agreed to buy the farm, signed the papers that night in the John N. Janes Farmlands office at Muleshoe, and returned to Spur.

Labor 18 (pronounced lah-bore') of League 226, totaling 177.13 acres, was theirs for $6642.37, subject to the terms of the warranty deed, vendor's lien, and the current renter's agreement. The seller retained one-sixteenth mineral right.⁽⁹⁾

Kay's check for $1328.47 ($7.50 per acre) drawn on The Spur Security Bank served as downpayment, the balance due in thirty payments beginning January 1, 1929 at six percent interest. Kay was to pay the 1928 taxes and was to receive the 1928 rent. The rent was to take care of Kay's first payment.

Mr. Janes' agent had signed the rental agreement with T. R. Snapp and C. W. Willis on February 24, 1928. They were to grow 70 acres of cotton and 70 acres in other crops (kafir, maize, corn, grain). The rent was the customary "thirds and fourths" and was to be deposited in Janes account at the First National Bank in Sudan.⁽¹⁰⁾

The warranty deed was signed April 10, 1928, and recorded March 4, 1932, in Book 48, pages 632-633.

Kay and Marie had farmed Godfrey land four straight years. They realized good crops in 1925 and 1926. But the last two years were bumper crops. In 1928 he cut a big maize crop and pulled 96 bales of cotton. Both crops brought good prices. He had been lucky to find a Mexican crew to pull the cotton, but had a large house for them. He hauled in all the firewood and water they needed and otherwise took good care of them so that he would have a crew.⁽¹¹⁾

They paid off all outstanding debts that fall and were able to buy several pieces of new farming equipment, particularly a new wagon. It cost about $100.00 and Kay was exceptionally proud of it. Kay was gradually replacing most of the family farming equipment as he intended John to have the family equipment and two horses.

As 1928 drew to a close Kay and Marie went back to Sudan in early December. They were anxious to see their future home again, and to check on the renters. They camped in a tent on the farm. Snapp and Willis were not very good farmers. Their crops were dismal, and Kay was anxious to have them off the place. While there, Kay repaired the cow pens. During the trip Marie bought a new kerosene cook stove at Littlefield--for future delivery. It had four burners plus two under the oven, and was as modern as you could get.

Kay wanted to buy a new car before he moved and Jack Godfrey wanted him to have one for the trip. The problem was, new cars were hard to get and Kay was not on the list--he would have been 96th. Jack's procedure was to take a car load of men or boys to Fort Worth and they each would drive a car back to Spur. On his next trip, Jack slipped one of the cars into his garage at home. Before sunup the next morning, he drove it out to Kay's house. They waited a few days before being seen in town with it.

The Model A cost a little more than $500.00 and was "the prettiest car anyone had seen." It was an aqua color, the "first colored car in the county." Previous to this all Fords were black or brown.

On December 25, 1928, Ray Lillian Brantner married Melvin Rankin at Dickens. He was 32 and she was 35. Born November 13, 1896, Melvin moved from Archer City, Texas to Dickens County with his parents in 1913. He learned the blacksmith trade, which was in demand in the new farming country. Soon after marrying, and after a short stay in California, Melvin and Ray bought a country store between Spur and Kalgary. Melvin also put in a blacksmith shop and had a successful business as a "smithy," which included making spurs and bridle bits, and sharpening plow points.⁽¹²⁾

ENDNOTES

1. Watkins, p. 7

2. Elliot, p. 75.

3. Erit Fry.

4. Arrington, p. 296

5. Dock had a lien of $60.00 on the car (10 percent interest), which he paid on November 30, 1925.

6. Unidentified newspaper clippings. The date of death agrees with the grave marker. The birth year of February 16, 1906 shown in Clay and Bass, Hoover Family Favorites is accepted over the grave marker date of February 16, 1907.

7. Irene Brantner Lemley, "The K. P. Brantner Family -- Pearl Marie & Kay Parrack," 1989.

8. 1910 Census, Dickens County, Texas, Edward F. Fuqua. Leeoma Cross to C. R. B. March 5, 1989.

9. The early lands were surveyed in Spanish leagues instead of sections. A league contained 4428 acres, or 25 labors of 177.1 acres, which was considered the basic farm unit. The linear measurement was the vara.

10. Customarily, the renter paid the lessor one-third of the milo and other grain crops and one-fourth of the cotton. Small pastures attached to the cultivated land were usually rent-free. This custom lasted for decades.

11. Arrington, p. 203: Census ginnings for Dickens County show 1925 and 1928 as "good" years, with 1926 and 1927 as the bumper crops, with ginnings of 17,911, 39,047, 38,845, and 23,117 baled ginned in 1925-1928 respectively.

12. Erit Fry. Rankin to C. R. B., June 2, 1973.