Emily B. Bell was born about 1850 to Philo and Mary Emaline (nee Spencer) Bell. On October 1, 1867 she was united in marriage to Almond Woolfred French, son of Chauncey Adam and Jane N. (nee Travis) French. To this union the following children were born: Breese French (b. Aug. 1868); Chauncey Philo (b. Nov. 1871); Daisy D. (b. Mar. 1875); Molly (b. Apr 1878); Carrie (b. Jul. 1885).Almond was a Civil War Veteran serving in Co. A 11th Missouri. Almond is buried at Popular Grove Cemetery, Beaver County, Oklahoma.
Editor’s Note:
Emily wrote a very short letter to the Press in 1915, in which she repeated the information given here. The letter from her in 1918 for the Sumner Press said she had moved to Dederick, Missouri, and that her one son lived in Los Angeles.
(W. C. Fyffe)
Biographical Note:
William Curtis Fyffe was born in Lawrence County on August 2, 1856 to David and Margaret (nee Eaton) Fyffe. He was united in marriage to Wilhelmina O’Neal in Missouri. Wilhelmina was born March 27, 1858 to Joseph Franklin and Sarah Ann (nee Crumpley) O’Neal. To this union census records indicate the following children were born: Perna (b. Aug. 1882) Hallie (b. Dec. 1886); Sara (b. Jun. 1888); Madge (b. May 1898); Orion (b. Jun. 1897); Thelma (b. Oct. 1890). William died September 19, 1942 and Wilhelmina died August 26, 1938. They were laid to rest in the Odd Fellows (IOOF) Cemetery, Denton, Denton County, Texas.
Wilhelmina Fyffe
William’s Wife
Editor’s Note:
Perkins Hill is what is now known as Red Hills State Park.
Editor’s Note:
William also wrote long letters to the Sumner Press in 1918 and 1919. Those have been reprinted in full in those sections.
Denton, Texas
January 26, 1917
Editor Sumner Press:
Through the kindness of someone, I have received a copy of your paper under date of January 4, and have read your appeal for former residents to make some report as to their whereabouts, conduct and so on, and you say you will "corral" all these "spiels” in what is to be called the "Pink Issue". I have delayed writing, because I experienced considerable trouble in finding a pink ribbon for my typewriter.
I like the general "get up" of your request very much, and while I am not personally acquainted with you boys, I am now convinced that you are real live wires and bound to make the Sumner Press a great factor in building up your town and community.
I carelessly grew up in old Lawrence County, on the State road, about 2 1/2 miles northeast of Sumner at the foot of the old Perkins Hill. I am sure that was the name of the hill, for I left home for Texas one morning just after breakfast, when I was 18 years old, and as soon as I reached a good resting place in Arkansas, I wrote back to a friend of mine, giving a description of my trip all in rhyme and as one or two verses are still a matter of record, but have never appeared in pink before, I will now submit them:
And thought of the long long journey he’d undertook. And quickening his steeds slow, lagging pace,
He raised his head, to look Jack Couchman square in the face,
"Hello Billy, are you running away?"
“Texas or bust.” was all he could say.
Those verses may throw on the screen a romance which the uninitiated will never grasp, but if any of the boys who attended Will Maratta’s last term of school at old Springhill happen to read this, they will feel that they have at least one more of those old-time smiles coming.
And just think of it, Mr. Editor, I had taken so much pains to serve that poem up in several big chunks of the purest English which I thought was in use at that time, and labeled "strictly confidential.” Certainly so, the sample I have exhibited above is is prime prima facia evidence of that, but what did that "confidential correspondent" back at your end of the line do for me? Not a thing but turn the whole shooting match, without any reservations whatever, over to Will Carlton, who was then publisher of the Sumner Press. I don't think Mr. Carlton held any grudge against me at all, but that he felt it his duty to run the article in the interest of modern literature and because of its grammatical efficiency and symmetrical construction. Talk to me about "leaks." President Wilson has nothing to worry him now as compared to my own mental embarrassment over my poetical leak in that day.
I am now not positive in what Township I lived, but think it was Petty. At any rate, I remember that one time I was mighty sweet on a young lady living in the same Township by the name of Petty, and I now recall the fact that I took her home from a party one night when the roads are so muddy that we found it advisable instead of my leading the horse, for us both to get on and ride.
That was during a period when one Anthony Clippinger was bubbling over with poetical effusion, so he wrote up the affair in rhyme and handed it to the Sumner Press. About that same time the writer was contributing items to the Sumner Press, headed "Danville Dips." That was because our jurisdiction extended far east as Uncle Dan Barnes’ home, just west of the old White House church. In those days one Henry Couchman was much of a "joker" and he had often made life miserable for us and as we knew very much of some of Henry’s Sunday night ramblings, we saw a chance to even up, so we gathered some facts and some near facts and ‘put them’ together in verse and passed the censorship of the Sumner Press by taking the editor an extra big load of dry stove wood. I will quote but one of the verses, for I am sure Henry can supply what is lacking:
But, Mr. Editor, if you will pardon me for the above overflow of boyish reminiscences, I will agree to get down to business and conclude my story as briefly as possible.
I note that in your "rules for writers" you asked for us to write more about ourselves and other Lawrence County friends than about the country or the surroundings where we reside. Nevertheless I must tell you, with my family, I am living in Denton, county seat of Denton County in the northern part of Texas. That Denton is the home of the Texas State Normal and the College of Industrial Arts, a school exclusively for girls. These are two great state institutions and no town west of the Mississippi River has better public schools than Denton. This town also has a broad and deserving reputation for being a town of churches and churchgoing people. As our citizens appear to be growing more intelligent each year. I believe I can write for your next "homecoming" issue, and tell you that this County has voted bonds for building a perfect system of good roads all over the county. A few non-progressive calamity howlers caused such a proposition to be defeated last December.
My oldest daughter has a very comfortable home in Topeka, Kansas, and our baby girl is there also, attending Washburn college and right at this particular time my wife happens to be up there on a visit and it behooves me to hurry and get this letter off to you before she returns and sees it, for then it would never be mailed. True enough, Mrs. F. Is just the best old girl that ever lived, and she is full of mischief also but she gets after me often for being short on what she calls dignity. I have another daughter married and living in Waco, Texas, and my cute little sawed-off girl, who resembles her father lives with us here in Denton, and will graduate from the College of Industrial Arts in May. I have a bright little little grand-son- of- a- gun in Waco, and my second married daughter, who lives here in Denton, has the sweetest and smartest little two-year-old girl that ever was. She also loves her granddad and calls him "Fogy".
I have but one boy, and he is now employed by the Studebaker Company at Dallas. He is a special demonstrator of cars. My boy is the only one of my children that I really wanted to see get married, but it seems the little rascal is never going to get in the notion. I am going to insist on his going to Lawrence County, Illinois to spend his vacation this summer and see what that will do for him.
(W. C. Fyffe)
Biographical Note:
(continued)
(W. C. Fyffe)
Biographical Note:
(continued)
My sister, Mrs. Ella Fyffe, also from Lawrence County, makes her home with us and fills a position with the College of Industrial Arts.
I know of very few Lawrence County people now living in Texas. Until within the last two years, I would often have the pleasure of meeting up with my former friend and schoolmate Aaron Pepple, who was in business in Dallas, but Aaron is now dead and I had not heard whether his widow and daughters continue to reside in Dallas or not.
Mrs. Will Maratta nee Couchman, who is the widow of my former school teacher, resides in Denton. She has three daughters at home with her. I have met them all and find them to be most estimable young ladies. I understand that Mrs. Maratta’s father, Marion Couchman, died recently at Sulfur, Oklahoma.
It occurs to me that I have now written entirely too much, but I blame the generosity of your invitation for it, if I have.
I interpreted the last two paragraphs of your request to mean that formality would be eliminated and that a lot of old-time "Suckers" would be expected to get busy and enjoy a pen reunion and a dream of a home-coming that was worthwhile. I will be so glad see that all our former Lawrence County "boys and girls" who have wandered away have written good long letters for your Pink Press, and if I find that they are all happy and having as much fun as the Fyffe bunch is having out here in the Lone Star State I will be satisfied.
Goodbye until the
Homecoming time rolls around.
W. C. Fyffe
Later
Denton, Texas
February 1, 1917
Editors Press:
Today, as I received your return register card, I just took time to think over what I had written you and I should not have been so hasty, but thinking over the matter a little, I could have done much better, I am sure.
I did not state the year I left home at first, and I remember now that it was in the spring of 1878, and that might have been too early for Will Carlton to have been the editor of the Sumner Press.
I remember that when I was writing my first neighborhood news item, Mock Brothers were the editors then after I left home I think A. C. Clippinger, and perhaps Dr. Z. D. French, took hold of the paper, so you see my letter might sound just a little confused to anyone who remembers those times exactly, but I hardly think there is anything very material in that. And again, I recall now that I did not write and send back that "poetical history" of my trip until I had been away almost one-year. I had made the trip on horseback, had stopped in Van Buren County, Arkansas, taught a term of school, and later went to Springfield, Missouri to locate so it was from there, almost one year after leaving home, that I wrote verses back describing my ramblings, but did not reach Texas until my 1901, then spent my first two years in San Antonio from which place one might be able to write a very interesting descriptive letter.
I am only writing you this personal information, so if you saw a place where my letter needed some changing or correcting you would have data with which to patch up with.
If I am allowed to live through another year, I shall write you the letter one day, and not mail it out until I think it over during the night, then correct and try hard to write you a real good one.
However, I assure you my great pleasure is going to be in reading the very interesting letters which will appear coming from long-lost friends whom I might have forgotten and I shall enjoy knowing just where they have wandered and to know how they are prospering.
I trust you will pardon this unexpected second intrusion on of your valuable time.
Sincerely and fraternally,
W. C. Fyffe
-------------
Butler, Missouri
January 27, 1917
Sumner Press:
I have recently subscribed for your paper. I find it a source of great pleasure to me as each week it brings me a message from home. As I read of my friends and relatives in and around Sumner it brings back many happy memories of former days.
In 1907 we moved from Church.
Having lived in Arkansas for four years, we moved to a farm near Butler, Missouri. It is here that my son James and I will live with my brother Ammon Waggoner. Ammon is married and has two little sons. My boy is growing so fast you would scarcely recognize him. He has eight years of age and in the third grade.
Wishing success to the Sumner Press, and sending greetings to all its readers, I am
Wilhelmina Fyffe