Ella was born to James Albert and Lucy Ardelia Butler McGahey. Her father was a preacher.
June 26, 1897 at age 15 and a half, she married Richard A. Thompson, in Fannin County, Texas. When she was expecting their first child he became ill and died (we were told it was pneumonia-but no proof), she in her grief went into labor and their son was born either stillborn or not viable. She named him Cecil. (We were told this all took place with in hours of her husband's death). We do have proof of this marriage. Dates of their deaths and burial are unknown.(her family bible with dates was in a trunk, that got rained on and leaked, it got wet and her oldest daughter threw it away). We've been told they were living in Bryan County, Oklahoma, which is across the river from Fannin County, Texas. (Her oldest and youngest daughters said she never really got over the loss of either of them!)
Feb. 26, 1901 she married Richard Polk Barker in Fannin County, Texas. (Have records of this also). To this union 8 children were born (all linked).
1910 they were in Bryan County, Oklahoma, farming.
In 1916 Polk needed meat. So went out and shot a steer on the open range, couldn't find one of his, so killed one and butchered it anyway, come to find out it was a neighbor's. When he discovered what my grandfather had done with his steer, he turned him in, and that is what resulted in Polk having to leave Oklahoma and the family ending up in California.(There are many different stories, some "Say" it was a hog, have no idea as to which is true). Ella who was expecting their 7th child, followed with the rest of the children a few months later, with the child (my mother) being born shortly after their arrival in California.
Her husband (my Grandfather-whom died long before I was born) was a handsome, stong headed, stubburn, funny and womanizing man, who it is said, later in life could be mean, though my mother adored him. In California, he was a share cropper. Moving his family up and down the California coast. This made life very hard on Ella and the children, by the time my mother was in 9th grade, she'd been to over 34 different schools.
1931 or so found them in Buttonwillow, California where they remained until his death from cancer in 1935 leaving Ella a widow at age 54. Times became very hard for her, with her children all married chipping in and supporting her. After her youngest son Roy aka Johnny was shot down over Germany in WWII, his widow gave Ella her widow's pay which is what she lived on with some help from her children, for the rest of her life. She moved to Blythe, California around 1939 after Richards death, living near her oldest daughter. She lived there, except for summer visits to her other two daughters until her death in 1961 from pneumonia (which she seemed to came down with often and easily).
Ella was a sweet little woman, who read her bible daily and keep up with current events by always having her radio on, never having a T.V. She loved birds, and had many. She love to crochet, until her eye site got to bad to do it any more, family has many items she did.
I have great memories of her, sadly they are fading with age. Know that she had to of been a very strong woman to have lived the life she did. I am sure she has been rewarded in Heaven.
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My Maternal Grandmother
Bio written my me; WLS
June 26, 1897 at age 15 and a half, she married Richard A. Thompson, in Fannin County, Texas. When she was expecting their first child he became ill and died (we were told it was pneumonia-but no proof), she in her grief went into labor and their son was born either stillborn or not viable. She named him Cecil. (We were told this all took place with in hours of her husband's death). We do have proof of this marriage. Dates of their deaths and burial are unknown.(her family bible with dates was in a trunk, that got rained on and leaked, it got wet and her oldest daughter threw it away). We've been told they were living in Bryan County, Oklahoma, which is across the river from Fannin County, Texas. (Her oldest and youngest daughters said she never really got over the loss of either of them!)
Feb. 26, 1901 she married Richard Polk Barker in Fannin County, Texas. (Have records of this also). To this union 8 children were born (all linked).
1910 they were in Bryan County, Oklahoma, farming.
In 1916 Polk needed meat. So went out and shot a steer on the open range, couldn't find one of his, so killed one and butchered it anyway, come to find out it was a neighbor's. When he discovered what my grandfather had done with his steer, he turned him in, and that is what resulted in Polk having to leave Oklahoma and the family ending up in California.(There are many different stories, some "Say" it was a hog, have no idea as to which is true). Ella who was expecting their 7th child, followed with the rest of the children a few months later, with the child (my mother) being born shortly after their arrival in California.
Her husband (my Grandfather-whom died long before I was born) was a handsome, stong headed, stubburn, funny and womanizing man, who it is said, later in life could be mean, though my mother adored him. In California, he was a share cropper. Moving his family up and down the California coast. This made life very hard on Ella and the children, by the time my mother was in 9th grade, she'd been to over 34 different schools.
1931 or so found them in Buttonwillow, California where they remained until his death from cancer in 1935 leaving Ella a widow at age 54. Times became very hard for her, with her children all married chipping in and supporting her. After her youngest son Roy aka Johnny was shot down over Germany in WWII, his widow gave Ella her widow's pay which is what she lived on with some help from her children, for the rest of her life. She moved to Blythe, California around 1939 after Richards death, living near her oldest daughter. She lived there, except for summer visits to her other two daughters until her death in 1961 from pneumonia (which she seemed to came down with often and easily).
Ella was a sweet little woman, who read her bible daily and keep up with current events by always having her radio on, never having a T.V. She loved birds, and had many. She love to crochet, until her eye site got to bad to do it any more, family has many items she did.
I have great memories of her, sadly they are fading with age. Know that she had to of been a very strong woman to have lived the life she did. I am sure she has been rewarded in Heaven.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My Maternal Grandmother
Bio written my me; WLS
Ella was born to James Albert and Lucy Ardelia Butler McGahey. Her father was a preacher.
June 26, 1897 at age 15 and a half, she married Richard A. Thompson, in Fannin County, Texas. When she was expecting their first child he became ill and died (we were told it was pneumonia-but no proof), she in her grief went into labor and their son was born either stillborn or not viable. She named him Cecil. (We were told this all took place with in hours of her husband's death). We do have proof of this marriage. Dates of their deaths and burial are unknown.(her family bible with dates was in a trunk, that got rained on and leaked, it got wet and her oldest daughter threw it away). We've been told they were living in Bryan County, Oklahoma, which is across the river from Fannin County, Texas. (Her oldest and youngest daughters said she never really got over the loss of either of them!)
Feb. 26, 1901 she married Richard Polk Barker in Fannin County, Texas. (Have records of this also). To this union 8 children were born (all linked).
1910 they were in Bryan County, Oklahoma, farming.
In 1916 Polk needed meat. So went out and shot a steer on the open range, couldn't find one of his, so killed one and butchered it anyway, come to find out it was a neighbor's. When he discovered what my grandfather had done with his steer, he turned him in, and that is what resulted in Polk having to leave Oklahoma and the family ending up in California.(There are many different stories, some "Say" it was a hog, have no idea as to which is true). Ella who was expecting their 7th child, followed with the rest of the children a few months later, with the child (my mother) being born shortly after their arrival in California.
Her husband (my Grandfather-whom died long before I was born) was a handsome, stong headed, stubburn, funny and womanizing man, who it is said, later in life could be mean, though my mother adored him. In California, he was a share cropper. Moving his family up and down the California coast. This made life very hard on Ella and the children, by the time my mother was in 9th grade, she'd been to over 34 different schools.
1931 or so found them in Buttonwillow, California where they remained until his death from cancer in 1935 leaving Ella a widow at age 54. Times became very hard for her, with her children all married chipping in and supporting her. After her youngest son Roy aka Johnny was shot down over Germany in WWII, his widow gave Ella her widow's pay which is what she lived on with some help from her children, for the rest of her life. She moved to Blythe, California around 1939 after Richards death, living near her oldest daughter. She lived there, except for summer visits to her other two daughters until her death in 1961 from pneumonia (which she seemed to came down with often and easily).
Ella was a sweet little woman, who read her bible daily and keep up with current events by always having her radio on, never having a T.V. She loved birds, and had many. She love to crochet, until her eye site got to bad to do it any more, family has many items she did.
I have great memories of her, sadly they are fading with age. Know that she had to of been a very strong woman to have lived the life she did. I am sure she has been rewarded in Heaven.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My Maternal Grandmother
Bio written my me; WLS
June 26, 1897 at age 15 and a half, she married Richard A. Thompson, in Fannin County, Texas. When she was expecting their first child he became ill and died (we were told it was pneumonia-but no proof), she in her grief went into labor and their son was born either stillborn or not viable. She named him Cecil. (We were told this all took place with in hours of her husband's death). We do have proof of this marriage. Dates of their deaths and burial are unknown.(her family bible with dates was in a trunk, that got rained on and leaked, it got wet and her oldest daughter threw it away). We've been told they were living in Bryan County, Oklahoma, which is across the river from Fannin County, Texas. (Her oldest and youngest daughters said she never really got over the loss of either of them!)
Feb. 26, 1901 she married Richard Polk Barker in Fannin County, Texas. (Have records of this also). To this union 8 children were born (all linked).
1910 they were in Bryan County, Oklahoma, farming.
In 1916 Polk needed meat. So went out and shot a steer on the open range, couldn't find one of his, so killed one and butchered it anyway, come to find out it was a neighbor's. When he discovered what my grandfather had done with his steer, he turned him in, and that is what resulted in Polk having to leave Oklahoma and the family ending up in California.(There are many different stories, some "Say" it was a hog, have no idea as to which is true). Ella who was expecting their 7th child, followed with the rest of the children a few months later, with the child (my mother) being born shortly after their arrival in California.
Her husband (my Grandfather-whom died long before I was born) was a handsome, stong headed, stubburn, funny and womanizing man, who it is said, later in life could be mean, though my mother adored him. In California, he was a share cropper. Moving his family up and down the California coast. This made life very hard on Ella and the children, by the time my mother was in 9th grade, she'd been to over 34 different schools.
1931 or so found them in Buttonwillow, California where they remained until his death from cancer in 1935 leaving Ella a widow at age 54. Times became very hard for her, with her children all married chipping in and supporting her. After her youngest son Roy aka Johnny was shot down over Germany in WWII, his widow gave Ella her widow's pay which is what she lived on with some help from her children, for the rest of her life. She moved to Blythe, California around 1939 after Richards death, living near her oldest daughter. She lived there, except for summer visits to her other two daughters until her death in 1961 from pneumonia (which she seemed to came down with often and easily).
Ella was a sweet little woman, who read her bible daily and keep up with current events by always having her radio on, never having a T.V. She loved birds, and had many. She love to crochet, until her eye site got to bad to do it any more, family has many items she did.
I have great memories of her, sadly they are fading with age. Know that she had to of been a very strong woman to have lived the life she did. I am sure she has been rewarded in Heaven.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My Maternal Grandmother
Bio written my me; WLS
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