When Irene Ilo Thomas was born on September 20, 1899, in Zearing, Iowa, her father, Charles, was 27 and her mother, Myrtle, was 23. She married Elijah Huston Gaddy on October 17, 1919, in Boone County, Arkansas. They had three children in 15 years. She died on November 14, 1984, in Harrison, Arkansas, at the age of 85, and was buried in Gass Cemetery, Burlington, Arkansas.
And today, Grandma Irene Ilo Thomas Gaddy would be 116!
Above is Irene Ilo Thomas' little brother. He was born in 1895 and is gone by 1900. Grandma probably looked a lot like this as a baby, but we have no baby pictures her.
And Below--
1910 Census Boone County, AR
The family is living near Burlington, AR
Grandpa Kinzer lives with the family.
Mytle Mae has had 6 children and 5 are living.
Eva Marie was born in Iowa!
I am not sure if they moved to Arkansas from Iowa or Missouri, but Grandma told me that she lived in Neosho, MO at one time.
Here is Grandma with her brothers and Sisters-l to r-Leona, Irene, Clara, Leo, Eva, and baby Leonard!
Grandma before she married in 1918.
Grandpa Huston Gaddy and Grandma Irene Thomas before they married. Taken at Harrison, AR. Grandpa was going to World War I. He served in France. He and Grandma did not marry until he returned.
After marriage, Huston and Irene lived near Denver. I think on the Solon Gaddy place. Then when Mom was about two they moved to California. They were there in September 1924 because Aunt Helen was born there. Grandpa hated California. They drove across the desert to get there. There were no road just ruts. They took a rider along who paid. Grandma worked in the fruit while there. I think Grandma liked California. Sister Leona and Grandpa's brother Ben lived next door. They stayed, but Grandma and Grandpa returned to Denver and he opened a small store. It is pictured modern day above. Since, they had to live in a space by and below the store, I don't think Grandma liked it much. About 1950, they bought the store at Ridgeway, AR. This was on Highway 65. More traffic, more business, more money for Grandma to spend. Grandma liked "nice things". Grandpa liked to save his money. They always drove a car. Grandpa never had a truck. I don't think Grandma thought it was dignified to drive around in a truck. Even though, Grandpa seemed to be the head of the household, I think Grandma usually got her way.
From Sister Patsy--
The rock building is Grandpa Gaddy's store when he lived at Denver.
The rock building is Grandpa Gaddy's store but the town is a ghost town.
Our great great grandfather Eli Gaddy established Denver after moving here from North Carolina. he called the town New Salem and later it was renamed Denver.
Here Sister Patsy writes about living near Grandma and Grandpa in 1944-45
People bought feed in cloth sacks in that day and mother would buy feed sacks from Rose Maddox, she and her husband lived on a farm just out side Denver AR. And milked a herd of cattle hence she had a over supply of feed sack. Mother also bought milk from Rose. I can remember walking to the farm with mama to get milk.
All our sheets , tea towels and my bloomers were made out of these sacks.
Mother made my under pants, she cut old inter tubes into strips for the elastics to keep the bloomers on my skinny frame. There was not much stretch in the rubber and it was a pretty good trick to get the strip of rubber the right length. My bloomers were always so sung that either they cut into my skin or so loose they were always trying to go south while I ran and played.
Every thing was rationed during the war, you had stamps the government issued each family and certain things were very hard to buy because there were a lot of shortages. To buy a rationed item you must find some where that had the item and have a government stamp and the money to purchase that rationed item.
The things I remember that we could not get were sugar, coffee, elastics , gas and tires for a car.
Denver was a thriving place in that day. They had 3 stores. Mr. Beck store also was the post office. Grandpa said Mr. Beck got his job because he was a democrats. Grand pa Gaddy belonged to Mr. Bush's political party, and he resented Mr. Beck and his job.
grandpa Gaddy sold gas, fixed flats, sold groceries and soda pop.
The other store was owned by John Dee Seals, this store was off limits to us. It was a bad place according to grandma and mama. John Dee did a lot of black market buying and selling. There were people who would get the rationed items and sell them. This probably involved robbery some where a long the line.
The best entertainment that Denver AR. Had for years was when John Dee bought the truck load of black market sugar. A man drove a truck into Denver in the middle of the night and told John Dee he had a hot load of sugar and must sell it fast because the law was on his trail. John Dee opened a sack and sure enough it was sugar. With visions of wealth John bought the load and quick as a wink the sugar was in john's store and the truck was gone.
The next day John Dee discovered the sacks were filled with white sand with a thin coating of sugar on top. John Dee was the butt of many a joke for years involving sugar and white sand.
More from Sister Patsy
My grandma Gaddy's maiden name was Thomas. She was the daughter of Charley and Myrtle Mae Kinzer Thomas . She said when she was a young girl Her father and mother traveled from Iowa (From Sister Three--I think it was Missouri) in a covered wagon to Arkansas. They traveled to northwest Arkansas.They arrived at Burlington, Arkansas and stopped at the store to inquire the way to the land which was their new home. She said two young red haired youths offered to show them to their land. The young men walked in front of the wagon with a lantern and show them to their new home. Those two youngsters were Ben and Huston Gaddy, My grandma married Huston and her sister Leona married Ben Gaddy. So by the chance of the draw we are here because Charley Thomas lost his way.
Here Grandma and Grandpa are visiting Leona in California.
Leona and Grandma are in the back--Leona on left. Momma is the first one in the middle row. The two girls next to Momma are Nadine and Naomi. Aunt Helen is the youngest girl. This is probably in the early 1930s.
Below is Grandma with Mom and Aunt Helen--all with matching pearls that Grandpa had to buy! I don't think Grandma sewed. At Denver, Ar. lived two girls who could not hear or speak, Grandma paid them to quilt and perhaps sew for her. This may be about 1935.
This is Leona and Ben's wedding day. Grandpa and Grandma are "in love" and starry eyed in the back seat.
The pictures below were taken about 1923. They may have lived in Sanger, California. Grandma has a bad perm. She went to get her hair fixed and colored when she got older, once a week. We--Powell Sisters--would joke about the color when she visited. Sometimes it was sort of orange, sometimes sort of blue, and on occasions a tinge of pink! Grandpa had to drive her and pick her up. She could not drive! He also had to pay. He paid social security for her to work in his store and she was able to draw on this when she reached 65. Grandpa was four years older than Grandma.
These two photos were the same day beside their store at Denver, AR. Clayton Powell looked a lot like Huston Gaddy. This picture shows it!
This is beside the Grandpa's store in Denver, AR. Grandpa sold groceries, fixed flats, and sold Conoco Gasoline At one time he worked on cars, but as the Model T and A models became obsolete, Grandpa's knowledge of the new cars was not so great and mostly he just fixed flats. He had a "dug out" that the cars could drive in so he could get under them. He may of changed oil for folks too. He sold some tires, but Daddy thought they were a poor grade and a high price! He had a "pop" cooler that kept drinks cool in water and a freezer for ice cream. When Ridgeway had a school, he sold to children at lunch--not healthy just penny candy! When the traffic got worse, he walked over at lunch taking his "treats" in a box to sell. Grandma and Grandpa went to Church at the Bear Creek Baptist Church. Next door to their store, was a Church of Christ. When the weather was bad, they attended this Church. Grandpa said "we did not go to God's Church today".
Grandpa Gaddy was a Baptist believer. Grandma went to Church with him. She did not seem to have strong religious beliefs. I am sure she enjoyed the fellowship there.
About 1900 the new Baptist Church was built on the hill above Denver Ark. Denver AR was first called New Salem (pcm) By Pauline Miller In July, 1940 in Green Forest, Arkansas, a revival meeting was in progress at the Denver Baptist Church, conducted by the pastor, Gus Poole. Elisha Houston Gaddy grandson of George E. Gaddy, who was one of the charter members of Salem Chruch, was saved on Sunday afternoon August 4, 1940. Members of the Denver Church, also of Burlington, Arkansas Church, and neighbors and visitors of the community gathered at the water's edge of Long Creek in Denver, Arkansas for a baptismal service. There was a large crowd, most of them coming in cars, and some by truck load. There was a service held at the water's edge and the congregation sang 'Glory To His Name' and 'At the Cross'. Rev. Gus Poole read the scripture, reading Matthew 28, beginning with the 18th verse and reading the remaining three verses. After prayer, the candidates, with the two pastors, L. C. Tilley of the Burlington, Arkansas Church, and Gus Poole of the Denver Church, moved out into the water while the congregation sang 'On Jordan's Stromy Banks I Stand.' Rev. Gus Poole Buried Houston Gaddy in the water of old Long Creek, symbolizing the burial and resurrection fo Our Lord Jesus Christ. The two candidates from the Burlington Chruch were immersed by their pastor.
Above is Grandma with her house at Ridgeway. This is probably 1950s. As she got older, she longed to "move to town" and when Grandpa reached his 70's, once again, he gave Grandma what she wanted!
Grandma and Grandpa on Wallis Street in 1975. Grandpa had nothing to do here. He went down like a rock in a bucket of water. He went to "his" bank on the Harrison square in 1979 where he suffered a stroke. Grandma put him in the Nursing home where he passed away. Patsy visited him there and he cried when he saw her. When Aunt Helen, put Grandma in the Nursing home and I visited her in 1984, she spoke of wishing she had tried to take care of "Huston" at home but those remorseful thoughts were too late to give it a try. She said "I wish I had of tried......."
Sister Helen and Sister Three have Grandma's bad arthritic knees. By the time she reached her 80s, she could barely walk. She got cortizone shots in her knees and that would ease the pain. She also developed cataracts. A cataract surgery left her virtually blind! Once she was an obese woman, but in her last years she was skin and bones. I visited her once when she was in the nursing home. I asked her if I could get her anything, She wanted a Hershey candy bar which I went right then and bought for her. She could only eat one square. She only lived a couple of months there.
This picture is in the Gaddy yard on Wallis Street. Grandpa already has the far away look in his eyes.
1945--when W W II ended, many families had family pictures made. Grandma and Grandpa had this taken at Harrison, AR. I think at Case Studios.
Below is Grandma's Mom and Dad--Charles Thomas, Myrtle Kinzer Thomas, Eva and Leona in the back, and Leonard Thomas, front row right. By 1910, the Thomas' family lives near Burlington, AR. Grandma was 9 or 10, when they moved here. Daddy said Charley Thomas was a trader. He traded a place in Missouri (Neosho, I think) for the one at Burlington, AR. Sometimes he would make a little ride (it seems Momma said with a goat and cart) and he would give kids rides for a penny or so to earn money. When they first moved to AR, he farmed because Grandma complained about having to work the fields with Clara. Leona got to help at home in the house and Grandma resented this.
Grandma's 83 birthday
This was about 1960. Back row l to r--Grandpa with bow tie, Calvin Blevins, Dad, Uncle Luckey, Front row l to r, Grandpa, Hettie, Momma, and Aunt Helen. By this time, Grandma has started to dye her hair and it was a red tinge, but was really more medium brown in color. Grandpa has a few strands of red hair.
Grandpa and Grandma with the Ridgeway Store and Aunt Hettie. Grandpa is carrying a gun. Don't know the occasion. He loved meeting the people that came by for gas and a few groceries. I recall he sold "Bush" vegetables. Grandma liked Bush green beans with shellies. He sold orange juice in quarts. Grandma went over with a box and brought home whatever she wanted. He got up early and opened the store. Then at about 8 A.M., he locked the door and came over for breakfast. She cooked him a feast! No wonder he was a little chubby! He would have meat, eggs, toast (never biscuits), juice, coffee, and maybe oatmeal! Always, jelly for his toast! I was there for breakfast at Ridgeway. I don't know when, but I recall marveling at the little juice glass. We never had juice and I wanted 16 ounces! Grandma had Feista Dinnerware. I think that is why I love it today.
Here are Grandma and Grandpa Gaddy's descendants. This was 1971, July. They have many more descendants today. All from their sweet daughter, Hazel, who married Daddy in 1936. The marriage they wished never happened. I think that Grandpa accepted Momma's choice, but Grandma longed for a more "citified" match for Momma. When Grandma reached her 80's, she knew we were all the family she had. It was just too late to "get to know" us. I know I am more like my Grandma Powell, who did not like house work and liked to make yummy desserts. She loved to work outside, crotchet, and enjoy simple pleasures. I did not realize until recently that I am a lot like my Grandma Powell.
Letter Grandma Gaddy wrote to me in 1984 just 4 months before she passed away!
July 22, 1984
503 Wallis Harrison, AR
Dear Betty and Family,
It is with great pleasure to write you and to be with you and your family and all of Hazel's girls. Hazel was the oldest but so fat she can't help with us, Helen married so much and one good man die, the other one sorry. The first one don't think Helen liked him. He liked us and Norman did at first or I like him at first. I thought he was a good man. Now, he wants to boss her too much. She don't say much. But I could but hate to. Norman think he is it and Helen is HIS girl. He said he will take care of us--Hettie and I. He calls Helen the kid or daughter and he said before he left last Sunday that he didn't want anything to worry her. He does, but don't know it. He thinks that Hettie and I worry her, but if her only knew he worries her worst. But he thinks he and his daughter are Gods. Well, I better hush up before I say too much. If Huston here, he would cut my toe nails. They hurt! If I could see, I could go buy a new dress that fit me. I got the money but don't know why size I need and what kind. All mine are too big.
Back to Helen
We never heard from them and call his girl (Norman's daughter) she said they were home so I called or get Hettie to call for me (Grandma is all but blind by this time). I balled them out for not calling or writing to us. I get him. He would not shut up. Too much bull! So she may call this evening. But she would not know anything. She used to be so SMART. She worked for the president! She went to good schools--High School and College. I never got to go much. Seventh grade and had to stop and work in the fields under my Dad. He would say, " you girls do this or else". One day, Clara and I take our Crotchet work to do when we sit down and rest and Leo told on us. Papa said NEVER again or else. So you know what that meant. I had to plant corn cane and so on. Leona was the baby. She didn't have to work out in the fields and Eva was Papa's pet! This is why I can't spell and write and now I cannot see good. It is too hot to work or do anything now. May was cold and rainy.
What you doing since you went home. I often think about what you told me Laura said about Debby, poor little thing, (I do not remember what Laura asked about Deb). First time I saw her, I knew something was wrong. We went to the hospital to see Hazel and the baby. All the rest of you were okay. I guess Hazel married too young or too many what Thelma said. (I don't have any idea what Thelma said maybe she is asking me why it was so what did Thelma think?) Mama had 3 babies to die. Two in Arkansas. They are up there where Huston buried. Papa and Mama and Mama's Father, my Grandfather, are buried there. He died while we were in California. Their name is Kinzer. Mama's Father lived with us a lot. The Kinzer Grandma out live him and marry again. They parted a long time before that. That is why he is at Gass Cemetery. Grandma died later in California with some of her people not us. She came to see us in California. She married again out there. They moved to Iowa from some other place. I have their picture if I can find it in a box.
It is 25 'til 3 now. I wonder what you are doing. Come and see us before your school starts. It is too hot. Hettie got dinner and we ate. We slept late. Helen and Norman sleep late about 9 or 10 o'clock. I woke up at 1 o'clock. I could not sleep anymore. I got a drink of water and at 1:30 I drink some orange juice. Clara lives in Oregon. Leona lives in California. Leo's in California. Len died a few years ago. I had five brothers, but they are all gone but one. He calls us and his wife writes to us. Leo left home because Papa made him work. He worked in California. He lived with Leona and married out there. He's good.
I better quit and write the rest of the story. I lived in Iowa in three places. I lived in Neosho, Missouri and then Arkansas. Huston came home from the army and we married. I was 19 and he was 23. We were married 50 years. I am 84 years old. I will be 85 on September 20. I was born in 1899. I got married in Harrison, Arkansas. It was the horse and buggy days. Betty, I will look for a long letter. Don't let Hazel see this! Grandma
By Sister-Three: Grandma says in this letter that she had five brothers. In 1964, she sent me the birthdates of her brothers and sisters. I copied this into my Bible that Sister Patsy gave me.
Ralph Edward was born June 10, 1895--He is not on the 1900 census. He passed away young.
Leo Henry was born March 29, 1905--He is not on the 1910 census. He passed young.
Lawrence Basil was born July 26, 1914.
Orville Ross was born October 29, 1916--He is not on the 1920 census. He passed young and is likely in an unmarked grave in Gass Cemetery.
Leonard Buel was born May 29, 1918.
Grandma had three sisters. She was close to Leona. What happened to Eva Marie Thomas? Clara Thomas Biles Levielle lived to be 100 years old! She must have divorced Clay Biles as he remarried to Nora Dixon. He died in 1955 and is buried at Alpena Cemetery. He has a military marker.
