Joseph Allison Family Index - Chickasaw County, Iowa GenWeb

"Back in 1894, I Eula Iler was born day before Xmas on Basazes Rv [Brazos River] at Valesco, Texas to Mary MacOteal Herbst and James Wm. Iler. Only two present when I was born as the doctor & our house keeper stayed 2 days, decided to go home awhile and no sooner got out of ear shot when I started to come into this world. Since my father had other experience of delivering baby’s and studying doctor books, was no task on his part.

I was a year old (Xmas day) when we left Texas by wagon to Creek Nation, which now is part of Oklahoma, possible a year & half there. My father & Uncle rented from an Indian and farmed. Then to Ingles, Oklahoma - where my father farmed cane & cotton and was here while my father was digging a well & ???? dynamite cap caused the loss of one eye. He got out of the well by hiself. My mother had just put me asleep. She motioned to a neighbor lady and man to come. He immediately went to the creek and got slippery Elm bark - to put over papa’s face to take the black powder out. He wasn’t able to travel for several day’s to doctor to have his eye removed (Kansas City) but continued farming and raising males to sell to Spanish American War.

My 1st remember’s at 2 ½ was this insident & I cryed so hard but was soon quietened. Got on horse wasn’t broken. How frightened my brother was. Sit Still Lo??? Who to horse down - Stop your bellie & go tell mama what you done. Bawl he told. Papa laughed - said horse thought I was fly on its back.

5 years here. Papa drew a place like we do, how he was lucky one, won 160 ac at Indian Territory. So again by horse and wagon we traveled 250 m[iles] away. 1st built a rock house and then a frame house with help from my ½ brother he Freddy and wife lived there - Cane and cotton again only sweet potatoes this time & when Papa brought a load to town, they only offered not enough for worth while digging potatoes. So he brought [fostano]. In fall Mama and I by train would go to upper Okla[homa] & [slice] can food from our ranch as no fruit trees then in I[ndian] Territory. Papa would come after us to take can fruit back and it was here that they traded a pig for my pony. 250 miles ahead was my folks. They’d try to get me to rid[e] with them thinking I’d be tired but not me. 7½ years of age. I’d stop and have my pony rest and fun then run like everything to catch up with my folks. On the way we met others [Greens] and they traveled a few days with us. Again I got behind and here comes a fork of road. Very worried until the dog smelled their tracks and then I knew which way to go. After 2 ½ weeks, we reached home - We had leased some of our property out to this young boy about 14 who would stand up and race on his horse. Mama says she felt she should tell his parents. I took this all in, mind breaking arm or leg, but never said a word thinking if they only knew I had been doing the same thing, but this didn’t stop me. I’d still go over the slop - Papa worked for a nursery so we left many fruit trees and flowers behind.

Was here where another great tragedy happened but this time to my mother. She was helping Papa build an Adobe house and one day bumber her right breast and not to long cancer started, immediately papa rushed her to Dallas Hospital and had it (breast) removed. Only eather in those days. From here we let brother take over and we come west. Browns burrow, Oregon - Mama’s brother in law [Eb Osburn & cousin Frank Smith. She lived a month and died. I then was 8 years old. At 10 we moved to Pullup Wash. Was then we 2 really started our traveling.

Since hearing wages were good there. 1st he helped build the city sewer. Sometimes night watch. We stayed at a rooming house & sometimes we ate out at a resturant. Finally one day I ask Papa to ask the owner if I could wash dishes & she let me for 75¢ a week & everytime Id go to gocery store or meat market she’d give me a tip 5 to 10¢. I made more in tips than my wages. This was something to do because of being alone & never knew money. Was here papa caught phenomonia. Was sent to Tacoma Hospital. I stayed with the people I worked for. We would take the Street Car on Sundays and visit him. Again he got a back??? & hired a man to take care of him in our rented home. Was here we sold Lower (I[ndian] Terr[itory]) ranch. He wanted me then to take him to Hawaii for his health (1905). K’d of been 10 that Xmas. Thinking to myself, He may die on the boat coming over & I had heard they bury one at sea & I couldn’t stand the thought of it. So I suggest we go to M?????? Montana where his bronther (Ira) lived. So Montana bound by train. He was very week. Couldn’t walk a block where he’d pass out but soon gained strength after awhile. Rested awile & brought 3 A[cres] at Orchard Valley. He worked for Standard Oil driving an Oil Wagon. 1 horse to gas tank & one oil tank. Gas for 2 cars & cooking & gas lights. Oil for lamps. Made good money. Then come phenomonia again. Having to quit after 2 years. We had just bought a home in town but didn’t live in it.

Left & come to W. Fork Oregon. Near Cow Creek, Wolf Creek. Stayed over nite & come to Canyonville, Oregon. Papa contracted cutting wood for school through Delbert Miller. Took up a homestead. Sold rights to Will Clark. Bought a ranch on Potts Creek. Here it was where we lived longest. I was 15 then & by that time I knew everyone in town. Attending school helped. Making many young acquaintances. I would work but during summer I stayed with several different familys as was to far to walk to school before it got dark. When papa come ???? to stay worst part of ????. I recall when papa worked out alone while going to school. The old routine of at winter time with lantern feeding chickens, turkeys, geese, milking cow, feed horse & the cow made a lunge at colt & colt running hit & knocked me down, lantern fell over & went out & the “air was blue”, feed spilled & had to go back for more. So back to house, ate, fixed lunch, dressed for school. Grabbed you lantern and away I went. Meeting different school chums along the way.

I was ask by many to come help & nurse many people. Therefore I had to quit school. However my mother was a teacher of many languages & my father was a very brilliant man. Knew ever diffinition of word in dictionery. Also quote every phrase in bible. No one could talk his brillancy down. Preachers would say that’s not in the Bible. He’d say “look such & such a verse”. They would & it would be there. My minister said “you studyed that Bible just for an argument”. Papa would say “No you can prove anything in the Bible.”