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[ Page 1 ] [ Photo History Page 2 ] [ Photo History Page 3 ] [ Photo History Page 4 ] [ Photo History Page 5 ] |
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Yoakum Photo AF 12a
'Tommy' and Lola Raper - that's Ray, the youngest, in the middle with Fern and
Glen standing on either side. ca. 1907 |
| Tommy was Ike's
oldest son. George Shryock relates, "Tommy was a skilled carpenter and built quite a
number of nice houses over the years." |
Yoakum Photo AF 02b
'Tommy' was 19 years old in this photo taken in 1899. |
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Tommy also
constructed caskets in the traditional "plain pine box" style. This was not a
job but rather a benevolent act for the occasional family too poor to buy one. When he
finished the casket, wife Lola would then line it, choosing various fabrics. Some times
the lining was a quilt or in a few cases sheets were used. The end result was a skillfully
rendered burial container. Much has been relayed about Lola's mom and dad - most
of it is heresy. Some say her father (William 'Bill' Raper) was of Cheyenne heritage and
he left the kids with Lola's mom, Sarah Vianna 'Vi' Rustin, and moved out to Puget Sound,
WA. Some say he came back at least twice to see the kids and Vi.
Lola married Tommy when she was 15 years old and 'JT' was 19. |
Yoakum Photo AF 13a
Lola Bell Raper married 'Tommy' Yoakum on September 16, 1900 in
Houston, MO. She was 15 at the time... |
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Yoakum Photo AF 14a
Glen Teddy Yoakum was the oldest son of James Thomas 'Tommy' and Lola. |
Glen was breaking wild horses (a bit of a horse whisperer they say) up in
Wyoming for his Uncle John. On his way home, on September 21st, 1921 Glen and a companion
were following the common practice of resting their heads on the train tracks waiting for
the next freight. Usually, vibration from an approaching train would alert you long before
it actually got near, but Glen fell asleep and didn't wake up in time. He was 18 years
old. |
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"Everybody worked on the farm. As
a child I helped pick rocks and carried them off to the edge of the field, out of the
plows way. Kicked dirt clods down with my bare feet and generally ran errands where
necessary. At noon time the old dinner bell by the back door of the house would be rung
and the field hands would make their way back to the house to eat. Washing hands and face,
outside on the porch or a washstand in the backyard, enabled the workers to clean up
before entering the house. By the time a kid got to the towel it was usually sopping wet.
Didn't matter though! By noon I could have gnawed a hole in the table comer I was so
hungry. Then back to the fields for more work." |
Yoakum Photo MRM 2b
Friend Fern Geist, Ray Yoakum, Gertrude Gunnier Yoakum, ca. 1923 |
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Yoakum Photo MRM 18a
Irene Yoakum, Gertrude Gunnier Yoakum, and Lola Raper Yoakum, July 1927 |
Back of Photo says:
July 1927 Gertrude Gunnier age 22, Lola Yoakum age 42, Irene Yoakum 9 years. Lola is
Gertrude's mother in law and Irene's mother. Gertrude is married to Lola's son, Ray. |
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