Rector and Willie were born in Hill County, south of Fort Worth. Rector was born on Sept 10, 1889 and Willie on July 30, 1894. Willie grew up near Whitney. She had three older step-sisters, Lissie, Georgia and Clyde, and two younger brothers, Bryan and Hayden. Lissie died of typhoid fever while Willie was still quite young. Later, Willie attended Baylor College and became a school teacher.
Ancestory.com shows Willie's father William, born in 1844 in Tennessee, and Willie's mother Fredonia born in MS in 1862. Fredonia's father born Alabama. We have a lengthy article on the origin of the Hardin family in America. The Hardin (Hardouin) family lived in the northern part of France and decided to come to the New World to escape religious persecution. They settled in the Carolina's area, participated in the Revolutionary War and were rewarded with land grants.
From ancestory.com we find Rector's mother's name is Fernetta Endora /Eudora Yarbro, born Hill County, Texas in 1866, and died in Hill County in 1926. Fernetta's parents are Jeremiah William Yarbro(ugh) born Todd County, Kentucky, in 1828 - 1898; and Fernetta J Howdeshall Armstrong born Missouri, 1834 - 1878. (There is an old story that Rector's ancestors had land in the London area and the government rented the land in order to expand the city. Of course, when there is a get-together, that always comes up. But to date no one has received any rent money…that I know of.)
Rector's father, James Henry, born Centerville Texas in 1859; died 1934.
Rector had several brothers and sisters. His sister Blanche born 1886 and Pearl 1898, (Dove?). (Note: Mother's brother Bryan married our father's sister Pearl, which meant that all their children were double cousins.)
Rector was a farmer until he volunteered to enter the Army Air Force in WWI. He was sent to England after pilot training in San Antonio. He was in charge of a squadron of trainees. Rector's draft card is visible at ancestory.com.
After WWI, Rector left the military and taught school in Hill County, Texas. After a short while, he and Willie were married and he accepted the position of School Superintendent in Roswell, NM. While living in NM, Rector caught typhoid fever while hiking in the Sandia Mountains. Willie nursed him back to health. (Typhoid was a very dangerous illness and requires a long recuperation.) Rector's hair fell out during this illness, and when it grew back, it was snow white.
After several years and the births of four children, Rector resigned from the Roswell schools and they moved to the High Plains/ Amarillo, Texas in 1926.
The first four children born in New Mexico and Margie and Kent in Amarillo:
James Oran (Jimmie), Aug 17, 1920
Floyd Mark (Mark), Jan 13, 1922
Mary Helen (Sweet), Nov 10, 1922
Fred (NMI), Aug 24, 1924
Marjorie Ferrin, Feb 7, 1928
Marion Kent (Kent, Kenny), June 5, 1930
The above information was obtained from the 1930 census as shown on ancestory.com.
Dad and Mother claimed they would need the two born in Amarillo to take of them in their old age!
Life on the farm
The family returned to Texas in 1926, living in Amarillo first and then buying a farm, east of town. Rector farmed wheat, planting in October and harvesting in June. The farm also had a large dairy barn. Mother had her old black milk cow then more cows were acquired. Mother's black cow was the "boss cow" - other cows would stand back and let her go first. They all knew when it was time to go into the dairy barn to be milked and each cow knew which was her stall.
The cream from the dairy would be taken to Borden's twice a week and the remaining skim milk would be fed the 15 to 20 hogs. Willie and the children always planted a vegetable garden including okra, squash, tomatoes, green beans, black-eyed peas etc. Colorful zinnias framed the vegetable garden. Willie also raised chickens, providing eggs and lots of delicious fried chicken! A fairly good life but sometimes times were hard and cash was hard to come by.
The Depression began in 1929 and the Dustbowl began in 1930, reducing the crop yield on the farm - creating hard times for everyone. During the Depression, many families from Oklahoma drove thru Amarillo on Route 66. Many stayed in Amarillo. When Rector and Willie discovered one family with five children living in an earthen dugout, they found a nice comfortable house for that family where they lived for many years. Often that family would come over for Sunday dinner. (We were luckier than they because we had a garden and plenty of beef and chickens to provide good meals.)
This area ten miles east of Amarillo was settled by many German Catholic immigrants - the Raef's and more Raefs, the Winks, the Detton's, Klinke's, Bellinghousens [he was a German interpreter for Eisenhower in WW II}, and many others. They built a Catholic church and a Catholic school for their children at St. Francis. A little red schoolhouse, about a mile south of our farm was Highland Park School where other students (Protestants) attended school. A school bus took the older kids in to Amarillo for upper grades. All six of us kids attended Highland Park and AHS.
On Sunday afternoons, our four Hodges boys would would play baseball with other boys at St. Francis - they had baseball uniforms and played against other visiting teams. Was pretty exciting stuff, Other Sunday afternoons, they might go hunting those pesky coyotes that liked to kill our cows and calves.
World War II
In 1941, WWII was begun when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. Jimmie had attended UT playing football but was now in college at Plainview. Mark was in ROTC in high school - but both enlisted as soon as they could. Sweet stayed in high school and became a court reporter. Fred joined the Air Force as soon as he could. I couldn't believe we were going off to war. I thought, since times were so hard, that WW II was started so they could put people back to work. But I mentioned that to Mark, he said that no, times were just getting better; and the dust bowl had run its course and rains were returning. The federal government provided lots of soil conservation measures, That's when our fields were terraced by the government to prevent rain water run off.
Amarillo Airbase was activated in May 1942 and Pantex Ordinance Plant was also opened in 1942. Both facilities brought many people to the area, bringing a lot of changes. Troops from the airbase often marched past the farm, taking their daily long hikes. Housewives from the Pantex plant soon found their ways to our farm - they enjoyed talking with Mother, getting fresh veggies from her garden and fresh milk straight the cows. Much later in the long war, Willie went to work at Pantex. I think she enjoyed having a career and having a paycheck. The war was winding down.
In 1942 Marjorie started junior high school. Later, she was in the Amarillo HS Band. That's where where she met Carole, her future sister-in-law - Carol! We loved to go to the football games and cheer for the Sandies.
Kent won the Amarillo Golden Gloves competition in 1945 (he was offered the job of Joe Louis's sparring partner - which he turned down.) He was also in the AHS choir.
Near the end of the war, Rector was hospitalized for 6 or 8 weeks with osteomyelitis, an infection in his left shin bone. When he was a kid, he fell out of a tree and got a splinter in that bone. Forty years later flared up and became a dangerous infection, but for the miracle of penicillin. Penicillin had become a super medicine during the war and Dad's doctor was able to send to Boston for penicillin - and the penicillin saved his leg. (But later he became allergic to penicillin. Greg, Jeff and Marjorie are also allergic to it) In the meantime, Kent & I had been plowing & planting wheat on our land and another section nearby. Then Jimmie came home on an emergency leave, and things became better.
After the War
The war was over in 1945 and soldiers returned.home - moving back in with their folks, reentering schools and colleges, looking for work, That's when we re-modeled the old farmhouse to make it bigger and to add a bathroom. I remember Uncle Hayden (mother's youngest brother) did most of the work. Fred had returned from the AF, was living at home and helping with remodeling. One night we were putting things away; Fred asked me to help him carry out a long heavy board - he had me walking backwards. I went thru a door - and fell to the ground - the steps had been taken away. Fred just laughed and laughed - he had pulled that stunt on purpose. He also let me try shooting his big new gun - he did not tell me it would kick - but he did stand behind me so he could catch me when I was kicked!
(Below - marriages and children are in chronological order!)
Mary Helen (Sweet) finished high school, then worked as a court reporter. She married USAF Capt. Howard Yates in 1946 - then he was later discharged. They soon had a baby, whom they named Richard (Dick) - the first grandchild. They moved from their home in Borger when the company (Conoco) transferred Howard to Billings, Montana. There they enjoyed exploring old abandoned gold mines and towns. They also loved hunting and fishing. and collecting antiques. When Howard retired, they bought a farm in Missouri near Howard's parents. But Sweet grew ill, with symptoms like dementia. Marjorie made several trips to see her at their home and in the nursing home. Their son Dick is married and lives in Olympia, WA.
Jimmie and Peggy met when Jimmie was stationed at Newport News, VA. and Peggy was a nurse at the same base. Jimmie was loved by everyone. grownups and kids alike. He and Peggy married after the war. They had 5 children: Little Jimmie was born in 1947, then came Tom, Scott, Sandra and Ricky - all born in Texas and loved by everyone. Peggy drove to Lake Jackson with all the kids to visit us - when Sandy was about 4 and Jeff and Greg were 4 also - we all enjoyed it.
Later, Jimmie and Peggy divorced, and Peggy and all the kids went back to Maryland. Little Jimmie was determined to go back to Amarillo so he got a job and saved his money. Soon he was back. He lived with Grandma and Papa, graduated high school. Mother was proud to pick him up after football practice. Little Jimmie was awarded a full football scholarship to SMU. I was really proud that I was able to see him on TV play in the New Years football game - SMU was SW conference champions. He later he worked for a construction company. He and two friends flew in a small plane to Mexico in 1978. On the return trip, they ran into foul weather near Laredo and crashed - all three were killed. Such a lovable, promising young man. Like that player Tebow - Mother said he was always carrying his Bible.
I did not see Tom very much. He went to Viet Nam after graduating high school. He was injured there, and returned to Maryland to live.
Scott married___?____ after graduating high school - they have three great children. ??? I was visiting Mother when they drove to Amarillo and stayed a few days with Mother. Scott has a trucking company in Annapolis and he and his family seem to live the good life.
We saw Sandra about one year ago, along with her grown up children - so nice to see them., They came to Dallas during State Fair, along with Carol and Vickie. We had a pleasant visit - and they all bought Texas boots before they left! Sandra is a runner and runs in marathons. Her three children all have advanced degrees. The youngest is graduating from Texas A&M this year and we've been invited to the ceremony. He will continue his education.
The youngest, Ricky, visited Vickie and Carol in Amarillo sometime ago. He lives in Florida and I think he may be a counselor.
Big Jimmie died in a one-truck accident in and is buried at Llano Cemetery in Amarillo.
Mark married Ella Nora in l947 in San Antonio…a pretty wedding. Mark had a distinguished career in the USAF; he was navigator/bombardeer in the Pacific during WWII. He and Ella Nora stayed in the AF for many years. He was a Colonel when he retired. They had 6 children, 3 boys and 3 girls….all good looking! !
After the war, Mark was stationed at various air bases across the U.S. -- California, Florida, NJ, New York (near Niagara Falls), and others. Ella Nora used to talk about driving across the country with those 6 little kids - she said Mark was always wanting to leave on their trip early and drive non-stop,
She also told about shopping at the Commissary; she loaded up her car with her groceries. Then went to make more purchases - when she came back, her canned biscuits had exploded - biscuit dough was hanging everywhere.) When Mark retired, they bought a farm near Panhandle and built a beautiful home.
Cynthia was their first born, followed by Debbie. Cynthia and Debbie always seemed to be very close (such as ironing each others hair when they were teenagers!) They both now live in Amarillo. Cynthia was married to Gary but they divorced years ago. Their first born was named Beth and I believe she attended Texas Tech. I saw Cynthia at Mark's funeral - I believe she was even more beautiful than ever.
Debbie married, had two boys, divorced, and later married Char;lie Brown. After working at Pantex for years, Debbie went to beauty school, then, with Charlie's help, opened her own shop "The Red Door" in Southwest Amarillo. I understand it became so popular that she moved and opened a larger, more upscale place.
Next born was Steve. He died at age 19. He was driving under an underpass in Amarillo when his car hit a patch of ice and crashed. Mark and Ella Nora were out of town attending an AF reunion.
Next born was Susan, then Glenn, then Kenneth. Susan is beautiful. She now lives close to San Antonio.
Glenn is an attorney. He got a degree in agri-business at Texas Tech than went to UT where he got a law degree. He and his family live in Austin.
Kenneth graduated in law at UT. He is married and they live in Panhandle, east of Amarillo.
After Mark died, Ella Nora moved to Austin to be close to Glenn and other family members. Susan has also moved to that area.
Marjorie married Gordon Helton on June 25, 1948. They married in Houston after Gordon was transferred. Shortly afterwards they moved to Lake Jackson where both worked for Dow Chemical. That's where our twins Jeff & Greg were born Feb. 4, 1956. They were a joy - always have been. That year - 1956 - is birth year for several boys and girls in the Hodges family (Vickie & Sandra - others??)
In 1960, we moved to Odessa, TX, Four years later, we moved to Alabama. Becky was born in Jackson, AL on 1-11-64. Greg and Jeff got a new playmate. They always got along so well. Later, we moved to Nederland TX. Jeff and Greg were in Jr. High; so Becky and I went to Lamar U. and I got my degree in education and Becky was enrolled in the on-campus nursery. That was so much fun for Becky - she went to the college nursery school and played with the adorable young students while I was in class. Later, we moved again - back to Lake Jackson. I taught school in nearby Angleton.
In 1970, Gordon took a job in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. For several years, Margie and the kids travelled to Dubai for the summer and Gordon would return to Lake Jackson regularly. Eventually Margie and Becky moved there. I took the job of driving our students to The American School on Dubai and when we arrived the Principal would come out and ask me if I could substitute. I was glad to get back in the classroom.
Later, Gordon worked for Aramco in Saudi Arabia; and Marjorie taught Pre-kindergarten to many, many Aramco Pre-schoolers, and loved every minute of it. There were so many children wanting in the school that I split up the children into groups - older children came 3 days a week and younger one 2 days a week. In 1986 Margie and Gordon left Aramco and returned to Houston.
That was in the 1970s and 1980s - Now, Greg lives in Frisco, TX and is a computer specialist. He has worked in lots of places - Tucson AZ, Evansville IN, Miami FL. He spent 6 years in the Navy working as a reactor operator on a nuclear submarine. He has had many girlfriends but he now has two "best friends" - two Bichon-Frise doggies.
Jeff got his Masters Degree in Business at UT; he worked on Wall Street - his office was in Rockefeller Center. He built a beautiful home in Connecticut, sold it and now lives in Houston.
Becky graduated from UT also. She loves Austin and never considered moving away. She became a librarian for the state, and has many friends in Austin (including the late Gov. Ann Richards, mayors, judges and Representative Lloyd Doggett. She knows Nancy Pelosi, Al Gore, the late wife of presidential candidate John Edwards and who knows who else.
Gordon and Marjorie were married sixty years in 2008. In December 2008, Gordon died of cancer. In 2009, I took the plunge - sold my townhouse in Houston and moved to Plano.
Fred and Carol McCartney married Feb. 20, l950. Their children are Patrick Glen (Pat), born 3-4-53; Rex Allen (born 4-19-55; and Vickie Lynn (born 5-11-56)
Pat grew up in Amarillo; but later he went to Dallas to live with his dad, and graduated there. . When he returned to Amarillo, he lived with his grandmother. Later he began working for the owners of five apartment complexes. He never married but had a girlfriend for several years until she died. Then, two weeks ago (on Valentines Day), Vickie called to say Pat had a heart attack and died, He had a nice graveside service in Llano Cemetery in Amarillo.
Rex graduated from WTU in Canyon, got his CPA, then moved to Oklahoma to work for the State Auditor. There he met and married Lisa. He later got his law degree and went into private practice. Their beautiful daughter Nicole is a very good student, very athletic, a cheerleader, plays hockey, soccer. She graduated in 2011 from Georgia.
Vickie spent many years working, training and traveling for Owens-Corning. When she felt ready to settle down, she returned to Amarillo. She is married to her high school sweetheart Billy Joe Moore (Bubba). She works at Pantex as a Human Resources Specialist. She was married for a short while to Kevin Suhl and gave birth to Kenneth and Linda. Kenneth is a Boy Scout, plays basketball, and is in college, He will be followed closely by Linda - who is a cheerleader, plays basketball, and makes good grades. Both are smart and outgoing.
Fred died after a stroke - in (?) He had previously willed his body to medical research; his ashes are in the mausoleum at Llano Cemetery in Amarillo.
Kent married JoAnn soon after they graduated high school. They had two children - Mike in 1952, and Jerrianne in 1956. They soon divorced and Kent went to the East Coast; where he became affiliated with General Motors. He won many awards for working with troubled GM companies to get them back on their feet. After several years, he fell in love with a beautiful, intelligent young woman who then became pregnant with Barbara Blendy.
They could never marry because she was Catholic and her parents would not let her marry. Kent maintained a close relation with young Barbara and her mother. He made arrangements for Rector and Willie to become friends with Barbara, her mother, and her grandparents. Barbara has a very fulfilling job, She works for the National Park Service. We have pictures of her at Camp David, and in President Clinton's office receiving an award. I met Barbara when I was visiting Mother years ago. Barbara and a friend had made a trip to the West Coast and were driving back, with a stop to see her grandmother.
Kent met Sue around 1970(?) in Memphis, Tenn. He courted her by bringing a puppy to her three little boys - they were all delighted. He and Sue married and he adopted her three sons. (Sue told me later that she and Kent went to see Mother and to ask her blessing - Mother said "No, I will not.")
In the late '70s, because of the recession, they moved to Tempe, Arizona and were happily married until Kent's unexpected death in 2000 - he was only 70 years of age. He is buried in the Tempe/Phoenix area - along his adopted son - Sue's oldest son Patrick - who had been killed in an automobile accident..
It''s been a good life, with good times and sad times. I don't remember that Mother and Dad ever went to any of our weddings. But they loved all of us. And Mother always sent birthday cards to all. - 24 grandchildren got birthday cards every year!!
Since I am the only living one of the six children and their parents - and at the urging of Vickie and Sandy - I want to bring up to date the lives of all the family, (Thanks, Carol, I took the liberty of using a few dates from your genealogy that you wrote.)
/Hodges Family/ 5-6-2012
footnote:
Mother had pictures of relatives who were in the Civil War, a neat picture of "Little Jimmie" in his football uniform, a picture of Vickie and her cousin Jerrianne, a picture of a windmill painted by my cousin Charlene from Littlefield, and a picture of bluebonnets by Ella Nora. The pictures have all disappeared, much to my disappointment.
