Our Guernsey mothers (grandmothers) early day life (1894-1925) in Strong City, Oklahoma Territory, with stories from letters to Dorothy Lee Caffey from Curt Guernsey, Sr. and Minnie Guernsey.

Left to right………Luella, Alida, Minnie, and Pauline Guernsey.

“With four daughters Mama (Madelena) thought a piano was an absolute necessity so one was ordered and shipped from New York to Elk City, OK. Papa (Elmer J.) hauled it from there in a wagon and what a time he had over rough country roads with such a cargo. I am sure that you remember that upright piano which had an extra pedal; when it was depressed, we had a banjo accompaniment”.

Curt writes “I often think now of my fathers habit of reading to his family news items and stories from the Kansas City Star, read by the light of a kerosene lamp on the corner of the dining room table.  Never will I forget the facts revealed by such news stories as the Galveston hurricane, eruption of Mt. Pelee or the appalling loss of an entire loaded Rock Island passenger train in the Cimmaron River (the train sunk in the quick sand just north of Kingfisher OK. and is still there today). Along with hearing my father read the adventures of Sherlock Holmes, we were shocked by the news of the San Francisco earthquake in 1906”.

Minnie wrote “In 1908 when Curt graduated from the 8th grade, our parents arranged for him to attend school in Cheyenne, OK. When Mama learned that the Cheyenne school was not accredited, she insisted that Curt be sent to live with our grandmother (Elizabeth Honderick) and aunts in Kansas City. He finished high school there, won a scholarship to law school, an passed his bar examination. His training as a civil engineer came later.

“In 1909, two years after statehood, Mama died of blood poisoning. That was such a terrible loss for all of us (six children). Luella, at 15 years of age dropped out of school for a while to help at home. Mike was only 5 years old; he was sent to Kansas City to stay with our grandmother and aunts until he was old enough to go to school”

“In 1912, the Clinton and Oklahoma railroad built west and the town of Strong City was laid out on Uncle Charlie’s old farm. Papa, as school board president, received a little criticism for hiring an Oklahoma City architect, J.O.Parr, for the design of an 8 room brick school building. The new town grew so quickly the school was filled to overflowing soon after its completion. All the rest of our family graduated in turn from that high school. All four of us girls attended college at Weatherford, OK.(they all received teaching certificates). Mike studied engineering at what was then Oklahoma A and M. College. Later Minnie continued her education at Washington Univ. in St. Louis. Curt served in the Navy in WW I and Mike served in the Seabees (Construction Battalion) in World War II.

Alida sitting in the back seat, Orren with foot on the running board. Luella with the pretty hat.

“Alida was the first of us girls to marry. She married Orren Anderson in 1919. Before that she worked at Herring and Youngs Store in Strong City. Luella taught school and then married Lee Caffey in 1920 and moved to Mangum OK. Minnie married Elmo Innes in 1925. Pauline never married, she taught in many schools in the area and was such a good influence on so many lives”.

Papa was left with four girls and two sons to raise along with his life as a rancher. “Growing up in and with the Cheyenne-Arapaho country was not an easy life. It was crammed full of hardship caused by the 1930 Oklahoma Dust Bowl, insect infestation, low livestock prices and long distances to market. There was joy with sorrow, pleasure with the pain. That country demanded and received a very special breed of people. They worked hard for and earned the right to call the red land home”.

To my kinfolk, hopefully we inherited some of Papa’s faith, strength and tenacity.

Jim Lee