Flavius Theodore Spurlock
|
|
|
Notes from Cleatus A. Lewis file:
In 1920 Theodore and his wife Maymie are living in Young, Gila County, Arizona. Living with them is Theodore's father and mother, Robert A. and Elizabeth P. Spurlock. This information is from the 1920 US Census of Gila County, Arizona taken on January 14, 1920. District Number: 2, Enumeration Number: 55, Census Roll Number: T625_47, page 2B, Image 1126.This is found on Ancestry.com US Census Records, image 4 of 7 for Young Precinct. 1920 US Census of Arizona: 42 42..Spurlock, Theodore.....head..m..w..35..married..AR.AR.AR..StockFarmer Mammie..................wife....f....w..27..married..OK..TN..IL Robert A...............Father..m..w...68..married..AR..KY..TN..StockFarmer Elizabeth P..........Mother..f....w..61..married..AR..GA..GA In 1930 Theodore Spurlock, his wife Mayme were living in Gila County, Young Township, Arizona. Living with them was Mayme's mother, Olive (Pickett) Hall and a nephew, Rodrick Pickett. This information is taken from the 1930 US Census of Gila County, Arizona, Young Election Precinct#1, District #3, ED # 4-53, Census Roll #T626_57, Page 3B, Image 0707taken on April 12, 1930. This information can be found on Ancestry.com US Census Records image 6 of 7 for Gila County, Young Township, Arizona. 1930 US Census of Gila County, Young Township, Arizona. 67...70 Spurlock, Theodore.......head...m...w...45...m age at 1st.marriage...30...AR..AR..AR Mayme...........wife....f.....w...37...m age at 1stmarriage....26...OK..TN..IL Hall, Olive.......mother-in-law...f......w...71..wd...........................................IL...IL...MO Pickett, Rodrick........nephew....m...w...14...s............................................AZ..OK..OK Note: Theodore was a stock farmer who owned his farm |
Notes from Betty Smithson:
Uncle Theo was a nursing baby when Grandma and Grandpa Spurlock made the big move from Arkansas to Texas!
Aunt Mayme is listed as Birdie Mae on her obituary card which I have in my possession.
Uncle Theo and Aunt Mayme were a huge part of my (Betty Spurlock Smithson) childhood. I have many more memories of them that I can put in this file. Uncle Theo and my father, Ransom, were very close. Even after Uncle Theo sold his own ranch he spent a great deal of time with us, working with Daddy on our ranch. He was a part of our family and seemed to me to always be there. He was very quiet and gentle and easy going. He never lost patience with us. He always looked so good to me. He even smelled good. He smoked a pipe in the evening after supper and would show us that he could make smoke come out of his eyes. He taught us how to play poker. He would play with us until he got tired then clean us out of the matches we used for poker chips and send us on our way so he could go to bed. He and Daddy both wore good looking Stetson hats and custom made Bleucher boots which they ordered from Texas. He loved us kids as if we were his own. Uncle Theo and Daddy both had the same gift and talent for handling cattle and horses and managing the range. They complimented each other perfectly. Uncle Theo was highly skilled in roping and branding and one of the few people Daddy would trust to do those jobs. When we shipped cattle from the stockyards in Holbrook or later on trucks, Uncle Theo would always do the counting. He would sit quietly on his horse or on the stockyard fence and never move his hands or his mouth. He had a little tablet and a little stub of a pencil and would count and tally the cattle. He was very accurate and never got flustered or made mistakes. He, like Daddy, was a superior horseman.
Charlie Wetzler, my father’s(Ransom Spurlock) business partner told me how he met the Spurlock’s for the first time. Uncle Theo was the Spurlock that he first met. One of Charlie Wetzler's jobs besides operating his ranch, the BK, (which we always called Charlie's Place) 5 miles north of Holbrook was to meet the cattle herds coming from Pleasant Valley to the Holbrook stock yards for shipment to market and "pilot" them across the Little Colorado, avoiding the quick sand bogs. Charlie had word that the Spurlock herd was leaving Pleasant Valley and his services would be needed. He knew about how long the drive took and rode out to meet the herd when he thought they should be there. He waited for many hours and finally he saw the herd coming far in the distance at a very slow pace. When they got to him he met Uncle Theo who was in charge of the cattle drive and after introductions he asked Theo why they moved so slowly. Uncle Theo said that was the way the Spurlock’s operated. They moved the cattle at a very slow pace so as to not stress the cattle, causing them to lose weight. The Spurlock’s were known for their gentle cattle. Charlie noticed they had no remuda (extra horses) and asked where it was. Theo said they had no remuda. When Charlie asked what they would do if a horse became lame. Uncle Theo said "I guess we would just have to walk." Charlie liked what he heard and agreed with the Spurlock philosophy of handling cattle and horses. They became good friends and later Spurlock and Wetzler became one of the largest cattle ranches in the State of Arizona. Uncle Charlie, as we called him, told me this story and it is recorded on cassette.
I love my Uncle Theo!
Uncle Theo was a nursing baby when Grandma and Grandpa Spurlock made the big move from Arkansas to Texas!
Aunt Mayme is listed as Birdie Mae on her obituary card which I have in my possession.
Uncle Theo and Aunt Mayme were a huge part of my (Betty Spurlock Smithson) childhood. I have many more memories of them that I can put in this file. Uncle Theo and my father, Ransom, were very close. Even after Uncle Theo sold his own ranch he spent a great deal of time with us, working with Daddy on our ranch. He was a part of our family and seemed to me to always be there. He was very quiet and gentle and easy going. He never lost patience with us. He always looked so good to me. He even smelled good. He smoked a pipe in the evening after supper and would show us that he could make smoke come out of his eyes. He taught us how to play poker. He would play with us until he got tired then clean us out of the matches we used for poker chips and send us on our way so he could go to bed. He and Daddy both wore good looking Stetson hats and custom made Bleucher boots which they ordered from Texas. He loved us kids as if we were his own. Uncle Theo and Daddy both had the same gift and talent for handling cattle and horses and managing the range. They complimented each other perfectly. Uncle Theo was highly skilled in roping and branding and one of the few people Daddy would trust to do those jobs. When we shipped cattle from the stockyards in Holbrook or later on trucks, Uncle Theo would always do the counting. He would sit quietly on his horse or on the stockyard fence and never move his hands or his mouth. He had a little tablet and a little stub of a pencil and would count and tally the cattle. He was very accurate and never got flustered or made mistakes. He, like Daddy, was a superior horseman.
Charlie Wetzler, my father’s(Ransom Spurlock) business partner told me how he met the Spurlock’s for the first time. Uncle Theo was the Spurlock that he first met. One of Charlie Wetzler's jobs besides operating his ranch, the BK, (which we always called Charlie's Place) 5 miles north of Holbrook was to meet the cattle herds coming from Pleasant Valley to the Holbrook stock yards for shipment to market and "pilot" them across the Little Colorado, avoiding the quick sand bogs. Charlie had word that the Spurlock herd was leaving Pleasant Valley and his services would be needed. He knew about how long the drive took and rode out to meet the herd when he thought they should be there. He waited for many hours and finally he saw the herd coming far in the distance at a very slow pace. When they got to him he met Uncle Theo who was in charge of the cattle drive and after introductions he asked Theo why they moved so slowly. Uncle Theo said that was the way the Spurlock’s operated. They moved the cattle at a very slow pace so as to not stress the cattle, causing them to lose weight. The Spurlock’s were known for their gentle cattle. Charlie noticed they had no remuda (extra horses) and asked where it was. Theo said they had no remuda. When Charlie asked what they would do if a horse became lame. Uncle Theo said "I guess we would just have to walk." Charlie liked what he heard and agreed with the Spurlock philosophy of handling cattle and horses. They became good friends and later Spurlock and Wetzler became one of the largest cattle ranches in the State of Arizona. Uncle Charlie, as we called him, told me this story and it is recorded on cassette.
I love my Uncle Theo!
