James Oatis Berry and Alta T Greer
married the 24th day of January 1904
in Clio, Wayne County, Iowa
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The birth record for James Oatis Berry says just Oatis - no James. Post card correspondence shows that his mother called him Oatey; his wife called him Oat in her correspondence and photo labels. Other family members wrote to him as Oatis. Census records give his name as James O. He signed documents J O Berry. So, I am going to call him Oatis since that was his family's name for him.
Oatis was born in Monroe Co, Ohio in 1872. Alta was born in Putnam Co, Missouri in 1879. They married in Wayne Co, Iowa. At a time when families often split as some moved on to other territory, and some stayed where they were, all of the Berry family came together. I don't have information enough to know if one came ahead or they all literally travelled together. Nevertheless, they did. All 9 children and their parents.
Alta's father was born in Iowa, and her mother was born in Kentucky. The Kentucky Smiths came to Iowa first, then ended up in Missouri. That's not such a long stretch as seen by this map. I have commented before this that the border was non-existent for the families who lived either side of it in Iowa or Missouri.That makes it hard, at times, to know where to look for marriage records, or death records. Birth records were few, except by later correspondence, Bible records, or military pension records.
Alta and Oat are my husband's grandparents - Grandpa and Grandma Berry. Only two of Grandpa Berry's siblings were still living when my husband was born; none of Grandma Berry's were still living then.
Oat and Alta had 5 children, all born in Oklahoma, although the first two were born in Oklahoma Territory since there was no State of Oklahoma yet. Two of Oat's brothers also came to Oklahoma before statehood - John William Berry who settled in Pond Creek, Grant Co, and Adamson Randolph Berry who settled on land next to Oat. They were neighbors, as well as brothers, in Ellis County where they homesteaded. Oat and Alta farmed 320 acres. Among other things, J O raised hogs. I have a November 1921 receipt for two carloads of hogs being sent from from Woodward, Oklahoma, on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company, to Cudahy Pkg Co, Los Angeles City.---unidentified newspaper clipping
First Published March 27th 1914
Notice For Publication
Department of the Interior, US Land Office at Guthrie, Oklahoma
March 21st, 1914
Notice is hereby given that James O Berry of Parkman, Oklahoma, who, on November 9th, made Homestead Entry, Serial Number 03177 for East 1-2 northeast 1-4 and East 1-2 southeast 1-4, Section 31, Township 10 North, range 21, west, Indian Meridian has filed notice of intention to make final Five Year Proof, to establish claim to the land above described, before the Clerk of the District Court, Ellis County, Oklahoma, at his office in Arnett, Oklahoma, on the 29th day of April, 1914.
Claimant names as witnesses: Fred L Stephenson, William A Bennett, William Pruitt, and Adamson R Berry, all of Parkman, Oklahoma. J L Calvert, Register
It just occurred to me that the receipt is coming upon 99 years old. My son and I were recently discussing how long digital photos might last - or not - and I kept advising him that paper lasts a long time - provided it doesn't burn (housefire) or blow away (tornado).
In about 1918 they moved into the town of Vici, in adjacent Dewey County, where my mother-in-law was born. They lived there until all their children were grown.
Oklahoma, Dewey County, Taloga Courthouse
Grantor Index Book 5:
*Berry, James Otis, et ux, grantor, E N Meserole, WD, 7-19-45, $600; Lots 9, 10, 11, 12, Block 28, Vici. Filed 8-8-45, Book 45, p 133.
*Berry, James O, et ux, grantor, Heskett Macker Johnson, WD, 12-2-46, $150; Lots 7 & 8, Block 28, Vici. Filed 12-13-46, Book 48, p 512.
For some reason - I have never found why - after 1937 they moved to Woodward. None of their children lived there - in fact, all the children were grown and married - and it's curious that they moved to the new town. The two were both in their 60s by then and J O retired as a farmer. According to the 1940 census he was operating a Conoco gasoline filling station.
1940 Oklahoma, Woodward Co, Woodward Twp, April 8
43 Berry, James Otis, head, 67, b Ohio, in 1935 Vici, Dewey Co, Oklahoma, proprietor - gasoline filling station / Alta T, wife, 6_, b Missouri, in 1935 Vici, Dewey Co, Oklahoma
There are many photographs of the gas station as a background for the family and their automobiles.
This item appears on the NOAA website:
The Woodward Tornado of April 9, 1947
-The most deadly tornado to ever strike within the borders of the state of Oklahoma occurred on Wednesday, April 9, 1947 in the city of Woodward. The Woodward tornadic storm began in the Texas panhandle during the afternoon of April 9, 1947, and produced at least six tornadoes along a 220 mile path that stretched from White Deer, Texas (northeast of Amarillo) to St Leo, Kansas (west of Wichita). . . . In all, at least 116 lives were lost in Oklahoma on that fateful night. . . .
J O and Alta moved to Chickasha, Oklahoma, to live with oldest daughter and son-in-law, Veda and Lafe Eggleston, in a house that Lafe built. They lived there the rest of their lives, although Alta died in California while visiting daughter Vera and family. Both of them are buried in Fairlawn Cemetery, Chickasha, Oklahoma.
This photographs is from the anniversary of 50 years of marriage.
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