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                Stories Of Calhoun Start a long time ago so this is BLU looking through the eyes of a six year old or younger.  There were a lot of older girls that lived at our house.  Ophilia, Gracie, Ruth Ann, Martha Lou, me and Edna. We all went to church and Sunday school together.  We lived right in the middle of one of the blocks that made up the town of Calhoun.  Aunt Dora and Uncle Frank lived right across the road from us beside the Grubbs Gro store.  Ed and Ethel Grubbs I believe were their names.  Mr. Grubbs used to give us some penny candy when we would help him unload the groceries from the back of a big truck.  The schoolhouse sat about 1/4 mile away from us.  The big girls rode the bus to Panama to school.  Calhoun Grade School only went first through the eighth.  I would eventually go to Panama High, or so I  thought.  I remember the catalogs that came from Sears.  We would fight over who would get the paper dolls.  Ruth Ann had more than anyone and she would cut then out and there would be a stack of neatly stacked Dolls about 3inches high and she would not let me play with her dolls. I did not like her then, she was stingy.  But of course she wanted to keep her paper dolls straight and she knew what would happen to them if I were allowed to play with them.  Guess she was not stingy.  She was just smart.  But I would not figure that out until much later like maybe 13. 

     One of the First memories were Uncle Frank and Daddy coming up the road from the store with their shotguns over their shoulder and Daddy was hollering, ”Flora, Flora, Get those kids in the house we have a mad dog loose somewhere.”  Mom and Aunt Dora gathered us all up and put us in the house and told us to stay and sometimes later, I don’t know how long, I heard a gunshot and then they told us the dog had been shot so we all could go back out to play.  I never saw a mad dog in all my life and I wondered back then who had made him mad. 

     My next memory was a happy one.  The war was over, my dad did not have to go and my brother John was coming home.  When John came home some one brought him home in a pretty black car and I had never seen any such thing.  All I could remember at that time was a wagon.  It did not stay around to long I don’t even remember when it disappeared.   That car was pretty, but my brother was much prettier than the car was. I thought he was the prettiest person I had ever seen.  But of course my vision was limited for I had only seen Daddy, Uncle Frank, and maybe a few other men. 

     Some of the other people that lived in Calhoun just to mention a few are:  the Grubbs, Kirklands, Parks, Painters, Mclains, Toneys, Copelands, Monks, Kecks, and the Daleplanks.

    My mother told me that I loved Uncle Frank better than anyone else, even more than her, until he took his cap off and then I was a big chicken and I would cry until he put it back on.  I guess I was some Brat.  My sisters will agree with you on that one.  I cannot forget that I had a brother called Jr.  I loved him dearly, but he just did not have much of a chance with all us girls.  I think he finally gave up and left home. 

     My next memory is a sad one, My little sister was sick and she had to stay home from Sunday school and I was really worried about her.  My mom and Daddy had to take her away for along time and I felt like my parents had just forgotten about me and I also think maybe Tom was just a baby, but my memory is not that good.  Edna had polio and she was taken to Oklahoma City at the Children’s Hospital.   Dad stayed up there a long time and by the time I had started to school we had moved to the bottom of the hill and lived in one of Duncan Kecks houses.  When Edna came home they spent a lot of their time doing physical therapy on her and we could not play together so I would just go off and play by myself. 

     My next memory was of starting to school and Mrs. Camp had given us some of the old basket ball suites for us to wear to school and when I went to school that first day all the kids made fun of me.  That is when I learned my family was poor.  But let me now set the record straight.  We were only poor in material things, not the important things as you can see by looking at our web page we all come from a long string of love.  This six year old child took a long time before she realized that fact.  This all happened in the year 1944 up until 1948.    These are my memories and sometimes they wander like every one else’s.   

BLU

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“Calhoun thru the eyes of a ten year old.”  It was about 1950 and thing had changed a lot since my first day of school.  Edna was now home and going to school and we had what I thought was a normal way of life.  Most all the older girls were grown and married and that left Ruth, Jr., Martha, Me, Edna, and Tommy.  We had a new teacher now that would  teach the first grade thru the eight.  Mrs. Covey retired after my first year of school.  I will swear I had nothing to do with her leaving.  She was ready to go back to the house and stay a while.  I know what it is like now.   In the next few years I would live some good times and some bad times.  My cousin would go off to fight in the war and never come home.    My oldest brother came to visit us and brought his wife Ruby and two Boys to see us; he would also leave and never return.  I wandered in my mind what was out there that would take people away never to return.  I did not know the world existed beyond Calhoun and Poteau, Oklahoma.  It would be some time before I would learn that. 

The winters were bad cold and I knew that one of these days I would be found frozed to death between home and school.  Mom would tell me don’t worry if you can’t find your way home I’ll send Bob after you - referring to Daddy.    By this time we had moved to the foot of the hill and in the wintertime us kids would have to pull the old wagon up to Uncle Franks house because we were running out of coal.  We were probably the shaggiest looking kids in the whole neighborhood.    I only remember getting a new pair of shoes before the school year started and the rest of the time we went barefoot.  My feet were so tough I could run barefoot anywhere and as fast as my skinny legs would move.  I remember getting a new dress for my eight grade graduation and that was it until I could buy my own...  I was old enough now to go fishing and hunting with Dad.  I would get up on a Saturday and follow daddy thru those woods hour after hour.  One I asked him if he would teach me how to shoot and he said “Yes, and I better not tell my Momma.  I agreed with him, and he taught me how to shoot and I got pretty good, then came a time dad handed me the shotgun and said there is your target.  I looked and saw one of the poorest little squirrel that ever lived and he said shoot.  So I aimed and had that squirrel right where I wanted him and then I moved over a hair and shot and missed him.  Dad looked at me real funny and I handed the gun back to him, and I said to him “Daddy I only wanted to learn how to shoot, not how to kill something.”  He took the gun from me and his words were.   “Well with a shot like that you will never have to worry about that.  I told my self right then.  I could have killed that thing if I had wanted to.  I never shot the gun again, nor was I interested in it.   Now fishing was another story,  I could fish as good as my daddy, I just got tired of holding the pole.  I remember one time Dad and I had been fishing at Wister lake and on our way home daddy went around the curve by the radio station to fast and he turned over the car.  He about mashed me before he could get out of the car.  We were not hurt and neither was the car.  My daddy was still a good daddy.  I used to walk down to Duncan’s pond with Daddy while he fished and he was always getting ahead of me and was always telling me to catch up.  I was beginning to think he had named me Bill catch up. 

One day at school I remember James Kirkland getting a marble caught in his throat.  I can’t be sure but I thing Bobby Daleplank and Charlie Covey had something to do with him making it  past grade school.   By this time I believe the Deatons added to our little community.   And some of the fun times were spent at Calhoun grade school - there was always something going on.  Granny Sullivan lived across the road from us; and aunt Dora and uncle Frank had moved on top of the hill and we had moved to the house by the store.  That was were my niece Gail was born, Delivered by a midwife called Mrs. Gussie McClain.  We cannot forget the Keck Children they were there a few yrs until they lost their mother and had to move a way.  The Copelands, Toneys, Phillips, Grubbs, and Kirkland were still there.  My brother John had married Margaret Kirkland and they had one daughter named Linda Ray.  I do not know how long their marriage lasted.  I remember walking to school with Easter James, Corrine James, Vivian Kirkland,  Gerry Kirkland, Harry and Floyd Kirkland; and I believe Cletus Painter and Jimmy Covey.   There were others to numerous to mention that came and went while I spent 8years at the Calhoun school.   Life was great considering.

                                                                              Blu

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“This is Blu looking through the eyes of a 13 year old.”   I have now graduated from Calhoun Grade school and heading in the direction of all highschoolers living in the area at the time.  Next year I  would ride the Big yellow Bus to Panama High.  Wheeeeeeeeee!    I could hardly wait.   I did not get to ride that yellow school bus instead dad and mom moved to Howe , Oklahoma and that is where I went to school my ninth and tenth year. I guess in thirteen years every one has special moments and I had quite a few. Our schoolhouse consisted of three huge rooms that were heated by potbellied stoves. Some one came and built the fire early so the rooms would be warm when we got there.  If he were around to day I would shake his hand.  You can never be to warm when its freezing our side.    I loved going to school there we were like a big family, except a few that though they were Kings and Queens .  I guess they were just not smart enough to know that America was in a democrat State .  You be the big guy you had to be voted on and I certainly did not vote for them.     Anyway I am sure these people grew up to be good citizens or I would hope so any way.       Now back to the school  When I started to school it was about 1948 and Mrs Covey was teaching there.  She told me that she was born in Baton Rouge La.  She did not say when, but she retired that next year so we know she was over 60.  Miss Kathryn Keck took her Place when I was in the second grade.  She was young and very pretty.  I think all the boys stared at her more than they did the blackboard.  She was a very good teacher and she expected us to follow the golden rules of  the three R’s.     As all you fellow alumni should know would be reading, riting and rethmetic.   The floor of the school were made of some kind of hardboard and two rooms were class room and at one time the third room was used as a lunch room   Back in the early 1900’s Calhoun was a booming town due to the coal mines, but as it was fading into no town at all the school’s  extra room was used as the audiotuorm.    This is were we performed our plays, had our Holloween Parties, Pie suppers and Christmas Paghent. This is were the fun times took place.  This is where we could be actors and actress for one whole evening.  Most of our plays and Pie suppers were really entertaining.  There was not a child there that did not look forward to Christmas.   After you manage to get past the fourth grade you got to go to the other classroom. I could not wait there was a library in there.  I think I read Kit Carson and Buffalo Bill at least ten times.   There was not a book in there that I did not read at least twice.  Reading was my picture of the world.  “Oh boy was I in for a shock when I landed in the big world and there were no Buffalo Bill or Kit Carsons left.    These new cowboys told a whole different story.            

             I sometimes wonder what happened to all those innocent faces that gathered around the old potbellied stove to keep warm.  We had some wonderful moments even if I was poor.   I remember the All day Watermelon eating day.  It was usually held on the school ground and every was welcome young and old and no one paid a coin.  It was all free from the farmers who lived there.  The summer Picnic we all had at the N’’ Creek. Every one would bring very good food some things I have never heard of before .  But I was game my eyes were always bigger than my stomach except on those day.  I also ate my share of pies at the pie suppers.  Was it not fun to see the guys run up the price on someones girl’s pie.   I thought it was great.  I think Duncan Keck bought my pie all the years I was there.  He was a good man.

             I seam to drift off the school every once in a while, but not only did we have three rooms, we also had two outhouses, One for the boys and one for the girls.  The boys were further back from the school than ours and I often wondered why.  Now I know and No Thank you, but I do not want to explain ..     Holloween Carnival at our school was a lot of fun it was just a social time for most of us because we had no money.  Christmas was the best time of the year because the proceeds that came from the carnival and the pie suppers went into a fund that bought every child in the community a gift and a big bag of candy with a cocconut, Apples and oranges and all kind of goodies. Most of the children would not have had a Christmas if not for the fund.  I miss things like that where did the ole saying go “ Tis better to Give than receive.”   We do not hear it much but we all know it alive and well.  We see it every day of our lives.   I’ve wandered again so back to the school .   We had a softball field wellhouse merry-go-round and a place to play basketball. We had a very long rope with a tire on it for a swing.  We had back steps and front steps, a Water fountain and lots of big trees that were white washed on the lower trunk. Who could ask for more ?

             “ Lou Cindy” Does that name ring a bell. She was the most famous person in Le Flore County.  I talk some times to people  that did not live  in Calhoun and they all know about her. She lived to be Quite a old women.  We always thought she was a black womenbut some say now that she was part Indian and black .  She was something else. Dad did not like her so he taught our old crow to cuss her and she would say “sounds just like Bob Phillips´’.  She said to us Kids sometimes that we sure were nice kids to have to belong to the Phillips man.  The feeling were mutual she did not like daddy either..  When we were smaller like much smaller we would see her coming and we would hide in the old shomakers trees. Our Jim Crow died when he was about three yrs old, Dad had him talking and he was a wonderful leaping pet. My dad had cut his wings so he could not fly away.   He drowned in momma’s tub of rainwater after a big rainstorm.  We also had a couple of Dogs dad called them Red and Brown and there were around after I got to be a teenager.  I don’t think we ever had a cat if we did I just do not remember.  .  

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“This is Calhoun as seen through the eyes of this almost 60 yrs old writer”.

           I am thankful to God that I was raised in such a wonderful place, and I am so sad that my children could not have been there to grow up.  It would have been the ideal place if there had been good jobs available.  But that was not the fact so I will not focus on it.  But I grew up in between the times when women could not get a credit card and could not buy any thing in their own name and if they did acquire this things a man would surely have to sign for them.  And the time where woman are totally independent they need no one to help them in their finances or any thing else for that matter.  You can even have a baby by your self.  What  do you men think of that lol.   But we still love our men - they are a leaders and war heroes and great husbands, brothers, brothers in law, fathersgrandfathers and Uncles and friends.  And growing up in Calhoun has made me realize that family is first and foremost in my life.  We all lived close together as cousins we were more like brothers and sisters.  Uncle Frank and Dad were tied together at the hip, velco had not been discovered yet, but in our neck of the Woods the name was called love.  The love and respect these brothers and sisters had for each other was amazing.   I have never come across a family that close to each other since and probably never will.   I think our children of today have to give up so much because they need to spend so much time at work that the family is just people streaming in and out of the house.  

          My kids will never have to walk to school in the sleet and snow.  They want have to be warmed up by the pot bellied stovethey want get to play softball with the community on a sat or Sunday afternoon.  They will never know what it is like to have a community Picnic where all the mothers talk to each other as equals. They will never experience the sight of teenage boys riding a donkey all day.  Remember that any one.!  They will never go to a pie supper and bid own their mothers pie because they know she is the best cook in the house.  They will never see three tables of grown ups setting around and playing cards or dominoes all nightand you have missed a lot when you have not been yelled at because you did not play the right card or dominoes.   They will not get to sleep outside and count the stars with twelve cousins trying to stay awake all night     They will not burn their fannies sliding down the hill and land in the creek, and in a old dishpan at that.

       They will also miss out going to Duncans pond and strolling down to the old  artisain well for a drink of that dirty socks water.  They will never worry on holloween that some one is going to turn over their toilet; nor will they have to carry water home in a bucket to do laundry after you drawn the water from the well yourself.  They will never see the old black pot with boiling water while their  parents butcher a pig; nor will they see the honey combs and the honey that was found in a tree, or will they enjoy the fresh taste of a red mushroom pulled from the root of a old blackjack tree.  What hurts the most is they want be able to set around the old stove and have a conversation with the whole town. They want understand setting down to the table without meatMost of our kids use those microwaves and can openers Me included - like they have been here forever.  Can you see our mothers with such modern things?  When I was 18 years the saying I would die for is probably the proper thing to say. I had to go next door to use the phone and to watch tv.  What would my kids say about that .  They think there has always been 7=11and barber shops on all corners of the world.  They look at you like you are crazy when you tell them you walked three miles in the ice and snow to school.  Thinks have gotten shorter since I grew up. But to me at 6 it looked like miles.       

             They want have to worry about some one throwing there sweater at them and it   dropping into a outside toilet.  That happened to the girls at Calhoun more than once.  There is no way to retrieve it.  And it was your only sweater and you will never be able to get another one. So we learned to live with it, by learning to get by on what one had.  And that What was family, teachers, friends and the down right onories of wanting to survive and we did that. Most of us has gone own and lived a good life and if others did not it was probably no fault of their own.   I am as sure as I can be that I am exactly where the lords wants me to be or I Would not be here. And the same goes for all others  He has laid out his plan for us in advance.    Some times I wish I could go back and be that little girl who had all that wonderful outlook on life.  If I knew then what I knew now I would have stayed out there in the woods, but had I done that there would be no one to tell on you.    

               I want to tell you right now I am not one to kiss and tell, but if I remember you doing it, I will for sure write it.. I love you all.    

Blu

              Calhoun.  

                    We had a lot of our young men and elders who served in the wars and served our country proud and the rest of the Phillips tribe Salutes You because you are our heroes. I would also like to l have the list of all these people, these people played a big part in our past for our futures.  So send me the names. Some I know but love to have their names, rank and war.  These People need to be listed on Page  2 of our web site.    

         Well I have written all I can think of so give me your stories and let me share them with the rest of the family.  Just in case you did not know or even care, but my favorite color is purple, My favorite flower is the yellow rosemy favorite poem is footsteps, my favorite foods are veggies.My favorite think to do is hang out with my kids and their kids, My hobbies is writing, my job is to be the best I can be,my dream is to tie all our family members together by document. My wish is that I might accomplish this before god need me. My favorite drink is water. My favorite language is Greek, it all greek to me.  My favorite person is my husband and my best friend. My favorite place to go is home after a long trip. My favorite sandwiche is Bacon and tomato. My shoes are a size 8. My mind at this stage is filled with a lot of garbage and I do not not have a delete button.  I have so much garbage that is sometimes difficult to pull up names address ages I do a roll call when I speak to my children. My favorite thing to collect is Dolls and glass. My favorite room in my house is the one that is clean.   My favorite meal to prepare is chicken fried rice. My favorite day of the week is every day.  My favorite pictures are of people I love.   My favorite topic is womens lib or the grandchildren depending on what kind of day I have been having. Just in case you were wondering the answer is no, I did not burn my bra. {I could not afford another one}    My favorite line is shut up and go away!   Pleassssssseeeee.  But I say it rather nicely.  My favorite thing to see is a smile on every ones face.  Now you know all there is to know about me.  Let me know your favorites, so we can share them with others.  Pretty soon we would know more about each other and that will help us to stay closer.  I’ll print them out under your pictures.  

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