Mom & Dad, Chapter 4, March 18, 2015

CHAPTER 4 

Mom and Dad 

My father Wilson Bryan Diven was the son of Wilson Lee Diven and Ida Smith and he was born on October 4, 1907. My mother Gladys Berline Peterson was the daughter of William Roy Peterson and Cordelia Maxey Peterson and she was born on December 18, 1907. Mom and Dad were married August 26, 1928. They have three sons. Myself, William Lee Diven born December 19, 1931. I was followed by Jackie Smith Diven who was born January 4, 1936 and he died January 19,1936 just a few days after his birth. He was followed by James Louis Diven who was born July 9, 1940. 

Wilson Bryan Diven   3 month old

This is a photograph of Dad and some of his brothers and sister who attended Stony Point  School. This photograph was probably taken in about 1913. You will notice our last name is spelled "Divens". Dad is in the third row and is third from the left. He is the boy with the cubby face. In the fourth row fifth from the left is Dad's brother Smith Diven. In the fifth row  sixth from the left is Dad's Sister Eula Diven and next to the teacher at the end of the row in a suit coat is Dad's brother Charley Diven. The Stony Point school is basically a few miles west of Johnson, Arkansas . The school building is no longer there. I can not be positive about this but before Dad's father got into the caning business he was described as a successful farmer and I believe his farm would have been west of Johnson and  near the Stony Point school and that would account for why his children attended there.

Wilson Bryan Diven Age and Location Unknown but I assume it was on Granddad Diven's farm. Notice Dad is bare foot and check out that car.

I recently came across the following photographs of Dad leaning up against a giant bolder and sitting on another  taken in 1928 at the Rock quirey in Marble City, Oklahoma. I have no idea what he was doing over there. These are very old photographs and I am not sure where I got them and honestly did not know I had them  but I am glad I now have them. Marble City is roughly 80 miles south west from Johnson, Arkansas and is north west of Fort Smith Arkansas so it will forever be a mystery what he was doing there, who he was with and who had a camera to take the photograph. Mom and Dad were married August 26, 1928 so I don't know if they might have been there on a honeymoon trip or not.

Wilson Bryan Diven, 1928 at Marble City, Oklahoma

Wilson Bryan Diven, 1928 at Marble City, Oklahoma

Very Handsome Young Man.

Marriage License Wilson Bryan Diven and Gladys Berline Peterson. It is interestig it shows Mom's residence as Springdale, Arkansas. I do not know every place the Petersons  (Mom's Dad & Mom) lived but I would not have suspected they lived in Springdale. In talking to some of my relatives I have learned that mother's parents lived near the Stoney Point School which also would have had a Springdale address. They apparently moved from the Springdale address to a farm east of Fayetteville, Arkansas on highway 16 where they lived for years before moving to Johnson to the house my brother now lives in..

My Father Wilson Bryan Diven. You Rarely saw Dad in any Clothing Other Than Overalls which were his work cloths.

Gladys Berline Peterson Diven standing beside Wilson Bryan Diven holding James Louis Diven. Bobby my dog sitting in lower left. They are standing in front of a 1941 Chevrolet. This photograph was taken by me and it was in November or December 1941. After the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor Dad sold this car because he said there was going to be a long war and everything would be rationed and if we needed parts we would not be able to find parts. To replace it he bought an older car/truck I don't recall which. He said we could always get parts for it at the junk yard. I know I was devastated by this. Although I was to young to drive I loved that car and looked forward to driving it in 3 or 4 years. I was 10 at the time and I was driving our farm tractor. Apparently my disapoitment was so much that I did not take any photographs of any of the replacement vehicles. I do have a vague recollection of us having a pickup truck and using to get supplies and take produce to Springdale to sell. At any rate after that I watched and helped Dad repair our vehicles to the point that I could later rebuild a motor like new and repair just about anything on a car. 

Dad's Father, Wilson Lee Diven on 5 November, 1929 deeded the roughly 166 acres  to my father Wilson Bryan Diven and this is what I refer to as the "Diven Farm" and where I lived and grew up. During the time we were on the farm Dad actively farmed the farm. He grew a few acres of strawberries, tomatoes, green beans and grew and harvested wheat, oats, corn, clover and other crops for hay. He worked often at the canning factory owned by his father where he fired the boilers which produced steam to power the machinery and the large pressure cookers in which the canned goods were cooked. As a note of interest as a teenager I fired these same boilers. He once tried to start a canning factory of his own on the farm but that was not successful and I really do not know why. I suspect it was because there was to much competetion. I never discussed it with him but I always figured he desperately wanted to be in the canning business because his father and his brothers were in that business.There were several very large canning factory operations in North West Arkansas. It may have been that he did not have the money to really get the operation more than barely off the ground. I know he worked very hard trying to make a go of the operation and in fact produced several cases of tomatoes which were stored in the barn. I do not know if he ever actually sold any of them. I recall he did have a label he put on the cans but i can't recall what it said. He had several cows which we milked and sold the milk to local daries. He raised some hogs and beef cattle for our own food needs. He had a few sheep but I don't recall us even eating any of them or shearing their wool. I do vividly going out in a snow storm to find an pregnant ewe. When I found her she had delivered her baby and I carried the little guy home with her following. She was bleating and fussing a lot because I was running off with her baby. As I said elsewhere Mom was not happy when she saw me coming with that new born lamb around my neck. It really made a mess on my shirt and coat. For a period he built 2 large chicken houses to raise chickens for sale to the local large chicken processors like Tysons. I say these were large chicken houses and to my child's eye they were large. I can't at this time dare to estimate the size but I know we had two such building he built and they housed several thousand chickens. Earlier in the raising chickens for sale the farmer would buy the chicks, raise them and when they were ready for sale he would offer them to the chicken processing plants who would make him  an offer. At the time decided to get into the business things had changed a lot.There was a lot of duel ownership between the chicken hatcheries, feed mills and to a certain extent the processing plants. They controlled every thing so much that you had no choice but deal with them if you wanted to raise chickens. They would in effect make a contract with you to supply the chicks, feed and would take the chicken when they were raised. That is right all they were doing was paying you to raise their chickens.  Your were really doing some really had work  the same as if you had an hourly job.Dad had no part of that so he got out of the chicken business in a couple of years. I doubt he ever made enough to pay for the buildings he constructed.I had to help clean these houses before we got a new bunch of baby chicks, This was a very stinky, dusty and difficult process. It was just a few years until the processing companies bought or leased land built hugh chicken houses and controlled the whole operation them selves.The dusty smelly mess of cleaning the chicken houses could be said for the cleaning of the manure from the barn left by the horses and cows. I will go into greater detail in a later chapter. I do not think I have any photographs of the canning factory owned by my grand father but the following is a photograph of where it stood.

This photograph was taken in 2013 and you see the old store that was owned by Hugh Lichlyter. The building in back of the store is where the factory stood in fact a portion of the brown roof building was the warehouse for the canning factory.  There was a railroad spur which ran beside the building for canned goods to be loaded for shipment. A lot of canned goods were shipped by rail during the World War II.

This photograph was taken in 2013 and also shows where the canning factory stood. As noted above the brown roofed building was the warehouse for the canning factory. The actual factory stood where you see the tall elevator equipment. Of course then the factory was powered by steam which was produced by two large boilers and they had a tall smoke stack which is no longer there. When I worked there in my teens the office for the factory was located roughly where the large white truck is parked. At and by the office there was a set of scales built into the ground for weighing the semi trailer load of beans, spinach that were delivered to the factory for processing. Often other truck with trailers would come to use the scales.

Dad tried his hand at some other work such as shoe repair and auto tire repair which I have no recollection.

( insert advertisement of this ) Also another thing I never knew was that Dad was elected as a Constable for Johnson. This was reported in the November 12, 1948 edition of the North West Arkansas Times newspaper as the November 2, 1938 election was certified by the Board of Election Commissioners. This obviously would be after we moved to Johnson and neither me nor my brother recall anything about this. I have no idea what the duties were and if there was any pay involved and how long a period he was to serve. 

Dad was a member of the Masonic Lodge in Springdale Arkansas. I do not know what level he obtained but I do not think it very high although I must admit I know nothing about the levels of Masonic membership. His father and I believe all his brothers were also masons. I have no specific recollection of the fact that Mom did not like that he was gone for so many meeting. In reality I think the truth was that she was afraid to stay home alone ( with myself and James Louis as small children ). Dad dropped out of the Masons perhaps partly because of Mom's concern but I think the larger reason was as I recall him mentioning it he could not reconcile some beliefs of the Masons and his understandings of the teaching of the Bible. Mom and Dad attended the Stoney Point church but I have no recollection of that. I do recall vaguely us attending the little church at Shady Grove which was not far from our farm. We did attend regularily at the New Hope Baptist Church ( later became The Johnson Baptist Church) and in the late 1930's was built on the hill in back and near the Johnson Public School on land donated by Hugh Lichlyter. It was during a  revival service in I think in the spring of 1938 that I became convicted of my sins and asked God to forgive me and I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. In a history of the Johnson Baptist Church Reactivated July 30, 1938 there is a list of persons becoming members of the church, One note indicated " Billie Lee Diven'' is a candidate for baptism. Most if not all the church records for that period have been lost or destroyed. Dad was an ordained deacon at ( insert name of church and newspaper article about him as a deacon )

Following the end of World War II I think is about the time Dad started getting the idea of moving off the farm and going into the trucking business. For the small farmer it was becoming harder and harder for them to really make money beyond just getting by. I will discuss this in some detail in the chapter 6, The Farm. In all honesty I don't recall him ever mentioning that in my presence. I know the idea of trucking would have appealed to me especially the thoughts of traveling. In fact I cannot recall us actually moving from the farm to Johnson. I have discussed this with my brother and he recalls it but I am at a complete loss to understand why I can't recall any details of us looking at the house in Johnson or if Dad looked at other homes. I can only surmise that I loved that farm so much that I in effect have blocked that time out of my mind. Never the less Dad sold the farm and we did in fact move to Johnson. Back to Dad going into the trucking business I am sure the reason he sold the farm was two fold. One he was going to go into the trucking business and that meant Mom would be home alone on the farm for long periods of time and two he needed the money to buy a truck and the home in Johnson. Also figuring into this equation was the fact that Dad had inherited part ownership of the Green Chevrolet building in Fayetteville with his sister Anna Eula Diven Hendrix. This building needed repairs to the roof and it was going to be rather costly and more than likely would require them to borrow money to make the needed repairs. Apparently Dad did not want to borrow the money perhaps because he knew he was going to go into the trucking business and needed all the money he could scrape up so he sold his interest in the building to Aunt Eula. Also figuring into Dad's desire to get into the trucking business was the fact that during the war years several men in Johnson had made a lot of money in trucking. I must admit that although not verified at least by procsecution  some of this money was made by being involved in some black market activities. Although this was profitable for some Dad would never be involved in such activity and after the war there was no need for black market activity. In spite of this there was money to be made in trucking.

I have never seen any photographs of Mom during her school years  but I suspect she went to the Stony Point School but I never heard Mom or Dad say anything about going to the same school or knowing each other in grade school.  Mom and Dad's marriage license show her as a resident of Springdale and I recently came across information that her parent lived on a farm somewhere in the vicinity of the Stoney Point school. So it would appear logical that lived in the vicinity  of the the Stoney Point school.  Also puzzeling is the fact that  if she went to the same grade school as Dad I would think that she would have been in the school picture above unless of course she was absent the day this photograph was taken. Another item that will go unsolved and perhaps it needs no resolution.

insert photo of petersons in old wagon.

Insert other photos of mom before mariage.

Mom Outside Our Home in Johnson

Mom Outside Our Home in Johnson

Christmas Morning in our Home in Johnson Mother, Dad, James Louis and me Taking the Photo.

Mom in Our Home in Johnson

Mom in Our Home in Shawnee Mission Kansas. Mom, Aunt Joy and Dorcas came to Visit and They had Been Shopping

Mom in Our Home in Shawnee Mission Kansas. Mom, Aunt Joy and Dorcas came to Visit  and They had Been Shopping and Apparently had a Marvelous Time. I hears they laughed so much they almost got thrown out of a couple of stores.

Include grave markers that I have.

Headstone for Wilson Bryan Diven and Gladys Berline Peterson Diven

Preface & Contents, Chapter 1, March 15, 2015

Preface & Contents

CHAPTER 1

PREFACE

I must tell you right up front that throughout this narrative of my life I will be going back and forth and adding material to past postings as I uncover more information or I recall more details about a particular thing/event/or event I was discussing. In such cases I will try to tell you that new or revised material has been added to a past posting. In the revised posting I will try to mark the changes in color.

CONTENTS

Chapter     1    Preface & Contents

Chapter     2    Genealogy

Chapter     3    Grand Parents

Chapter     4    Mom & Dad

Chapter     5    My Early Years
Chapter     6    The Farm
Chapter     7     Johnson, Fayetteville & Springdale, AR.

The Beginning, Genealogy, Chapter 2, 3/16/2015

CHAPTER 2

Genealogy

I have always been told that every good story needs to start with “ Once upon a Time “ or “ In a time long, long ago “ or some catchy phrase like that you know like in a fairy tale or in Star Wars. How about it happened on a dark, lonely rainy night no that sounds to scary. But on second thought some of you who read this if any one ever does may in fact find it scary. On second or even third thought I suspect I will just start with some history as far back as I can find that our family has been traced. This is a history of a family named Buchannan and other clans in the 1700's. Diven or it may have been spelled a number of variants such as Deven, Divine, Divan, Divin, Devan and they derive from that original Buchannan clan. You see I know because I am an offspring of that name and throughout my life I have had my name spelled and I have been called by all those names. A fact that did not please me at all.  I hated to be called Divan because people always made a joke out of that like the divan you sit on in your house. The other spelling I hated was to be called Divine because that would also be turned into a joke sort of thing such "Oh here comes Divine isn't he divine?"  In class if the teacher called me Divine I could always hear some of the boys say in a low voice "Isn't he divine?" It is a good thing I was not a fighter because if I was there would have been a battle. Mom told me not to fight and to just go on and not pay any attention to them. I don't recall Dad ever having an opinion about it. I would correct the person and sure enough the next time my name was called there it would be and I must tell you it irritated me a great deal. I always wanted to be called W.L. after my Grandfather ( Wilson L. Diven ) but instead I was called Billy Lee. That often caused me problems because often time the Billy would be spelled Billie which is the female spelling of the name. Oh, if life only had problems as insignificant as this. This has been an interesting family with its successes and individuals that were not such shining examples. Oh, well lets just call the less shining examples what they are “ rascals “ or at least that is my term for them. For the sake of the family name I will not name them.

So lets get on with the tedious task of going over a family history. The one that I have was complied by Pauline H. Hendrix  ( Lewis ) and updated in July and August 1974.

BUCHANNAN

Quotations from the " Buchannans and other Clans" written by William Buchanan, 1723;

a copy of which is in the Congressional Library, Washington, D. C. 

The long line of the various branches of the " clan " are traced with their constantly re-occurring names, Alexander, Archibald, Andrew, Messes, Robert, William and Samuel, until the breaking up of the clan, many of whom emigrated to Ireland and later to Virginia.

Alexander Buchannan and Samuel Buchannan came from Ireland to Virginia about 1702, lived first in Chester County, Pennsylvania and later Augusta County, Virginia. They are the ancestors of all the Buchannans of the South and West ( see records of New Providence Congregation of the Presbyterian Church, Augusta County, Virginia ). Also records of the Militia of Augusta County, Virginia for names of Buchannan.

Samuel Buchannan died in Washington County, Virginia, in 1774 and his will speaks of " wife Martha ", and sons Samuel, John, Robert, and Andrew. Wills of many other Buchannans are found on record in this county.

Andrew Buchannan, son of Samuel Buchannan, married Jeanna Hay, a daughter of Patrick Hay, of Ireland, and had the following issue:

          Mathew, who married Elizabeth Edmondsen

          John, who married Jean Keyes

          Joseph____________________________

          David   ____________________________

           Isabella, married Robert Edmonston

           Margaret married John Crawford

           Mary, married John Edmondson

           Jane married a Buchannan

           Hannah, married John Buchannan

           Eleanor died unmarried

 ( See Peytons History of Augusta, Virginia, and Hennings Statutes of Virginia )

Jeanna Hay Buchannan, after the death of her husband, Andrew, Came with her younger children to Tennessee.

          HANNAH MARRIED JOHN BUCHANNAN

According to the records of Augusta County, Virginia:

         Hannah Buchannan married James Sawyer, and to this union among other children was born Nancy Sawyer, August 7, 1771.

         James Crawfords was born in Augusta County, Virginia, February 29, 1772, died in           Washington County, Arkansas, October 10, 1854.

                KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS: - that w. James Crawford and Thomas Sawyer,-- are held and firmly bound to his Excellency, James Wood, Esquire, -- Governor of Virginia, and his successors, in the sum of -- One Hundred Fifty ($150.00 ) Dollars to the payer whereof will and truly to be made, we do bind ourselves, our heirs and each of our joint and several heirs, executors and administrators, jointly and severally firmly by these presents, Sealed with our Seals and Dated the 28th day of January, 1797 in the 21st, year of the Commonwealth.

The conditions of the above obligation is such that whereas there is a marriage shortly to be solemnized between  the above bound James Crawford Bachelor and Nancy Sawyers, spinster daughter of James Sawyers, Deceased -- of Augusta County. If therefore shall be no lawful course to obstruct the said marriage then this obligation to be void, otherwise to remain in full force and virtue.

     Witness -- Chesley Kinney.                                                    James Crawford,      ( seal )

                                                                                                     Thos Sawyers,          ( seal )

           I do hereby certify that I am willing you shall issue a marriage license for James Crawford and my daughter Nancy, and this shall be your  warrant.

                                        

                                      Given under my hand and seal this 27th day of January 1797    

                                                                                   Hannah Buchannan Sawyers, ( seal )

Thomas Sawyers,

John Thompson

                To Jacob Kenney, A.A.C.

                                                                                    Copy Teste:-- Harry Burnett, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Augusta County, Virginia

                                                          

                                   ===============================================

                                  JAMES CRAWFORD AND NANCY SAWYERS CRAWFORD --

James Crawford and Nancy Sawyers was married in Augusta County, Virginia, January 28, 1797, and to this union according to Bible Records in the possession of the heirs of Luciuda Crawford Moore, a brother of James Crawford, was born the following;--

William Crawford,                           Born     Feb. 28, 1797

Luciuda Crawford                           Born     Aug.   7,  1799

John Crawford                                Born    June 24, 1801

Rachel Crawford                             Born    March 7,1803 ( See William Morton and Rachel                                                                                               Crawford/ Morton )

Hannah Crawford                            Born     March 27, 1805  ( See Erben I. Diven and                                                                                                           Hannah Crawford Diven )

James Crawford                             Born     March 10, 1807      Died in infancy

James Sawyer Crawford                Born     March 27, 1808

Mary Armstrong Crawford              Born     June 20, 1810

George Alexander Crawford          Born      Nov. 30, 1812

Robert Donald Crawford                Born      Aug.    1, 1816

Edwin McLin Crawford                   Born      Oct.  26, 1818

                                C R A W F O R D

John Crawford:--

Sawyer  ( and Hannah Sawyer, daughter of James and Hannah Buchannan. )

James Crawford, who married Nancy Sawyer, and came to Arkansas: - they are the ancestors of the Crawfords and their heirs of Washington County Arkansas.

           George Crawford, who emigrated to West Tennessee.

           William ( or Billy ) who lived in Lincoln County Tennessee

           Alexander, who lived in Virginia.

                                                 ========================

The above are brothers and this information is obtained from records in possession of Miss Clara Earle, of Clarksville, Arkansas, born and reared in Washington County, Arkansas, a close relative on the Buchannan of this County.

                                                =========================

Six Brothers   . . .    Alexander, Andrew, Issac,  James,  John and Robert Buchanan came from Tennessee to Washington County, 1827 - 1830. Andrew and John were ministers of the Presbyterian Church.  ( This paragraph is quoted from Herndons History of Arkansas. )

                                                ==========================

John Buchanan, son of Samuel and brother of Andrew, who married Joanna Hay, had the following children:--

            Thomas,   born August 14, 1776                   Married Jeannie Neely

            Samuel,    born March 13, 1776                    Married  ( name not legible ) 

            James,      born October 13, 1778                 Married Elizabeth Woody

            William Edmondson born Nov. 27,1782    ______________________

            Mathew,    born January 14, 1788

            Robert,      born November 7, 1789               Married Polly Stagner

            Margaret   born December 18, 1793

                                        ( by second wife )

            Ann            born October 13, 1795

            Elizabeth   born December 18, 1798

The above are from records in a bible in the possession of G. W. Morrow, Now more than 88 years of age, whose mother was a Buchanan of the Virginia - Tennessee - Arkansas family.  

January 15, 1931

In the matter of the Estate of William  Buchanan

           L. D. Buchanan,  in Charge  

           809 Quitman Street, 

            Houston, Texas

Claimant, Virgie Ridenour Neal, for herself and minor children Donald Lee Neal, Age, Two months

I, Virgie Ridenour Neal, State on Oath, that -- according to bible records in the family and from other information, that I am a Daughter of Lee Ridenour, Son of Eliza Ridenour, who was a Daughter of Nancy Mayberry, who was a Daughter of Rachel Moore, who was a Daughter of Leuceuda Crawford, Who was a Daughter of James Crawford and Nancy Crawford. Which said Nancy Crawford was a daughter of Hannah Buchanan Sawyer, which said Hannah Buchanan Sawyer was a Daughter of Andrew Buchanan, who was a Son of Samuel Buchanan, who came from Ireland in 1702.

And from these records it appears that I am an Heir at Law of the aforesaid William Buchanan, and entitled to a distribution in the assets of said Estate. 

I was born January 1,1911, and am of legal age. I was married September 20, 1928 and have one child a minor, whose name appears above.

My post Office address is Johnson, Arkansas.  

                                                   ______________________

                                                                 Claimant.

State of Arkansas

County of Washington

On this __________________ day of January 1931, before me

_____________________________ a notary public within and for the County and State aforesaid, duly commissioned and acting, personally appeared the above named Cirgie Ridenour Neal, who signed the aforegoing statement in my presence and made oath to the truthfulness thereof,

                                                                 ________________________    

                                                                            Notary Public

 Hannah Crawford, daughter of James Crawford and Nancy Sawyers Crawford first married a WHOM.        --Washington County, Arkansas.

                                                   ======================

Hannah Crawford ( Whom ) Second marriage to Erbin I. Diven, Washington County, Arkansas, and to this union was born,

      Jane Diven

      James C. Diven married Elizabeth Edmondston

      Math Diven

      Irben Elbert Diven, Born June 28, 1835.  Died July 24, 1881, Washington County, Arkansas

According to Bible Records in possession of Wilson L. Diven, Johnson, Washington county, Arkansas, and George E. Diven, at 15 miles west of Fayetteville,

Possession of Family Register of I. E. Diven, -- the following information:

Irben Elbert Diven, ( Devin ) Born June 28, 1835.  Died, July 24, 1881.

Catherine Ann Logan, Born December 16, 1843.  Died ________________.

                                              ===========================

                                                ================================

According to the Marriage License, in possession of Viola Graham Banks, Johnson, Arkansas, Minnie Roxana Diven was married to W. R. Graham, December 8, 1897. And according to family records and county records, to this union was born: --

          Oswald Graham,             Born, September _____, 1899     Died September____ 1901

          Russell Graham,             Born, April 4, 1901                          Living

          Ruby Graham                  Born, June 6, 1902                         Died January   ____1924

          Viola Graham ( Banks ) Born,  August 9, 1904                     Living near Johnson, Arkansas

          Earl Graham                    Born, March 16, 1906                    Living near Johnson, Arkansas

          __________                    Born, March 29, 1908                    Living near Johnson, Arkansas                                                                                                              ( married )

Be it remembered:--

        Where the name Devin, and the name Diven appear in these records same refers to the same family. Whereas the records in possession of the Diven family at present, indicate said name to be spelled - Devin - up to and during the time of the first marriage of Irben Elbert Devin - further evidenced by the fact, the children by his first marriage, Zeb and Henry and possibly others use this form to the present day. With the appearance of Catherine Ann Logan Diven, in the family, by her marriage to Irben Elbert Diven, February 17, 1864. A different form of spelling the name appears, evidenced by the fact that the children of the second marriage more generally prefer DIVEN. Both names however are in use to the present day, in the same family of brothers and sisters.

                                                =========================

Hannah Apolona Diven, daughter of Irben Elbert Diven and Catherine Ann Logan Diven, was married to Jesse Edmund Wyatt on ___ day ____, ___18, And according to records in possession of Hannah Apalona Diven Wyatt, from this union came the following issue: --

         Hugh

         Carl Huston Wyatt,                 Deceased

         Olin Edison Wyatt,                  Living

         Jessie Maud Wyatt Linton,     Living

         James Wayne Wyatt,              Living

         Senorita Mae Wyatt Stiles,     Living

         Elizabeth Marie Wyatt Henry, Living

                                               ============================

According to records in possession of Mrs. Glady Williams Wyatt, Carl Huston Wyatt and GladyPs William Wyatt were married May 13, 1924 and from this issue: --

         Harold Hugh Wyatt, born November 21, 1927,       Living.

Wilson L. Diven, and Ida Smith, was married, December 8, 189__.  According to Bible records, and Family Register, and Certificate of Marriage, in possession of W. L. Diven at this time. And to this union, the following issue;--

          

     Anna Eula Diven                      Born, July 27, 1898                   Living

     Charles Diven                          Born,  February 2, 1890            Living

     Emel Smith Diven                    Born, November 5, 1901           Living

     Zeb Ray Diven                         Born, March 13, 1904               Died Jan. 28, 1906

     Beulah Diven                           Born, August 27, 1906              Died August 27, 1906

     Wilson Bryan Diven                 Born, October 4, 1907               Living

     Infant son of Wilson L.Diven 

     and Ida Smith Diven                Born May 26, 1910                    Died May 29, 1910

    Cecil Diven                               Born, November 9, 1918            Died March 16, 1919

                                             =============================

According to Family Records and Records on file in the office of the circuit clerk of Washington County, Arkansas.

     Emel Smith Diven ( Smith E. Diven ) was married to Beulah McDougal, December 24,          1923, and to this union came the following:

      Earl Wilson Diven               Born, September 28, 1924            Living

      James Everett Diven,         Born, July 7, 1929                          Living

      And Emel Smith Diven Whose name appear in the record of Wilson L. Diven and Ida            Smith Diven, is the natural guardian of Earl Wilson and James Everett, Minor Heirs                herein..    

                                        ==============================

According to Family Records, and Washington County Circuit Clerk Records, Anna Eula Diven and George A. Hendrix was married February 3, 1917, and to this union came the following.--

        Raymond Diven Hendrix      Born, May 19, 1918

        Pauline Hendrix                    Born, March 13, 1920

        John Wilson Hendrix            Born, October 5, 1921

        Georgie May Hendrix           Born, December 3, 1924

        Leonard Guy Hendrix           Born, December 5, 1926

        Mary Catherine Hendrix       Born, February 9, 1928

        Ida Lee Hendrix                    Born, October 14, 1929 

 and Anna Eula Diven Hendrix is the natural guardian of the minor Heirs, whose names appear above. 

                                               ==============================

 According to family records, and Washington County Circuit Clerk and Benton County Circuit Clerk Records, Charles Diven and Jewell Farish was married, December 24, 1919 and to this union, was born:--

         Farish Lee Diven,                 Born

         Thomas Hill Diven,               Born

         Charles Hunter Diven, Born

         and Charles Diven is the natural Guardian of the minor heirs whose names appear                above. 

                                              =============================

According to Family Records and Washington County Circuit Clerk Records Wilson Bryan Diven and Gladys Peterson was married,_________________ and to this union, there is no minor children, this 8th day of December, 1931.

                                                ============================

ALL OF PREVIOUS ABOVE INFORMATION HAS BEEN TYPED FROM COPY OF REGISTERED NO. 1438,  Fayetteville, Arkansas. January 10, 1931.

Original Registration Receipt in possession of Smith E. Diven, Fowler, Colorado, 81039.

July 27, 1971

O this 27th day of July, My mother's birthday I will attempt to bring the previous history up to date with the help of all the brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, and last  but not least my precious MOTHER AND DADDY  Eula and George A. Hendrix...

                                                                                                           Pauline Hendrix Lewis

                                               ===============================

Anna Eula Diven and George A. Hendrix was married February 3, 1917, and to this union the following:--

Raymond Diven Hendrix          Born, May 19, 1918             Living

Pauline Hendrix                        Born, March 13, 1920         Living

John Wilson Hendrix                 Born, October 5, 1921        Living

Georgie May Hendrix                Born, December 3, 1924   Living

Leonard Guy Hendrix                Born, Dec 5, 1926              Living

Mary Catherine Hendrix            Born, February 9, 1928      Living

Ida Lee Hendrix                         Born, October 14, 1929      Living

Herschel Dean Hendrix             Born, November 11, 1931  Living

Dorotha Jewell Hendrix             Born, November 8, 1934    Living

George Albert Hendrix, Jr.        Born, May 21, 1940            Living

                                             ========================

Raymond Diven Hendrix married Margie Breella Clark ( born 5/18/20 ) on August 4, 1939, and to this union the following:--

       Patricia Louise Hendrix           Born, August 9, 1940

       Martha Ann Hendrix                Born, December 5, 1946 

       Jerry Diven Hendrix                 Born, September 4, 1952

                                             =============================

Patricia Louise Hendrix married Phillip Dean Zachary ( born 2/29/1940 ) on October 1, 1963, and to this union the following:--

       Pamela Denise Zachary          Born, August 18, 1964

       Phillip Duglas Zachary             Born November 29, 1966

       Martha Carol Zachary              Born, August 6, 1970

                                             ===============================

Martha Ann Hendrix Married Clyde Virgil Perkins ( born 10/17/1939 ) on September 3, 1971, and to this union the following:--

       Betty Louise Perkins                  Born, November 25, 1973  

                                               ==============================

Pauline Hendrix and Loy Richard Lewis ( born, January 1, 1902 )  were married on November 9, 1940, and to this union the following:-

      Carol Ann Lewis                          Born, December 11, 1950

      Paula Elizabeth Lewis                 Born,  April  2, 1956

Loy R. Lewis passed away August 29, 1973 in San Diego, California, Burial Hayward, California

                                                ============================

Carol Ann Lewis and John Marcus Middleton, Jr. ( born, May 18, 1943 were married on March 17, 1970.  

                                                ===========================

John Wilson Hendrix and Bobbie H. Dunlevi ( Born, September 18, 1921 ) were married August 3, 1940 and to this union came the following:--

      Sharron June Hendrix                  Born, June 3, 1943

Sharron June Hendrix and Ross A Renard ( Born, June 20, 1942 ) were married on February 18, 1962, and to this union the following:--

       Kevin R. Renard                            Born, November 4. 1962

       Tonya E. Renard                           Born, August 1, 1965

                                             ===========================

Georgia May Hendrix and Vernon Edward Brown ( Born, December 18, 1913 ) were married on December 20, 1946 and to this union came the following:--

       Barbara Sue Brown                      Born, November 22, 1947

       Bonnie Lee Brown                        Born, December 12, 1953

       Vernon Edward Brown, Jr.           Born, September 26, 1955

Barbara Sue Brown and Charles Hugh Michel were married December 30, 1958 and to this union came the following:-

       Wanda Sue Michel                        Born, July 6, 1966

       Charles Hugh Michel                     Born, June 16, 1967

Barbara divorced from Charles Hugh Michel,.

Barbara Sue  and  William Harry Estes ( Born. January 18 1945 ) married on February 20, 1970 and to this union the following:--

         William Harry Estes, Jr.               Born, October 12, 1970

                                                    ============================

Leonard Guy Hendrix and Mary Elizabeth Burleson ( Born, May 21, 1927 ) were married on April 10, 1948, and to this union came the following:--

         Linda Elizabeth Hendrix               Born, January 25, 1949

         Brenda Kay Hendrix                     Born, February 6, 1955

         Timey Lyn Hendrix                       Born, September 1, 1959

Linda Elizabeth Hendrix and Harvey Lincoln Gregory ( Born, November 11, 1947 ) were married on ______________ and to this union came the following:--

         Angela Maria Gregory                  Born, January 28, 1971

         

Brenda Kay Hendrix and Dennis Morgan Singleton ( born. May 13, 1954 ) were married on ________________ and to this union came the following:--

        Tammy Kay Singleton                    Born, June 28, 1971

        Travis Lee Singleton                      Born, March 9, 1973

                                                    ===============================

Mary Catherine Hendrix and Leonard Jay Holcomb, Jr. ( Born, April 1, 1921 ) were married on March 27 1946, and to this union came:--

          Deborah Lynn Holcomb              Born, November 10, 1958

 Ida Lee Hendrix and Frank Luper ( Born, July 19, 1919 ) were married January 20, 1947 and to this union came the following:--

           

           Gary Frank Luper                        Born, December 10, 1948

Frank Luper Deceased June 7, 1967.

Gary Frank Luper and Betty Thomas ( Born, April 23, 1948 ) were married July 14, 1969 and to this union came the following:--

            Tiffiney Jean Luper                       Born, February 21, 1970

            Frankie Donn Luper                      Born, September 27, 1972

                                                        ==========================

Herschel Dean Hendrix and Margaret Alice Morrow ( Born, August 15, 1930 ) were married November 22, 1954 and to this union came the following:--

            Dean Louis Hendrix                      Born, July 31, 1956

            Ruth Ann Hendrix                         Born,  April 30, 1960

            Susan Lane Hendrix                     Born, May 25, 1963

                                                         ==========================

Dorothy Jewelle Hendrix and Bennett Drew ( Born, June 29, 1933 ) were married on September 3, 1954 and to this union came the following:--

          Debra Lynn Drew                            Born, January 24, 1955

          Kathy LeAnn Drew                          Born, March 15, 1956

          Bennett Joe Drew                           Born, April 20, 1959

Kathy LeAnn Drew and __________Torri were married on August 30, 1973 and to this union came the following:--

           Michel Jason Paul Torri                  Born, November 15, 1973

                                                     =========================

George Albert Hendrix, Jr. and Martha Elisa Martin ( Born, November 12, 1941 ) were married on December 119, 1960 and to this union came the following:--

           Scott Allan Hendrix                          Born, October 17, 1961

           Terry Martin Hendrix                        Born. October 15, 1962

            Ladonna Deann Hendrix                Born, October 26, 1964

                                                          =========================

Charles Diven and Jewell Farish were married, December 24, 1919 and to this union came the following:--

          Farish Lee Diven,                Born, October 11, 1920

         Thomas Hill Diven,               Born, April 13, 1922

         Charles Hunter Diven,          Born, February 4, 1929

                                                       =========================

 Faris Lee Diven and Ertis Lorraine Blackman ( Born, May 22, 1919 ) were married on

_________________ and to this union came the following:--

        Charles Lee Diven                 Born, Oct 9, 1951

        Randy Wayne Diven              Born, March 7 1954

        Jerry Lynn Diven                    Born, January 1, 1957

Randy Wayne Diven and Nellie Louise Ford ( Born, February 9, 1952 were married on

_________________ and to this union came the following:--

       Sherri Lynn Diven                           Born, November 26, 1971

                                                =========================== 

      

Thomas Hill Diven, and Etta Mae______________ ( Born, on 16, 1925 ) were married on September 16, 1943 and to this union came the following:--

       

        Thomas Hill Diven, Jr.                  Born, September 12, 1944   Deceased June 24, 1964

         Kelly Eugene Diven                     Born, July 31, 1953

         Kelly Eugene Diven and Cynthia Kirby ( Born, May 27, 1953 were married on July 13, 1974.

                                                ==============================

Charles Hunter Diven and Virginia Lee Edwards ( Born, April 2, 1928 ) were married on 

July 4, 1948 and to this union came the following:--

         Nancy Ann Diven                           Born, August 13, 1950

         David Lee Diven                            Born, November 19, 1953

         Charles Leslie Diven                     Born, January 22, 1955

         Cathy Jo Diven                              Born, October 28, 1956

Nancy Ann Diven and Larry Edward Wilkins ( Born, September 7, 1949 ) were married on July 16, 1970, and to this union came the following:--

       Timothy Scott Wilkins                      Born, March 31, 1971

Nancy and Larry divorced on October 12, 1970.

Nancy and Donald Loyd Cooper ( Born, December 5, 1948 ) were married on March 23, 1973

Charles Leslie Diven and Jan Elizabeth  West ( Born, December 11, 1953 were married on January 3, 1974.

                                                          ======================

Emel Smith Diven  ( Smith E. Diven ) and Beulah McDougal were married on December 24, 1923 and to this union came the following:--

         Earl Wilson Diven                   Born, September 28, 1924

         James Everett Diven              Born July 7, 1929

James Wilson Diven and Joy Lee Elliott ( Born, October 21, 1929 ) were married on November 6, 1949 and to this union came the following:--

      Stacy Elliott Diven                      Born, January 1, 1951

      Linda Lee Diven                         Born, July 13, 1955

James Everett Diven and Lecial Loyette Horne ( Born, May 1, 1930 ) were married on April 28, 1957 and to this union came the following:--

       Jill Laurie Diven                          Born, October 3, 1964

                                                     =======================

Wilson Bryan Diven and Gladys Berline Peterson ( December 18, 1907 ) were married on August 26, 1928, and to this union came the following:--

       William Lee Diven                      Born, December 19, 1931 

       Jackie Smith Diven                    Born, January 4, 1936            Deceased January 1936

       James Louis Diven                    Born, July 9, 1940

William Lee Diven and Janive Counts ( Born, June 16, 1933 ) were married on November 1, 1952, and to this union came the following:--

         Janice Lea Diven                     Born, July 2, 1953

         Joyce Ann Diven                      Born, October 15, 1955

         Patricia Jean Diven                  Born, March 17, 1958

        Jamie Lynn Diven                     Born, November 2, 1959

James Louis Diven and Roylene Beller ( Born, June 23, 1942 ) were married on June 25, 1971, and to this union came the following:-- 

        Sherry Ann Diven                     Born, June 15, 1972

        Kathy Lou Hyden ( step-daughter ) Born, September 15, 1962

Wilson L. Diven and Kate Basket were married on ________________ and to this union came the following:--  

       Dorcas Marie Diven                  Born, August 16, 1931

Dorcas Marie Diven and Robert Vine Curtis  ( Born, September 27, 1925 ) were married on June 13, 1947 and to this union came the following:--

       Robert Lee Curtis                       Born, October 20, 1947

       Rex Bryan Curtis                        Born, September 5, 1948

       Dixie Ann Curtis                          Born, November 1954

Robert Lee Curtis,  and Clara Sue Davis ( Born, February 7, 1946 ) were married on February 11, 1966 and to this union came the following:-- 

       Robert Lee Curtis, Jr.                 Born, September 2, 1966

       

Robert Lee and Clara Sue divorced in October 1968

Rex Bryan Curtis and Connie Gaye Smith ( Born, December 23, 1950 ) were married on March 27, 1970 and to this union came the following:-- 

         Tracy Dawn Curtis                      Born October 2, 1970

========================================================================

August 10, 1974

To each and every one of you who have contributed your family information I am deeply grateful. This history is the combined information which I have as of this date.

Sincerely,

s/

Pauline H. Lewis  

 I have retyped  Pauline H. Lewis' Diven Family History because I was unable to make photographs of it that were presentable and I was unsuccessful in my efforts to scan it into this blog. I will continue to proof read it and correct any errors I have made.  I will also attempt to update this record. I currently have a DNA sample in for testing to help determine my lineage and I will report that result from time to time as I research the results. Also there are a couple of other genealogies about the Diven family that I have seen that have some interesting information and I will try to cover them as time permits. Grandpa Bill.  

CHAPTER 1

Genealogy

I have always been told that every good story needs to start with “ Once upon a Time “ or “ In a time long, long ago “ or some catchy phrase like that you know like in a fairy tale or in Star Wars. How about it happened on a dark, lonely rainy night no that sounds to scary. But on second thought some of you who read this if any one ever does may in fact find it scary. On second or even third thought I suspect I will just start with some history as far back as I can find that our family has been traced. This is a history of a family named Buchannan and other clans in the 1700's. Diven or it may have been spelled a number of variants such as Deven, Divine, Divan, Divin, Devan and they derive from that original Buchannan clan. You see I know because I am an offspring of that name and throughout my life I have had my name spelled and I have been called by all those names. A fact that did not please me at all.  I hated to be called Divan because people always made a joke out of that like the divan you sit on in your house. The other spelling I hated was to be called Divine because that would also be turned into a joke sort of thing such "Oh here comes Divine isn't he divine?"  In class if the teacher called me Divine I could always hear some of the boys say in a low voice "Isn't he divine?" It is a good thing I was not a fighter because if I was there would have been a battle. Mom told me not to fight and to just go on and not pay any attention to them. I don't recall Dad ever having an opinion about it. I would correct the person and sure enough the next time my name was called there it would be and I must tell you it irritated me a great deal. I always wanted to be called W.L. after my Grandfather but instead I was called Billy Lee. That often caused me problems because often time the Billy would be spelled Billie which is the female spelling of the name. Oh, if life only had problems as insignificant as this. This has been an interesting family with its successes and individuals that were not such shining examples. Oh, well lets just call the less shining examples what they are “ rascals “ or at least that is my term for them. For the sake of the family name I will not name them.

So lets get on with the tedious task of going over a family history. The one that I have was complied by Pauline H. Hendrix  ( Lewis ) and updated in July and August 1974.

BUCHANNAN

Quotations from the " Buchannans and other Clans" written by William Buchanan, 1723;

a copy of which is in the Congressional Library, Washington, D. C. 

The long line of the various branches of the " clan " are traced with their constantly re-occurring names, Alexander, Archibald, Andrew, Messes, Robert, William and Samuel, until the breaking up of the clan, many of whom emigrated to Ireland and later to Virginia.

Alexander Buchannan and Samuel Buchannan came from Ireland to Virginia about 1702, lived first in Chester County, Pennsylvania and later Augusta County, Virginia. They are the ancestors of all the Buchannans of the South and West ( see records of New Providence Congregation of the Presbyterian Church, Augusta County, Virginia ). Also records of the Militia of Augusta County, Virginia for names of Buchannan.

Samuel Buchannan died in Washington County, Virginia, in 1774 and his will speaks of " wife Martha ", and sons Samuel, John, Robert, and Andrew. Wills of many other Buchannans are found on record in this county.

Andrew Buchannan, son of Samuel Buchannan, married Jeanna Hay, a daughter of Patrick Hay, of Ireland, and had the following issue:

          Mathew, who married Elizabeth Edmondsen

          John, who married Jean Keyes

          Joseph____________________________

          David   ____________________________

           Isabella, married Robert Edmonston

           Margaret married John Crawford

           Mary, married John Edmondson

           Jane married a Buchannan

           Hannah, married John Buchannan

           Eleanor died unmarried

 ( See Peytons History of Augusta, Virginia, and Hennings Statutes of Virginia )

Jeanna Hay Buchannan, after the death of her husband, Andrew, Came with her younger children to Tennessee.

          HANNAH MARRIED JOHN BUCHANNAN

According to the records of Augusta County, Virginia:

         Hannah Buchannan married James Sawyer, and to this union among other children was born Nancy Sawyer, August 7, 1771.

         James Crawfords was born in Augusta County, Virginia, February 29, 1772, died in               Washington County, Arkansas, October 10, 1854.

                KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS: - that w. James Crawford and Thomas Sawyer,-- are held and firmly bound to his Excellency, James Wood, Esquire, -- Governor of Virginia, and his successors, in the sum of -- One Hundred Fifty ($150.00 ) Dollars to the payer whereof will and truly to be made, we do bind ourselves, our heirs and each of our joint and several heirs, executors and administrators, jointly and severally firmly by these presents, Sealed with our Seals and Dated the 28th day of January, 1797 in the 21st, year of the Commonwealth.

The conditions of the above obligation is such that whereas there is a marriage shortly to be solemnized between  the above bound James Crawford Bachelor and Nancy Sawyers, spinster daughter of James Sawyers, Deceased -- of Augusta County. If therefore shall be no lawful course to obstruct the said marriage then this obligation to be void, otherwise to remain in full force and virtue.

     Witness -- Chesley Kinney.                                                    James Crawford,      ( seal )

                                                                                                     Thos Sawyers,          ( seal )

           I do hereby certify that I am willing you shall issue a marriage license for James Crawford and my daughter Nancy, and this shall be your  warrant.

                                        

                                      Given under my hand and seal this 27th day of January 1797    

                                                                                   Hannah Buchannan Sawyers, ( seal )

Thomas Sawyers,

John Thompson

                To Jacob Kenney, A.A.C.

                                                                                    Copy Teste:-- Harry Burnett, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Augusta County, Virginia

                                                          

                                   ===============================================

                                  JAMES CRAWFORD AND NANCY SAWYERS CRAWFORD --

James Crawford and Nancy Sawyers was married in Augusta County, Virginia, January 28, 1797, and to this union according to Bible Records in the possession of the heirs of Luciuda Crawford Moore, a brother of James Crawford, was born the following;--

William Crawford,                           Born     Feb. 28, 1797

Luciuda Crawford                           Born     Aug.   7,  1799

John Crawford                                Born    June 24, 1801

Rachel Crawford                             Born    March 7,1803 ( See William Morton and Rachel                                                                                               Crawford/ Morton )

Hannah Crawford                            Born     March 27, 1805  ( See Erben I. Diven and                                                                                                           Hannah Crawford Diven )

James Crawford                             Born     March 10, 1807      Died in infancy

James Sawyer Crawford                Born     March 27, 1808

Mary Armstrong Crawford              Born     June 20, 1810

George Alexander Crawford          Born      Nov. 30, 1812

Robert Donald Crawford                Born      Aug.    1, 1816

Edwin McLin Crawford                   Born      Oct.  26, 1818

                                C R A W F O R D

John Crawford:--

Sawyer  ( and Hannah Sawyer, daughter of James and Hannah Buchannan. )

James Crawford, who married Nancy Sawyer, and came to Arkansas: - they are the ancestors of the Crawfords and their heirs of Washington County Arkansas.

           George Crawford, who emigrated to West Tennessee.

           William ( or Billy ) who lived in Lincoln County Tennessee

           Alexander, who lived in Virginia.

                                                 ========================

The above are brothers and this information is obtained from records in possession of Miss Clara Earle, of Clarksville, Arkansas, born and reared in Washington County, Arkansas, a close relative on the Buchannan of this County.

                                                =========================

Six Brothers   . . .    Alexander, Andrew, Issac,  James,  John and Robert Buchanan came from Tennessee to Washington County, 1827 - 1830. Andrew and John were ministers of the Presbyterian Church.  ( This paragraph is quoted from Herndons History of Arkansas. )

                                                ==========================

John Buchanan, son of Samuel and brother of Andrew, who married Joanna Hay, had the following children:--

            Thomas,   born August 14, 1776                   Married Jeannie Neely

            Samuel,    born March 13, 1776                    Married  ( name not legible ) 

            James,      born October 13, 1778                 Married Elizabeth Woody

            William Edmondson born Nov. 27,1782    ______________________

            Mathew,    born January 14, 1788

            Robert,      born November 7, 1789               Married Polly Stagner

            Margaret   born December 18, 1793

                                        ( by second wife )

            Ann            born October 13, 1795

            Elizabeth   born December 18, 1798

The above are from records in a bible in the possession of G. W. Morrow, Now more than 88 years of age, whose mother was a Buchanan of the Virginia - Tennessee - Arkansas family.  

January 15, 1931

In the matter of the Estate of William  Buchanan

           L. D. Buchanan,  in Charge  

           809 Quitman Street, 

            Houston, Texas

Claimant, Virgie Ridenour Neal, for herself and minor children Donald Lee Neal, Age, Two months

I, Virgie Ridenour Neal, State on Oath, that -- according to bible records in the family and from other information, that I am a Daughter of Lee Ridenour, Son of Eliza Ridenour, who was a Daughter of Nancy Mayberry, who was a Daughter of Rachel Moore, who was a Daughter of Leuceuda Crawford, Who was a Daughter of James Crawford and Nancy Crawford. Which said Nancy Crawford was a daughter of Hannah Buchanan Sawyer, which said Hannah Buchanan Sawyer was a Daughter of Andrew Buchanan, who was a Son of Samuel Buchanan, who came from Ireland in 1702.

And from these records it appears that I am an Heir at Law of the aforesaid William Buchanan, and entitled to a distribution in the assets of said Estate. 

I was born January 1,1911, and am of legal age. I was married September 20, 1928 and have one child a minor, whose name appears above.

My post Office address is Johnson, Arkansas.  

                                                   ______________________

                                                                 Claimant.

State of Arkansas

County of Washington

On this __________________ day of January 1931, before me

_____________________________ a notary public within and for the County and State aforesaid, duly commissioned and acting, personally appeared the above named Cirgie Ridenour Neal, who signed the aforegoing statement in my presence and made oath to the truthfulness thereof,

                                                                 ________________________    

                                                                            Notary Public

 Hannah Crawford, daughter of James Crawford and Nancy Sawyers Crawford first married a WHOM.        --Washington County, Arkansas.

                                                   ======================

Hannah Crawford ( Whom ) Second marriage to Erbin I. Diven, Washington County, Arkansas, and to this union was born,

      Jane Diven

      James C. Diven married Elizabeth Edmondston

      Math Diven

      Irben Elbert Diven, Born June 28, 1835.  Died July 24, 1881, Washington County, Arkansas

According to Bible Records in possession of Wilson L. Diven, Johnson, Washington county, Arkansas, and George E. Diven, at 15 miles west of Fayetteville,

Possession of Family Register of I. E. Diven, -- the following information:

Irben Elbert Diven, ( Devin ) Born June 28, 1835.  Die, July 24, 1881.

Catherine Ann Logan, Born December 16, 1843.  Died ________________.

                                              ===========================

Irben Elbert Diven  and Catherine Ann Logan was married February 17, 1864, and to this union were the following issue:

          John F. Logan Diven            Born, March 26, 1865            Died October 21, 1865

          Martha Dorcas Diven,          Born, November 26, 1867     Now Living

          Hannah Apolona Diven        Born, April 21, 1869               Now Living

          Wilson L. Diven                    Born, February 23, 1871       Now Living

          William E. Diven                   Born, November 26, 1872     Now Living

          Minnie Roxana Diven           Born, February 25, 1875       Died

          George E. Diven                   Born, July 4, 1877                  Now Living 

          Tomas E. Diven                    Born, Jul 6, 1879                   Now Living

          Charles Diven                       Born, November 26, 1881   Now Living

                                                ================================

Irben Elbert Diven, was first married to __________________________

and to this union came the following,--

          Zeb Diven, Henry Diven and Emma Diven, living near Mountain Park, Oklahoma.                   Henry Diven and Emma Diven Grisham living near Rocky, Oklahoma.

          The marriage of Irben Elbert Diven and Catherine A. Logan was the second marriage           of I. E. Diven.

                                                ================================

According to the Marriage License, in possession of Viola Graham Banks, Johnson, Arkansas, Minnie Roxana Diven was married to W. R. Graham, December 8, 1897. And according to family records and county records, to this union was born: --

          Oswald Graham,             Born, September _____, 1899     Died September____ 1901

          Russell Graham,             Born, April 4, 1901                          Living

          Ruby Graham                  Born, June 6, 1902                         Died January   ____1924

          Viola Graham ( Banks ) Born,  August 9, 1904                     Living near Johnson, Arkansas

          Earl Graham                    Born, March 16, 1906                    Living near Johnson, Arkansas

          __________                    Born, March 29, 1908                    Living near Johnson, Arkansas                                                                                                              ( married )

Be it remembered:--

        Where the name Devin, and the name Diven appear in these records same refers to the same family. Whereas the records in possession of the Diven family at present, indicate said name to be spelled - Devin - up to and during the time of the first marriage of Irben Elbert Devin - further evidenced by the fact, the children by his first marriage, Zeb and Henry and possibly others use this form to the present day. With the appearance of Catherine Ann Logan Diven, in the family, by her marriage to Irben Elbert Diven, February 17, 1864. A different form of spelling the name appears, evidenced by the fact that the children of the second marriage more generally prefer DIVEN. Both names however are in use to the present day, in the same family of brothers and sisters.

                                                =========================

Hannah Apolona Diven, daughter of Irben Elbert Diven and Catherine Ann Logan Diven, was married to Jesse Edmund Wyatt on ___ day ____, ___18, And according to records in possession of Hannah Apalona Diven Wyatt, from this union came the following issue: --

         Hugh

         Carl Huston Wyatt,                 Deceased

         Olin Edison Wyatt,                  Living

         Jessie Maud Wyatt Linton,     Living

         James Wayne Wyatt,              Living

         Senorita Mae Wyatt Stiles,     Living

         Elizabeth Marie Wyatt Henry, Living

                                               ============================

According to records in possession of Mrs. Glady Williams Wyatt, Carl Huston Wyatt and Gladys William Wyatt were married May 13, 1924 and from this issue: --

         Harold Hugh Wyatt, born November 21, 1927,       Living.

Wilson L. Diven, and Ida Smith, was married, December 8, 189__.  According to Bible records, and Family Register, and Certificate of Marriage, in possession of W. L. Diven at this time. And to this union, the following issue;--

          

     Anna Eula Diven                      Born, July 27, 1898                   Living

     Charles Diven                          Born,  February 2, 1890            Living

     Emel Smith Diven                    Born, November 5, 1901           Living

     Zeb Ray Diven                         Born, March 13, 1904               Died Jan. 28, 1906

     Beulah Diven                           Born, August 27, 1906              Died August 27, 1906

     Wilson Bryan Diven                 Born, October 4, 1907               Living

     Infant son of Wilson L.Diven 

     and Ida Smith Diven                Born May 26, 1910                    Died May 29, 1910

    Cecil Diven                               Born, November 9, 1918            Died March 16, 1919

                                             =============================

According to Family Records and Records on file in the office of the circuit clerk of Washington County, Arkansas.

     Emel Smith Diven ( Smith E. Diven ) was married to Beulah McDougal, December 24,          1923, and to this union came the following:

      Earl Wilson Diven               Born, September 28, 1924            Living

      James Everett Diven,         Born, July 7, 1929                          Living

      And Emel Smith Diven Whose name appear in the record of Wilson L. Diven and Ida            Smith Diven, is the natural guardian of Earl Wilson and James Everett, Minor Heirs                herein..    

                                        ==============================

According to Family Records, and Washington County Circuit Clerk Records, Anna Eula Diven and George A. Hendrix was married February 3, 1917, and to this union came the following.--

        Raymond Diven Hendrix      Born, May 19, 1918

        Pauline Hendrix                    Born, March 13, 1920

        John Wilson Hendrix            Born, October 5, 1921

        Georgie May Hendrix           Born, December 3, 1924

        Leonard Guy Hendrix           Born, December 5, 1926

        Mary Catherine Hendrix       Born, February 9, 1928

        Ida Lee Hendrix                    Born, October 14, 1929 

 and Anna Eula Diven Hendrix is the natural guardian of the minor Heirs, whose names appear above. 

                                               ==============================

 According to family records, and Washington County Circuit Clerk and Benton County Circuit Clerk Records, Charles Diven and Jewell Farish was married, December 24, 1919 and to this union, was born:--

         Farish Lee Diven,                 Born

         Thomas Hill Diven,               Born

         Charles Hunter Diven, Born

         and Charles Diven is the natural Guardian of the minor heirs whose names appear                above. 

                                              =============================

According to Family Records and Washington County Circuit Clerk Records Wilson Bryan Diven and Gladys Peterson was married,_________________ and to this union, there is no minor children, this 8th day of December, 1931.

                                                ============================

ALL OF PREVIOUS ABOVE INFORMATION HAS BEEN TYPED FROM COPY OF REGISTERED NO. 1438,  Fayetteville, Arkansas. January 10, 1931.

Original Registration Receipt in possession of Smith E. Diven, Fowler, Colorado, 81039.

July 27, 1971

O this 27th day of July, My mother's birthday I will attempt to bring the previous history up to date with the help of all the brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, and last  but not least my precious MOTHER AND DADDY  Eula and George A. Hendrix...

                                                                                                           Pauline Hendrix Lewis

                                               ===============================

Anna Eula Diven and George A. Hendrix was married February 3, 1917, and to this union the following:--

Raymond Diven Hendrix          Born, May 19, 1918             Living

Pauline Hendrix                        Born, March 13, 1920         Living

John Wilson Hendrix                 Born, October 5, 1921        Living

Georgie May Hendrix                Born, December 3, 1924   Living

Leonard Guy Hendrix                Born, Dec 5, 1926              Living

Mary Catherine Hendrix            Born, February 9, 1928      Living

Ida Lee Hendrix                         Born, October 14, 1929      Living

Herschel Dean Hendrix             Born, November 11, 1931  Living

Dorotha Jewell Hendrix             Born, November 8, 1934    Living

George Albert Hendrix, Jr.        Born, May 21, 1940            Living

                                             ========================

Raymond Diven Hendrix married Margie Breella Clark ( born 5/18/20 ) on August 4, 1939, and to this union the following:--

       Patricia Louise Hendrix           Born, August 9, 1940

       Martha Ann Hendrix                Born, December 5, 1946 

       Jerry Diven Hendrix                 Born, September 4, 1952

                                             =============================

Patricia Louise Hendrix married Phillip Dean Zachary ( born 2/29/1940 ) on October 1, 1963, and to this union the following:--

       Pamela Denise Zachary          Born, August 18, 1964

       Phillip Duglas Zachary             Born November 29, 1966

       Martha Carol Zachary              Born, August 6, 1970

                                             ===============================

Martha Ann Hendrix Married Clyde Virgil Perkins ( born 10/17/1939 ) on September 3, 1971, and to this union the following:--

       Betty Louise Perkins                  Born, November 25, 1973  

                                               ==============================

Pauline Hendrix and Loy Richard Lewis ( born, January 1, 1902 )  were married on November 9, 1940, and to this union the following:-

      Carol Ann Lewis                          Born, December 11, 1950

      Paula Elizabeth Lewis                 Born,  April  2, 1956

Loy R. Lewis passed away August 29, 1973 in San Diego, California, Burial Hayward, California

                                                ============================

Carol Ann Lewis and John Marcus Middleton, Jr. ( born, May 18, 1943 were married on March 17, 1970.  

                                                ===========================

John Wilson Hendrix and Bobbie H. Dunlevi ( Born, September 18, 1921 ) were married August 3, 1940 and to this union came the following:--

      Sharron June Hendrix                  Born, June 3, 1943

Sharron June Hendrix and Ross A Renard ( Born, June 20, 1942 ) were married on February 18, 1962, and to this union the following:--

       Kevin R. Renard                            Born, November 4. 1962

       Tonya E. Renard                           Born, August 1, 1965

                                             ===========================

Georgia May Hendrix and Vernon Edward Brown ( Born, December 18, 1913 ) were married on December 20, 1946 and to this union came the following:--

       Barbara Sue Brown                      Born, November 22, 1947

       Bonnie Lee Brown                        Born, December 12, 1953

       Vernon Edward Brown, Jr.           Born, September 26, 1955

Barbara Sue Brown and Charles Hugh Michel were married December 30, 1958 and to this union came the following:-

       Wanda Sue Michel                        Born, July 6, 1966

       Charles Hugh Michel                     Born, June 16, 1967

Barbara divorced from Charles Hugh Michel,.

Barbara Sue  and  William Harry Estes ( Born. January 18 1945 ) married on February 20, 1970 and to this union the following:--

         William Harry Estes, Jr.               Born, October 12, 1970

                                                    ============================

Leonard Guy Hendrix and Mary Elizabeth Burleson ( Born, May 21, 1927 ) were married on April 10, 1948, and to this union came the following:--

         Linda Elizabeth Hendrix               Born, January 25, 1949

         Brenda Kay Hendrix                     Born, February 6, 1955

         Timey Lyn Hendrix                       Born, September 1, 1959

Linda Elizabeth Hendrix and Harvey Lincoln Gregory ( Born, November 11, 1947 ) were married on ______________ and to this union came the following:--

         Angela Maria Gregory                  Born, January 28, 1971

         

Brenda Kay Hendrix and Dennis Morgan Singleton ( born. May 13, 1954 ) were married on ________________ and to this union came the following:--

        Tammy Kay Singleton                    Born, June 28, 1971

        Travis Lee Singleton                      Born, March 9, 1973

                                                    ===============================

Mary Catherine Hendrix and Leonard Jay Holcomb, Jr. ( Born, April 1, 1921 ) were married on March 27 1946, and to this union came:--

          Deborah Lynn Holcomb              Born, November 10, 1958

 Ida Lee Hendrix and Frank Luper ( Born, July 19, 1919 ) were married January 20, 1947 and to this union came the following:--

           

           Gary Frank Luper                        Born, December 10, 1948

Frank Luper Deceased June 7, 1967.

Gary Frank Luper and Betty Thomas ( Born, April 23, 1948 ) were married July 14, 1969 and to this union came the following:--

            Tiffiney Jean Luper                       Born, February 21, 1970

            Frankie Donn Luper                      Born, September 27, 1972

                                                        ==========================

Herschel Dean Hendrix and Margaret Alice Morrow ( Born, August 15, 1930 ) were married November 22, 1954 and to this union came the following:--

            Dean Louis Hendrix                      Born, July 31, 1956

            Ruth Ann Hendrix                         Born,  April 30, 1960

            Susan Lane Hendrix                     Born, May 25, 1963

                                                         ==========================

Dorothy Jewelle Hendrix and Bennett Drew ( Born, June 29, 1933 ) were married on September 3, 1954 and to this union came the following:--

          Debra Lynn Drew                            Born, January 24, 1955

          Kathy LeAnn Drew                          Born, March 15, 1956

          Bennett Joe Drew                           Born, April 20, 1959

Kathy LeAnn Drew and __________Torri were married on August 30, 1973 and to this union came the following:--

           Michel Jason Paul Torri                  Born, November 15, 1973

                                                     =========================

George Albert Hendrix, Jr. and Martha Elisa Martin ( Born, November 12, 1941 ) were married on December 119, 1960 and to this union came the following:--

           Scott Allan Hendrix                          Born, October 17, 1961

           Terry Martin Hendrix                        Born. October 15, 1962

            Ladonna Deann Hendrix                Born, October 26, 1964

                                                          =========================

Charles Diven and Jewell Farish were married, December 24, 1919 and to this union came the following:--

          Farish Lee Diven,                Born, October 11, 1920

         Thomas Hill Diven,               Born, April 13, 1922

         Charles Hunter Diven,          Born, February 4, 1929

                                                       =========================

 Faris Lee Diven and Ertis Lorraine Blackman ( Born, May 22, 1919 ) were married on

_________________ and to this union came the following:--

        Charles Lee Diven                 Born, Oct 9, 1951

        Randy Wayne Diven              Born, March 7 1954

        Jerry Lynn Diven                    Born, January 1, 1957

Randy Wayne Diven and Nellie Louise Ford ( Born, February 9, 1952 were married on

_________________ and to this union came the following:--

       Sherri Lynn Diven                           Born, November 26, 1971

                                                =========================== 

      

Thomas Hill Diven, and Etta Mae______________ ( Born, on 16, 1925 ) were married on September 16, 1943 and to this union came the following:--

       

        Thomas Hill Diven, Jr.                  Born, September 12, 1944   Deceased June 24, 1964

         Kelly Eugene Diven                     Born, July 31, 1953

         Kelly Eugene Diven and Cynthia Kirby ( Born, May 27, 1953 were married on July 13, 1974.

                                                ==============================

Charles Hunter Diven and Virginia Lee Edwards ( Born, April 2, 1928 ) were married on 

July 4, 1948 and to this union came the following:--

         Nancy Ann Diven                           Born, August 13, 1950

         David Lee Diven                            Born, November 19, 1953

         Charles Leslie Diven                     Born, January 22, 1955

         Cathy Jo Diven                              Born, October 28, 1956

Nancy Ann Diven and Larry Edward Wilkins ( Born, September 7, 1949 ) were married on July 16, 1970, and to this union came the following:--

       Timothy Scott Wilkins                      Born, March 31, 1971

Nancy and Larry divorced on October 12, 1970.

Nancy and Donald Loyd Cooper ( Born, December 5, 1948 ) were married on March 23, 1973

Charles Leslie Diven and Jan Elizabeth  West ( Born, December 11, 1953 were married on January 3, 1974.

                                                          ======================

Emel Smith Diven  ( Smith E. Diven ) and Beulah McDougal were married on December 24, 1923 and to this union came the following:--

         Earl Wilson Diven                   Born, September 28, 1924

         James Everett Diven              Born July 7, 1929

James Wilson Diven and Joy Lee Elliott ( Born, October 21, 1929 ) were married on November 6, 1949 and to this union came the following:--

      Stacy Elliott Diven                      Born, January 1, 1951

      Linda Lee Diven                         Born, July 13, 1955

James Everett Diven and Lecial Loyette Horne ( Born, May 1, 1930 ) were married on April 28, 1957 and to this union came the following:--

       Jill Laurie Diven                          Born, October 3, 1964

                                                     =======================

Wilson Bryan Diven and Gladys Berline Peterson ( December 18, 1907 ) were married on August 26, 1928, and to this union came the following:--

       William Lee Diven                      Born, December 19, 1931 

       Jackie Smith Diven                    Born, January 4, 1936            Deceased January 1936

       James Louis Diven                    Born, July 9, 1940

William Lee Diven and Janive Counts ( Born, June 16, 1933 ) were married on November 1, 1952, and to this union came the following:--

         Janice Lea Diven                     Born, July 2, 1953

         Joyce Ann Diven                      Born, October 15, 1955

         Patricia Jean Diven                  Born, March 17, 1958

        Jamie Lynn Diven                     Born, November 2, 1959

James Louis Diven and Roylene Beller ( Born, June 23, 1942 ) were married on June 25, 1971, and to this union came the following:-- 

        Sherry Ann Diven                     Born, June 15, 1972

        Kathy Lou Hyden ( step-daughter ) Born, September 15, 1962

Wilson L. Diven and Kate Basket were married on ________________ and to this union came the following:--  

       Dorcas Marie Diven                  Born, August 16, 1931

Dorcas Marie Diven and Robert Vine Curtis  ( Born, September 27, 1925 ) were married on June 13, 1947 and to this union came the following:--

       Robert Lee Curtis                       Born, October 20, 1947

       Rex Bryan Curtis                        Born, September 5, 1948

       Dixie Ann Curtis                          Born, November 1954

Robert Lee Curtis,  and Clara Sue Davis ( Born, February 7, 1946 ) were married on February 11, 1966 and to this union came the following:-- 

       Robert Lee Curtis, Jr.                 Born, September 2, 1966

       

Robert Lee and Clara Sue divorced in October 1968

Rex Bryan Curtis and Connie Gaye Smith ( Born, December 23, 1950 ) were married on March 27, 1970 and to this union came the following:-- 

         Tracy Dawn Curtis                      Born October 2, 1970

========================================================================

August 10, 1974

To each and every one of you who have contributed your family information I am deeply grateful. This history is the combined information which I have as of this date.

Sincerely,

s/

Pauline H. Lewis   

 I have retyped  Pauline H. Lewis' Diven Family History because I was unable to make photographs of it that were presentable and I was unsuccessful in my efforts to scan it into this blog. I will continue to proof read it and correct any errors I have made.  I will also attempt to update this record. I currently have a DNA sample in for testing to help determine my lineage and I will report that result from time to time as I research the results. also there are a couple of other genealogies about the Diven family that I have that have some interesting information and I will cover them as time permits. Grandpa Bill.  

             CHAPTER 3                

 Grand Parents

Dad's father Wilson L Diven was a very successful business man. He owned and operated canning factories in Oklahoma and  Arkansas. The Johnson Consolidated Canning Company as the successor to the Johnson Canning Company, Johnson, Arkansas; Johnson Canning Company,Gentry, Arkansas;Johnson Canning Company, Springdale, Arkansas;and the Johnson Canning Company, Wickes, Arkansas. The Cherokee Canning Factory, Cherokee ,Oklahoma came under the management of the Johnson Canning Company in December, 1931. These plants would contract with farmers to grow tomatos and sell them only to these plants.He also founded the Vita-O- Ray products company in Fayetteville. I never knew anything about that business and have not been able to find out much about it other than the photograph below. He was a Director of the McIlory Bank and Trust Company of Fayetteville, Arkansas and owned several buildings in Fayetteville such as a 5 and dime building known as Scotts, a furniture/hardware building and the Green Chevrolet building as well as considerable land in the area. He was born February 23, 1871 in Washington County, Arkansas and died January 2, 1940 from pneumonia. He made his home in Johnson, Arkansas. He married his first wife (IDA Smith)  December 8, 1897. Dad's Mother was killed in an automobile accident in the Mena/Wickes, Arkansas area. July 10, 1929. He later married Kate J. Basket December 14,1929.

Dad's Father Wilson L. Diven. My Grand Father

Announcement of Ida Smith Diven Death

Newspaper article about Ida Smith Diven

Newspaper article about Wilson Lee Diven Death

Marriage License Wilson Lee Diven and Kate J. Basket

The building picture above at the top shows " Vita-O-Ray Products Co., Inc. and other signage indicates Vita-O-Ray Hatchery, Vitalized Baby Chicks as well as Vitalized Feeds. I Cannot say if this is the company granddad Diven owned.

This document deeded the farm where I was lived my early year to my father on November 5, 1929.

Mom's father William Roy Peterson was born in Iowa and moved to Arkansas. During the period of the "Great Land Rush" he went into Oklahoma to homestead land. He was delayed by floods and by the time he got there all the desirable land had already been taken so he came back to Arkansas. He settled on a farm a few miles from Fayetteville on old route 16. I do not know much about grandmother Cordelia ( Cordi ) as grand dad Peterson called her. I know her mother later lived with them when they moved to Johnson and bought the house my brother currently lives in. My great grandmother was a spry lady who died in her nineties from a fall. She smoked a  clay pipe with a small bowl and a very long clay stem. Coming out of the back door she fell and the pipe stem broke and damaged her throat creating problems which eventually killed her. Mom's father farmed for many years and eventually started to work for Washington County doing various things but his primary job was to operate a road grader. Nearly all of the rural county roads were dirt/gravel and frequently had to be graded to make them smooth. All of the road around our farm and the streets in Johnson where we eventually moved were dirt/gravel. He also graded out the ditches along the side of the road to keep the ditches clear and from overflowing. He worked directly for the county judge a position which carried considerable power. If you knew granddad Peterson and he talked to the judge you could get your road graded and fresh gravel spread on the road much more often. You cannot imagine the advantage of this without having driven a car of that time over rough wet, muddy and rutted and slick roads. It was not a smooth ride and it often was extremely dangerous.

I have not found individual photographs of Mom's Father and Mother. My Mother's family. Bottom row left to right. Her father William Roy Peterson, Her Brother Don Allen Peterson Her Mother Cordelia Peterson. Top row left to right Her Sister Joy Dowel, Gladys Berline Diven my Mother.

Below is the grave stone of Mothers Mom and Dad.

CHAPTER 3

Mom and Dad  

My father Wilson Bryan Diven was the son of Wilson Lee Diven and Ida Smith and he was born on October 4, 1907. My mother Gladys Berline Peterson was the daughter of William Roy Peterson and Cordelia Peterson and she was born on December 18, 1907. Mom and Dad were married August 26, 1928. They have three sons. Myself, William Lee Diven born December 19, 1931. I was followed by Jackie Smith Diven who was born January 4, 1936 and he died January 19,1936 just a few days after his birth. He was followed by James Louis Diven who was born July 9, 1940. 

My Father Wilson Bryan Diven You rarely saw Dad in any clothing other than overalls.

I recently came across the following photograph of Dad leaning up against a giant bolder taken in 1928 at the Rock quarry in Marble City, Oklahoma. I have no idea what he was doing over there. This is a very old photograph and I am not sure where I got it and honestly did not know I had it  but I am glad I now have it. Marble City is roughly 80 miles from Johnson, Arkansas and is west of Fort Smith Arkansas so it will forever be mystery what he was doing there. Dad and Mom were married Aug 21,1928 so it may have been that they went to Marble City. Also Granddad Diven owned a canning plant in Oklahoma so he may have been there to visit that plant. This is all just guess work on my part and as I said it will forever be a mystery.

Wilson Bryan Diven, 1928 at Marble City, Oklahoma

Marriage License Wilson Bryan Diven and Gladys Berline Peterson

Chapter 4

The Diven Farm

The following are copied pages of the Last Will And Testament of W. L. Diven my Fathers Father and My Grand Father. This will is dated 8 February, 1939.

Page 1 of Last Will And Testament of W. L. Diven 

 Page 2 of Last Will And Testament of W. L. Diven 

 Page 3 of Last Will And Testament of W. L. Diven 

 Page 4 of Last Will And Testament of W. L. Diven 

Page 5 of Last Will And Testament of W. L. Diven 

Dad's Father Wilson Lee Diven on 5 November, 1929 deeded the roughly 166 acres of land described in the above warranty deed to my father Wilson Bryan Diven and this is what I refer to as the "Diven Farm" and where I lived until 1947 or 1948 when Dad sold the farm to Herb Bradshaw and we moved to Johnson Arkansas.

Diagram of Our Farm 

I have no information about Dad and Mom's courtship or their lives before they married. I don't recall any discussion between them about what they did, how Dad proposed, where they got married, the type of service they had and so forth. Dad was a very serious person who did not talk much. As I said I have no recollection of hearing them talk about such things. I don't recall hearing them talk about weather, money or anything like that especially during my first few years but I am sure they did. Also to be considered these were the depression years and things were tough and I would guess they did not want me to hear how bad things were but for me my life on the farm was perfect and I could not have asked for more. Also to be considered is the fact that I was all boy and interested the boy things and not all that inclined to ask questions about personal relationship and that sort of thing. I do know I watched Dad make and repair things. He was always repairing something that was broken. When you did not have money to buy a new one you repaired the old one. I learned all I know about self help from watching him. He did not want help other than to go get something for him like a particular tool or wrench or to hold something for him. I very soon learned to tell which wrench was and the what size a wrench or socket was just by looking at it and not reading the size printed on the side. Dad was rather impatient about not getting what he asked for. In the house I often helped Mom do laundry, iron tables cloths and do some baking which I loved to do because I got to lick the spoon and taste those glorious flavors. I was not allowed to iron shirts, pants and good stuff. I wonder why. The iron was an old metal iron that was heated on top of the kitchen stove. Also I did a lot of needle work called embroidery and we had a complete assortment of colored threads to use. At that time chicken feed was sold in cloth bags. The cloth was very good quality and was printed with various patterns on them for the specific purpose of making wash cloths and dish cloths out of them and even dresses and blouses. These patterns some times would be printed pictures but generally were patterns for doing stitch work. I loved to do these and was very good at it so Mom made that a regular job for me.

Typical Embroidery Pattern

The bulk of my help in the house was to bring in wood for the cooking stove, coal for the heating stove and often start the fires. This was a natural for me because I was always an early riser getting up long before anyone else in the house and I still do that today.Now I wish I had asked a few questions about their background and that is why I spend a lot of time talking to young people and encouraging them to ask parents and grandparents about their lives, interesting stories and history because when they are gone it is to late. I encourage them to not only ask questions but write down what they were told. Now if it involved me running and playing outside then I would know about that and I can regale you for hours about that sort of thing and I probably will in this narrative. Also I would spend an hour or so each day in the afternoon after school lying on the floor in front of our big battery powered radio listening to various programs I will discuss later. I don't know if Mom & Dad ever lived anywhere except on our farm before I was born and I don't know if the house I lived in was there when Granddad Diven deeded the property to Dad or if not when the house was built. I know there was a two or three room house down by the creek near the bluffs I show on the farm diagram. I recall walking through it as a kid. I do not know if Mom and Dad ever lived there but my brother James Louis says he remembers Mom talking about them living there and that her and Dad went to town to see a movie and the house caught fire while they were gone and for that reason she never went to another movie. I am several years older than James Louis and I have no recollection of Mom ever telling me such a thing.Interestingly the Northwest Arkansas Times newspaper in its edition of Thursday, July 15, 1937 reporting on news from Johnson that, "Bailey Holman has moved to the Bryan Diven farm". Neither I nor my brother have any recollection of this and I can only assume he lived in the little house down by the creek. I doubt he could have lived in the barn and I am sure he did not live in the house with us. Someone thought that was news worthy. 

My Brother James Louis Diven sitting on the front steps at our home on the farm which was about one mile north of Johnson, Arkansas. Our mailing address was Route 4, Springdale, Arkansas. These old photographs were taken with a small Kodak camera and I have very few because I just did not have the money to buy film and have it processed. Oh, how I now wish I had taken more pictures around the farm and of the Johnson, Arkansas community. Dad had no interest in taking photographs and really thought it was a waste of money. It was hard to ever get Dad to let me take his picture. Mom was more willing to have pictures taken but still money was a problem. I have a very vivid recollection of what our farm implements looked like. As I have traveled the country I have photographed a lot of these implement and tools and I will be including them at various places.

My Mother Gladys Berline Peterson Diven and My Brother James Louis standing in front of our house on the farm. You will notice on the wall of the house is an electric meter. At first we did not have electricity but finally the Rural Electrification Administration (REA) ran lines throughout the farm area so we were able to have electrical power. What a change that made in our lives both in general comfort and living.

My Brother James Louis sitting on the entrance to our underground cellar where we stored foods that needed a cooler temperature. It was also our storm cellar in times of sever storms and tornado's. This photograph shows the concrete structure that covered the stairs. This concrete was roughly 8 inches thick. The door and  steps leading down into the cellar are behind James Louis's head. The walls, floor and ceiling were constructed out of concrete. It was roughly eight feet wide and 12 - 14 feet long and it was tall enough so adults could easily stand. It had shelves at the back end for storage of foods. It had to be the size it was so there was room for all of us to sit etc in times of storm. It was It was a cool place to go on extremely hot days. If the door was kept closed it remained dry. It was also a place I would sneak into at times when we were making sour kraut, dill, sweet and mustard pickles and sneak a few bites. I said sneak because Mom got after me if she caught me taking the lids off of the large crock jars the pickles and kraut was in because it disturbed the fermenting process.The taste was good enough to risk getting caught.In the background you can see a shed which Dad used for various things which I will mention later.

 The dog on the left was Bobby. He was my dog and was tan and white. My Brother is holding Laddy his dog who was black and white. We were standing just to the right of our front porch. Our living room was in the corner of the house shown here.

My Brother always a ham in front of a camera. Notice his suspenders and hat with his hands in his pockets. Quite a guy. In this shed in the background you will see a circular object sticking up in the air. That is the lid of a pressure cooker used to cook canned beans, tomatoes etc. in metal cans like you buy at the store. At this time Dad wanted to try to get into the canning business but was never able to get it started. His father and two brother were both very successful canning plant owners and operators. The left side of this building was at times used as our smoke house where we would "sugar cure" ham after we butchered a hog. I will discuss this later.

James Louis on his big tricycle. The corner of the house that you see here was a back porch which was eventually enclosed. We kept our ice box and washing machine out here. Notice I said ice box. Since we had no electricity we had ice delivered from Fayetteville from the ice company/cold storage company.They would deliver blocks of ice of various sizes depending on the size you needed and the size you ice box would hold. Typically we would get 25 to 50 pound blocks. As we needed ice for ice tea, for example, we would use an ice pick to chip off smaller chunks for the glasses. Also in the summer we made home made ice cream in an old hand crank freezer. As the ice cream hardened it was had to turn the crank and it was hard to keep the freezer in one place so someone had to sit on it and that was usually my job. Let me tell you that would give you a cold behind but in the heat it was not all that bad. Normally we would freeze ice cream in the summer  after coming in from the fields, cleaning up and going to visit a neighbor especially on Saturday nights. Our favorite place to go was to a friend of the family who operated the Springdale Golf course. In the cool of the evening their kids and myself would run all over the golf course bare footed playing and rolling in the soft cool grass.The parents would let us take some golf balls and old clubs and we would knock these balls completely around the course until it was time to go eat ice cream. They would have chocolate syrup, and various fruit mixtures such as mashed strawberries or peaches, butterscotch to put on the ice cream. Of course the best part of the day was to eat the ice cream. That was really a treat.The kitchen was just to the left of the two windows you see. It is hard to see but through the window on the left you can see the ringer part of Mom's washing machine. Prior to her having a washing machine she washed cloths by hand on the porch or outside in the yard using a scrub board and large galvanized tub. This tub also doubled as our bathtub. Notice the water faucet and barrel behind James Louis. We had excellent water here on the farm. Our well was over fifty feet deep. When they were drilling the well they broke through into an underground river or extremely large pool of water they lost their drill bit. I recall Dad lowering a weight on the end of a rope down into the well pipe and he lowered well over 100 feet of rope and never hit bottom. It could have been that deep or like an underground river that swept the weight down stream. At any rate we had an unlimited supply of very good cool water. At first we had to pump the water out of the well by use of a hand pump. After we got electricity on the farm Dad put an electrical pump in the well and then he added plumbing to the house so we had running water for the kitchen and installed a full bath room to include a septic tank. Prior to that time we bathed using a large galvanized metal tub I mentioned earlier. We heated water on the stove for bathing. Let me tell you that there was not much bathing during the cold winter months. Also, at that time we had an outside toilet which was no fun in cold weather. At night we used a"slop jar". A few years ago James Louis and I were visiting with the family that now lives on our old farm and in discussing the well they advised that for several years they raised several acres of blueberries south of the house which they watered 24 hours a day during the summer months and the water level in the well never went down more than an inch. They indicated that a University of Arkansas Professor brought some student out to study this well. They advised that wells such as this one are found in limestone several hundreds of feet deep and that over the years the water erodes the limestone which is a rather soft rock and creates a lake/pool which is feed by an under ground stream. It is interesting because north of our farm there is a fairly nice spring ( noted on the diagram above) which feed the creek that ran through our farm. This water also was the source of supply for our well. As part of their study they introduced a colored dye into the spring which I mentioned and found that it reappeared several miles from our farm. The dye appeared in a very large spring at a Rainbow Trout fish hatchery and trout farm. This spring always had a very strong steady  flow of water. It was also very cold water which the rainbow trout fish needed. To further illustrate the amount of water coming out of this spring to flowed out of the trout farm to clear creek and on the way it powered the water wheel of the old Gris mill owned by the Johnson family which I will discuss later.

This is Margaret Jones (?)  who came and helped mother. During much of our time on the farm mother was not healthy at all. She was very anemic and took all kinds of medicine to try and build up her blood. I always thought that Margaret was the most pretty thing that I ever saw. The things that I recall most about her was that she was an Italian who lived in Tonitown, Arkansas about 10 miles away. Tonitown was a community made up of primarily Italians. She and her boy friend had a falling out and she wanted to make up with him in the worse way but she flat refused to make the first move toward settling their differences. He was going to have to come to her. One day a car drove into our driveway at the farm and mother looked out and said " Margaret, your boy friend is here." Margaret took off running through the house and out the front door to see him. It was summer time so the front door was open but the screen door was closed and latched and Margaret ran right through the screen door and demolished it. As I recall they got married shortly thereafter and she did not come back again or at least to work steadily.

I am sorry this has turned out in this fashion  I could not post the individual Chapters by themselves as I hoped to do.  Much more material has been written and will be posted individually next time. 

Comment welcome and encouraged. Grandpa Bill.April 30, 2020.