Arnold Ancestors - Generation 4 - Irene Hicks, Part Two

Irene Hicks married Golden ‘Doc’ Barnett 28 July 1934 in Judsonia, White County, Arkansas, son of William Calvin Barnett and Dora Quattlebaum. He was born 29 January 1914 in Romance, White County, Arkansas, and died 07 January 1982 in Campbell, Missouri.

PHOTO: 40th anniversary (that's their house in the background, in Campbell, Missouri)

Irene is one of the Hicks siblings that did not live in Michigan during my childhood. Their family lived in Missouri. Olan's family lived in Arkansas, and Elvin's lived in California. The other six siblings all migrated to Berrien County, Michigan, in the 1940s and lived near us during my growing up years.

Doc and Irene had four daughters - Velma Lee, June, Betty and Bobbie (Barbara)

I assume this is Velma Lee.

PHOTO: Bobbie, Irene, June, and Betty

This picture was taken at Irene's 75th birthday party.

Bobbie, June, and Betty live in Missouri. Velma Lee lived (still lives) in Oregon.

Three of the sisters are still living. Betty died in 2016.

PHOTO: Five generations - Irene, June, June's son Randy, Randy's daughter Samantha, and her son Jeffrey. This picture was taken in December 2000.

Irene Hicks Barnett died 10 October 2002, in Campbell, Dunklin County, Missouri.

Arnold Ancestors - Generation 4 - Zella Irene Hicks, Part One

Zella Irene Hicks was born 06 February 1915, in Banner, Cleburne County, Arkansas

Irene was the daughter of Ulysses and Annie Arnold Hicks.

PHOTO: Annie and Ulysses Hicks with their nine children, on their 50th wedding anniversary, 1960.

L-R: Ruby, Cleffie, Irene, Lowell, Elvin, Olan, Vernell, Evalee, Bernice

PHOTO: Irene and her sister Cleffie (my grandmother)

PHOTO: Cleffie (back), Evalee, Irene holding Vernell

PHOTO: Ruby, Irene, Cleffie

PHOTOS: sisters Ruby, Irene, Cleffie, Evalee, Vernell, Bernice

Irene, at Carter/ Arnold annual reunion,1990

Arnold Ancestors - Generation 4 - The Barnett Family

 Ruby Hicks (see yesterday's post) married Arvil Franklin 'Jack' Barnett. Ruby's sister Irene married Arvil's brother Golden 'Doc' Barnett. 

PHOTO: Jack and Ruby Barnett, Irene and Doc Barnett.

Jack and Doc were sons of William Calvin Barnett and his third wife Dora Quattlebaum.

PHOTO: William Calvin Barnett

I don't have a picture of Dora Quattlebaum (I wish I did)

The Barnett family is entwined with the Hicks branch of our family tree in several ways (much like the Bullards and Tamsetts)

William Calvin Barnett's first wife was Mattie Oliver. They had two children - Nora and Iva. Mattie died in 1891.

William Calvin Barnett's second wife was Emma Harrel. They had three children - Gradie, Pearle and Earl (twins). Emma died in 1900.

Gradie Barnett was the mother of Mildred McKay, who married Elvin Hicks (brother of Ruby and Irene Hicks)

PHOTO: Elvin and Mildred McKay Hicks

Earl Barnett married Luvena Prothro 

("Aint Loovenie" is how she was introduced to me when I met her, I was 5 years old.)

PHOTO: Back - Aunt Luvena, Wathada (my mother), Cleffie (my grandmother), Aunt Ruby (Cleffie's sister). Front - Me, Donna Kay and Mike Hawley (Aunt Ruby's grandchildren).

Aunt Ruby, Cleffie, Wathada and I went on a car trip from Michigan to Arkansas and Missouri to visit relatives. One of the places we went to was Aunt Luvena's house. We stayed overnight there. It was the first time in my life I had ever heard of -- much less, USED -- an outhouse. That's the main memory I have of the time I met Aunt Luvena Barnett. 

William Calvin Barnett's third wife was Dora Quattlebaum. They had eleven children - Everett, Vida, Arvil, Emmitt, Beral, Benny, Maudie, Golden, Orlan, Carvil A. (when I was a kid I thought this was one name - "Carvillay" I never heard anyone just call him Carvil), and Dennis.

Arvil (aka 'Jack') Barnett married my great-aunt Ruby Hicks

PHOTO: Arvil and Ruby Hicks Barnett

Golden Barnett (aka 'Doc') married Irene Hicks, sister of Ruby Hicks.

I don't remember ever meeting Maudie Barnett, but I do have a picture of her

I don't remember ever meeting Carvil A. Barnett, but I was surprised to find that he is buried in the Thomas Family Cemetery in Bangor, Michigan. 

The Thomas Family Cemetery was owned by my Dad's family. (Carvil A. is related on my mother's side of the family.)

Arnold Ancestors - Generation 4 - Ruby Dorcas Hicks, Part Two

Ruby Hicks married Arvil Franklin ‘Jack’ Barnett 03 October 1926 in Judsonia, White County, Arkansas

Arvil was the son of William Calvin Barnett and Dora Quattlebaum. He was born 04 April 1906 in Romance, White County, Arkansas, and died 18 September 1992 in Searcy, White County, Arkansas. The Barnett family is intertwined with the Arnold family in several ways. More about that later.

PHOTO: Jack and Ruby with Elvin Hicks (Ruby's brother)

In 1984 Jack and Ruby celebrated their 58th wedding anniversary at the annual Carter/Arnold family reunion in Floral, Arkansas

This is how I remember them. During my childhood they lived near us and worked at Friday Farms. 

Here is what Bob Burford (Ruby's nephew) wrote:

Vic Friday owned half of Michigan. Jack and Ruby lived in Missouri. Vic offered Jack a job - foreman or some such thing. Gave them a house, a company vehicle, and a very nice income. I'm sure there were other nice perks that went along with the deal. Jack had a 4th-grade education, couldn't read or write. (He would occasionally ask Ruby to get her Bible and read to him about "Edam and Ab.") But he was doing way better than his better educated relatives.

Jack and Ruby had one child, a daughter, Oma Dell.

Oma Dell was born with a cleft palate. She had it surgically repaired when she was about 10 or 11 years old. 

Jack Barnett was a very tender-hearted man. One of the things I've heard in the family was this -- The reason they only had one child was because after seeing Ruby go through childbirth, he couldn't stand the thought of her having to experience that ordeal ever again. It's the same reason they waited so long before having Oma Dell's cleft palate fixed. Jack couldn't bear the idea of his little girl going through surgery.

Jack and Ruby were married 65 years. 

Ruby Dorcas Hicks Barnett died 01 January 2004, in Searcy, White County, Arkansas.

Jack and Ruby are buried in Quattlebaum Cemetery in White County, Arkansas

(The Quattlebaum family is Jack's mother's relatives.)

Arnold Ancestors - Generation 4 - Ruby Dorcas Hicks, Part One

Moving on from George Arnold's family to George's sister Annie's. Annie Arnold married Ulysses Fillmore Hicks. They were my great-grandparents, and I was very privileged in that they were still living and were part of my childhood.

Ruby Dorcas Hicks was born 22 May 1912, in Judsonia, White County, Arkansas

PHOTO: Ulys and Annie with Ruby

PHOTO: Ruby Hicks, 11 days old.

I guess this is where the unwritten family tradition started of taking pictures of babies when they were 11 days old. I don't know if it was on purpose or just coincidental in the beginning, but it was well established three generations later when my babies were being born. 

PHOTO: Ruby Hicks

PHOTO: Ruby Hicks (right) with her sister Irene.

PHOTO: Annie and Ulys with Ruby and Irene

PHOTO: Ruby and Irene

Ulys and Annie had ten children. The first one, a boy, died at birth. The other nine grew to adulthood, and most of them were an active part of my childhood. The third daughter was my grandmother, Cleffie.

PHOTO: Ruby, Irene, and Cleffie

PHOTO: Annie, Ruby, Irene, Cleffie

PHOTO: Irene (left) and Ruby holding Cleffie

PHOTO: Ruby, Irene, and Cleffie

PHOTO: Annie with Ruby, Irene, Cleffie, and Elvin

I call this picture "Stairsteps" -- Ruby, Irene, Cleffie, Elvin, and Evalee.

They had been eating watermelon.

PHOTO: Annie capping strawberries, with (L-R) Elvin, Irene, Evalee (front), Ruby, and Cleffie

PHOTO: Ruby (right) with cousin Tom Williams (next to Ruby) and friends Luther Sparcer and Violet Mobley. I believe this was Tom's car.

PHOTO: Ruby and Cleffie

PHOTO: Ruby, Irene, Cleffie

* * *

I have so many pictures of aunt Ruby, and I hate to leave any of them out. So I'm going to divide this post into two parts. Tomorrow I'll post pictures of her after she was married.