Story Pages

Charles William Spratt

Ode To The Shed Out Back

When I got out of the Army I came home to live with my parents . I had a job shortly after I got home working during the week , but week ends were free to do with what I wanted to do . My Daddy decided he wanted to add...
Continue reading
  1183 Views
  1 Comment
1183 Views
1 Comment
Charles William Spratt

My Genealogy

I had a very very special childhood . When I was growing up it never entered my mind that there was any other way than the way I was growing up . I had a Mommy , I had a Daddy , My Mommy stayed home , My Daddy worked ,...
Continue reading
  1042 Views
  2 Comments
1042 Views
2 Comments
Charles William Spratt

The Day My Daddy Died

I think back over the years when I was a kid that my Daddy whipped me for getting into trouble with his big strong arms . Working in the oilfield pipeline business you really really strong and my Daddy showed it . But as he got older I started noticing how...
Continue reading
  1227 Views
  2 Comments
1227 Views
2 Comments
Annie Payne

Dear Diary...My heart is broken.

Dear Diary...My heart is broken.
Normal 0 false false false EN-AU X-NONE X-NONE Am I allowed to say that I hate my mother? While our relationship has always been pretty rocky (I know I remind her too much of Dad), her latest cruelty has totally shocked me and I just feel that it has killed our...
Continue reading
  1809 Views
  2 Comments
1809 Views
2 Comments
Millard Don Carriker

Aladdin's Lamp and The Butter Thief

Aladdin's Lamp and The Butter Thief
There was an upside to my finger being crushed by that rod line.  Dad must have contacted the oil company who operated the lease because several months later he, Mother, and I drove to Oklahoma City to visit an official in the oil company's executive offices.   Dad came out with $300.00;...
Continue reading
  1720 Views
  2 Comments
1720 Views
2 Comments
Millard Don Carriker

Shaking the Oklahoma Dust Off Our Sandals

We bought our groceries on credit in “Jim Trout’s” store in Drumright.  Dad paid the bill when he came home.  On bill paying days Mr. Trout always filled a paper bag with penny candy and gave itto Mother, to be doled out to the kids.  I am sure he was pleased...
Continue reading
  1378 Views
  1 Comment
1378 Views
1 Comment
Millard Don Carriker

A Mother Can Take Only So Much

The strain of being a single parent living in poverty at one point proved to be too much for Mother.  One day when I was tagging along behind Willard and Gene as they roamed around playing in a field across the highway someone came to tell them to come home quickly. ...
Continue reading
  1356 Views
  1 Comment
1356 Views
1 Comment
Millard Don Carriker

The Storm Cellar and a Budding Showman

To her dying day, Mother had a terrible fear of “storms.”  Soon after moving onto an oil company lease near Drumright OK, she gave my brothers Rudy, Willard and Gene the job of digging a storm cellar.   It would be a refuge for her and her brood when the always-expected tornado...
Continue reading
  1510 Views
  2 Comments
1510 Views
2 Comments
Janice Ryan

Senior Prom

In December of my senior year at Bristol High a group of my girl friends all got together, secured dates and began preparation of what to wear!  I made my evening gown of red taffeta covered with two layers of white net.  It was strapless. I was so proud of tis accomplishment. My date...
Continue reading
  1528 Views
  3 Comments
1528 Views
3 Comments
Charles William Spratt

God's In Control

I’ve learned over the years that no matter what the circumstances are . Let God take care of your problems . I tried many times to take care of my problems my self and I always failed and made a mess out of it . It took me a bad marriage...
Continue reading
  1132 Views
  2 Comments
1132 Views
2 Comments
Sandy Jones

My First Career Change: Age 11

The earliest recollection I have of what I wanted to be when I grow is probably elementary school age. I wanted to be a stewardess. This was before we had to call everyone a "flight attendant".  This was a short-lived dream for two very big reasons:  First I had a growth-hormone...
Continue reading
  1402 Views
  2 Comments
1402 Views
2 Comments
Charles William Spratt

The Mother To My Two Son's

About the first of April 1988 I met my current wife . A wonderful woman and mother to my two son’s . Again If you want to meet some one with your like interest go do the things you like to do . How are you going to meet some one...
Continue reading
  1054 Views
  2 Comments
1054 Views
2 Comments
Charles William Spratt

My BIG Mistake

After I had got a job and settled in St Louis area my girl friend and I was getting pretty serious with each other   . the following April after I had moved to St Louis I took her down to meet my Mom and Dad . On the way back...
Continue reading
  425 Views
  1 Comment
425 Views
1 Comment
Charles William Spratt

Moving To St Louis

They always told me that if you wanted to meet some one that you will like go do something that you like to do . The only thing is I like to stay home . How are you supposed to meet some one if you stay at home? I had heard...
Continue reading
  953 Views
  2 Comments
953 Views
2 Comments
Charles William Spratt

Moving Back To Oklahoma

After my wife died and it was left up to me to cook ; wash the dishes ; do the laundry ; clean the house for me and two son’s ages six and four I learned what my wife had done with her time . after doing a forty hour week...
Continue reading
  1053 Views
  2 Comments
1053 Views
2 Comments
Charles William Spratt

How I Got Saved

After my wife’s death   one of my dear friends from work that I had gone to Tech school with said “ You Ain’t   Driving” I spent the first night with them . He even gave up his bed for me that night . A teacher from the headstart watched...
Continue reading
  1025 Views
  2 Comments
1025 Views
2 Comments
Charles William Spratt

A BIG SHOCK

Mepco Electra had hired me to be the night plant maintenance man after a short training period . We had lived in Mineral Wells about two months and life was looking up pretty good but something was missing . We wanted a little girl in our lives . So we decided...
Continue reading
  1124 Views
  1 Comment
1124 Views
1 Comment
Charles William Spratt

Starting My Family

I dated this girl for quite a while then I moved to the town she lived about 50 miles away . I got a job first working for the City doing what ever they needed me to do . The water Department , Street Department , Sewer Department Sanitation Department ....
Continue reading
  1131 Views
  1 Comment
1131 Views
1 Comment
Charles William Spratt

My First Date With My Wife

I was discharged out of the Army December 6 1966 . The first thing I did after I went home was   to join the VFW . I started attending their meetings every Friday night and within two weeks I had a job at the local flour mill . I was...
Continue reading
  1115 Views
  1 Comment
1115 Views
1 Comment
Charles William Spratt

Ft Hood Texas

When I got back home   from Viet Nam I went home for two weeks leave and then reported back to duty at Ft Hood Texas . I was in Firth Army in an Engineer Unit . My brother had been in the Army before me and had joined the 2...
Continue reading
  1151 Views
  2 Comments
1151 Views
2 Comments
       
111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120