Goodbye to my Cousin JOE NATHAN HORNBEAK a/k/a JOE JUNIOR HORNBEAK

By Gloria DULAN-Wilson

Gloria Dulan-Wilson

 

I was devastated to learn of the passing of my cousin JOE NATHAN HORNBEAK - OR JOE JUNIOR, as we called him when we were kids. 

 

Joe Nathan Hornbeak

 

 

The first time I saw him was when we were kids, running up and down the gully in front of my Grandparents home in the all Black town of Burneyville, Oklahoma. 

 

My Grandmom, his aunt, was Cornelia Hoenbeak Gaines - a member of the Hornbeak Clan - as was an entire branch of my Mom's family.  As his cousin, I really didn't pay Joe Junior much attention until I was about 15 years old, when I had the opportunity to watch him play basketball and literally carry the entire game. And. while I was proud of him, I probably would not have noticed him then had it not been for my friend Sylvia Carroll Perry who was visiting my grandparents with me, and immediately developed a crush on him. Until then, I really hadn't noticed how handsome my cousin had become. To me he was just tall and lanky, always cracking jokes and eating like there was no tomorrow. 

 

It would be nearly 50 years before we saw each other again - and sadly, it was at my mom, Ruby Love's funeral in April 2014. Joe Junior was as tall, handsome and lanky as ever; but this time his hair was all white, and he was a college professor at LANGSTON UNIVERSITY - Oklahoma's only HBCU - where practically every member of the DULAN Family had attended. 

 

Following the funeral, at our home, he and I began to catch up on old times, and found that we both had a love of history and were interested in sharing the rich history of our family's heritage and Blacks in Oklahoma with the world. 

 

I remember talking about my two favorite portraits of my grandparents that used to hang on the wall of Grandmom's dining room. They were of my very handsome grandfather, Enoch Gaines, and my equally beautiful grandmom, Cornelia Hornbeak Gaines.  They disappeared shortly after my granddaddy passed.  I was 13 at the time.  I told him I suspected Cousin Maudie as having stolen it - and he corroborated my suspicion. We  even talked about how to get them back.  We also bragged on Burneyville being an All Black Town, and how things were different from the rest of the cities in Oklahoma. His wife had also begun some of the research as well. We were having fun and had actually promised to cooperate in putting the threads together to trace the different family lineages. However, it was something that did not take place. 

 

In fact, a few years ago I tried to reach him at Langston, but was unable to do so because he retired shortly thereafter - so we lost touch. 

 

When my brother, Sylvester, told me that Joe Junior had passed, I felt like someone had bunched me in my heart.  Especially since I had just called Syl to inform him of my childhood friend, Tessya Smith Polk's passing. It was like being hit with a double whammy. 

 

 I keep saying we had to do better about keeping in touch with each other - and then it doesn't happen. So I want to apologize to members of the Hornbeak clan for not being more vocal or visible. I'm going to do better going forward. 

 

My younger brother, Sylvester DULAN had planned to attend Joe Junior's service and represent the family, but now will not be able to do so because of other pressing family issues.

 

So I extend my love and condolences to his widow, his children, friends, fans and the entire Hornbeak Clan. I know Joe Junior is resting in peace and power with our Ancestor/Angels. 

  

Stay Blessed 

 

 

Gloria Jeanne DULAN-Wilson

Daughter of Ruby Gaines DULAN

Proud Granddaughter of Cornelia HORNBEAK Gaines and Enoch Gaines of the Hornbeak Clan of the Cherokee Nation of Marietta, Oklahoma

ICYMI: OKLAHOMA'S 67 ALL BLACK TOWNS (reprint)

By Gloria Dulan-Wilson

Hello All:

A recent posting on FaceBook has prompted me to provide you with a partial listing of some of the Black towns that existed in Oklahoma Territory before the Oklahoma "Ruin" of April 22, 1889 - which was the biggest land grab outside of the Bush mortgage debacle of 2008.
There are others, but this should suffice to show that Greenwood - so called "Black Wall Street" - was not the only town where Blacks were thriving and raising families, Black in the day.  While historians may claim that Black towns only came into existence after th eCivil War, Black slaves were escaping into Oklahoma territory long before the Civil War, and had established homes, businesses, schools and churches long before the Oklahoma Ruin of 1889.  The land grab spelled in many ways, Black autonomy in Oklahoma for many people who had enjoyed living without white oppression, racism, and violence.  

African Towns and Settlements of Indian and Oklahoma Territories

AFRICAN GHOST TOWNS

• Arkansas Colored
• Bookertee
• Canadian Colored
• Chase
• Ferguson
• Lincoln City
• Marshall Town
• North Fork Town
• Old Vinita
• Wybark

AFRICAN TOWNS TODAY

• Arcadia
• Boley
• Langston
• Red Bird
• Rentiesville
• Taft
• Tullahassee
• Vernon
• Wewoka

AFRICAN GHOST TOWNS

ARKANSAS COLORED TOWN----From 1895 onward, this small black settlement existed in the southern part of the Chickasaw Nation. A post office operated in this town from 1895 to 1912. Not much more has even been written about the town, nor the Freedmen who resided within its limits. No trace exists of the settlement today.
BOOKERTEE----Three miles northeast of Weleetka in Okfuskee County the settlement of Bookertee used to lie. The town was named after Booker T. Washington, and was at its peak around 1920. No remnants nor written history of this settlement exists.
CANADIAN COLORED---About 10 miles south and west of the town of Eufaula the black settlement known as Canadian Colored Town existed. Nearby was the Civil War point known as Canadian Depot, which was a supply point during the Civil War. Since there were already places with the name of ?Canadian? elsewhere in the region and since this particular settlement had a large black settlement it became known as the Canadian Colored Town and with time it was simply referred to as Canadian Colored.
CHASE---Established in 1903, this town was 8 miles southwest of Muskogee. In 1908, the name of the town was changed to Beland. Neither names exist today.
FERGUSON---In 1901 this settlement on the Canadian River North in Blaine County O.T. was established. It was 12 miles directly north of the town of Watonga Oklahoma. No longer in existence.
LINCOLN CITY---Established in 1889 during the Oklahoma Land Rush, this town was a legacy to the All Black town movement of Edwin P. McCabe. It was located outside of Indian Territory and further west in Oklahoma Territory in Kingfisher County. Nothing remains today.
MARSHALL TOWN---As far back as the 1870s Marshall Town was known as a black settlement. The town was on a spot between the Arkansas River, and the Verdigris River. Between 1878 and 1885, many of the Creek Lighthorsemen were black, and there were constant clashes between Cherokee cattlemen, and the African Creek Lighthorse Police. Many of these clashes were fatal between the African Creeks and the Cherokee cattlemen. Some researchers indicated that a state that closely resembled a racial war continued for several years in the area around Marshall Town. In 1876 one of the African Lighthorsemen was killed, and in 1879 one of the Cherokee cattlemen, John Vann, was killed. It was believed that the death of the Cherokee was in revenge of the death of the African Lighthorseman. The conflicts continued for several years, and did not quiet down till the mid 1880?s.
NORTH FORK TOWN---Originally a Creek Settlement, by the 1850?s this town had a considerable number of Africans residing in the town. By 1862 the town in the early part of the Civil War, the town was raided by Confederates and many of the African citizens lost personal property and were forced to flee the town for some time. The Claims of the Loyal Creeks were made in 1867 whereby several hundred Black Creeks spoke of their lives and property in North Fork Town. (These claims can be read at the National Archives.) By the turn of the century it was an exclusively African town, with Sugar T. George serving as the most widely respected Town King in the Creek Nation.
OLD VINITA---This was a primarily black settlement in the Cherokee Nation, and was home to mostly Cherokee Freedmen. Many Freedmen eventually left and settled in Coffeyville Kansas, for job opportunities. This black settlement has been absorbed into the current city of Vinita Oklahoma.
WYBARK---Established in 1890, though settled a bit earlier, Wybark was 4 miles north of Muskogee. The town operated a post office from 1890 to 1940. It is believed to have absorbed some of the old settlement of North Fork though no remains of that town are noted. The town faded in the 1940?s.

Map of Black Towns in Oklahoma Yesteryear and Today

 

AFRICAN TOWNS TODAY

ARCADIA---Established in 1890, this town is the most recently incorporated of the historically black towns. It was incorporated in 1987--almost 1900 years after the post office was established in the town.
BOLEY---Located in the western part of Okfuskee County this historically black town was established in 1903. The town of Boley is also the site of the noted attempted bank robbery that was foiled when Black townsmen prevented the Pretty Boy Floyd gang from robbing the town's only bank. Now a much smaller town of about 750 residents, this was the at one time most vibrant black towns in all of Indian Territory. In addition each year the town hosts one of the most famous events of the state-----the Boley Black Rodeo. Horsemen from throughout the region participate in this annual event each year during Memorial Day weekend. Many of the structures are on the National Register of Historic Places. During the early 1900?s Boley was considered to be the largest black town in the United States. During the days when Boley was at its peak more than 4000 blacks lived in the town. Several restaurants, hotels and businesses were a part of this city's legacy.
LANGSTON---This city was named for the noted educator and abolitionist John Mercer Langston. It was founded in 1891, and is home to Langston University the farthest west of the Historically Black Colleges & Universities. The town was founded during the heart of the campaign to establish and all black state initiated by Edwin P. McCabe from Kansas.
RED BIRD--- In the Creek Nation, this town lies only a few miles from Coweta Oklahoma. it was officially established in 1902 though it existed as a settlement before that time. It was always a rural community and was home to many Creek Freedmen as well as State Blacks who relocated to the Twin Territories in the late 19th century. Red Bird served as a market center for many rural black farmers, providing a market exchange for the black farmers of the region. The population of the town peaked out at about 400 in the 1920?s.
RENTIESVILLE---Now only a bed-room community, this town hosts the often tri-annual reenactment of the famous Battle of Honey Springs. In the heart of the Creek Nation and only a few miles south of Muskogee this town lies on the banks of Elk Creek. The Civil War battle was won, interestingly by black soldiers many from the Creek Nation, who had served in two units------the 1st Kansas Colored and the Indian Home Guards. The well written about Texas Road runs right through the heart of Rentiesville.
TAFT---Originally known as Twine, I.T. this Creek Nation black town was established in 1903. Like neighboring Red Bird, it was a market for rural farmers mostly black. Many Creek Freedmen lived in or near Taft. The city council still exists today and is one of the few black towns remaining that has a town council still in operation. The town of Taft is now home to the Creek Freedmen Shrine and African American landmark built by Napoleon Davis a memorial to the history of the 5000 Africans who lived in the Creek Nation.
TULLAHASSEE---The history of this town pre-dates Oklahoma statehood by 57 years. Established as a mission for the Creeks in 1850, Tullahassee became the site of the famous Creek Academy--the Tullahassee Mission School. It later was abandoned by the Creek Indians who left it as a school for their former African slaves. The Tullahassee Mission school then became a boarding school for the next two decades for Creek and Seminole Freedmen, under the leadership of Fisk and Hampton trained teachers and under the financial leadership of Sugar T. George, African Town King and leader from North Fork.
VERNON---The town of Vernon was founded by Edwin P. McCabe the Kansas auditor who launched the all black town movement. It was established in 1895, and still exists today.
WEWOKA---Established by African Seminole leader John Horse, in the 1840?s this particular town is now mostly white, though a sizable black community still survives in this area. The town is the county seat of Seminole County. Founder John Horse left Indian Territory in 1848 taking several hundred Africans with him to northern Mexico, attempting to escape raids from the Creek Nation, and efforts to force them back into slavery. The town had notable African Seminoles among its residents at one time---Negro Abraham, Caesar Bruner, Dorsar Barkus, Cudjoe and others. ( The Seminole nation today now has two African bands both led by African American women tribal leaders.)

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Tulsa Historical Society

Learn » Past Exhibits » All Black Towns of Oklahoma

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All Black Towns of Oklahoma

May 2010 – September 2010 – NOW CLOSED
Oklahoma’s all-black towns epitomize the unique African-American history of the Sooner State. From the mid-nineteenth century to 1920, African-Americans established more than 50 identifiable towns and communities, some of short duration and some still existing at the turn of the 21st century. Many started as cohesive farming communities that supported businesses, schools and churches, eventually gaining town status. Entrepreneurs in these communities started every imaginable kind of business, including newspapers, and advertised throughout the South for settlers.
This traveling exhibit from the Oklahoma Historical Society is made possible through funding by the Oklahoma Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

 

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Table of Contents Search All Entries Home ALL-BLACK TOWNS The All-Black towns of Oklahoma represent a unique chapter in American history. Nowhere else, neither in the Deep South nor in the Far West, did so many African American men and women come together to create, occupy, and govern their own communities. From 1865 to 1920 African Americans created more than fifty identifiable towns and settlements, some of short duration and some still existing at the beginning of the twenty-first century. All-Black towns grew in Indian Territory after the Civil War when the former slaves of the Five Civilized Tribes settled together for mutual protection and economic security. When the United States government forced American Indians to accept individual land allotments, most Indian "freedmen" chose land next to other African Americans. They created cohesive, prosperous farming communities that could support businesses, schools, and churches, eventually forming towns. Entrepreneurs in these communities started every imaginable kind of business, including newspapers, and advertised throughout the South for settlers. Many African Americans migrated to Oklahoma, considering it a kind of "promise land." When the Land Run of 1889 opened yet more "free" land to non-Indian settlement, African Americans from the Old South rushed to newly created Oklahoma. E. P. McCabe, a former state auditor of Kansas, helped found Langston and encouraged African Americans to settle in that All-Black town. To further his cause, McCabe established the Langston City Herald and circulated it, often by means of traveling agents, throughout the South. McCabe hoped that his tactics would create an African American political power block in Oklahoma Territory. Other African American leaders had a vision of an All-Black state. Although this dream was never realized, many All-Black communities sprouted and flourished in the rich topsoil of the new territory and, after 1907, the new state. In these towns African Americans lived free from the prejudices and brutality found in other racially mixed communities of the Midwest and the South. African Americans in Oklahoma and Indian Territories would create their own communities for many reasons. Escape from discrimination and abuse would be a driving factor. All-Black settlements offered the advantage of being able to depend on neighbors for financial assistance and of having open markets for crops. Arthur Tolson, a pioneering historian of blacks in Oklahoma, asserts that many African Americans turned to "ideologies of economic advancement, self-help, and racial solidarity." Marshalltown, North Fork Colored, Canadian Colored, and Arkansas Colored existed as early as the 1860s in Indian Territory. Other Indian Territory towns that no longer exist include Sanders, Mabelle, Wiley, Homer, Huttonville, Lee, and Rentie. Among the Oklahoma Territory towns no longer in existence are Lincoln, Cimarron City, Bailey, Zion, Emanuel, Udora, and Douglas. Towns that still survive are Boley, Brooksville, Clearview, Grayson, Langston, Lima, Red Bird, Rentiesville, Summit, Taft, Tatums, Tullahassee, and Vernon. The largest and most renowned of these was Boley. Booker T. Washington, nationally prominent African American educator, visited Boley twice and even submitted a positive article on the town to Outlook Magazine in 1908. The passage of many Jim Crow laws by the Oklahoma Legislature immediately after statehood caused some African Americans to become disillusioned with the infant state. During this time Canada promoted settlement and, although the campaign focused on whites, a large contingent of African Americans relocated to that nation's western plains, forming colonies at Amber Valley, Alberta, and Maidstone, Saskatchewan. Another exodus from Oklahoma occurred with the "Back to Africa" movements of the early twentieth century. A large group of Oklahomans joined the ill-fated Chief Sam expedition to Africa. A number of other African Americans migrated to colonies in Mexico. White distrust also limited the growth of these All-Black towns. As early as 1911 whites in Okfuskee County attempted to block further immigration and to force African Americans into mixed but racially segregated communities incapable of self-support. Several of these white farmers signed oaths pledging to "never rent, lease, or sell land in Okfuskee County to any person of Negro blood, or agent of theirs; unless the land be located more than one mile from a white or Indian resident." To further stem the black migration to eastern Oklahoma a similar oath was developed to prevent the hiring of "Negro labor." Events of the 1920s and 1930s spelled the end for most black communities. The All-Black towns in Oklahoma were, for the most part, small agricultural centers that gave nearby African American farmers a market. Prosperity generally depended on cotton and other crops. The Great Depression devastated these towns, forcing residents to go west and north in search of jobs. These flights from Oklahoma caused a huge population decrease in black towns. As people left, the tax base withered, putting the towns in financial jeopardy. In the 1930s many railroads failed, isolating small towns in Oklahoma from regional and national markets. As a result, many of the black towns could not survive. During lean years whites would not extend credit to African Americans, creating an almost impossible situation for black farmers and businessmen to overcome. Even one of the most successful towns, Boley, declared bankruptcy in 1939. Today, only thirteen All-Black towns still survive, but their legacy of economic and political freedom is well remembered. SEE ALSO: AFRICAN AMERICANS, BOLEY, BROOKSVILLE, CLEARVIEW, FREEDMEN, LANGSTON, LINCOLN CITY, EDWARD McCABE, RED BIRD, RENTIESVILLE, SEGREGATION, SETTLEMENT PATTERNS, SUMMIT, TAFT, TATUMS, TULLAHASSEE, VERNON BIBLIOGRAPHY: Black Dispatch (Oklahoma City), 8 March 1923. Norman Crockett, The Black Towns (Lawrence: University of Kansas Press, 1979). Norman Crockett, "Witness to History: Booker T. Washington Visits Boley," The Chronicles of Oklahoma 67 (Winter 1989-90). Kenneth Lewallan, "Chief Alfred Sam: Black Nationalism on the Great Plains, 1913-14," Journal of the West 16 (January 1977). Bruce Shepard, "North to the Promised Land: Black Migration to the Canadian Plains," The Chronicles of Oklahoma 66 (Fall 1988).

Now that you know

  WHAT WILL YOU DO ABOUT IT?

Stay Blessed & 

ECLECTICALLY BLACK

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gloria DULAN-Wilson

 

CELEBRATING THE 100th BIRTHDAY ANNIVERSARY OF MY MOM RUBY LOVE DULAN FEBRUARY 22, 1923 - FEBRUARY 22, 2023

By Gloria DULAN-Wilson

Hello All:

My Mom, Ruby Love DULAN, made her transition on April 14, 2014 to the realm of Ancestor / Angels.  In so doing, she was reunited with the love of her life, my dad, Warner Hale Dulan, Sr. They had had 47 years of a happy love and marriage before he made his transition.  Mom was 64 when she lost her lifemate.  They had planned on doing so many wonderful things.  But multiple myeloid cancer cut those plans, leaving her a relatively young widow.  The next 27 years she valiantly fought each and every day to live and enjoy her life.  She was the last of her family line of 5 daughters and 1 son of Cornelia HORNBEAK- Gaines and Enoch Gaines of the all Black town of Burneyville, Oklahoma.

Today, mother would have been 100 years old.  She had fully expected to make it to the age of 100 - she was definitely working on it.  She had aunts and other family members who had done so.  My great grandfather, her grandaddy, lived to be 123 years old.  She had the combined challenges of diabetes and kidney failure - but she did not allow either of these two ailments to slow her down. She took her medications, but continued to hang out, read, maintain the home Daddy had built for her, look after my brother who was inflicted with schizophrenia, and enjoy her life.

This is in tribute to my mom who managed to live and be active, alert, and energetic until the age of 91.   This is a compilation of memories in no particular order - I'm sure my brother Syl, who was her primary caregiver, and my sister Brenda, have even more to add.   In the midst of losing so many friends during this pandemic of COVID 19, I am beginning to rewind all the things and people for whom I am most grateful - and my mother, RUBY LOVE DULAN, definitely goes to the head of the list.  

I spoke with my brother Silas Sylvester DULAN II, and my sister, Brenda DULAN-Moore, earlier today, after  failed attempt at putting together a Zoom tribute for Mom - BTW, Mom would have absolutely loved the Zoom technology - and would have used it on a daily basis.  She loved to talk - and would have definitely reached out to us - but more especially her grandchildren - on a daily basis.

 

Mom Ruby Love Dulan in 1943 Age 20

As you can see from this picture above, my Mom Ruby Love was drop dead gorgeous.  This is the beauty my Dad say at the Black USO dance he attended in Oklahoma City, while on furlough.  This is the beauty who stopped his heart from beating.  This is the beauty he met and married on the same day, and loved her from moment on.  The only arguments I ever heard between them was who loved who more; and when he made an impulse purchase of some extravagant gift for her, when they were having difficulty supporting a family with four kids.  She'd chide him, but she couldn't really condemn him because she knew it was because of love.

She was definitely a beacon of love in all our lives  - her very middle name was LOVE - Ruby Love was the baby of the family.  My Grandparents certainly named her right!

OWED TO RUBY LOVE

Ruby you may be the baby
That you got all the wisdom and love is no maybe

You nurtured us when we were small
You stood behind us through it all

You and Daddy were a heaven of a team
You made love and happiness more than a dream

Whenever we thought we could do things in any old way
You put us in check without delay -with dire consequences to pay

You taught us fashion, style and etiquette
You gave us a foundation we'll never forget

You taught me how to be a good mother
You passed the same wisdom to our baby brother

And when things tried to get you down
You not only got up, you actually rebound(ed)

You come from a tough genetic code
Black and Cherokee will never erode

No matter what they throw your way
You let them know you're here to stay

Mom I truly hope I have all your genes
You've shown me what eternal youth means

You don't just take things and make do
You transform them and make them new

What I've learned from you, the world is just finding out
They have yet to deal with what life is about

I just wanted to let you how much you're a treasure
How many things I recall with pleasure

And now that you're celebrating birthday 88
You're not just RUBY LOVE, YOU'RE RUBY THE GREAT

(c) 2,22,2011 PoeticLicense by Gloria DULAN-Wilson;

Rev. 2.22.2023 by Gloria DULAN-Wilson

 

MOMILY MEMORIES: 
Mom these are just some of the things I remember from growing up with you, Brenda, Warner, Sylvester, Daddy, Grandmom Cornelia, Grandaddy Enoch, Granddaddy Silas, Grandmom Zady - and all the other wonderful Oklahoma childhood memories:

I remember you made us fresh popped popcorn in a skillet. We each had our own bag and would eat it by the fistfuls  (Eating some right now in memory of Mom)
I remember your making us oatmeal from scratch, putting raisins and cinnamon and fresh butter on top, toast and eggs and bacon on the side.
I remember fresh whole wheat toast, bacon (yes I used to eat pork), dansom plum jam, and one egg over easy for breakfast before going to school.
I remember you used to put Vaseline on our legs,  knees, elbows, arms, hands and forehead so we wouldn't go to school ashy.
I remember putting lemon rinds on our knees and elbows so they wouldn't be rusty (a trick I taught my daughters)
I remember you reading us fairy tales before going to bed
I remember blowing a bubble gum bigger than my head, and when it popped it got in my hair and you had to cut it out
I remember Brenda and I sitting on the front porch with root beer and shaking it up so it would foam up and run over the top of the bottle on to the porch
I remember Brenda and I blowing bubbles into our milk to make it foam up and run over - we really did get into a lot of stuff, didn't we?
I remember playing dress up, and getting into your clothes, with your high heels, hats, gloves, and dresses. We used to parade around the house and pretend to be you.
I remember you trying to teach me how to draw; fortunately Brenda was really a genius - my stick figures just didn't really make it.
I remember my first pair of high heels - you bought them for me because I was in the Glee Club at Moon Jr. High; I was 13 years old, and would have been the only girl without heels.  I remember leaving for the event with a long face, and a pair of flat shoes - you surprised me with these beautiful Amalfi shoes with cuban styled heels.
I remember your making cakes, pies, cookies, muffins, biscuits, yeast rolls, and EVERYTHING from scratch (I'm a great cook, but I could never bake like you -- all my pie crusts turn out harder than the pie pan). 

I remember We never had dinner without some kind of dessert.
I remember that old scrapbook that you used to collect your favorite recipes - and your old BETTY CROCKER cookbook.
I remember you sending me to pull a switch off a tree so you could spank me for something I had done; and the warning not to come back with some dried up old twig.
I remember sitting on Grandmother Cornelia's front porch swing down home; and your catching buffalo fish so we could help clean and fry them - MMMMMM good! (and buffalo fish is still my favorite fish)
I remember wearing big straw hats in the summertime, because Grandmother Cornelia said the sun was bad for our skin;
I remember mosquito nets at night so the mosquitoes wouldn't be able to eat us up alive
I remember Grandmother Cornelia having millions of cats.
I remember great grandmother Suzie (your dad's mother) who lived in the shack (her choice) down the road; and Grandmother Cornelia taking her food to eat; she had a 3 legged cast iron pot in the front (she scared the beejeebers out of me).
I remember Grandaddy taking us into Ardmore to get soda-pops and Cracker Jacks with the real prizes in them - and everybody greeting him with respect
I remember Grandmother Corneilia's hand made birch bark furniture; cactus lining the front gate; the gully in front of the house, the china berry and horse apple trees; and all her fresh made preserves, cho-cho, pickled Okra (love it), and prickly pear preserves.
I remember that fantastic sepia picture with the oval frame of Grandaddy on the wall - he was soooooooo fine - with those sunny brown eyes, and that part in his hair (I wish I knew who stole that picture, I'd track them down and get it back).  Joe Jr. said cousin Maudie stole the picture.  She's also now in the realm of Ancestor/Angels - so when you see her, tell her I want it back. 
I remember Grandmother Cornelia having Brenda and I pick the grey hairs out and put them in a bowl so they wouldn't come back (old Cherokee superstition - you never throw hair away, the birds might find it, like it, and begin swooping down on you for more of your hair to build their nests).
I remember sitting and watching while Grandmother Cornelia braided her hair in two long plaits that she parted on either side of her shoulders.
I remember the hot comb and getting my hair "straightened" - of course I've been natural now for six + decades.  I admit that I hated getting my hair pressed, but I did look cute with the styles you gave me.  Of course, I remember when I became interested in boys, I suddenly changed my mind and couldn't wait to get my hair pressed (until I woke up to my own intrinsic beautiful Blackness)
I remember playing hopscotch on the driveway; jump rope, hide and go seek (where we counted by fives) playing jacks; and my first day of kindergarten
I remember making paper dolls and designing outfits for them; I remember keeping them in a decorated cigar box.  I also remember my extensive collection of Katy Keene and Milly the Model comic books - with the paper doll cut outs
I remember nursery school with Ms. Sonders (Sandra Lou's mom) and being scared to go there  because they used to tell us that the Big Bad Wolf would get bad kids, and I wasn't sure if I was good or bad - you reassured me that I was good, and not to worry.
I remember you making lunch for scratch for Daddy every day when he worked at Tinker Air Force Base - sometimes he would have to leave at the crack of dawn, and we didn't see him again until late that evening.
I remember sitting and watching cartoons with you  - your favorites were Heckle and Jeckle and Woodie Woodpecker.
I remember watching silent movies with you; and all the old classic movies - especially the old black and white romance movies  - on TV; to this day I'm still an old movie buff because of you.
I remember listening to such greats as Lloyd Price, Billy Eckstine, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Dinah Washington, Billie Holiday, and so many others.
I remember you and daddy taking us to the Black owned theatres - the Jewel, the Eastside and the Aldrich, where we would go and see the movies of the day - or Black oldies like Stormy Weather, Bronze Buckaroo, Cabin in the Sky, etc.
I remember sitting on our front porch on N.E. 7th Street, and eating fresh picked cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and lettuce from your garden (that I helped plant).
I remember Ebony, Jet, Sepia, Tan, Crisis, Journal of Negro Education, and other Black magazines on our coffee table; and we had to read them
I remember Black history books, and participating in Negro History Week pageants - and having to collect stories about Black accomplishments (of course back in those days, we were "colored" or "Negroes")
I remember swinging from a rope swing on the Lucky Bean Tree in the back yard and building a tree house that actually lasted until the 90's - wow!
I remember getting to lick the bowl after you had made a cake or muffins from scratch.
I remember how good it smelled when you were making a roast or something in the kitchen.
I remember the fact that you were such a night owl that you would actually vacuum at 3 in the morning; I figure that's why I'm such a natural night owl myself.
I remember you and daddy making sure we spoke proper English; didn't split our infinitives, didn't talk flat, and didn't say "ain't". The penalties were to repeat the sentence over and over until we got it right.
I remember when you sold your part of the land Granddaddy and Grandmom left you so I could go to college.
I remember flash cards, and how we practiced until we learned our math, spelling and other lessons using them.
I remember when we used to stay with Grandaddy Silas in Luther, Oklahoma, and loving the smell of the woodburning stove, and being afraid of the outhouse (where a Black widow spider had spun a web over the seat).
I remember you used to make preserves; and that Grandmom and Grandaddy would send us up a gunny sack of pecans, that Brenda and I would almost eat in one sitting (of course a gunny sack is 100 lbs, but that's how much we love pecans).
I remember Grandmom would make us dresses out of flour sacks and send them to us - they were very pretty.
I remember Grandmom making doilies and roosters, and other stuff from crocheting; and those spectacular quilts she made at the quilting bees.
I remember Uncle Buddy, Aunt Mary, Aunt Trecia, Aunt JoAnn, and Aunt Eula - Billie Jean, Yay-Yay and Ronnie; and cousin Joe Jr. (who I had a crush on); and I remember riding on the front of Grandaddy Enoch's horse.
I remember jumping on fish gills to make them pop; and taking a magnifying glass to catch ants on fire.
I remember all those awful herb teas Grandaddy used to make to help stay well; and standing on the front porch, in the sunshine while you tried to get me to take cod liver oil (yuck) followed by an orange - the oil always came back up before I could take one bite of the orange - and you'd just make me take it again until I finally got it down (yuck again).
I remember your Singer Sewing Machine and all the wonderful outfits you made for Brenda and I. It was the machine I learned to sew on. It always fascinated me how you could transform a piece of fabric into such elegant creations - and you still have one of the most fabulous wardrobes going.
I remember how, in our home, birthdays were always celebrated.
I remember how you opened our home to all our best friends; how you tried to guide the kids in the neighborhood; how our yard was the neighborhood community yard.
I remember roasting weenies in the Back yard; camping out under home made tents;
I remember playing baseball, foot ball, acrobats, and all kinds of crazy stuff in our yard.
I remember skin-the-cat; turning flips, pole vaulting over the ropes, and making mud pies; johnson grass that was taller than we were, catching and mounting butter flies - all in our back yard.
I remember how you were always two jumps ahead of me in whatever crazy scheme I was cooking up or mischief I was getting ready to get into.
I remember Easter egg hunts in the yard; dressing up for Easter, participating in the Easter and Christmas pageants; and Father/Daughter dances.
I remember Juneteenth Picnic celebrations at Lake Olberhoster; and eating so much I got sick.
I remember only getting chicken pox in my hair so nobody knew I had it until it was almost over; and I remember having mumps only in one cheek.
I remember your sending us to the library every Saturday morning after we completed our chores; and me using my allowance to buy tons of books from Aladdin's book store - I was the resident book worm
I remember all those wonderful photos you had of you and Daddy when you were kids - you could have been a fashion model; he could have been on the cover of GQ -
I remember how beautiful you and your sisters were (and Aunt Mary and you still are).- and how each of you had married very handsome men - they really don't make them like they used to.
I remember your making my favorite German Sweet Chocolate cake every year for my birthday. No one makes it like you.
I remember Pecan Pie - peach cobbler, apple pie, cherry pie, blueberry pie, Ginger Bread hot out of the oven with fresh whipped cream, topped with peaches - right!
I remember my favorite ice cream was and is Black Walnut; followed closely by Rum Raisin, with a Chocolate a close third.
Peanutbutter Brickle from scratch, with real peanuts in it!
I remember Blackberry cobbler from scratch!! Yummmmm...!
I remember when I was in the NAACP Youth Council, and we were sitting in, you did like it but you supported us anyway. You and Dad always warned us about how vindictive rednecks were (sorry, had to go there;those were dangerous times indeed).
I remember how you kept your cool no matter what was going on - you handled it - you were unflappable; but always on point. You saw thru b.s. like nobody's business, and knew how to call a spade a spade - literally. My friends and I used to say that you put the best detective to shame.
I remember my best friend Tessa having to beg you to let me off of being grounded so I could go out after something I had done. She always promised I would be good, and never do it again - you knew better. But you let me go anyway.
I remember drawing and design houses for you from the ideas you had in your head - you truly had a knack for those kinds of things - the home you have now is proof of your insights.
I remember your wisdom in telling me to always double check what the doctors tell me, because some of them could not be trusted; a habit I have to this day. It's saved my life many times. It's a habit, thank God.  I hope I have those genes. I'm sure working on it.
Mom RUBY LOVE - I have so many memories. You know I could go on and on and on because there are so many things that I recall from childhood to now that I absolutely treasure.
So I hope this thumbnail down memories lane gives you some Idea of how much I love you and love the fact that you're my Mom.

Today I spoke with Brenda and Syl, who are drinking Jim Beam in your honor (not something I could ever handle - I'm a Rum and Coke fan myself - LOL)

Mom Ruby Love today I played MICHAEL JACKSON non stop in honor of you.  I remember how much you loved him, his genius and his creative talent - and your favorite MJ song: MAN IN THE MIRROR!  

Kira, Rais, and Adiya send you their love and respect.  They are each walking emanations of you - and are coming more and more into their own as they mature.  I pray they will continue to evolve into the beautiful spirits you and Daddy blessed us with.

 

Please give Dad, Lou, Adolf, and all the rest of the family my love.

 

HAPPY 100th BIRTHDAY ANNIVERSARY MOM!!

 
Written In Memoriam to Mom RUBY LOVE
LOVE YOU MUCHLY
Stay Blessed,
From Your Number One Child
Gloria Jeanne

MY MOM'S MOM - CORNELIA HORNBEAK GAINES

By Gloria Dulan-Wilson

Hello All:

I have been looking and looking for this picture of my Mom's Mom - actually, I always called her Grandmommy - who was the only other Aries in my entire family line - both sides.  She was, and still is, my inspiration.  

My Maternal Grandmother Cornelia Hornbeak Gaines

I have so many fond memories of her coming up.  She passed on to the realm of the Ancestor/Angels when I was 13.  I still wear the turqouise pinky ring which was the only piece of jewelry left of her extensive jewelry collection.  

In fact, I'm pretty sure I got my love of jewelry from the fact that she had a trunk full of jewelry on her dresser - I was constantly getting into it as a kid, and would walk around with her bracelets all the way up to my elbows, and her necklaces down to her knees.  She loved turquoise, but also had garnets, and other beautiful pieces as well. 

Her birthday was April 7, 1887 - but she was always so young to me, despite the fact that she had been subjected to missionary school when she was young - during the time when they tried to detribalize Native Americans.  Grandmom had an original  Cherokee name - but I don't know what it was. They renamed her Cornelia, however, her nickname was "Aint Boosie" because she was a midwife in the community, having delivered a great many babies in the small all Black town of Burneyville, OK.  

Grandmom was a fabulous cook, housewife, mother, designer.  She taught all her daughters to do and be the same - so I learned how to sew from both her and my mom.  

My granddad, Enoch Gaines, built her a fabulous home - the only home with electricity and indoor plumbing for a long time in that region.  He had 180 acres of land on the OKLAHOMA/Texas Border.   She and my granddaddy were married for 45 years until she passed on.  They had five girls - Eula Pearl, Altreca (Altreesa), Joanne, Mary, Ruby Love (my mom); and one son, AC aka, Uncle Buddy.  

I always loved going down home to stay with them for the summer.  She was a fantastic gardner, fisher, and just plain fun to be with.  She used to bounce us up and down on her knees; let us lick the bowl after she made the cake, and teach us how to quilt and do fun stuff.

My granddad was 7 years younger than she was, but he was the love of her life, and she was his.   We'd sit together in the big porch swing on the front porch and Grandmom would tell us all kinds of stories.

When we got a little older she'd let us braid her long hair - which was down to her waistline.  Cherokees have a tradition that if you have a grey hair and you pull it, no more grays would come to take its place.  She would have my sister Brenda and I looking for grey hair.  LOL

Grandmom would make furniture from birch trees - I used to try to do the same, but I was skinnier than most of the branches she pulled down and couldn't get them to cooperate.  She made stools, tables, chairs, and cradles.  She had a papoose carrier that she used for all of her kids - she carried them on her back when they were born.  My mother gave it to me when my first born, Kira, came along.  I have no idea where it is now.  But it was a beautiful work of art - so much so that I basically had it mounted on the wall and only took it down when I was showing off her handiwork.

She belonged to a quilting bee of local women - who would come together, swap patterns and ideas.  She also knew how to crochet - something I could never master.  I was great at knitting, but for whatever reason, crocheting just eluded me. 

Grandmom always had so many wise sayings - she used them to raise her own daughters, and tried to teach them to us.  Unfortunately, I can't remember half of them.

I do remember, though, that she had a cactus garden and she made prickly pear preserves; she canned or pickled most of the produce from her garden, and she loved to sing - or trill, which is what that high pitched warbeling most of our Indian sisters do.  Her favorite song was "You Brought Me A Might Long Way."  I can almost hear her singing it now.

Grandmom used to have us pick horseapples and fruit from the Chinaberry tree - and made all kinds of desserts for us.  She was the queen of caramel - and always used it between the layers of her cakes from scratch. 

So this is a pre-birthday homage to my wonderful Grandmother. She's on my mind now - and her spirit is with me now - so I'm writing this now to let her know that I hear her, and I love her, and she's very much in my heart.

So Happy Birthday Grandmom!  Much Love to You from your Baby Child's Firstborn, 
Gloria Jeanne


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