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Note: Lilah was a homemaker, bookkeeper for the family grocery stores, worked as a newspaper writer, and wrote poetry. She wrote columns for newspapers in Woodland Park, Colo. and Castle Rock, Colo., while they lived in those towns. She was especially active in her church and was the church news letter editor at Castle Rock Methodist Church for 31 years. She was a devoted mother and grandmother, had a wonderful sense of humor, and enjoyed reading and Bible study. As a mother-in-law, she was gentle and kind, always available for practical advice and rousing discussions of literature and child raising. A liberal Methodist, she was constantly learning about her faith and relished religious discussions and controversy. She volunteered her time at church and at the Castle Rock Senior Center, and had many long-time friends who also cherished her. Lilah is buried in the Castle Rock Cemetery, next to her husband.
For more notes, see Bridwell file.
autobiographical writings:
Date unknown: I was born in Cleveland Okla. My earliest memory is of a house across the street from the park. On of the family stories is that a Sunday School class having a picnic there and I asked Mother "Can I go over and peek thru the fence. maybe they will ask me in" In that house we had a great neighbor, Mrs. Davis. She had two sons w ho were friends of my brothers. Mrs. Davis was always giving me treats. One day the husband came home when I was eating a piece of chocolate cake and it was smeared from ear to ear--there I got my first and only nick name--chocolate. Years later whenever I saw the Davises I was still Chocolate.
From there we moved to the location where my folks lived until their deaths-The house was what was called a shotgun house, three rooms in a row with a sleeping porch built on the length of the house.
When the folks built another house on those lots, Dad borrowed $2,000 from the Building and Loan and that was the total cost of the house. It had gas lights and no indoor plumbing. To help in the cost of the building the old house was torn down and only the sleeping porch remained- a monkey stove (a small square wood stove ) was set up in the shed which became a temporary kitchen. A tent was pitched in the yard where we ate our meals. I have no idea how long that situation lasted. I remember one day it was pouring rain, I was in the tent thinking how much fun it was. But it must have been pure hell for mother.
We lived in the house for several years when the walk thru closet between the bedrooms was converted-first with just a toilet, and lavatory, then later a bathtub was installed.
All of this was a five room house with only two bedrooms, we three girls shared the bedroom and the boys slept on a duofold (the first sofa bed) in the dining room. Only after all of us had left home were the folks able to build a long addition across the back of the house.
One of my early memories is of our cow Bonnie. Whenever Bonnie had a calf I was always at Grandmother's and I was so mad! I wanted to see the stork flying in with that Calf.
I remember Mother crying when Bonnie died. I think now it was probably because of the financial loss. A vegetable garden furnished much of our food and I'm sure the milk & butter from Bonnie was a big help in the budget.
February 2, 1975, entitled The Way It Was, Letters To My Grandchildren.
Dear Ones:
There are nine of you now and by the time I complete these letters there may be more. That doesn't matter because it will probably be many years before you see this.
The world we are living in now could well be a different planet compared to the world of my childhood. I thought maybe sometime you might wonder about it. When my father was in his early nineties I began to be curious about portions of his life of which I know only little scraps. So i asked him " Why don't you write the story of your life before it's too late ?" His answer came quickly "It's better to let sleeping dogs lie" I didn't agree with him but because of that I decided to work up these logs before I'm too old to remember or care.
My earliest memories are in no chronological order-just bits and piec es of the past.
I had a wonderful Grandmother who lived in our town, Cleveland, Oklahom a. She was my Mother's Mother- Lydia Baldwin was her name. I always felt special when I went to her house. Grandpa had a long beard and was one of the sweetest people I ever knew. To his many grandchildren he gave a penny for each year on our birthdays. As we got older it was a dollar--and that was a lot of money then. I can remember saving my money for weeks & weeks to buy a purse which cost 35 cents.
But back to Grandmother. She had a cookie jar which we were always free to raid. She served us tea which we weren't allowed at home. And a very special memory was a surrey which sat on the back of the lot. Grandmot her packed a lunch for me and I sat in that buggy and traveled to far places in my imagination.
I remember a real trip I took in that buggy with my parents to Boston, Oklahoma. Not Boston Mass. But Boston, a place too small to be called a town -just 3 miles away. It seemed to me it was a long journey. We didn't get around much in those days.
Among these very early memories was of a place (remainder missing)
{new page, appears to be a continuation of previous log}: The hometown I remember no longer exists (except) in my memory. The canyon, the swinging bridge over Cedar Creek and the juicy sweet persimmon trees (if picked after frost) are all gone and in their place are the highways and the massive lake which grew there after the completion of the dam. Now that all ties are severed I'd rather remember the childhood one.
The main street was and still is a brick thoroughfare, a tribute to the one industry of the town-the brickyard. There is where all the Negroes lived who were only tolerated in town for (unreadable) porters and maids, but even then must disappear to their shacks at sundown.
Other streets of the town were dirt roads which gave way to paving through the years of our growth. Memories rush back of watering the road to settle the dust on hot evenings hoping to cool that humid high temperature. The old ice wagon keeps popping into my thoughts and how we ran after it to be given the chipped off pieces of ice to suck on.
We lived in a neighborhood teeming with happy children. Games under the s treet light on the corner of our block were Hide & Go Seek, Run Sheep Run, and Beckon.
Our picnics were often to the Canyon where a (unreadable) Brothers came was a great attraction. The grape vine swing which we held to swing over the stream was also a popular spot. No one can tell me now where the Canyon is nor how to find it. I find myself wondering if it was all a fantasy. The Cedar Creek not far from our house was spanned by a swinging bridge which terrified me. But it's a different town now with the Marina, the luxurious houses along the lake and a town I'll never know.
(excerpt from typed manuscript which contains some of the above informatio n) One of the big events in our town when I was quite small was a fire downtown which burned several buildings including the bank. As I was watch ing the fire from across the street Aunt Effie came and warned me that t he electric wires might fall and to watch for that. It scared me so badly I ran as hard as I could to the Post Office so my Dad could protect me.
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Note: NF4
Note: Cleveland American:
Lilah Bridwell
Married Sunday
Mr. and Mrs. R.E. Bridwell announce the marriage of their daughter Lilah Margaret to Cleties Aubrey Peters of Hominy Sunday, may 31 at 2:30 in their home.
The wedding was solemnized mid the fragrance and beauty of roses, sweet peas and larkspur. Fitting properly into the gay spring air, the bride w as attired in a charming blue chiffon dress. The service was read by Re v. H. Ivan Byrd of the Methodist church. The wedding was of a quiet natur e, with only a few guests present, which included Mrs W.C. Bridwell of Glencoe, Mrs. H. Ivan Byrd, and Miss Vera Crider of Cleveland and Mr. John Va ndreff of Hominy.
The bride was graduated from Cleveland high school in 1929, where she w as very active in social and scholastic endeavors.
Mr. Peters is a graduate of Hominy high School, and is at the present time engaged in the grocery business there with his brother. The couple will make their home in Hominy.
Hominy News Progress:
Miss Lilah Bridwell of Cleveland and Cletus Peters of Hominy were married at the home of the bride's parents in Cleveland, Sunday afternoon by Rev. Ivan Byrd. The bride is the youngest daughter of Postmaster R. W. Bridwell and Mrs. Bridwell of Cleveland. She is a graduate of the Cleveland H igh school and is one of the town's most popular young women. Mr. Peters is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Sam Peters of Hominy. He is a graduate of Hominy High school and was one of the leading athletes during his high school life. He is associated with his brother in the Peters Grocery here. M r. and Mrs. Peters are now at home at the Ransdell Apartment at 319 South Pettit.
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