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Note: Buried at Laurel Land Cemetary off I-35 on south side of Dallas The following was related by Roy Ballew: At time of his and Ouida's marriage, 8 June 1929, the Lyles family was living in Point, TX. Mr. Lyles was share-cropping, but not doing well. In fall a few years after their marriage, the Lyles family was going to be evicted from dwelling and farm as Mr. Lyles didn't have the money to pay the rent for the following year. The sons had left home. Neither they or the other married daughters could help, so Roy and Ouida started looking for a place for them. The banker in Point told of a farm for sale by an insurance company north of Emory. The Ballews bought it for $800 and paid Forrest Ballew $1000 to build a house.
(At this time the Ballews were living in a 3 room house at 2719 Harlandale in the Oak Cliff section of Dallas. Later a bathroom and kitchen were added on.)
The Lyles were provided with the house and farm paid no rent or taxes. A horse, mule and wagon was bought for them and many of Huse Ballew's blacksmith tools were provided. The Ballew's also gave them $10/week to help with living expenses. Mr. Lyles was getting some $37/mo. from a government program.
Dissention arose--possibly because the younger girls felt isolated living in the country several miles out of Emory with only a farm wagon for transportation. Mr. Lyles in his late '50s and on into his '60s was unable to make it farming even with the land provided for free without sons at home to do the work.
Things came to a head over some chickens sometime after 1941. Roy and Ouida bought thirty chicks for them to raise for laying hens to help make some money. When the chickes were fryer size, Patsy convinced her parents that she needed new clothes more than they needed chickens, so they were all sold and the money used to buy clothes for her. This outraged Ouida, who felt they were unappreciative and were not trying to help themselves. The Lyles were told they could live on the farm and the Ballews would pay the taxes, but nothing more.
The Ballews went down one week-end to visit and found that the Lyles had moved to a rent house Roy and Winfred Mooring had next to them in Point. The farm had been left abandoned with no word to the Ballews. The house was vandalized and the horse, mule, wagon and blacksmith tools were gone. The Rains county sheriff found the horse and mule near Sulphur Springs, but the wagon and tools were never recovered.
This was the source of life long bitterness by Ouida towards her family.
When the Lyles parents died, only Alonzo helped with the funeral and burial expenses. This was another source of ill feelings on Ouida's part.
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