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a. Note:   James Peeler Brakebill married Ila Maud Carpenter, May 18, 1927 in El Reno, OK. She was born May 11, 1904 in Steelville, MO and died Feb. 4, 1994 in Claremore, OK. Social Security records show she was born in 1903 but she said it was 1904. James Peeler and Ila Maud had no children.
  The Brakebill Story
  Ila Carpenter married Solan Criswell and Peeler Brakebill married Velma Criswell, Solan's sister.
 There was some problem between Solan and Peeler. Apparently, Solan walked up to Peeler and shot him with a shot-gun in the left arm. Peeler pulled a 38 revolver and shot Criswell and killed him. More than one account of the event has circulated within the family. What really happened? I don't know but here are some newspaper accounts.
  Eufaula, Oklahoma, Thursday, April 15, 1926
 Injured Man Aims Deadly at Attacker
 Arm torn out by assailant's fire, Barber kills assailant with Pistol
  Checotah, OK., April 10---Solon Criswell, 30 year-old farmer, was killed today in a gun battle in a barber shop at Hoffman, Okmulgee county, with his brother-in-law, Pealer Brakebill, 25. Brakebill is in a hospital at Henryetta, seriously wounded. Family trouble caused the quarrel, it is believed.
 "I'm going squirrel shooting," Criswell told his wife early this morning, as he put on a belt with 60 shells and took his shotgun.
 Criswell went up town and entered a barber shop, where Brakebill, who had married Criswell's sister, was standing.
 The farmer said nothing to Brakebill, but walked about 12 feet into the barber shop, turned, and fired at his brother-in-law, shooting him in an arm.
 Brakebill returned the fire with a .38-caliber Smith and Wesson revolver, according to Deputy Sheriff D. F. Painter of Okmulgee who investigated the shooting this afternoon.
 Neither man said anything, Brakebill's shot brought Criswell's down, and he died in a few minutes. The muscles of Brakebill's left arm were torn out by Criswell's shot.
 Mr. and Mrs. Brackbill have been separated for some time. They have one child. Criswell has two children, one aged 5, the other 1 year old.
 END OF NEWSPAPER STORY
 Newspaper articles copied exactly, spelling and all. I never heard of Peeler Brakebill being a barber.
  Follow up:
 I called Dixie Criswell McCombs who is Ila's youngest daughter and Peeler's step daughter 11/25/1997. Here's what I learned:
  Name: James Peeler Brakebill, born Sept. 20, 1901, died Sept 17, 1985, Was married before to Velma Criswell, sister of Solan. Had one daughter, still living, in California, Helen (Brakebill) Tiner. I verified the spelling "Criswell" and "James" Peeler's. I looked up his SS death index and it listed him as "James" (no middle). I have Helen's address and can write for more info, but Laura said I shouldn't ask about the shooting. Maybe it will be volunteered by someone.
  Dixie said she was less than a year old when her father died and didn't know anything about him. She said his name was Solan Criswell (her spelling). I had him as James Solan Criswell. Dixie said she didn't know if it was James, she hadn't heard that.
  Peelers mother was Minnie Bradley Brakebill, b 1881....father was Clarence Oscar Brakebill b 1887. Parents divorced when Peeler was young and Minnie re-married a George Smith in California.
  Dixie Criswell McCombs, Born Sept. 27, 1924. Has two children: Wayne, born Sept. 10, 1952 and Kathy, born March 23, 1956.
 Vera Criswell Stacey, born Dec. 09, 1921, died June 27, 1997,
 (Dixie and Vera are the children of Solan Criswell mentioned in the article)
  Dixie's husband: W. A. (Wadie) McCombs born July 24, 1920, died Aug. 16, 1998 in Claremore, OK.
  Peeler had a brother, Bill, whom I believe was younger than he.
  Here is the way Peeler was listed in his Social Security record::
  James Brakebill, b.20 Mar 1901, d. Mar 1985, Claremore, OK 74017
  THE END FOR NOW My observations of James Peeler Brakebill:
  James Peeler was my uncle by marriage. He married my father's sister, Ila Carpenter Criswell. Until recently, I never knew his full name. He just signed his name "J. P. Brakebill" but everyone called him Peeler. (I never knew how to spell that) Everyone, that I know, liked and respected him. He was always a perfect gentleman when I was present and was known as a hard worker who always provided well for his family. In today's terminology he might have been considered a workaholic.
  His two step daughters always seemed to love and accept him as their own father, though both knew he was not, and he always treated them as his own. Both daughters kept the Criswell name until they married.
  I never remember him being drunk or disorderly. I never heard of him ever being unkind to his wife or step daughters and I would be very surprised to hear otherwise.
  He was a big man, well over 6 ft. I don't know how tall he was but he was taaaall.
  I knew him when I was a little kid and I knew him when I was a grown-up man--about 50 years total. I never heard an unkind word from him, or about him. To sum it all up, I guess you could say I really liked my Uncle Peeler.
  Jim C. Carpenter 11/25/1997


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