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Note: Charlie's father died when he was almost 6 years old. He had a younger brother and sister, Harlie and Bonnie. His mother remarried to Alfred Bolden Guthrie in 1895 (little more than 3 years later) They continued to live on the place Charlie's father had bought in 1891. This is unconfirmed at this time, although it was previously thought to be true. Charles, James and Bonnie Wiggins are listed on the 1900 census of Brown County.
Charlie had light to medium brown hair and brown eyes and when grown he was about 5 foot 11 inches tall. When I first remember him, his hair was white and I think my mother says the same and she was born 1917. He was fair complexion. He smoked Bull Durham tobacco, rolled his own. I wonder if he ever smoked a ready rolled cigarette.
Charlie and his step-father did not get along, and he left home at about age 13. He must have stayed close around working for different people as he married in Brown County on the 10th of May, 1903 (age 17 and 1 1/2 months) to Eunice Ringo (she lacked 3 months being 17) She died in February 1904 and is buried with infant beside her in Fairview Cemetery in Brown County.
In 1905, he married to Rutha Mae Abbigale Robertson and they began raising their family. They lived in Brown County and for a short while in Comanche County and then back to Brown County and by 1917 they were in Mitchell County. They stayed there near Cuthbert until 1924. Charlie was registered for the draft in World War I there. His order # 273. Class 4, Division A.
For as long as I can remember, he did all the shopping, groceries etc. I don't know if he just wanted to or Mamo just didn't like to go to town. They moved to Dawson Co., 2 1/2 miles from the north edge of Lamesa on what is now known as the Brownfield Highway. They made 2 good crops there. In 1925, Charlie bought a new Model T Ford and a player piano.
In 1927, they moved to Martin County (south of Lamesa) about 1/2 mile north of what was then Loyola, now called Flower Grove. They rented this farm from Mr. Woodard and it had a large 2 story Victorian house on it. The house was never painted by the time I remember it (1941)
J.C. was born that year in Martin County. Charlie also started a little grocery store just beside the house and a gas station. Rutha was the one who liked to run the store so Mable took care of J.C. as a baby. In 1930 Jimmy was born and Mable continued to take care of them a lot. When Seldon and Mable were married, Jimmy told him" You better do what Mable says, or she'll get you".
It was sometime after this that Rutha began having arthritis and went to Marlin to take the mineral baths. They would stay 2-3 weeks at a time. Her brother John and wife Eva came to stay with the kids while they were away. Rutha had been giving Loyd a little money to go in under the house for the eggs where some old hen had her nest, but Eva wouldn't give him any. He was not so fond of them any more. Mable remembers getting up early to help her Dad cook breakfast, she was about 9-10, and she was a good helper and continued to help a lot with the cooking.
In 1940 they moved to Dawson County again about 4 miles NE of Patricia, 12 miles south of Lamesa. Charlie bought 160 acres of land. It was the SW 1/4 of section number 8, in block number 36, township four, North Texas and Pacific Railway Co. Survey. The 4 vendors lien notes I have do not specify how much he paid down, but he made 4 notes for $371.80 plus 6% interest for the years 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944 and he paid the first two in Dec. 1941 and the second two in October of 1942. Evidently he had good crops those years.
There was a house on the place but it was just a 4 room unpainted wood frame. The kitchen did not have a ceiling in it, just the roof. I guess this helped it stay cooler in the summer, but the other rooms had ceilings. All the children were away from home except for J.C. and Jimmy and Mattie Lee. She married the next year, but with her husband in the service she stayed at home a good bit of the time.
There were many happy times spent in that old house. Children coming back for a visit, and relatives coming, big dinners and ice cream get together.
About 1949, they bought one of the prefabricated houses and all the children help put in bath fixtures, paper and paint the inside,etc.
In February of 1952 Loyd's wife died and in April Charlie died and things would never be the same again.
I was my Grandfather's favorite grandchild for a long time. I've been told the reason this came about was because the older grandchildren took to Mamo and didn't have anything to do with him, but maybe because I liked my Daddy so, I took to my Grandad also. Mother says he would buy candy for me and tell everyone else to stay out of it, It is Rose Ann's.
I stayed with them for weeks at a time, going home on week ends only when Mother would help Daddy some in the fields because they couldn't afford to hire anyone. They all spoiled me, especially Mattie Lee.
All this Wiggins family liked to play card games, dominos, and all kinds of board games, and most have passed it down in their families.
Later on, while visiting one summer, I found an old picture in a pretty frame in the cellar and dragging it up to the house, inquired who it was. Well, it was my Grandad, made about age 18, and I ask if I could have it and my Grandad said I could, "I was probably the only one who would want it". During these summer visits he would take me to the ball games in Lamesa. They had a minor league team at the time.
In 1950 (or 1951) J.C. and his English wife June and their son Michael came home from England and Mike took to Grandad also, but he didn't have long to spoil him as Charlie died the next year.
From some old newspapers Rutha had saved I found the following items (1995) Dawson County, (TX) Courier Oct. 21, 1940 2092 MEN CLAIM DAWSON COUNTY AS HOME ASSIGNED NUMBERS BY LOCAL BOARD Names and Numbers of Dawson Co. Registrants announced" #604 Seldon Irskin Medford #1684 Odes Leroy Anderson #1917 Carl Cecil Wiggins #1927 Blaine Douglas Wiggins
Draftee Order Numbers Given 14 November 1940 606-604 Seldon Orskin Medford 852-1684 Odes Leroy Anderson (md. 2nd Ruth Davis Nabors) 398-1917 Carl Cecil Wiggins 1245-1927 Blaine Douglas Wiggins 845-2009 Paul Edward Robertson (marked, who is he?) These are final order # and represent order in which registrants will be classified.
Colorado City (TX) September 27, 1918 # 11 Charles L. Wiggins Draft #
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