The Gateway to Oklahoma History has been keeping me busy as I’ve looked for news about various branches of my husband’s family in the Oklahoma Historical Society’s digitized newspaper collection. I’ve mentioned this in past posts, but if you haven’t yet checked out this website, there are newspapers here that are NOT on Chronicling America, so it is worthwhile to search both websites.

Today, I’ll share some Earl Stufflebean news items in the Noble news columns. Earl was my husband’s grandfather, born 1894 and died in 1946, so Dave never knew him.

First, as reported on 23 August 1912 in the Norman Democrat-Topic, he went on a fishing trip with some friends from Noble to Maysville, Oklahoma, which is about 25 miles directly south of Noble.

Elijah Bradshaw and wife Prof. Ramsey and wife, Earl Stufflebean, Miss Susie McCrady, Chas. McCrady, Miss Claty Hopper, Oscar Hopper, will leave Thursday morning for Maysville for a weeks fishing trip.

Hmm – Susie McCrady and Claty Hopper were unmarried. Earl was 19 at the time. I wonder if he was courting either young lady?

On 21 August and 23 October 1914, The Norman Democrat-Topic had two items in the Noble news column:

Earl Stufflebean left Monday for Oklahoma City where he entered a business college.

Earl Stufflebean of Oklahoma City spent Sunday in Noble visiting home folks.

We learned something new today about my husband’s grandfather, as we weren’t aware that he had ever attended a business college in Oklahoma City!

If Earl had been courting during his 1912 fishing trip (above), the romance must not have blossomed because the 17 August 1916 issue of The Norman Transcript had this front page news:

STUFFLEBEAN-BROSHEARS

Earl Stufflebean and Miss Pearl Broshears drove up from Noble yesterday (Thursday, August 10, 1916), and were united in marriage by Rev. V.C. Griffith, Rector of St. John’s Episcopal church. The groom is a son of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Stufflebean, and one of Noble’s best young men, of excellent habits and fine business ability. The bride has been assistant postmaster at Noble for some years, her father being postmaster, and is a charming young lady as well as efficient business woman. Many friends wish them unbounded happiness.

If anyone in the family had clipped and saved this wedding announcement, it wasn’t passed on to this branch of the family, as I have never seen it before. Except for misspelling the bride’s surname, which was Brasher, this is great!  (Genealogy happy dance time!)

Next, the Cleveland County Enterprise, published in Norman, Oklahoma, had this tidbit in the 6 September 1917 issue:

Earl Stufflebean, while cranking a car Monday, was “kicked” on the arm, breaking it. He is getting along nicely at present.

Earl Stufflebean

In September 1917, Earl and Pearl had been married for 13 months and they had a three month old baby, Edward Earl, my father-in-law. I imagine Earl wasn’t much help either around the house or at his job in the family general store.

I wonder if this is the car that did the deed?

Earl and his Automobile

A few years later, on 27 March 1921, again in The Norman Transcript, there is a somewhat lengthy account of the wedding of Laura Payne and S. M. Zinn, both of Fort Worth, Texas, but who married in Noble at the home of Laura’s sister and brother-in-law, Dr. and Mrs. Nathan Howell. Many of the Stufflebeans must have been good friends with the doctor, based on the guest list.

Miss Laura Paine of Fort Worth, Texas, was married to Mr. S. M. Winn of Fort Worth, Sunday, March 20th at 1:45 p.m. at the home of Dr. and Mrs. Nathan Howell, sister to the bride.

The bridegroom met the bride at the foot of the stairs and Mr. Jim Stufflebean and Mrs. Nathan Howell accompanied them to the arch of the living room, where the marriage ceremony was solemnly performed by Rev. Giles, pastor of the M. E. church, South, Noble.

The guests were Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Sprowls, Mr. and Mrs. Jim Stufflebean, Mr. and Mrs. C.E. Garee, Rev. and Mrs. Giles, Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Stufflebean, the Misses Mae Mosier and Claud Kennedy, Mr. and Mrs. Earl Stufflebean, Mr. Floyd Howell, Mr. and Mrs. John Stufflebean, Mr. and Mrs. Kay Stufflebean.

Two o’clock luncheon was served to the bridal party and guests after which the guests assembled in the living room and managed to keep the bride and groom separated for some time. Toward the latter part of the afternoon Mr. Winn and his bride enjoyed a delightful drive with some of the guests, to Norman where the bride, having recently been in college in Fort Worth, enjoyed the sight of other college walls.

All spent a delightful evening at the home of Mr. and Mrs. John Stufflebean, where music and refreshments were enjoyed.

The guests accompanied the bridal party to the ten thirty train going south where they gave an old-fashioned rice shower.

If you have Oklahoma family ties, don’t walk – run, to The Gateway to Oklahoma History.