THE LIFE OF ME AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY Clarence Edgar Johnson Copyright 1978 Clarence Edgar Johnson 2538 Chestnut San Angelo, Texas 76901 DEDICATION To Ima, my wife Virgil Dennis, our first son David Larry, our youngest son and especially to our late daughter, Anita Joyce. CONTENTS Preface Chapter 1. Grandparents, Parents, And Our First Farm 2. Early Childhood At The Flint Farm 3. At The Exum Farm After I Was Five 4. Social Living, Loving, Listening, And Learning 5. Books, Folklore, Medicine, And Dreams 6. Prosperity, Animals, Growing Up 7. Dry Year On The Texas Plains, 1917 8. Moved To Jones County. Picked Cotton In Oklahoma 9. Back To Our Lamesa Farm In 1919. School At Ballard 10. Sold Farm, Moved To Hamlin 11. Road Work At Gorman, Texas 12. My Inventions And High School Days 13. My Travels To The Gulf, McCamey, And Denver 14. Haul Maize, Repair Trucks, Turn Trucks Over 15. Got Married, Drove Truck, Farmed, Cattle Drive 16. At Royston Until World War II 17. World War II Was On. We Went to California 18. Back At Royston. Worked At Gin And For Neighbors 19. Tour Pike's Peak, Moved To Arkansas, Went To College PREFACE This writing grew out of a request from my daughter, Anita, that I write to her concerning me, my family, my parents and their families; how we lived, how we grew up; our ideals, our customs, and our social life. The original writings were in the form of letters written to Anita during the last few years. When my sons, Dennis and Larry, learned of the letters, they also asked for copies. As I began writing, I soon realized that I knew very little about the details of the lives of my parents and grandparents. So I set out to tell my children a few things about myself and to leave unmentioned some things which I do not want them to know about me. I also included some things about a few kinfolks and neighbors who had a part in molding the character whom my children now refer to as "Dad." It was hoped that the letters would aid in their better understanding of how certain teachings and ideals had been handed down through generations, and that they might better understand why they grew up under those rules and customs. Others also may be interested in the way one family lived in the Southwest around the turn of the century and later. Clarence Edgar Johnson (Drawing) The house where I was born (Photo) Smokehouse at the Flint farm. Clarence, Earl, Joel, Albert, and Susie. (Photo) Our Exum home (Photo) The lake by our front yard (Photo) Sunday morning, going to church (Photo) At the Exum farm. Joel, Clarence, Earl, Albert (Photo) Our merry-go-round (Photo) At our home on the plains. Mama, William Robert, Ollie Mae, Clarence, Albert, Joel, Earl CHAPTER 1 PARENTS, GRANDPARENTS, OUR FIRST FARM