Oscar Albert Pittman born Sept. 21, 1885 in Collin Co Texas was the youngest son of John Henry Pittman and Elizabeth Ann Cannedy, also of Harmon County. He came to Old Greer Co.,with his parents Oct. of 1897. In Oct. 1908 he married Lottie Viola Jewell, born April 29, 1891 the daughter of G.W. and Laurie Tice Jewell.

Their five children were: William Carrell Pittman 1909, Mable 1910, Clarence Albert 1912, Opal 1914, R.T. 1916, all children born in Gould,Oklahoma. In 1916 our parents lived southwest of Gould on a farm belonging to Aunt Effa Pittman West. It now belongs to Oscar Abernathy. Carrell went to Star Valley School where my mother had gone when she was a school girl. I wasn't old enough to go to school but was allowed to go now and then. My mother pasted the letters of the alphabet on the wall behind the heater, telling me I could go to school when I learned them. It didn't take me long as I wanted to go wherever Carrell went and usually did.

When most of the cotton was out of the fields, my dad decided to sell out and go to Colorado, where he could file on some land. He sold what we had left to Lee Pittman. Dad loaded up what we could take on two covered wagons. There were some chickens in a coop fastened on the back of one wagon. The best I can remember there was a cow and calf, some extra horses and colts going along following the teams. I was only five, so there are many things I dont remember and no one left who can tell me.

We stopped at Balko, Oklahoma. My mother had a sister who lived there. They had lots of maize. My Dad stayed there long enough to head enough maize to feed the stock until we got to Colorado. This delayed us so much that it turned cold and snowed on us. My dad would walk and drive in order to keep warm. I still get hungrey when I smell the smoke from a campfire. My dad put up a bachelor stove in one of the wagons. Mama cooked on it and we were all nice and warm.

We camped in Springfield, Colorado while my dad located the land that was available. A lady there made me a dress, , the most beautiful dress I had ever seen, then Mama had our pictures made to send to all the relatives.

The farm my Dad filed on was west of Springfield near a very small town, Pritchett. It is still there and just as small as it was then. Dad hired two men to help dig and build a half dugout. There was a spring of clear, cold water flowing from between the rocks. We could stand there and let the water run over our feet. In the summer time, that was livin. It was lonely for out Mother with only the company of five happy little children. Our dad went off to wheat harvest the first year to earn enought to take care of us until he made a crop. When mama would get a letter from him she would cry, so we would all cry with her.

By the next year we had a big garden, feed, wheat and sugar cane. when we chewed on until our tongues were sore. We had several cows, horses and hogs. Everything was going well for us. We had one horse called Bill. Carrell and I rode him to school. He was so poor. No amount of feed seemed to ever put weight on him, but we liked to ride him, and he was the fastest thing around. Bill and I ran a race with dad one time, me bouncing a foot high everytime Bill's feet hit the ground, but I won the race. Was I ever proud, even tho' my dad quit running when he saw how high I was going in the air. It didn't help , Bill just kept going until we got home.

Mama always made a big thing of our birthdays, not always a cake or even presents, but she made us feel special on "Our Day". We didn't know when Christmas came that year. I was eight yrs. old, Carrell just a year and a half older, but he tried to take care of us like he knew our dad would have.

Our folks were buried on a little knoll just east of our home. The ground was frozen so deep, I dont know how long they were digging the graves. My Dad died on the 19th. My Mother died the next day, the 20th.. My birthday is on the 22nd of Dec. but I didnt know when it came.

Our growing up years were lonely and unhappy because we weren't together. We missed the love of our parents and our family. I cherish the happy memories of the short and happy time we had together, and I pray that we will all be together again one day.

Oscar Albert Pittman

Timeline

Looking for more information on Oscar Albert Pittman?