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Roy Aldon & Virdie Marie "Vird" (Lancaster) Garrison
Tombstone Photo
Rosehill Cemetery
Roger Mills County, Oklahoma

© C Braun

Obit for Roy
Jan 15, 1876 - Aug 29, 1935

Roy Aldon Garrison was born January 15, 1876 in Osceola, Iowa, to parents, George Washington Garrison and Mary Amanda “Mollie” Garrison.

Roy was the oldest of nine children. The Family migrated from Iowa to Kingfisher County, Oklahoma by the early 1890’s. Roy was a wheat Farmer and a Mail Carrier, delivering mail between small towns, and driving the Star Route from Sayre, Oklahoma to Grimes, Oklahoma where Vird Lancaster was a Postmistress. Roy Aldon Garrison and Virdie Marie Lancaster were married August 30, 1903 in Grimes. Roy and ‘Vird’ had seven daughters and at last, a son Roy, Jr. was born.  Their second child Mollie died at the age of 5 months after being exposed to measles.  Roy and Vird were called “Mama and Papa“ by their seven children. Roy gave each child a specific nickname after the oldest child was born. They all kept these nicknames throughout their entire lives. 
 

Roy continued as a wheat farmer and everyone helped everyone in those days, families helping each other with the harvest. Roy also played on the local baseball team in Grimes. When the oldest child, Cleo finished 8th grade, she was sent to Elk City, Oklahoma where she would finish her High School years. Roy and ‘Vird’ “sold out” to move the family to Elk City to join Cleo so the other children could continue their education as well. Roy became a carpenter and a mechanic to support their growing family. They purchased a two-story house in Elk City and Vird planted a garden to help feed the family. They had a happy home, always filled with fun and laughter. The family played games together and Roy taught each of the girls to dance. They were a fun-loving family and they all enjoyed their happy childhood.
 

Roy died August 29, 1935 in Elk City, Oklahoma, at the age of 59 Years, 7 Months, 14 Days.  At the time of his death, he was survived by his wife and children and four sisters.
 

Funeral Services were held at the First Methodist Church in Elk City, Friday, August 30, 1935 at 1:00 P.M.  Rev. Samuel French Lancaster conducting.

Burial in Rose Hill Cemetery, Roger Mills County, Oklahoma, near Grimes, Oklahoma.

Killough-Hullum funeral Directors in charge.
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Obit for Virdie
Sep 1, 1885 - Feb 6, 1972

Virdie “Vird” Marie Lancaster  was  the fifth child of John Gernade  and Mary Caroline “Callie" Lancaster , born on September 1, 1885 in Peoria, Peoria County, Illinois. 

She moved to Oklahoma with her parents in 1900 and they were part of the Oklahoma settlement of the new state. The family settled in Grimes, Oklahoma where her parents operated the first General Store and Post Office. John Lancaster was named the first Postmaster in 1901 and Virdie later was the youngest Postmistress in Grimes. 

Virdie Marie Lancaster and Roy Aldon Garrison married August 30, 1903 in Grimes, Roger Mills County, Oklahoma. To this union there were seven daughters, the second daughter died in infancy, and lastly a son was born, Roy Aldon, Garrison, Jr The Family eventually moved to Elk City, Oklahoma so the children could get a higher education beyond the eighth grade in Grimes. When the cotton fields were full and the cotton ready to be picked, the school closed and all the children went to work in the cotton fields. The extra money helped to pay school tuition. Although times were tough, the children truly enjoyed their childhood. They had wonderful times together.

Vird was a wonderful seamstress.  With Vird’s sewing talents and so many girls to clothe, she would  “remake”  nice clothing handed down to her, making stylish clothing for the children.  She had a knack for seeing a ready-made garment in a store, making her own pattern to create the garment herself using her Singer treadle sewing machine. She used every scrap of fabric, so it was not 'wasted'.
 

When her husband, Roy died August 29, 1935, Vird had her younger children to raise on her own, so she  began working in “dry goods stores” in Elk City and  sewing clothing  for other people – whatever it took to make extra money, as money was tight. She became a very independent woman.  Many years later, she still  had  clients for which she made and  designed their  clothing.  Vird was an avid baseball fan, she enjoyed listening to baseball  games on her radio. She could recall any Major League player’s statistics, reciting their batting averages on any given day.  She was a huge Mickey Mantle fan, an “Oklahoma Boy” who ‘made it’ in the big leagues playing for the New York Yankees.  She was left-handed, loved to play cards and board games, gardening, growing vegetables and flowers in her yard, reading books, going to movies, and was active and in  good health  most of her life. She walked everywhere. 
 

Vird died February 6, 1972 in Sayre, Oklahoma. Vird was buried next to her husband, Roy in Rose Hill Cemetery, east of Grimes, Oklahoma.

Their infant child Mollie and Roy’s mother, "Mollie" Garrison is also buried in Rose Hill Cemetery.  It was said that Roy Garrison donated land for the Rose Hill Cemetery in his early years. 

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