GARNER, Sarah Jane (1879 - 1963)

Sara - Jennie and dog

Obit: Brownfield: Mrs. W. T. Littlefield, 85 (?) a resident of Terry County for 56 years died at 12:55 pm Sunday at University convalescent Center, Lubbock. services for Mrs. Littlefield, who resided at 1011E. Cardwell St. Brownfield, will be at 2 pm Tuesday in the church of the Nazarene. Officiating will be E. Cardwell St. Brownfield, will be at 2 pm Tuesday in the church of the Nazarene. Officiating will be the Rev. H. D. Stovall, Lubbock, assisted by the Rev. Lewis Clegg, pastor. Burial will be in Terry county Memorial cemetery under direction of Brownfield Funeral Home. Mrs. Littlefield came to this area in 1908 with her husband. The late W. T. Littlefield farmed near Meadow until his retirement in 1945, when the couple moved to Brownfield. He died in 1959. Survivors include five sons. GA Littlefield, Lubbock; TJ Littlefield, Ropesville; Hershel Littlefield, Lovington NM; Clayton Littlefield, Brownfield, and SD Littlefield of Albuquerque NM; three daughters Mrs EH (Exie) Martin, Portales; Mrs. WD (Sis) Harris of Lubbock and Mrs CA (Docia) Bagwell , Weatherford, two sisters Mrs. RS Butts Brownwood; and Mrs WB Bounds Brownwood, 24 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren.

Jennie lived with Aunt Sis for several years. They added a room and bathroom onto the back of her house. She never lived with Clayton and Opal. Never lived with Bud and Katie because she did not want to drive to Albuquerque with him, he was a "bad driver"! She was in the Bender Harris Nursing Home. Probably in Lubbock TX.


Letter from her little sister Allie: Brownwood TX January 28, 1938:

Dear Jennie, After all these long days I'm going to write you a line. Hope you are all well. We are ok, only me of course I still grunt! I am having my teeth pulled and that keeps me so nervous and upset, but only have six more to pull so I'm hoping I'll feel better. Sure is windy today. Just like March, but may be from the north tomorrow haven't had any cold since Xmas. but surley have had lots of rain this winter. Not a bit of news or at least I don't any never see any one only the neighbors and they don't know anything. Sin and Margaret have just been down home and came by. BB went with them. I'll sure miss him for he does nearl all the work when I feel so bad. but he thought he might get work. Walter isn't working steady looks like he never will anymore. Well at least I've got a little check for you, they've only paid $100 and taxes were taken out of that. They promised to pay the rest but if they don't< I'll add it to her account. I've kept back enough to advertise the place in some paper. she tells me she won't sell for 6,000 but Judge Davis told me that she didn't have any say. to the selling. I'd put them off it I could but he (Davis) said it might take a case in court and then might not get rid of them so I don't feel like the rest of us ought to spend all we get out of it. I hate so bad that they haven't paid all but of course I can't help it. she even asked for a part of the $100 when they got all the peace made this yr. and still owe 200 but she sure didn't get it. I wish some times the old place would sink. Then maybe I could lie down at nite and get a good rest with out being a nervous wreck. Say did you know that Hood was dead. he was hurt in a car wreck but lived about 2 weeks he died in sept. I saw Kate the other day the first time since Pa was sick. Well I guess I'll have to close as I want to write Ella's kids. Write sooner than I did and give all the kids my love. Allie. I think Emory is o.k. now they got their ins. money. I think his craziness was mostly of a financial kind and way.


Letter from her little sister Allie: Brownwood Tx March 24, 1938:

Dear Jennie and all will write you a line if I can keep this wild kid quiet long enough. Hope you all are feeling better. Guess I'm improving. Had to go back to the dentist yesterday and have my gum split and the bone pinched off. I hope I never cut an other tooth. Walter is cutting his second since he had his teeth pulled. He got his set in Oct. Think I can get mine in a couple of months. Well today is my 20th wedding anniversity seems like 50. Wonder if I'll see an other 20. We had a fine rain Tue. ever thing looks so fresh and pretty I won't get to have a garden as I'm not able to work one. Have 37 little chicks and 1 hen setting. I'm looking for Mildred and family tomorrow, haven't seen her since Emogene died. Don't ever here from Mamie. I wrote her for the rest of the rent so I guess it made her mad. I've had the place advertised in the Temple Telegram but guess I'm not going to get any results: am going to wirte an agent at Lampassas and see what he can do. Yes you are perfectly welcome to read that letter pa wrote. It didn't am't to a thing but its packed away in his trunk and the health I've been in the last two years I won't even look in. I believe my heart would entirely quit. someone else will have to go in to them for I simply can't. That peice I sent you about Mrs Long was Miss Verde sister or sister-in-law. Don't you remember those children that come to Miss Verdes that summer? Well I'm sending you your money I went to town today and got it so I'll just send it on. When you get a check on the Brownwood bank you'd better cash it for they charge 50 cents per month for less than $50. Well it's bed time for me so I'll quit maybe I'll have time to write more in the morn. If I have such a time this summer as I did last I'm sure coming out there to see you and see if the climate will help me. The Dr. said I needed a higher climate. How are you this morn. I have a bad headache but have to iron and clean house just the same. so must close Love Allie.

Donnie Remenbers Lingo

One of my earliest stories is the one about the electric fence on the Lingo place.

Bud, my daddy, decided to build an electric fence around the pasture across the road from the house. He worked hard to put in all the posts, and install the insulators on the posts. He installed the wire all the way around the pasture. He hooked up the power box to the wire and tried to test it out. It would not work no matter what he did. He walked all the way around the pasture again trying to find out where it was shorted out. It all was in good shape but it still would not work. He was about to give up when he noticed that I was following him around with my hand on the wire. Must have been summer because he said I was barefoot and only wearing a diaper. I was the short. The electricity did not seem to bother me. He got me to stop shorting out the wire and it started to work just fine. The next Sunday they went to church. While there they invited the preacher to have dinner with them. After dinner Daddy wanted  go to the barn for something. The preacher came along. Daddy told him not to touch the fence because it was charged. I ran ahead of them and just ran under the fence and flipped it over my head with my hand and went on like it was not working. The preacher reached down and touched the fence only to get a terrible shock. It was on.

Daddy told this one on me.

Daddy had bought a mean bull and was keeping him in the lot right across the road from the house. The lot just south of the fish tank water trough. The bull was so mean that he could not even go inside the fence of the lot or he would charge. He had climbed the fence quickly a few times already by this time. He says that he came out to the lot and found me standing in front of the bull. I had a switch and was switching the bull on the nose and the bull was just standing there taking it. He said it really scared him because the bull was so mean to him. He was in fear of me loosing my life to that bull. He started yelling at the bull to get him to come away from me and then at me to get away from the bull but neither of us moved much. I finally came over to the fence where he was and he rescued me from the bull.

Memories of the Lingo Place (I think it is called the Billbery place)

I remember swimming in that water trough tank. I mean really swimming in it and some time later in life I went back there and found the tank was only 12" deep on the sides and only a little deeper in the middle so the water would drain out when they needed to clean it out. It always had catfish in it too.

Bud and Katie Lee The Begining

Bud and Katie 1993

It really all started way back, in the olden days, in the mid 1930's. Bud was needing work and applied as a field hand to Mr. Asa Williamson. He was a rancher in Eastern New Mexico. Asa knew cattle, but had decided to plow up some country and try raising some crops. (I don't remember what he planted, but the field was south of the house, behind the horse trap and a little west. And part of the SW pasture north and west of the tank)

Katie Lee was the boss's daughter!

Katie Lee at ENMU 1937

Maybe Bud had more on his mind than plowing fields. Katie was attending ENMU for an elementary school teaching degree.

Bud and Katie about 1938

When things started getting a little more serious, they made plans for their future. Katie would drop out of collage (with only about 9 hours to finish) and take a teaching position in Miami, NM. Bud would join the Army for the required 1 year enlistment. Then they would be free to get married and get on with life.

Then WWII happened. During basic training, Bud was notified that his one year papers were stamped "For the duration."

So, Katie took a short leave from Miami and went to Abilene. They were secretly married, because it was not possible for a schoolmarm to be wed! Shortly after she returned to Miami and Bud on to the East coast and ore training before being shipped to Europe.

Katie and Bud after wedding on April 4, 1942. Abilene,Tx

Schoolmarms were hosted by a local family who provided room and board as part of their pay. Katie talked a lot about Teresa Maga(sp) and staying with an Italian family there. She finished the school year, then followed to the Northeast with Bud until he shipped out.