Clydine Catherine Stickney was born August 6, 1897 in Jonesboro, Coryell County, Texas, the youngest child of James Franklin and Elvira Tennessee (Perry) Stickney. She was very much the baby of the family born nearly eight years after her next youngest sibling, the only surviving son, Alvin Burton. In fact, Clydine’s sister, Lula Belle had three children prior to her birth. Though Clydine was by no means an only child, her siblings were not playmates and the two oldest had begun building their own families before she was born. At the time of her birth her family was planning a move from Jonesboro to Robert Lee, Coke County, Texas. Family lore is the move was made to improve James’ health. Though there is no death certificate to confirm his cause of death, it is believed he had tuberculosis and they moved from a somewhat humid climate to a much drier west Texas. Unfortunately, he died before Clydine’s first birthday, so Clydine grew up not knowing her father.
After James Franklin Stickney’s death, Clydine’s mother, Elvira, was forced to support herself and what children were left at home. The 1900 U. S. Census gives us a picture of what the household looked like, telling us that Elvira was a laundress and thankfully their home was owned free and clear of a mortgage. Two older daughters, Bertha “Mae” age nineteen and Emma age seventeen, were still living at home to help with the laundry business as well as with caring for two-year-old Clydine. Three more children rounded out the household: Jessie age fifteen, Hesta age twelve and Alvin age ten. All three were attending school. Although the family was without a father and the two older daughters were married and out of the house, two-year-old Clydine was being raised in a full house, but in the next ten years this household would slowly dwindle.
Between 1900 and 1910 Clydine saw her nucleus family change as her older siblings gradually drifted out of the home. Older sister Mae was living in Midland, Texas with a cousin, Sallie Perry and was working as a bookkeeper for Midland Metal Company. The 1910 US Census for Midland County, Texas where the information comes from shows that this Sallie Perry was working as a clerk at the post office and owned the home where they were living. Sister Emma married James J. Smelser in 1904 and had two daughters by 1910, and were living on Fleming Street in Sherwood, Irion County, Texas where James was a public-school teacher. Sister Jessie had just recently married John S. Gardner in 1909 and they were still living in Robert Lee with his parents where he was working as a district and county clerk and Jessie was a schoolteacher. Hesta too was married in 1907 to Harry L. Hall and they lived in Loraine, Texas where Harry was a barber in his own shop. It’s not known exactly where their brother Alvin was in 1910, but from a recording made in 1970 he states he left home at age 13 to work as a cow puncher on different ranches from Jones County Texas to Roswell, New Mexico. I did come across an item in the Roswell Daily Record newspaper published on Jun. 16, 1908 that stated “Mrs. E. T. Stickney and two daughters arrived today from Robert Lee, Texas, for a visit of two months with Mrs. Stickney’s third daughter, Mrs. C. H. Brown. I would guess the two daughters that came were Clydine and Jessie since they would have been the two still single and at home. By the end of the first decade of the twentieth century the family home in Robert Lee was much quieter with just Elvira and Clydine.
Clydine’s mother, Elvira’s occupation is shown to be upgraded in the 1910 US census from simple laundress to dressmaker, still working out of her home at age 52 and still classified a widow. The mistaken fact for Clydine states that she is five years old, but she would soon turn thirteen and below is a photo that appears to have been taken about this time.
When Clydine turned fourteen in August 2011 she moved to Midland, Texas possibly living with her older sister Mae. Clydine entered Midland High School as a freshman and certainly applied herself for in 1915 she graduated top of her class of fourteen students. Among Clydine’s papers and photos I inherited are a few things from her Midland High School days. First is a newspaper clipping, Juniors-Seniors in Annual Banquet. The newspaper is not named, nor article dated except “last Friday night” and also stated “The hosts greeted their guests at 9 o’clock in the parlors of the Llano . . .”. The article details the event being held in the dining room at the Llano Hotel, decorated in the senior class colors of yellow and white crepe paper. “. . . the tables were arranged in the shape of a cross. It was adorned throughout its length by vases of yellow or white roses.” The junior class sang a song they wrote mentioning “the personal peculiarities of the seniors such as their method of combing their hair, powdering their faces, getting their lessons, or attracting and holding their beaux.”
Her commencement program is tied with a yellow and white string and provides a schedule of her graduation week. The proceedings began with a church service at the First Christian Church on Sunday, May 23rd, 1915 at 11:00. Then “Class Day” was held on Tuesday, May 25th at the Opera House which included the orations of poems, essays and speeches, and performances of songs, and piano solos and duets. Again, at the Opera House the graduation exercises were held on Friday, May 28th, with many more choruses and orations. As valedictorian, Clydine presented an essay titled “Famous Friendships”, which sadly was not saved with these papers. Below is the last page of the program showing names of classmates and members of the Board of Education.
Clydine diploma is folded vertically and placed in a suede cloth folder with her name and class year printed in gold on the front, although her middle name Catherine, is spelled incorrectly as “Cathryn”.
One other thing Clydine received for her top honor was a spoon that has 1915 etched in the bowl and a female graduate figure as the handle.
Clydine’s story will be continued soon.
Forwardly Looking Back 