Memory Lane: Earl Jobe Descendants


A PERSONAL STROLL THROUGH THE PAST

Earl Jobe Descendants

Reminiscing Through Old Writings
(Actually written by Jobe Descendants)

Many of our family have left us a legacy of personal writings (Bible entries, diaries, letters, memoirs), which help us to visualize their daily lifes. We have attempted to collect as many of these letters as possible. By strolling downward, you may slowly linger over each one or quickly jump to a particuliar group - click on category below. Have a letter to post, please e-mail Freida Wells or myself, Ann Brown.

(In memory of our Jobe ancestors whose writings appear here.)


Writings


Memoirs - My First 11 years (1951-1963)

Written in 1968 , when I (Ann) was 16

(d/o Earl Jobe, gd/o Jesse W. Jobe, gt gd/o Caleb Jobe, 2nd gt gd/o Jesse Jobe, 3rd gt gd/o Eli B. Jobe, 4th gt gd/o Isaac Job(e), 5th gt gd/o Samuel Job, 6th gt gd/o Caleb Job, 7th gt gd/o Andrew Job Jr)

1950's - early 1960's, Ft. Worth, Texas
Parts in (parenthesis) I added when I posted this (Dec 2004)

"Birth - The Beginning of My Life"

The circumstances surrounding my birth was a little strange, if not peculiar. My parents (daddy died in 1981) had been married two years and a month when the 'big event' arrived. At this time, they were living near my father's sister, Mrs. Viola (Jobe) Moore 'Auntie' (born 1913 and died 1980)in south Fort Worth, Texas. For this time of year, it was unusually cold and had already dipped below freezing. When the time came for me to be born, the radiator had busted on the car so my mother was driven to the hospital in my aunt's car. However, though everyone, including me, were ready for the big moment, the doctor was or hospital was not prepared. There had been a rash of accidents and they came first. After being shoved around for a while, the doctor, gave my mother a shot to postpone the birth. This did not suit any of us but was not much that could be done about it, but to abide by the doctor's wishes. He told my father to get my mother something to eat and make her walk. All day my mother just walked and walked that is between the bite of peanuts which no one could take away from her. On Sunday night, a day and a half since first arriving at the hospital, the pains started again. This time I was very determined and there was to be no postponing this time. Daddy and my aunt got tired of waiting and went to an all-night movie, As the World Stood Still. Just as they arrived back at the hospital, I had just been born - weighing in at seven pounds. The time was 8:08 AM on this cold November day. I was named Cobra Ann Jobe and this was recorded on my birth certificate. However, five years later, my mother would pay to have my first officially changed. To some the ordeal was over, but to my, life was just beginning and all the struggles, tribulations, and trials were still ahead somewhere in my future.

At birth my hair was black, but started turning colors fast. By the time I was two years old, I was cotton-headed. However, the color was to change again - this time to a medium brown. My eyes were a deep-blue. I was twenty inches tall, though this was soon to change. Even at birth, I had a quick temper and a nervous nature. This was not to get any better.

"Babyhood - First two years of my Life"

My first visit was to Grandma Jobes (Minnie Leamer Mears Jobe born 1876 and died August 1972) in Weatherford, Texas on Christmas Day. I was just under a month old. This was also the first time that a picture was taken of me. For my first Christmas, I got a green-satin dress, two rattlers, and a bottle nipple. (according to my Baby Book).

The first years of my life were really ones of struggles and endurance. If it had not been the Lord's will and the aid of an experienced paediatrician, I would not be here now to tell you my story. This was a time of much sickness for me. During this time I spent most of my time either in a doctor's office of a hospital. In the beginning I was slow about gaining weight and had a calcium deficiency. To add to this I got strip throat which settled in my kidneys, what the doctors called nephritis. During this time, I would have a raging, scorching temperature, which would turn into convulsions if something was not done fast. Finally, though I did get better and even learned how to walk all over.

During my early life Mommy and Daddy were separated most of the time. I lived with my mother and grandparents, Benjamin and Edna Davis. (grandpa Davis died in Feb 1956 and Granny in April 1981) After being separated off and on for quite a while, they went back together. It was during this time, that my sister was born. There was only 11 1/2 months between us. She was born in Grand Prairie in Dallas County where my grandparents lived - during one of the separations. I couldn't say Marian so she quickly became known as Sissy. (Marian died in November 1977)

My first long trip was to San Antonio. (Trip refers to Daddy coming in and saying, "Hop in the car, we're going, with no preparation or planning before hand. Most of the time, we had no idea where we were going or for how long). Auntie went with us. When we left the house, no one knew where we were going. Daddy was like that - getting us all in the car and just taking off. In San Antonio, we got lost. There were highways going in every direction. We could not get off the highway that we were on; and besides did not know where any of the highways went as did not have a map. We finally found a motel to spend the night at. Auntie and Mommy took forever to find the refrigerator and stove so that I could get my milk. I was getting mighty hungry and was really letting them know about my predicament. Finally, I was fed and drifted off into sleep. The next day we got back home and my first real trip came to an end.

When I was two, Mommy had to go into the hospital for an operation. She had a fibroid tumour removed and also had her cords tied. During this time, my baby sister and I were trying to get in the refrigerator at the same time. I just happened to be a little bit more determined and had a little bit more strength; so I knocked Sissy down, causing her to hit her nose on the trash can. She just nearly broke her nose. A good deal of skin was pulled off. My aunt put the skin back on somehow. This formed a scar though which was always to be a remembrance to this day. (1967).

"Childhood (ages 3 to 10)"

When I was three, my grandfather, Ben Davis (my mother's father born 1902 and died 1956) had a stroke which left him paralysed. I can remember very little about him as he died in February 1956. He had a picture of Jesus which hanged over the bed. Actually in the picutre, Jesus was overlooking a city, but to me (as a child) the city represented tombstones. I can remember saying that Jesus was looking over Grandpa's grave. As he was my grandfather, and the only one that I ever knew, even though it was for only a short period of time, Mommy took me to his funeral. The only thing I can remember about the funeral was that someone handed me a red flower. I have always been told that my grandfather though the world of me. I was his oldest grandchild and he only had two when he died. I spent most of my early life with him and Granny. Wish that I could have known him longer for I'm sure that we would have really had some good times together.

When I was four, my uncle, Earl Spoon, (Earl was born 1897 and died 1963)was paralysed and confined to bed for 7 long years. This was my father's sister's husband. (husband of Annie Jobe, Daddy's sister that lived with Grandma Jobe). It was not a pleasant site to have to go over to Grandma's and see him just lie there all the time. I know how I used to hate having to go in there and talk to him all the time while the grownups stayed in the front room talking about everything. I used to feel like I was being punished. Uncle Earl was losing his mind slowly. He really did not know what he was saying or doing. I know at times he would scare me to death. I was really happy when I could leave that place. (Things changed after his death and I got older).

At the age of five, we moved from South Fort Worth to North Fort Worth by the stock yards. This might now sound like much of a change, but to a child of five, it was just the same as if we had moved a hundred miles. I remember the night that we moved, there was a real storm and the winds were really getting up. That night the wallpaper blew off my wall and scared me half to death. I was beginning to think that house was haunted and was really overjoyed when I was able to get away from there. The day that we moved, it was really cold; and we were having such a time trying to get the gas turned on. We all snuggled up in a big chair with blankets wrapped all around us. Finally after it had been dark for several hours, the man came and turned on the gas. We sure were happy to see him.

"School Days - Elementary School"

At the age of six in the autumn of 1958, I entered elementary school. This was really an experience for me as I had been looking for this day for a long time. The first school in which I was to attend was H. V. Helbing Elementary. The school was located on Crump Street, just three blocks from our house. My first grade teacher was Mrs. Jane Pool. She was really wonderful and knew just how to act with first graders who did not really know what was going on or what to expect next.

Each year the big event of my life would be the Fat Stock Show. One I got to meet Dale Robertson, the star of Wells Fargo. Each year they would have a rodeo and square dancing in the street at cowtown, North Fort Worth. Once, Mommy took us to see the rodeo. You were supposed to buy a badge or go to the 'play jail'. The jail did not look much like play to me and it really did frighten me as we did not have a badge. To get out of the jail, one would have to buy some toilet paper or some other similar item. Luckily, we did not get picked up. Was really glad I got to leave that place and get back home where I would be safe.

In the second grade, I had who I considered the best teacher ever. Mrs. Satterwhite was an elderly woman whom not many people liked. Guess this must have been one of the reasons why she appealed so much to me. She felt concerned about each and every one of her pupils just as if they were her own children. What I remember most about this year was the time that I pained the white rabbit. I made pink blossoms on the trees by using a sponge. The painting was really beautiful, especially when one considered that it was painted by a second grader. However, the picture was ruined when I used a large brush, instead of a small one, to paint the eyes and whiskers. I actually that that I had destroyed a piece of my life when this happened. I wanted so much to impress Mrs. Satterwhite, and then everything just backfired right in front of my eyes.

My third grade teacher was Mrs. Carter. I thought that she was the most beautiful woman that I had ever seen. I wanted to look just like her. This year the class studied about early Fort Worth. During the year, I got to go on a bus tour of Fort Worth and got to visit the history museum. This was the year that first sparked my interest in history and of wanting to know more about my ancestors. I can even remember back then when I would be asking Mommy about my grandmothers and grandfathers. I really could not understand why she could not go back any further. So my questioning turned to Grandma Jobe and Granny.

When we lived on the North Side, there was not a time that one could not find an animal or bird of some sort on the premises somewhere. At one time, we had 40 dogs pregnant dogs all at one time. I have had various breeds, ranging from chichualas, fox terriers, weimers, collies, German Shepherds, poodles, Pomerans, to pekignese. I have also had a spider monkey, turtle, and several types of cats. Among the varieties or species of birds, I have had a parrot, mynah bird, ducks, chickens, sparrows, canaries, and finches. Once I even had a red bird which we caught ourselves in a trap which we built. I used to put all my pets on the front porch and play life I had my own pet shop. Used to get some weird looks from the motorists that would come by and see the strange sight that would their eyes would see.

My fourth grade teacher was a Mrs. Furney. She was of French descend. She got out and did things with the students. There was no way that anyone could not like her.

During elementary school, a friend, Gary, and I used to play cowboys and Indians on our bicycles. I used to always get mad because I had to always be the Indian. I wanted to be a 'good guy' sometime. Gary also had a parrot which I did not care for because he would always tell when I was coming. There was no way that you could surprise him, no matter how quiet that you would try to be. Linda, another friend of mine, would ride with us. We had our own little crowd.

We used to have a 'strange way' of deciding what I wanted to play at a particular time. I would write down every game that I could possibly think of even though there were some that I knew that I definitely did not want to play. Then we would all vote on the game that we wanted to play. By the time that we had decided what we wanted to play, there was no longer time left to play the game. My favourite things to play was 'house'. I would always be the teenage sister. My friends during this timed were Cloie, Barbara and her sister, Patricia. We always likes to eat out in the yard or in the garage which we had made into a playhouse. We would all bring something and have our own 'little feast'.

My fifth grade teacher was Mrs. Baker. From the beginning, she and I didn't really get along. She had her favourites and greatly showed her prejudices. She disliked everyone but her select few which all seemed to share a common interest in being an artist or extremely creative. However, this year was not a total loss. I tried out for the relay team which was mostly comprised of sixth graders. I was very thrilled when I made substitute. Really I did not think that I was all that good and did not think that I had any kind of a chance of making the team. The regular girl got sick and I was sort of scared when I was told that I had to run. Though we lost, it was really a great moment for me. I actually got to be in the team that represented my school. It really can give one great pride in oneself to know that they have really accomplished something. Not only was I representing myself but everyone in that school. Even though we did not win, we did our best and this made us all feel like we had really accomplished something.

"Year of Change - Sixth Grade"

(This was never written and my story ended right her)



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