CLARENCE OLEN MULLINAX
Birth: 1 Jun 1893
Death: 30 Dec 1972
(age 79 years, 6 months, 29 days)
Clarence Olen Mullinax was born on June 1, 1893 in
Port Mountain, Murray Co., GA. He was the second of nine children and the
oldest son of George Washington Mullinax and Susan Missouri Hays.
When he was 6 years old, his family and the William Andrew Mullinax family (his uncle) took the train to Texas. They disembarked at Fort Worth and then came to Weatherford where the men bought farms near Springtown in Parker County.
His first job was to help with the chores of an aging neighbor couple. When he was about 9 or 10, his father made arrangements for Clarence to work for them. He went to school in the daytime and worked before and after school doing whatever they needed him to do. He was lonesome for his family, and none of the money he earned came to him. All the money went to his father.
The statement was often made after his retirement that he had never learned to play. Part of the reason was his job, and part of the reason was that he was 9 years old when Harley, the next son in the family, was born. By the time his brothers Harley and Arthur were teenagers Clarence was away from home.
Clarence's first marriage was to Ivy Jewel Williams. He was only 18. A divorce of this marriage was recorded in Parker County, TX, on April 1, 1913. This union produced one son: Gordon Eugene (b. 15 Aug 1913 d. 10 Mar 1999) who married Ada Lorraine Yeary. They are both buried in Clark Cemetery.
Clarence's next marriage was to Henrietta “Etta” Puckett. They had one child together that died at birth. There is a grave for a little stillborn son dated 9 Dec 1915 in Clark Cemetery. Clarence was 22 years old at the time.
When Clarence registered for the draft for WWI in 1917, his father-in-law H. P. Pucket signed the card.
In the 1920 census, Clarence was located in Floyd Co., TX. He was still married to Etta Pucket and lived in the house with his in-laws, H. P. and Frances Pucket, and their other six children on a farm in the southern part of the county.
C. O. MULLINAX AND WILLIE DANIEL
The 1930 census was taken in April before Clarence and Willie Daniel married. He was renting a space for $10.00 per month. He had no radio. She was living in a rooming house with three other people and she paid rent of $5.00 per month. The three others were: Anna Abel, unemployed; Tim Riley who was the proprietor at a restaurant; and Charles B. Germany who worked with oil products.
Clarence married Willie Daniel on 15 Aug 1930. He was working for Sun oil Company as a gang pusher in the oil fields of Lou Ann, AR,. They got the marriage license in Union Co., AR and were married in Lafayette Co., AR by a minister of the gospel, A. F. Roberts. They honeymooned in Texarkana, AR. He was 37 years of age and she was 24.
Soon after the wedding Clarence left the oil fields to work in a grocery store in White Oak with his brother Harley. He still owned a grocery store between Longview and Gladewater on Highway 80 when George and Una were born.
Clarence always enjoyed telling about the man who came in one day asking directions to California. He was told to get on Highway 80 and keep driving. Five days later the same man came in. He had traveled those five days going east instead of west!
After they married, Willie and Clarence offered to send Gordon to college. He already had his mind on marriage. He did marry and the first child was Llewellyn. When she was two years old, she came to live with Mimi and Deedlela (Willie and Clarence’s nicknames). The doctor told them to feed her many snacks and to give her all the over-ripe bananas that she would eat. She returned to Gordon's household after she started gaining weight.
The family moved in Weatherford in 1943 so Clarence could work in a defense plant during WWII. They lived in a house with a long central hallway and 29 trees in the yard.
By 1945, Clarence was employed as a pumper by Richardson & Bass Oil Company in Kermit, TX. He started work there several months before the rest of the family moved to Kermit. The house they lived in was built on sand, and the wind blew every day. When the first grass seed was planted, the grass grew two doors down.
He always planned to return to Weatherford so he could plant a garden and plants would grow without having to be watered every day. They planted a magnolia tree in the yard to remind Mimi of the East Texas she loved. It bloomed just before she died.
After he officially retired from Richardson & Bass, he worked at the local park, watering and keeping the grounds clean. He had an amazing knack for being able to talk to anyone.
Clarence and Willie had two children: George Finley who married Dorothy Stone and Una Clyde who married Carroll Lee Forgy. They also have numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren.
On 30 Dec 1972, Clarence died of pneumonia in Houston, TX. His funeral service was held on 2 Jan 1973 in the Friendship Baptist Church near Springtown. Both are buried in the Clark Cemetery in Parker Co., near the Mullinax home place and Friendship Baptist Church.
Written by George and Dorothy Mullinax (son of Clarence and Willie)
Photo also Courtesy of George and Dorothy Mullinax (pictured are Willie and Clarence)
When he was 6 years old, his family and the William Andrew Mullinax family (his uncle) took the train to Texas. They disembarked at Fort Worth and then came to Weatherford where the men bought farms near Springtown in Parker County.
His first job was to help with the chores of an aging neighbor couple. When he was about 9 or 10, his father made arrangements for Clarence to work for them. He went to school in the daytime and worked before and after school doing whatever they needed him to do. He was lonesome for his family, and none of the money he earned came to him. All the money went to his father.
The statement was often made after his retirement that he had never learned to play. Part of the reason was his job, and part of the reason was that he was 9 years old when Harley, the next son in the family, was born. By the time his brothers Harley and Arthur were teenagers Clarence was away from home.
Clarence's first marriage was to Ivy Jewel Williams. He was only 18. A divorce of this marriage was recorded in Parker County, TX, on April 1, 1913. This union produced one son: Gordon Eugene (b. 15 Aug 1913 d. 10 Mar 1999) who married Ada Lorraine Yeary. They are both buried in Clark Cemetery.
Clarence's next marriage was to Henrietta “Etta” Puckett. They had one child together that died at birth. There is a grave for a little stillborn son dated 9 Dec 1915 in Clark Cemetery. Clarence was 22 years old at the time.
When Clarence registered for the draft for WWI in 1917, his father-in-law H. P. Pucket signed the card.
In the 1920 census, Clarence was located in Floyd Co., TX. He was still married to Etta Pucket and lived in the house with his in-laws, H. P. and Frances Pucket, and their other six children on a farm in the southern part of the county.
C. O. MULLINAX AND WILLIE DANIEL
The 1930 census was taken in April before Clarence and Willie Daniel married. He was renting a space for $10.00 per month. He had no radio. She was living in a rooming house with three other people and she paid rent of $5.00 per month. The three others were: Anna Abel, unemployed; Tim Riley who was the proprietor at a restaurant; and Charles B. Germany who worked with oil products.
Clarence married Willie Daniel on 15 Aug 1930. He was working for Sun oil Company as a gang pusher in the oil fields of Lou Ann, AR,. They got the marriage license in Union Co., AR and were married in Lafayette Co., AR by a minister of the gospel, A. F. Roberts. They honeymooned in Texarkana, AR. He was 37 years of age and she was 24.
Soon after the wedding Clarence left the oil fields to work in a grocery store in White Oak with his brother Harley. He still owned a grocery store between Longview and Gladewater on Highway 80 when George and Una were born.
Clarence always enjoyed telling about the man who came in one day asking directions to California. He was told to get on Highway 80 and keep driving. Five days later the same man came in. He had traveled those five days going east instead of west!
After they married, Willie and Clarence offered to send Gordon to college. He already had his mind on marriage. He did marry and the first child was Llewellyn. When she was two years old, she came to live with Mimi and Deedlela (Willie and Clarence’s nicknames). The doctor told them to feed her many snacks and to give her all the over-ripe bananas that she would eat. She returned to Gordon's household after she started gaining weight.
The family moved in Weatherford in 1943 so Clarence could work in a defense plant during WWII. They lived in a house with a long central hallway and 29 trees in the yard.
By 1945, Clarence was employed as a pumper by Richardson & Bass Oil Company in Kermit, TX. He started work there several months before the rest of the family moved to Kermit. The house they lived in was built on sand, and the wind blew every day. When the first grass seed was planted, the grass grew two doors down.
He always planned to return to Weatherford so he could plant a garden and plants would grow without having to be watered every day. They planted a magnolia tree in the yard to remind Mimi of the East Texas she loved. It bloomed just before she died.
After he officially retired from Richardson & Bass, he worked at the local park, watering and keeping the grounds clean. He had an amazing knack for being able to talk to anyone.
Clarence and Willie had two children: George Finley who married Dorothy Stone and Una Clyde who married Carroll Lee Forgy. They also have numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren.
On 30 Dec 1972, Clarence died of pneumonia in Houston, TX. His funeral service was held on 2 Jan 1973 in the Friendship Baptist Church near Springtown. Both are buried in the Clark Cemetery in Parker Co., near the Mullinax home place and Friendship Baptist Church.
Written by George and Dorothy Mullinax (son of Clarence and Willie)
Photo also Courtesy of George and Dorothy Mullinax (pictured are Willie and Clarence)