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My Indian Grandmother
Bessie Miller Bates Wolf
My Grandmother, Bessie (also known as Bettie) Ross Miller Bates Wolf, was born June 19, 1889 in Locust Grove, Oklahoma. Her father was George Lowery Ross, and her mother was Ruth Belle Springston Ross Evans. Grandmother had an older brother, Commodore Wade Ross, and two half-brothers, Albert Lee Evans and Henry Evans, along with a half-sister, Mattie Evans Barnes. Mattie’s husband, John Barnes, was a sheriff.
Bettie and Mattie
Bessie Ross married my Grandfather, an oilfield worker, Charles Howard Miller, on the 29th of June 1907 in Sperry, Oklahoma. They had three children, Fred Albert Miller, born December 30, 1908 in Kiefer, Oklahoma, Gladys Ruth Miller, born February 7, 1915 in Locust Grove, Oklahoma, and Robert E. Miller, January 4, 1918 in Healdton, Oklahoma. My grandmother and her children moved to Long Beach, California in 1923, to join her husband who was working in the oil fields there, constructing oil derricks.
My Grandmother found work, too, outside the home. She worked in a tailor shop from 1925 to 1928.
Sometime in 1926, she and Charles divorced. She married Archie L. Bates in 1928 and moved to Redondo Beach, California. I remember that they had chickens, ducks, a frog pond, and a large vegetable garden. I also remember having Sunday dinners at Grandmother’s house; she had fried chicken, mash potatoes, milk gravy, and fresh corn and lima beans. One of those Sundays, I remember my brother, Warren Lee (Bud) and I running behind the garage where my Grandfather had bee hives. My little sister, Loretta, followed us and we got in big trouble, because, even though the bees didn’t bother me or my brother, they bothered Loretta! She had bees in her hair and they were very mad! So were my Grandparents!
In late 1945 or 1946, Grandma and Grandpa Bates moved to Riverside, California where they stayed for awhile with my folks. During the move, while we were on the road from Redondo Beach to Riverside, my mother, brother, sister Loretta and I rode in my Grandfather’s 1933 Chevrolet. My Grandmother was driving, following my Father and Grandfather who were driving a truck that was loaded with all of their household goods. When we came to a railroad crossing, we could see a train coming. My Father had plenty of time to cross safely, but we were barely ahead of the train when we crossed! I don’t know if my Grandmother didn’t see the train, or if she was afraid she’d lose sight of my Dad and get lost! Obviously, we made it!
My Grandparents stayed with us while they were building a house about two blocks from us, on Stover Street. In 1946, my Grandfather had a heart attack and died. After that, my Grandmother stayed with us until she married Floyd H. Wolf sometime between 1953 and 1955. Floyd worked as a welder at Food Machinery Corporation at the time. Floyd liked to fish and garden . They lived at 5981 Chapel Ave in the Arlanza area of Riverside, California. Floyd was born April 15, 1907 in Indiana and died March 21, 1963 in Riverside, California. My Grandmother moved in with my parents and stayed until she went blind and had problems walking. She then moved to a nursing home and stayed until she died October 30, 1980. She was buried at Crestlawn Cemetery in Riverside, California.
Elisabeth Springston
A Little Family History
Bessie or Bettie Ross’s Mother, Ruth Bell Springston’s father, was John Leak Springston, born October 13, 1844. Her mother was Sarah Elisabeth Mosley. John Leak Springston’s father was John A. Springston, born October 13, 1814 and married to Mrs. Sallie Elliot, John A. Springston died in December 1876.
Ruth Bell Springston had two sisters One was her twin who died very young, the other was Elisabeth Springston. (She was my Grandmother’s Aunt Lizzie)
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Hello Wayne. I been reading more on your website. Sure do like reading something like this that is talking about places that I live close to. Trying to follow the genealogy of your family. Nice to see that you have added more to the site. Did you get around to moving to the smaller place that you were talking about in the email letter that I received from you. Keep up the good work on the site and will be looking forward to seeing more stuff added. Take care and have fun. Chuck
Hello,
Elisabeth Springston was my great great grandmother. I would love to see a picture of her. Please send a picture if you have one.
Thank you,
Renee Sheehan
Hi Renee Sheehan
When I get back home I will go through the pictures I have. If you have any information on Ruth B. Springston or any of the Ross or Evans, please share.
Waynes BS.com
Hello. I am the genealogist for the Oklahoma Chapter of the Trail of Tears Association. On April 18, the Chapter will host a ceremony at the Round Springs Cemetery in Eucha, Oklahoma. One of the honorees will be your ancestor, Anderson Springston. Please contact me regarding more information about this event. Thank you.
Hello David Hampton
Thank you for contacting me, I would like any information on my family history. I have not done any research for a while. I would like the information on the ceremony at the Round Springs Cemetery and the Trail of Tears Association.
Thank you again for contacting me. Robert Wayne Horlacher
Hi Wayne
I could not find your email address on this site and I am not sure if you can read mine from this post. My email is dkhampton[at]cox.net . Substitute the [at] for an @. Thank you.
David
Hi David
Sorry I should have given you my email address, it is g8rbait@embarqmail.com
sorry WAyne
Hello Renee Sheehan
I gave your email address to a Genealogies (David Hampton) he is working on descendants of Anderson Springston and much more.I hope you don’t mind.
Wayne Horlacher of waynes-bs.com
ps– David’s email is dkhampton@cox.net
Hello Renee Sheehan
I gave your email address to a Genealogies (David Hampton) he is working on descendants of Anderson Springston and much more.I hope you don’t mind.
Wayne Horlacher of waynes-bs.com
ps– David’s email is dkhampton@cox.net
Hi Wayne I didn’t hear anything from you or from Renee by email. I would like to know if you or any other family members are possibly going to be able to attend the ceremony. I haven’t heard from the descendant in Catoosa who I was planning on reading the bio and she may not come through. David
Hello Wayne. Just wanted to check in with you and Jeanie. I check out you web page from time to time. Like to see more added when and if you get the time. I know that I been retired for a few year myself and it seem like I never have a the free time to do all the things that I want to do. I tried to log into your website but somehow it does not except my nick or my password. I sure am glad to you that you have a facebook page. I have some of you other family members on my facebook list. The last message that I got you said the you were planning on moving into a smaller place. I was wondering if you ever got around to making the move. To me that moving thing is just not my piece of cake. I living in a small trailer park and if they want me to move they are going to have to carry me out. Well anyway nice to see that you are still on line. Take care and have a lot of fun doing it. Riverside “Chuck & Edna Townsend
Hi Chuck and Edna. Good to hear from you, we are still in Florida , we have not sold our house. Hope you have a great holiday.Wayne and Jeannie
Hi Chuck and Edna. Good to hear from you, we are still in Florida , we have not sold our house. Hope you have a great holiday.Wayne and Jeannie
Hi Chuck and Edna. Good to hear from you, we are still in Florida , we have not sold our house. Hope you have a great holiday.Wayne and Jeannie
Hi Chuck Happy birthday — wayne and Jeannie