Person:Hershel Stephens (1)

  Notes Eunice Rhodes took while chatting with Hershel Stephens: Hershel Liggett Stephens was born in Pemiscot Co., Missouri, the 26 of April 1890.  He says he can remember riding behind his Dad on a mule, although he was quite young, his Dad died in March before Hershel was six.  His Mother had given birth in March to twin girls, one of the twins died at birth, the other one, Lulu Herington still lives at Bragadocia, Missouri, Uncle Hershel's Father's name was Jesse Liggett, His Mother was Mary.
  After his Mother's death he lived with Wes and Mary Cawthorn, he called them aunt and uncle.  A brother of Wes's, Frank Cawthorn lived at Carutherville, Mo. While he was living with Aunt Mary Cawthorn he had "every 3 day chills", she asked Aunt Dood Cawthorn to come help her take care of him.  Aunt Dood was Hershel's Mothers sister.  Aunt Dood came and stayed 2 weeks, fed Uncle Hershel black coffee and quinine, he got well, then Aunt Dood took him home with her.
  Herbert and Herman lived with Aunt Jennie and Uncle John Garner for awhile, above the store Uncle John owned.  Uncle Hershel went to live with them after his stay with Aunt Dood.  All of the children were quite sick and became more trouble than the Garner's wanted to or could take care of, so they were sent to an orphans home in St. Louis.  The Garners lived in Advance, Mo., the boys were sent on the train by their selves to the Orphans home.  Hershel remembers that he was 9 years old in April and they were sent to the home in December.  They were put on the train at Delta, Mo., they had name tags pinned on their clothes. He remembered getting into St. Louis late at night, they were met at the train and the people at the home fed them and talked to them for quite a while before they went to bed.  They had to help with the housekeeping, such as making their beds and keeping their clothes picked up.
  Hershel mentioned that he had 3 years of schooling at the Orphanage and was through the 5th reader while he was there. although they had put him back when he went there.  He went to the Springcreek School while he lived with the Stephens.  He went through the first year of high school. Dr. Archer of Grenola helped the Stephens in their adoption of Hershel, he wrote to the Orphanage for them. The Stephens wanted someone who could help on the farm, and were somewhat disappointed when they met the train and saw Hershel for the first time.  (We are glad they decided to keep him and I'm sure they enjoyed having him also.)  If I understood him right the Stephens lived 9 miles south of Grenola, Ks.
  I asked him when he met Aunt Leona, he said she lived 6 miles east and north of the Stephens and he met her at a party at the parsonage.  He was going with a girl named Esther Clare and she introduced him to Aunt Leona.  The next week he had a buggy and team, some of the fellows were kidding him, betting that he wouldn't ask to take Leona home, he called their bet and took her home and they started their dating.  They were married 14 of March 1911.  Leona had been working in the homes of some of the neighbors and she owned a cow, she wanted to sell the cow to buy her wedding clothes, but Hershel said he paid for the wedding clothes so she didn't have to sell the cow.
  (I may have my years and farms mixed up, if I do, make corrections and suggestions)
  First year of marriage he farmed 9 miles south of Grenola, KS, across the road from the Vaugn place.  He raised cane, 30 acres of kafir corn, he gave 1/5 to the farmer who owned the land.  He also mentioned the grasshooppers that ate up every thing.  He decided to sell out and moved to Moline, KS, where he worked as a section hand on the railroad and lived with Granpa and Grandma Gault. (This was in the fall of the year)  Bob was born in February the next year. Again, If I understood him he tried hauling hay with a team and didn't like it, so he began buying hay, had it baled and hired men to haul it.  He sold the hay to Swift & Co., he said the men could haul about 1 12 ton on a hay frame, some of the men had 2 teams.
  He made enough to pay off $280 debt at the bank.  On the 14th of August they moved back to the Stephen's, then rented a farm near by. While they lived there Bob got sick and Hershel went for the Doctor, he had to go to the river to find Dr. Jones who was fishing.  The Doctor prescribed medicine for Aunt Leona, as she was nursing Bob he got the benefit of the medicine through the breast milk and was made well. Hershel moved from the Stephens place and drove for Dr. Jones awhile. Albert Andrews, my Dad, wrote to Hershel telling him that Bill
  Beatty was looking for someone to help on the farm.  Hershel borrowed a bicycle from Bryon Stiles and rode it from south of Grenola to the Harry Mays place.  He called Dad and found out when he could talk to Bill Beaty, arrangements were made for him to go to work and he called Byron Stiles from the Mays place and told him to hitch up the team and bring Leona to a place halfway between Moline, KS and Grenola, KS.  He also called Leona.  Hershel met them and drove the team with Leona to Bill Beaty's and Bill lent him a team of mules to move with.  They lived on the Copperhead Ranch - (George Cox might have named it that) - When the fall work was done, Bill Beatty said they could still live on the place but he couldn't pay him.  He told him he could cut wood and haul it to town to sell, Hershel said he would just get $2.50 for a wagon load of wood, and that wasn't enough to live on.
  The last of January or the first of Feb. he left Bill Beatty and went to Coffeyville, Ks, where he worked at a roof and tile company as a carpenter's helper, later he went to work at Sinclair Oil refinery.  Then he got a job at the ice plant and worked as a fireman, he liked that job but later he had to pull ice.  This was helping to ice railroad cars, with blocks of ice that weighted 400 pounds.  Railroad men did the icing but he had to keep count of the ice used.  He did load ice in the cars for transporting it.
  They lived in Grandma Livingston's apartment at 120 Grace Boulevard in Coffeyville, KS and Bob learned to walk while they lived there. He was called from Coffeyville to work on the Eddy Ranch, 800 acres near Burden, KS.  He worked there for 14 months, Leona helped in the house, washing and cooking for hired hands.  He said he left there because the work was too much for Leona.
  Bill Beatty introduced Hershel to Fred Caldwell, there were three houses on the Caldwell place and Fred let them choose which house they wanted to live in.
  Hershel spoke of hauling kafir corn to be ground for the hogs and plowing alfalfa with  6 head of horses on a gang plow.  He spoke of going to work for Frank Taylor shucking corn while living at the Caldwell house.
  While he worked here he had a tooth pulled by Dr. Mays and got blood poisoning he was sick for six weeks and Doc DePew came every day to see him. Fred Caldwell paid him straight wages and butchered two hogs for him.
  Boquin bought the farm from Fred Caldwell, he moved from the Boquin place to the Snyder place March 1, 1922, Gene was born on the Snyder place.  Hershel lived on the Caldwell place 8 years, the last 4 years on his own.  He had 17 head of horses and 75 head of cattle on the Snyder place.
  Hershel and Leona bought a home in Howard, KS 54 years ago from Jim Tarwater for $2300, he had two teams when he moved to town. John Dunlop came to ask him to take over the bulk oil station and drive the truck.  Hershel said that Mobil Oil bought the truck and gave it to him and paid him $50 a month to keep it up.  He was on an expense account with a 2 cents a gallon commission.

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   Obituary - HOWARD CURRENT CITIZEN, April 29, 1982
   Hershel Liggett Stephens
   Hershel Liggett Stephens, retired agent for Mobil Oil Company died Monday April 19, 1982 at the Twilight Manor Nursing Home in Howard. He was 91 years of age. Hershel was born on April 26, 1890 in Pimiscot County, Missouri to Jesse and Mary Cathon Liggett. His father died when Hershel was three years old and his mother died after giving birth to twin girls before he was six. After the death of his mother he lived with several members of the family and when living with John and Jennie Garner, Hershel had to be sent to the Christian's Orphans Home in St. Louis, Missouri, where he could receive better care.
   In 1902, Franklin and Isabelle Stephens wrote to the orphanage for someone to help on their farm outside of Grenola, Kansas. Hershel was sent by train to Kansas where he attended Spring Creek School while living in Grenola.
   On March 14, 1911 he united in marriage with Leona Collins at Moline, Kansas, afterward making their home on a farm 9 miles south of Grenola. Hershel farmed and worked for the railroad for a short time before moving to Howard in the fall of 1922. He began work for WhiteHorse Oil Company in 1922. The company name was later changed to Mobil Oil Company and in 1955, Hershel retired after 32 years as an agent.
   Hershel or "Steve" as he was sometimes called, was well loved for his pleasant smile and friendly manner. He was a faithful husband, a loving father and grandfather.
   He was a member of the Howard United Methodist Church, the Odd Fellows Lodge and Rebekah Lodge No. 154 at Howard, and a member of the Patriarch Militant Encampment at ElDorado.
   He is survived by two sons, Bob of Howard, and Gene of Wichita, a daughter, Mrs. Edith Zeleny of Annapolic, Missouri, 12 grandchildren; and 24 great-grandchildren.
   Funeral services were held at 2:00 p.m. Friday, April 23, 1982 at the Zimmerman Funeral Home with Rev. Paul Lynn of the Howard United Methodist Church officiating. Mrs. Louise Morgan was the vocalist and Mrs. Mary Caroline Miller provided the organ music. The casket bearers were Kenneth Chancellor, Weldon Russell, Melvin Doughty, Gene cookson, David Magers and Carl Hubbell. The interment was held in Grace Lawn Cemetery at Howard. Graveside services were conducted by the Odd Fellows Lodge of Howard. A memorial has been up with the American Lung Association. The funeral service was directed by the Zimmerman Funeral Home of Howard.