Person:David Dickey (20)

1880 Loudon Co., TN, census. Dist. 4, vol. 19, E.D. 215, S-16, L-41. David Levi DICKEY (19) living with his uncle, William Witten DICKEY, and aunt, Harriet. David's father had died in 1876 in Abingdon, Washington Co., VA. His mother had died in 1872, same place. His two brothers, James Witten DICKEY, and William Alfred DICKEY, were living with their grandfather, David H. DICKEY, 80, nearby. Also, with David H's second wife, Rebecca, 62. His first wife, Letitia WITTEN DICKEY, died in 1844. David H. and Rebecca had: Newton L., b. 1849, in TN, and Wilber A., b. 1856, TN. They also had an adopted daughter, Elizabeth Slaughter, 17.

From The Waterman Family (R929.273 W3llj, vol. 2, pg. 663, "Descendents of Robert WATERMAN (Group No. 1242):

    "David Levi DICKEY spent his first sixteen years in the old homestead of his grandfather, Levi Lincoln WATERMAN, and grandmother, Mary Ann (CUTLER) established in Washington Co., southwest Virginia, in 1820.  After the death of his parents, he went with his two brothers, Jim and Will, and sister, Mary, to live with their DICKEY relatives in Sweetwater, TN.
    "He entered Hiwassee College that fall (1876?) and spent two years in that institution.  He taught school in Arkansas for some two years.  He then took up the study of medicine, and was associated with Dr. Duncan in a drug store in Atlanta, GA.  Not having money to attend medical school, he gave up the study of medicine.  He went to Florida where Jim was living and remained there one year.  Then he went to Texas and engaged in farming. In the fall of 1888 he and his brother-in-law to-be, Rufus ECHOLS...In the early part of 1889 he returned to Texas and was married to Lulu(sic) ECHOLS.  He made two crops on her father's farm.  Then in the fall of 1890, he moved with his wife and baby and (his in-laws) Elijah Clark ECHOLS and Martha Jane (MURPHY) Echols, to his homestead at Klondyke, Greer Co., Texas (later, Oklahoma.)
    "The developing of a farm on that new land was difficult.  The hardships were borne by the women and children as well as the men.  The native sod was tough and difficult to turn and get into shape for planting.  The first year the wheat yield was very good, but when the boys had considerable acreage in cultivation, a period of draught years set in and crop yields were reduced to almost nothing.  The crop failures of 1894-96 reduced the settlers to penury.  The whole northwest Texas country was almost depopulated.  Hundreds of families left their homes, never to return.
    "In some was the DICKEY boys were enabled to stay with their claims.  The drougnt was the cause of all that country's turning from exclusive small grain farming to the raising of cotton and the diversifying of crops.  That was a great blessing and placed farming on a firmer basis.
    "Lula and Vada (Nevada), Jim's wife, were deserving of much praise for their heroic attitude during those distressing years.  They had never been accustomed to such hardships and self-denials before.  With their young children around, they went about their daily duties with smiling faces and uncomplaining spirits.   The Lord wonderfully blessed them for their fidelity.  With the coming of better crops and the railroad, the community was built up.  Better school and church facilities were afforded their children, better houses were built, and homes were made more comfortable.
    "David and Lula had ten children who grew to maturity--four boys and six girls.  They received highschool educations, and some, college degrees.
    "In middle life, David responded to a call to the ministry, which he probably had felt from boyhood.  On account of his large family, he was not permitted to enter into public ministry but for a short time.  His preaching was clear and forceful, of the expository type.  He raised his children around a family altar, and that religious influence manifests itself to this day in the lives of children, in-laws, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren to the number of 43 persons.  (At the time this was written.)  David and Lula lived to see them all grown, and most of them married.  They are both buried in the Olustee Cemetery near their old home.  Many call them blessed."  (Letitia Browder (DICKEY) Howard, Olustee, OK, 1940)

Olustee Cemetery, Section 28-TIN-R21W, Olustee, OK: DICKEY, Myrtle, d/o D.L. & L.O., 29 Apr 1893 - Sept.1893 DICKEY, Lula O., 1865-1927 DICKEY, David L., 1860-1937 ECHOLS, Elijah C., 1827-1900 MILNER, Alice N., 1900-1940 DICKEY, Lola (McKenzie), 1899-1935