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The Healdton Herald
Healdton, Carter County, Oklahoma
Old Timer of the Week articles written by HELEN HEDGEPATH for the Healdton Herald.
April 2, 1981
Winnie from Graham Tells It Like It Was
Our interview this week took us to Graham where we visited with a lady who is 76 years old and has lived at Graham 74 of those years. This week we honor WINNIE PONDER PIERCE as the Old Timer of the Week.
Winnie was born August 30, 1904 at Cornish, Indian Territory. Her parents were J. E. and MARY PARILEE PRUITT PONDER. Her father had five children by his first marriage (MALISSA COOK): ANDY, VIRGIL of County Line, FRED of Graham, JAKE at Pauls Valley, all deceased, and ZELLAH PONDER CHANCE at the Healdton Nursing Home. After the death of his first wife, he remarried MARY PARILEE PRUITT and had nine more children: BEULAH PONDER BRISCOE NORDMAN who died 1964; LORENA PONDER PIERCE of Graham; EVERETT PONDER of County Line; CECIL PONDER of Lawton; VONOREE PONDER of Ardmore and WALTER PONDER, now deceased. Winnie and two sisters of the second family are still living, TINA PONDER JOHNSON of Bell Flower, California and DOROTHY PONDER GARRETT of Graham.
Winnie attended school at Graham. Among her classmates and friends were the CHANCE family, MAMIE and NEALIE (CORNELIUS) KNIGHT, JIM BURROW, OGLETREES, BYRDS, SUDIE and CHARLIE DAVIS, the AIRINGTONS and the PIERCES. When Winnie grew up, she started going with a neighbor boy, WALTER E. PIERCE. They went together about five years and married Nov. 22, 1922. After their marriage, they bought a two room home on the Ponder place, southwest of Graham.
Walter worked in the oil fields and in 1925, went to work for Magnolia Oil Co., later Mobil Oil, at the gasoline plant at Graham. He retired in 1966 after 41 years on the same job. He passed away Christmas morning 1970, from a cerebral hemorrhage.
Winnie has lived at her present location since 1929. They first bought land and lived in the existing house. In 1938 they built a rock house which burned in 1966 and they built the present house at the same location.
Winnie has two sons, ERVIN PIERCE and LAVERNE E. PIERCE. Erwin is county commissioner for western Carter County and is married to the former JOYCE SHRADER, who teaches special education at Velma. Erwin and Joyce live in Graham and have three children, GREG who teaches agriculture at OSU; BRENDA SISNEY at Norman, and LARRY who dies oilfield trucking, living near Velma. Laverne, the younger son, lives at Healdton. He has three children, RANDY PIERCE who lives in Washington state; DEANNA MARTIN at Wichita, Kansas, and RUSTY at Healdton. Winnie has ten great-grandchildren.
She said that she and her husband belonged to the Church of Christ, but her children and grandchildren were Baptists.
Winnie had a heart attack eight years, in the ICU for several days and hospital for more days. She has restricted her activities but does her own housework and some crocheting. She still drives her car for short trips. Winnie ran the telephone office at Graham for several years. She bought it from MED NORTON. Her son Erwin and his wife Joyce ran it for a few years and sold out to Mr. WARD. She has seen changes around Graham, from a small farming community to the oil boom days with houses springing up everywhere, now reverted to a farming community again. Winnie says her boys check on her every day and her sister lives next door and she walks to her house every day. The television keeps her from getting lonesome.
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