John Thomas Click, son James S. and Nancy Gaskins Click,
was born April 13, 1861 in Camden, South Carolina. His parents migrated
to Texas and settled in an area which later became Bairdstown, near Paris.
Eva Beatrice remembered her father talking about their trip to Delta County
in a covered wagon to staked land at $1.00 per acre.
John left home after his mother’s death. He was 14 years of age. He went to Charleston, Texas
(in Delta County). There he survived by farming and clerking. Eva Beatrice said they were told
of Dick Terrell owning a store in Charleston, Texas, and of hauling his supplies by Ox-wagon
from Jefferson, Texas. It took two weeks to make the trip to Jefferson and back; she told of
hearing that the residents of Charleston looked forward to the arrival of new supplies from
each trip.
There was a school in Charleston, referred to more as a college, which had a good reputation
in that area. John Thomas attended school while in Charleston, and on October 24, 1884, he was
granted a
Teachers Certificate at age 23 from D. H. Lane, County Judge which was renewed by the
same judge "for the ensuing scholastic year ending August 31, 1887". He taught second grade.
He served on the Board of Education for several years.
From 1886 to 1889, John Click served a term as Postmaster
in Charleston, Texas.
While working at Dick Terrell’s store, and perhaps living in the Terrell home,
he met Cora Adelia Terrell. They were married October 27, 1885, when John Thomas
was age 24 and Cora Adelia was age 18. Together, they parented eight children,
all born in Charleston, Texas.
In 1909, John Thomas was age 38 and Cora Adelia was age 32; they decided to leave
Charleston and moved to Haskell, Texas. Edna remembered her grandfather Helm telling
her that he was heartbroken seeing Max and Ota and the whole family drive off in a
covered wagon.
Then in 1910, they moved from Haskell, Texas to Marlow, Oklahoma.
In Marlow, Oklahoma, they resided at 106 East Cherokee Avenue. The house has been remodeled.
The original house is barely discernible.
Cora's niece and her husband, Tom and Mamie McGuyre, and
their family were living on a farm just outside of Marlow, Oklahoma.
John and Cora Click's youngest child, Kate Louise, was three. With twenty years difference
between the oldest and youngest child, the two oldest children had both found husbands and
married and were no longer part of the family unit.
In 1918, Charleston Texas had a large fire that destroyed half of the main buildings of the town.
Then on December 8, 1924 a second fire destroyed the remaining buildings. The town was not rebuilt.
There is a noticeable central grassy area around the houses of the town which locates the area where
the buildings had been. There is a small grocery store/gas station which was built later.
John Thomas spent his whole day at the furniture store in Marlow. There were two moves that he made with his
store, each time to a larger store. These were difficult times with a nation-wide depression
going on, and John Thomas was a compassionate human being, rather than a cold-hearted
business man. Although the family lived well, there was little profit in running
the store.
After John Thomas became sick and died, Maxie Helm and Edward English
tried to straighten out the stores finances, but there were too many non-recoverable
loans, so they had to give it up.
Paul Millard talked about John Thomas frequently bringing candy home from work to the children.
He said that once, when he hadn't brought candy to the grandkids, Morris Shepherd, his brother,
talked him into asking his grandfather if he had any candy for them. John Thomas said, "Young
man; If I wanted you to have candy, I would have given you some." Paul talked about his grandfather
being quiet and extremely generous and kind hearted, and especially so to children. He worked six
days a week at the store from morning to dark, just to make ends meet. When he came home he had only
enough time to clean up and eat supper, and then go to bed.
Paul Millard also said that Cora Adelia was a strict Christian, very involved with family and home.
She wore out more than one willow stick on the seat of his pants, he said; but he remembered her as a
loving grandmother who was a favorite of all the grandkids.
Cora Adelia would play the violin to entertain family and company. When she wasn't taking care of the
family, all the kids remember her working in her garden. The time she spend in her garden created a flower
spectacle that all remembered when asked about Cora Adelia, and the flower most remembered was her Cannas.
Kate Louise remembered the flower exchange that went on between Cora Adelia and her daughters which caused
everyone’s to be rich in species at a time when many were hard to come obtain.
John Thomas Click retired from the furniture business at
the end of spring in 1934. He was in poor health after a busy and full
life. John Thomas and Cora Adelia celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary
on October 27, 1935. Cora Adelia died unexpectedly at age 68 on November
5, 1935. John Thomas died one month and eight days later on December
13 at age 74. (More on the Click Families. . .)
