Wes Wilkerson

Wes Wilkerson was the son of Burnetta Robertson, and Edmond Thomas Wilkerson. I remember him personally. He was a double cousin to Lucy Wilkerson Lowe, my grandmother. I have sent this to other researchers for their opinions. It is generally agreed Wes was incorrect in some areas. Nonetheless, it merits value, as much of it is valid. It is noteworthy to say, our family thought Ida and Burnetta's maiden name was Robinson, until further study revealed differently. It is said on Burnetta's gravestone she is listed as Burnetta Isabella, not Burnetta Elizabeth.

The following information was sent to me from Oscar Whittington, who I made contact with several years ago on Prodigy. His wife and sister-in-law knew my mother well in their youth. Oscar has passed away since this, but mom has stayed in contact with his family. Oscar was married to the Wes' daughter and granddaughter of Burnetta Robertson and Edmond Thomas Wilkerson, Vecil.

Oscar Whittington wrote:
Burnetta gave me several handwritten pages of conversations with Wes about the family. I'll type,them verbatim and send you a copy. He did call Ida and Zach Aunt Ida and Uncle Zach.

RAMBLING CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN WES AND BURNETTA

Wash and Helen Robinson had two boys and five or six girls. Frank, Burnetta Elizabeth.

Frank Wilkerson, Uncle to Wesley, was the first Wilkerson to move to the Indian Territory. Edward Thomas Wilkerson's family had to wait for Wesley to be born before moving to the Indian Territory, (Ryan, Okla.) He was born 10 Sept., 1892. They probably moved in November or December 1892.

Jay Long, husband to Nancy Wilkerson, brother-in-law to Edward Thomas Wilkerson, moved to the Indian Territory the same time as Edward Thomas. They moved in two covered wagons. Edward Thomas had only one team and one of the horses died on the way. Jay Long had an extra horse, and he let Edward Thomas use it. Jesse Wilkerson, son of Bob, nephew of Edward Thomas, was staying with his cousin, Owen Wilkerson. Jesse had epilepsy. He took a shot gun and went hunting and committed suicide. Shot his head off.

The Edward Thomas Wilkerson in Cornish(?), Oklahoma in a tent. Mother Burnetta was making molasses candy when her daughter Lucy ran in the door just as her mother started Outside with the hot candy to let it cool. Lucy accidently got her hand into the hot candy, badly burning her hand.

Burnetta Elizabeth was about five feet two inches and weighed about one hundred forty pounds.

Nancy Wilkerson Wade's son Jim lived at Courtney Flats. Wesley Robert Wilkerson had a slight case of small pox. The Jim Wade family had already had small pox, so Wesley's family sent him to stay with the Jim Wades until he got over the small pox.

The lady (aunt) made Wesley a shirt.

Edward Thomas went into a store in Ryan and asked the storekeeper if he had any turnip seed. The storekeeper said "No, but I have some good kaffir corn seed." Wes said he was so small he barely remembered the incident.

One time when Co. F was out fighting, a sniper in a tree with a machine gun, was picking off all the men in Co. F. Wes was lying down, and he said the sniper was plowing a furrow with machine gun bullets. Wes said he knew the snipper had a bead on him so he moved over. When he moved the snipers bullets split the inside of his left shoe from top to bottom shooting it completely off his foot. He said the shoes were hob-nails with horse shoes on the hob nails. He didn't know where the horse shoe went. He also had his legging shot off. He was wounded in the left heel. He was sent to the hospital in 'Paris, France. He got well and returned to Co. F.

142nd. Inf.
36th. Div.
By Chaplin C. H. Barnes

This book is a history of the 142nd. Infantry, 36th. Division. Oct. 15, 1917 to June 17, 1919. It includes a sketch of the First Oklahoma Infantry and the Seventh Texas Infantry. It was published by: Blackwell Job Printing Co., 1922.

Sid Wilkerson, Brother of Edward Thomas Wilkerson, married his cousin Lucy Cable. Her parents were Tom Cable and Lucy ?.

Ab Wade married Edward Thomas Wilkerson's Sister. Some of their children - Abner m. Smith, Charley, Jimmy. Some of the Wades lived in Ringling, Oklahoma.

Uncle Jim Wilkerson father of Alec Wilkerson.

Uncle Frank Wilkerson left Missouri about a year before Edward Thomas Wilkerson and went to Ryan, Oklahoma. All of Edward Thomas and Bernetta Wilkerson's Children were born in MO except Alva and twin boys Rome and ? born in Ryan, Oklahoma. Romes name was changed to Rome after his twin died. The twin lived a few days.

Edward Thomas Wilkerson left Courtney Flats to move to Wetumka, Oklahoma. When they arrived at Francis (So. Canadian River,)They chartered a freight car and shipped their wagons to Sasakwa. They forded the horses and mules across the So. Canadian. Some cattleman drove his cattle across at the same time. The cattleman was going to the Indian Territory hunting grass.

Edward Thomas later returned to Courtney Flats and drove his cattle to Ardmore and shipped them to Wetumka by train.

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George Washington (Wash) Robninson born Europe, 'England, Scotland, or Ireland. m. Helen.

Parents of 2 boys and 5 girls:
Frank - Lynn Creek, Camden Co., MO
Bernetta Elizabeth
Flaura
Mag
Ida

Bernettra Elizabeth m. Edward Thomas Wilkerson - Ida married Zach Wilkerson. Zach died and Ida married Riley Burke. Zach was second or third cousin to Edward Thomas.

Daughter of Ida and Zach (Mell) Mary Ellen Wilkerson married Bob Wilkerson. Bob was Edward Thomas Wilkerson's brother.

Son Warner - Warners step son was killed in WW1. Warner received insurance and started raising cattle.

Children of Zach and Ida Wilkerson -
1. Hattie (Hat) m Charley Salisbury in Meeker, OK
Mary Ellen m. Bob Wilkerson
3. Nolie or Viola m. Delmer Long
4. Lucy m. Tom Lowe

Lula m. George Cable, lst. cousin, and lived in Norman, OK

Edward Thomas Wilkersons older sons went to Country Flats, Close to Cornish-Ringling, Indian Territory to pick cotton for Issac Carmichaels father. Their sister, Lucy, married Issac when she was 16 years old. They were married in Courtney Flats, Indian Territory.

When Edward Thomas Wilkerson lived in Ryan, Oklahoma in 1893, pecan country at that time, they lived in a half dugout. They moved from Ryan to Cornish. When Wesley was nine years old, the family moved from Cornish or Ringling to Wetumka.

Lucy Carmichael was 16 when she and Issac Carmichael married at Courtney Flats.

Doyle Carmichael married Hazel.

Doyle was on his way to get a camera to take his baby's picture. He was driving his car without lights. He met a truck also without lights. Some object sticking out of the truck struck Doyle and broke his neck killing him. The baby died at about a year of age. The baby was buried by his father at Las Cruces,
New Mexico. Doyle's wife worked for Wes Wilkerson at his
boarding house in Seminole, Oklahoma.
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Willard Carmichael, son of Issac and Lucy Mae, Dorothy Mouser. Dorothy is Lilie Mae Coswell Carmichael and Clarence Caswells niece.

Leonard Carmichael was killed when the bed of his truck fell on him.

Edward Thomas Wilkersons family lived in Ringling when the Ringling Brothers Circus was supposed to come there to spend the winter. The town was named Ringling after the Circus. The Circus didn't show.

George Washington Robinson married Mary Ellen Could be buried
in Shawnee or Norman, Oklahoma. Children Ida, Bernetta
Elizabeth, Frank, Flaura, Wash. Wash was probably George

Washington Jr. Bernetta Elizabeth died and is buried in Wetumka, Oklahoma. Frank died in Meeker, Oklahoma, Flaura married Albert Ash.

George Washington and Marry Ellen lived with Edward Thomas Wilkerson part of one year in Wetumka, Oklahoma.

Wes Wilkersons family lived 3 miles due north and 1/2 mile west of Seminole on the Tom Harbor place. Burnetta Emily walked up behind father Wes when he was cutting wood with a double bit ax. Burnetta was cut over the right eye with the ax. Later the family moved south east of Seminole, OK. This is where Haskell was born. Wes worked for the Prairie Oil Company and also ran a boarding house there.

Henry Harbor ran a grocery store at Cromwell, Oklahoma. The store was one mile north of Cromwell where Wes traded.

Clyde Salisbury, Wesleys cousin, lived at Shawnee, Oklahoma. Clyde married an Indian. Clyde's mother, Hattie, lived at Meeker, Oklahoma.

In 1922 Wesley and Flaura Wilkerson and five months old daughter, Burnetta, moved from Wetumka to mountains north of Albion called Tater Mountains. There were wild horses and wild hogs in Tater mountains at that time.

Wilkerson family lived on south side of Courtney Flats next to Red River. Bolin and Chickasha Indians had upper part of Courtney Flats which they rented to farmers and ranchers. Fenced the bottom lands and used it for cattle and horse range. South side of Courtney Flats is ringed by Texas mountains. Closest rail road in the 1890's to 1900's was in Texas about thirty five miles away. Ryan was about thirty five miles as was Ardmore. Could goto Ryan and catch train.

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Wes was going to Ardmore one time with brother Willie.. Wes took a chill and didn't get to go. As a result, he had never been to Ardmore until he left Courtney Flats to move to Wetumka.

There was a gin, general store, and a black smith shop at Petersburg where the Wilkerson Family shopped. Bill Aikens ran the general store.

Mud creek empties into Red River east of Courtney.
Wilkersons lived at Flat creek between Ryan and Ringling.
When first moved to Oklahoma lived due east of Ryan. There was only a small store called Butcher Knife between Ryan and Ringling.

People by name of Suggs had the whole country of Ryan in Cattle. The only fences were drift fences. After Wilkersons moved from Ryan, the country was planted in pecan trees.

Some people loaned the Wilkerson Family cows to milk. A storm blew the fence down and the cows went home to their owners.

When Wesley was about two, a young woman died by the name of Lucy Vernon. Before she died she told her parents that she saw Job's Coffin come in her window. Wesley remembered song sung at her funeral. "God Be With You Until We Meet Again."

Lucy Vernon died before Wilkerson twins were born. One twin died at a day or two of age.

Wesley remembered name of people buried in cemetery near Flat Creek (Headly.) They used to live in Flat Creek.

Lankfords were name of some of the people in the area. Three boys, Will, Overton, and Luther. Girls, Dora, Effie, and Meg.

Wesleys father, Edward Thomas Wilkerson was always a farmer.

There is a big dam in Missouri where the Wilkerson family lived. They lived close to where the dam was built, close to Lynn Creek. They probably traded at Lynn Creek.

Father of Edward Thomas Wilkerson. Mother buried in Oklahoma. She lived with Bernetta Elizabeth and Edward Thomas Wilkerson about 1900. She stayed all fall and picked cotton. She used to keep Jesse her grandson. She left and went to Shawnee. Edward Thomas lived in Courtney Flats when his mother lived with him.

Mother of Edward Thomas lived in Missouri, probably buried at Shawnee, Oklahoma or Norman. She also lived at Norman in the summer.

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Burnetta Elizabeth would cook a big meal and Uncle Jim would close his eyes to eat. Wesley said Uncle Jim enjoyed his food more than anyone he ever saw.

Red River bottom was between the farm and the River. Wild grapes grew in abundance in the bottom, and the family picked them green to make green grape pies. Those things were good.

The bottom was also covered in wild sand hill plums. They were large and delicious. Also lots of persimmons grew wild. Wes and George had a possum dog. They went into the persimmon grove and caught thirteen possums one night. Wes was twelve or thirteen years old by this time.

(There is a discrepancy somewhere in Wesleys age. He said he was nine when they moved to Wetumka. Burnetta.)

A survey was made for a railroad through Courtney, Oklahoma, and the survey crew surveyed through a house. Wesley was three or four years old and wondered how they could run a railroad through a house. This incident happened in the 1890's and in 1973 Courtney still doesn't have a railroad.

The most fish Wesley ever saw caught with a seine was on Red River. It was early winter and cold, almost freezing. They
siened a wagon load of channel cat. Didn't catch them all at one
drag. Wesley's father and brother was on the fishing trip.
Wesley was too young to go. They took the fish to Burlington
(Spanish Fort) Texas and sold them. There used to be a ferry across the river.

When Edward Thomas lived in Courtney, Courtney was in the eastern end of the valley and Petersburg on the western end. The land in between was,all one farm. The family had one of the houses rented and land with it to raise cotton and corn. Burnetta Elizabeth always had a big garden and raised everything to eat. Uncle Jim Wilkerson always came to stay with the family.