Harry Ward Skipper and Minnie McCarta

Harry Ward and Minnie McCarta are my great grandparents. Harry Ward was born on 31 August 1892 in Mulhall, Logan, Oklahoma, just three weeks after his father George Newton Skipper ran in the 1893 Cherokee Stripe Land Ran. Minnie McCarta was born on 13 November 1888 in Louisiana.

Harry was a cowboy for the famous Millers Brothers 101 Ranch in Ponca City Oklahoma. You can learn more about the ranch here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miller_Brothers_101_Ranch . The story goes that Harry went on a cattle run to Louisiana in 1915 where he meet and married Minnie on 9 February 1915 in Sicily Island Louisiana and then brought her back to Oklahoma. One of Minnie sisters, Maude Emma McCarta, married Raleigh Stigall, and moved to Oklahoma. Minnie and Maude’s parents are Robert Jefferson McCarta and Mary Florence Watson both from Catahoula Parish, Louisiana.

When Harry filled out the WWI draft card he is listed as having a wife and two kids. He would have only been married a couple of years at this point. I am guessing he registered in 1917-1918.

By the 1920 census, Harry and Minnie have three children. Marriable Franklin born on 16 December 1915 in Mulhall, Oklahoma, Daisy Florence born on 16 December 1916 and Mary E born 28 May 1918. Marriable is my grandfather. According to the census, Marriable was 4 years old, Daisy was 3 years old and Mary was 1 1/2 years old. So they had three children very close together. Something else that stuck out to me as funny was that Harry’s parent’s birthplace was just listed as the United States. I am not sure if maybe Minnie provided the information and was not sure or if maybe a neighbor provided the information. I would think that Minnie would have known this information as Harry’s parents both lived close to them.

In the 1930 census, Marriable is 14, Daisy is 13 and Mary is 11. They also list Illinois as the birthplace of Harry’s parents, which is correct. Harry is listed as a farmer, which is what occupation he works after getting married. According to the 1930 Census, they are renting the farm they are living on. I know at some point they do purchase a farm and that farm is still in our family today. I grew up visiting that farm and even spending the night there. It was always interesting because there was no indoor plumbing to the house at all. They had a cistern and well outback as well as an outhouse and yes I have used the outhouse.

By about 1941 both Harry and his son Marriable filled out the registration card for WWII. As far as I know, neither of them actually served during WWII. My grandfather Marriable did serve in the Air Force as a pilot but never severed overseas.

Harry passed away on 2 February 1973 in Oklahoma City. He and Minnie had been married for 58 years. My brother would have been one of the nine great-grandchildren mentioned in his obituary. Minnie lived for another four years and passed away 5 March 1977 in Tonkawa.

I was three years old when Minnie passed away. Both Harry and Minnie are buried in the Tonkawa 100F Cemetery in Tonkawa Oklahoma. I have had the opportunity to visit their grave several times.