The Early Years - Oklahoma

1917-1919

The new couple Archie and Ethel Tucker settled into married life. By February 1917, they learned their first child would be arriving in September. The joy of this news was probably shaken when the United States declared war on Germany a few months later on April 6. The USA would be joining in the war that had been raging in Europe for years. In June, Archie completed his WWI registration in Virgil, Oklahoma.

Archie Tucker's WWI Registration Card

I imagine the prospect of him going off to war was frightening for the young couple as they awaited their child’s arrival. Archie was farming for himself according to the registration, but it doesn’t indicate whether he had purchased a farm or was renting some land.

September arrived without any calls for Archie to serve; and their first son, Henry Lloyd, arrived to his joyful new parents on September 29, 1917. He was likely named after

Archie’s brother John Henry.

Sadly, their next child and first daughter, Lucille, born on September 25, 1918 was sickly and cried constantly according to her mother. Lucille died as a baby in Virgil, Oklahoma the same year she was born. That year and 1919 brought more grief to the young couple.

Previously, both of Archie’s parents (John Newton and Arnetta Ellen Henderson) were believed to have passed in the fall of 1918 from the Spanish Influenza that was sweeping the country. However, since I first wrote this, I found records that indicate they died earlier in 1912. See the story about their death for more information

On Jan 9, 1919, his brother John Henry died from appendicitis, leaving behind his wife Ethel and two little girls, Lillie Belle, 4, and Maggie Jaunita, 1. More sorrow was to come on April 3, 1919, when his older sister Dora Lee Tucker Chandler died of TB with contributory influenza. A victim of the Spanish Influenza epidemic. She left behind her husband Walter and son Murray, 7. All of Archie’s family that died were living in Arkansas. He likely had not seen them for some time.

It must have been a huge relief to the couple when a healthy baby boy, Harvey Carroll, arrived on December 3, 1919. The name Carroll appears many times in the Tucker line. Archie’s grandfather carried this name as did his paternal uncle so he might have named his second son after one or both of them. Having Lloyd as a toddler and then Harvey may have helped them cope with their losses.

1920

By 1920, the US Federal Census shows that Archie and Ethel had moved to Wilson, Choctaw County, Oklahoma and had acquired their own farm with a mortgage. Perhaps, this was the first of the many acres he purchased throughout his life. By that time he, age 30, and Ethel, age 21, had their two young boys to enjoy. They also had many family members living in the same area. The days working on the farm would be hard and long, but they also would have opportunities to enjoy their family. The map shows the location of Wilson, which was not very far from Virgil.

Map showing Wilson that was 5.3 miles from Virgil. Source: Google Maps

Archie’s sister Augusta Maybelle Grover was now living in Wilson. Before her parents deaths, she had been living with them in Arkansas. The census shows she was farming on her own account and renting her home. She was widowed with two children Claude, 13, and Arnetta "Nettie", 4 years and 5 months old. May had married Oliver Glover in Arkansas in 1906 and then again in Oklahoma in 1912. He died in 1917.

Ethel’s father Green Berry had remarried to Fannie Tackett, on November 22, 1917 in Montgomery, Arkansas, although he was living in Oklahoma at the time. She was 9-10 years younger and had never been married. In 1920, Green, Fannie and his children Myrtle, Millerd, Marion, and Essie Mae were living in Wilson also. Next door to Ethel’s family are two families of relatives headed by Jim Winn and George Tucker.

Jim Winn, 53, and single is Ethel’s maternal uncle, her mother’s brother.

George Tucker, 40, is Archie’s uncle, his father’s half-brother born to Pinckney Carroll Tucker and his second wife Prudence Davis. In addition to his wife Dora and their 4 children, a nephew Jewell W, 13, is living with them. Jewell was the son of Archie’s uncle Harvey C. Tucker. Harvey and his wife Finnie may have died, perhaps more victims of the Spanish Influenza epidemic that occurred in Sevier County, Arkansas. This may be the Jewell that visited in Arizona and is remembered by Archie and Ethel’s family.

Some of Archie’s family were still living in Arkansas. Archie’s sister Lula Gracie had married Robert Hal Thompson on July 20, 1919 after her parents’ deaths. In 1920, she and her husband and young son Johnnie L. lived in Paraclifta, Sevier County, Arkansas. Also living in the same district were Walter and Murray Chandler (Dora Tucker’s family), and Ethel Tucker and her daughters (John Henry’s family).

There is no record for Clyde Tucker in 1920 so it is not known where he lived after his parents died. He was the youngest child when they passed. In 1918 he was living in Sevier County, Arkansas. He registered for the WWI draft on September 12, 1918 there and listed his sister May Glover as his nearest relative. This probably means his parents died before that date. He was employed as a farmer for Gilliam and Norwood in Lockesburg.

Clyde Tucker WWI Registration Card

1921-1922

On March 1, 1921, the third son, Warren Gamaliel, was born to Archie and Ethel. He was named after President Warren Gamaliel Harding, who was very popular at the time. He would grow up hating his middle name and telling people it was Geronimo. The following year, Charles Wesley arrived on July 22, 1922. These 4 little boys would complete their family for a while. I am sure that grandmother Tucker had her hands full handling 4 rambunctious little boys ranging from a baby to a five year old.

Leaving Oklahoma around 1923

In 1910, the census showed a population of 2,040 farms in Choctaw County. At that time cotton was the main crop. From 1920 to 1930, the population dropped by several thousands. Whatever was happening was not good. Archie and Ethel probably had at least a few discussions together and with friends about whether conditions would improve or continue getting worse. They had a growing family to support and decided to make their way to California with some of their friends. They all thought there was more opportunity out west. So, Archie, Ethel, and their four little boys Lloyd, Harvey, Warren, and Wesley left for California by train with friends. They left sometime after Wesley’s birth in July 1922 and before their next child’s birth in October 1925. Embarking on this adventure with no known prospects and a heart full of hope was a testament to their bravery. So, leaving behind all extended family and worldly goods, they set out to discover a new life together.

Apparently, they ran out of money by the time they arrived in Arizona and stayed there while their friends continued the journey. They ended up staying in Arizona because they found there was plenty of opportunity there. According to a family member, Archie had given his farm in Oklahoma to his youngest sibling Clyde with the stipulation that he would take care of their sister May, whom he said was “crippled.” However, nothing in the census indicates anything was wrong with her. In another story, you can learn what really happened to his farm.

Here is an old photo of the Frisco Depot in Hugo where they probably boarded the train going to California via Arizona. Imagine the adventure that was for 4 little boys and their parents. This was Ethel and Archie’s longest move as a couple. However, Ethel loved travelling so it would be the first of many journeys in their life together.

Note: This was originally written in 2019. Since then, I have discovered more about Archie's parents death and what happened to each living child at that time. Information was updated in 2025. Please see the stories written in 2025 about Archie's parents' death and Archie's farm for more details.