Doss and Simmons Family Reunion - 1918

   For a time, times were good. James and Josephine built their own little home on the land. Josephine gave birth to Lotus Onitas, James Julis and Glenn.

   She tells a little story about losing Glenn one day. " I'd took some food out to the family who had been bailing hay, in the fields. Glenn, my youngest was only a few months old and had fallen asleep on the bed. When I got back to the house, Glenn was gone. I looked everywhere and not a sign. I ran and got everyone from the fields and we all started looking. The men were sure that someone had to come into the house and took him away, so they jumped on their horses and road off. I was beside myself, when I heard this little cry. Glenn had slipped off the bed and had fallen between the boards of the house and the dirt. Our house was built down in the ground 4 feet to help keep the house warm in winter and cool in summer.

   We had a little creek, during the summer months that we kept the milking cans in to keep the milk cool. We also use to take some time, swimming and just relaxing around that creek. Especially after church.

   Times were good till the drought and high winds came. The fields dried up and the land was impossible to work. Many of the family members were having a hard time. We decided to load up, in our old bus and head for California. In those days the roads between here and there were wooden planks, and if you were to look at roads today, they were just wide enough for one car most of the time.

   As history does tell, the slang word for us was Okies. None of us like that. But we were a sturdy bunch and willing to do what ever it took to feed the family.

   We picked cotton, apples, grapes, oranges, etc. I did a little sewing for some of the families we worked for.

   No one had time to do much playing. All the children that could work did. But James made it fun and when we did have some time to ourselves, he would get out his fiddle or mouth harp and we would sing. James also loved to read and recite poetry. The kids would gather round when he was off telling one of his adventures.