Dake

Russett, Oklahoma

ROBERT & ADA "JACK" (BOYER) DAKE FAMILY
By Imogene (Dake) McDaniel & Wanda June (Dake) Yarberry

Ada "Jack" Boyer was the first born of Annie (Ritchey) & Jim Boyer and was born in Russett, Indian Territory (later Oklahoma) on September 1, 1903. She was just called Jack until she was 12 years old and she decided to name herself, which she selected the name Ada, but all her life she was known only as Jack to all her family and friends. Her niece June Boyer did not even know she had a name other than Jack until she wrote their family History book in 1985. Jack married Robert Dake who was born August 22, 1892 and died August 23, 1955 and is buried in the Russett Cemetery. He was the son of George Dake & Ann Pickard. Their other children were Henry, Jeff, Bula, and Bonnie.

Robert was a World War I Vet. Robert was a slim gentleman who was not ever very strong and when he came home from the War he had a slight heart condition but not enough for any pension . After the War, he was one of the men, who stayed behind in France for six months before coming home. One of his jobs was a back up truck driver in the army. He could not drive and when asked what he would do if he ever had to drive, and he just said "Oh, I would have just driven."

Robert worked for Fred Chapman. He lived in a very large house on the North side of the Russett School house behind the high fence, which was also the Chapman Company Store. It had two entrances one for the store and one for Robert and Jack's residence. Jack did all the cooking for all the cowboys who lived in the Round House. The Cowboys who worked under the direction of Warren Jones, for Fred Chapman, lived in what they called The Round House. Jack cooked two breakfasts, two lunches, and two dinners at night so all the cowboys could eat. Fred bought all the groceries and Jack did all the work. Her sister Alma Boyer stayed with Jack & Robert and helped with the cooking and worked in the Company store. Times were hard and money was scarce and Fred paid the help and all the cowboys some money but mostly in paper vouchers that could be exchanged for groceries, clothing, and other supplies from the Company Store. Wanda recalls that Fred also hired a colored lady, she could not remember her name to help Jack with the work. Wanda said this lady had an old fashioned curling iron that she would curl her and Imogene's hair with and Imogene being a very young child would rub and rub on the lady's arm trying to rub the black off and the lady would laugh and tell her honey, you cannot rub it off. They raised a very large garden to help with the food. Fred paid Robert to tend the gardens, yards, and keep up the Round House, as Robert was not strong enough to be a cowboy.

There was no School Lunch Program in those days and the children had to take a sack lunch or walk home, if they lived close enough to school for lunch. Wanda recalls how her younger sister Imogene was always bring lots of kids home with her for lunch. Since they lived just behind the fence North of the School they did not have far to go. Jack like all Boyer's may not have had much money because everyone was poor in those days but they always had a plenty of food so Jack welcomed all the little kids that Imogene would invite home for lunch. Jack was a great cooked and served wonderful meals to all the Cowboys in the Round House.

Wanda says when she was about 12 years old Robert got a job working as the custodian for the Russett School. At that time the school owned two houses one for the Superintendent and one for the custodian. They moved to that house. Robert took care of the school grounds and the School. As a young teenager Wanda was never a very strong child, she was more like her Father and she got hurt playing basketball and only played one year and she never wanted to play anyway but was made to until she got hurt. Then they made her play softball. A girl from another school ran over her on second base and she got hurt there and she stated she walked off the field and never played again. She stated she never wanted to play in the first place. She was a very brilliant young lady and was only interested in books and learning. She skipped a grade because she was so far ahead of the other children the teachers promoted her twice in one year.

She recalled when Lee Roy Ritchey was her teacher he use to get real mad at her because she called him Lee Roy, you see he was her cousin on the Boyer side. Her Grandpa Boyer was married to a Ritchey. Lee Roy told her she had to call him Mr. Ritchey. She recalls one day she was in trouble with him, and he made her stay in from recess, which made her very happy because she did not like recess anyway. When he realized she was happy just sitting there reading her book, he told her she had to go outside. She told him she was just fine but he made her go out anyway because he realized it was more punishment for her to go out because she did not like recess anyway.

Wanda recalls when they were teenagers she, her sister Imogene, and her two Aunts, Nita Boyer and Jo Boyer on Sunday afternoon's after Church they would catch the bus to Madill to see a movie. She said it cost 25 cents to ride to Madill, 25 cents to come home, they could get a burger & fries for 5 cents, and the movie cost 20 cents. So for 75 cents they could have a great time, a movie, a meal, and the transportation to and from Madill. You see since Jack was the oldest of the Boyer girls and Nita & Jo the youngest they were close to Wanda & Imogene's ages. Nita was 3 years older than Wanda & Jo was one year older. They all palled around together.

Wanda said on Saturdays her Mom, Cleo Jones, Bell Hood, & Carrie Easterwood would all go to town. Wanda said there was one baby and Wanda would always take care of it. All the other kids could walk so she laughed and told how she told them I will take care of the babies but those that can walk you take with you, I will not care for them. She said when they all returned she would wash all the ladies hair and set it for them and when their hair dried they would return and she would comb it out for them and for that received 50 cents from each one. That was how she made her spending money as a teenager.

Wanda graduated from Russett young because she skipped a grade and finished Murray State College at age 19. After graduation from Murray she took a State Meridian Exam which qualified her for a State job in one of three counties. She decided to take a job in Ada because her Mother's Sister Susie (Boyer) Martin lived there. She stayed with Susie & JD Martin for 3 months and earned enough money to get a house and she moved her Mom, Dad, and younger sister Imogene to Ada where Imogene finished High school. Jack worked for folks in Ada taking in washing and ironing. Robert had a very bad crippling arthritis and could not work. Robert & Jack are both buried in the Russett Cemetery.

Later in Live after Wanda and Imogene both married and moved to Oklahoma City, Robert & Jack moved to Oklahoma City. Wanda June married Lester Yarberry, a carpenter. They never had children. Imogene married Delbert McDaniel, who was a truck driver and they had one child Linda. Linda has one son Corey Ward, who lives in Norman now and runs his father's business. Lester and Delbert are both dead now and Wanda & Imogene live in a duplex and enjoy doing many things together.

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Last modified: 05/27/07