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Russett, Oklahoma

The William H. Waggoner Family

from an interview with Barney Waggoner

W. H. (Tipp) & Dora Waggoner

with two sons

Wes & Barney

 

The William Henry Waggoner family came to Russett before statehood.  They were one of the original families to settle in Russett.  There was thought of naming the town Waggoner instead of Russett.  But, there was already a town called Waggoner in Oklahoma. The Waggoner family moved from Tioga, Texas.  William's wife was Dora Lee Pierce.  She was a sister to Aunt Fannie (Pierce) Cumbie another Russett pioneer.  The family and their birthdates are as follows:

 

William Henry - Tipp

08-01-1873
Dora Lee (Pierce) 02-07-1878
Mary Ritta 08-30-1899
Myrtie Lee01-31-1901

James Henry          

04-03-1902
William Thompson - Thomp11-18-1903
Oran Augustus - Curley01-23-1906
Edgar Cecil - Tink07-06-1909
Robert03-03-1914
Wesley Denton - Wes01-16-1918
Barney - Tipp10-28-1919

   

All of the children were born at Russett. 

 

The Waggoner family had a store and post office that was located just north of the Russett church.  The store burned down while Barney was still a child and was never rebuilt.  Barney remembers a tobacco cutter that was used to cut off plug tobacco from a large piece of chewing tobacco.  After the store/post office burned, the mail was delivered by a P. W. Williams in a buggy.

 

When Barney was five years old his father died.  As was the custom in those days, Barney's father's body was laid out in the home for folks to view.  Barney recalls walking to the Russett cemetery with his father's body to be buried.

 

Barney worked as a kid for Fred Chapman for 50 cents a day.  He married Cora Musick from Mannsville in 1939.  Cora went on to become a Holiness Preacher building a church on east main street in Mannsville.

 

Barney is a decorated WWII veteran having fought in the Battle of the Bulge.

 

Barney still owns property in Russett just north of the church.  He and his brother Wes ran a water well digging business for a while and then opened a grocery store and garage in Mannsville.

 

Photo Gallery - Below are thumbnail photos.  Click on thumbnail photo to view enlarged.  Click on your browser's return to come back. To see more thumbnails click on arrows.

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Tipp and Dora Waggoner with son Wesley

Photo taken at old Waggoner homesite in Russett

(Photo Courtesy Barney Waggoner)

 

    


 

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Last modified: 05/27/07