Over a period of a few days, Ann and Wayne drove to and searched the small town of Ada, Oklahoma. This town was the town where Ann's mother was born and grew up.
We spent those days driving around and walking through the places where her grandparents, mother and siblings had spent a lot of their lives.
We spent about half of one day searching the deed records of the county court house, looking for the location of two hoses that we knew Her Grandpa had built. One being the house in which her mother spent most of her first 20 years of her life. The other being the one her grandpa built and in which he hoped to spend the rest of his retirement. What we found out in this searching was that both Ann's grandparent were very active in buying and selling land and homes in the Ada area/ Below is a partial page showing her grandfather's name in one such trade..
We also learned that her grandfather worked for the postal service a large part of his life, retiring with full honors at the still young age of 69. This was the second post office he worked in in Ada, from 1935-1958. We spent a number of hours in the public library and found the location of the first post office he worked in, but also learned that that building had burned down and there was a city park in its location now, just a couple blocks down from the new post office. We went there and Ann stood on the place.
This in Main Street of down town Ada, near where the old post office had stood.
We also learned that Her grandparents also owned an insurance business too. Her grandmother operated it. We also learned that Ann's mother went to college here, majoring in Elementary Ed, and later became a 4th grade teacher. We went to tour her college that is now called east Central University.
While strolling across campus, we found this bench recognizing the play this campus had in preparing future teachers, like Dana. Here Ann sits, contemplating her mother's life while on this campus.
The gateway at the end of Main Street, entering the campus with the Old Science Building, oldest building on campus, and in which Ann's mother probably took classes, in the background.
The Science Building and part of the beautiful campus of East Central University.
Then we learned that Ann's Grandmother had also taught school, not only here in Ada, but in New Mexico too! So, we did some more research and found the school in which she taught, Irving Elementary School. It is no longer a school. It now is a senior center.
This is the school in which she taught. If you look real hard you can see Ann in the entry way.
So, after some deed searching and some cartography work in the court house, we found the address of the first house Ann's grandfather built in Ada and in which Ann's mother grew up. 917 E. 6th Street.
Then we also were able to locate the house Ann's grandfather built and in which they lived their first few years of retirement, located on 423 Hillcrest.
Ann had fond memories of visiting this home when she was 4 or 5 years old. We knocked on the door and a very kind older lady gave us a tour of the house.
Here in Ada we learned that her Rice grandparents had worked hard and survived the depression years quite well through lots of hard work and being actively engaged. Grandpa worked for the post office as a clerk, bought and sold real estate and built houses. Her grandmother taught school and owned an insurance business. Ann's mother went to college and became a teacher. Very good times we spent here. Finding and learning about family is very rewarding and uplifting.
So, after a couple days in Ada, OK and basking in the spirit of getting to know Ann's grandparents and mother a little better by touring some of their history we departed Ada and headed towards Tucumcari, New Mexico for more research into Ann's family history.
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