Oscar Olin and Minerva Rachel Byler McKinney

Oscar Olin McKinney, also known as C. O. McKinney, was born 23 July 1896 in the Turkey Creek Community in Cass County, Texas. He was the tenth child of Mary Ann “Molly” Duck and Lemuel Meredy “Bud” McKinney. Oscar attended school in a oneroom school across the road from the Turkey Creek Missionary Baptist Church. Like a lot of young men, Oscar enjoyed the practical joke. Often neighbors were on the receiving end of his jokes.

Once Oscar, his brother Grady and a couple of other boys thought that it would be extremely funny to play a joke on Mr. Ben Hall who lived in the Turkey Creek Community. The boys waxed a twine string, tied it to a nail in a beam under the house and stretched it to the road ditch where they lay just out of sight. They proceeded to rub an old wooden shingle along the taut string which made an awful noise under the house. After several nights, Mr. Hall and his household became quite upset when they couldn’t determine the source of such a strange noise. Somehow Oscar’s father, Lemuel who was a no-nonsense sort of person, found out what was going on and made the boys go apologize to the Halls and tell them that it was not the devil making that noise after all. It was only a bunch of boys having fun!

As a young man, Oscar picked the guitar and also played the bass fiddle in a string band. He and his brothers enjoyed checkers albeit behind their father’s back because Lemuel would not allow such things in his home. In order to play checkers, they drew a checkerboard on the bottom of their Pa’s washstand drawer and probably used buttons for checkers. (At this writing, the washstand is in the possession of Merrilyn Morris, and the checkerboard is still legible.)

Oscar married Minerva Rachel Byler 25 November 1917 in Avinger. The ceremony was performed by Bro. G. K. Williams as Oscar and Minerva sat in a buggy in front of the minister’s home. (The house is still occupied. It is the old Bragg Duncan home.)

Minerva Rachel Byler is the daughter of Ora Sarah Barnes and James William Byler and the granddaughter of Wiley Jackson Barnes, Civil War veteran and Hickory Hill pioneer. Minerva was born 3 September 1897 in Farmersville, Collin County, Texas. By 1900 Minerva and her family were in Jefferson, Marion County, Texas. After the death of James William Byler in June 1905, Ora Sarah Barnes Byler moved her family into Cass County where Minerva grew up and attended school. At the age of 104, Minerva currently resides in the Sunrise Care and Rehabilitation Center in Linden, Cass County, Texas.

After their marriage, Oscar and Minerva lived on several different places in the Pruitt Lake Community, among them the Whitworth Place and the Mitchell Place. In 1925, Oscar purchased a forty-acre farm in the Pruitt Lake Community. He farmed but he didn’t really consider that his main occupation. After he would lay his crops by he would go work in the sawmills filing crosscut saws. In the late 1950s Oscar and Minerva moved to Avinger and lived with Mrs. Haynes and then with Fatty Connor. During this time Oscar worked at Simpson’s sawmill where he graded lumber. About 1960 Oscar and Minerva rented one side of the O. W. Patillo home from Mrs. Renda Patillo. Oscar worked as a custodian at the Avinger school while living here. In 1963 Oscar bought a home on Pool Street where they lived several years. He made a living by doing carpentry, house painting and other odd jobs. They lived in the Will/Jewell Mozingo house (which Curtis Morris had restored and remodeled) for a short time before they purchased the old O. W. Patillo house on the comer of Mitchell Street and Mims Chapel Road. They lived here until Oscar passed away in 1991. Oscar and Minerva had three children, Merrilyn, Halbert and Elgerene. Merrilyn and Halbert went to the country school in Pruitt Lake community. Williard McKinney, a first cousin, was their first teacher. Mrs. Scroggins, Miss Mattie Young and Miss Ethel Jones taught in succeeding years. Merrilyn started the tenth grade and Halbert the ninth in the Avinger school Merrilyn graduated at the end of her eleventh year. Elgerene started at Pruitt Lake school in September 1936 with Miss Lorene Hawkins as her first teacher. Being afraid to walk to school by herself because the cows ran loose in the fall to eat anywhere there was grass, Merrilyn walked with her until they were within sight of the school each day. Elgerene remembers in the fall of the year when it turned cold, the schoolroom had a huge potbellied stove for heat. Miss Lorene’s husband, Vernon Hawkins, was the substitute teacher. When the State changed the graduation requirements, Elgerene skipped the fourth grade and went into the fifth. In 1941 Elgerene went to the Avinger school and Miss Myra Kirklin was her teacher.

Oscar’s and Minerva’s first child, Merrilyn McKinney, was born 4 August 1918. She married Curtis Leon Morris in Decatur, Wise County, Texas, 21 May 1948. Curtis passed away 18 September 1984 in Midland, Midland County, Texas. He was the son of Pearl Lizabeth Taylor and Alonzo Lee Morris of Lamb County, Texas. Merrilyn and Curtis had four children-Marilyn Laverne, Curtis, Jr., Charles, and James.

1) Marilyn Laverne Morris married Raymond D. Russell in Midland, Midland County, Texas. They have three children- Rhonda, Renee, and Darryl. Rhonda Dianne Russell married David Wayne Walker and they have two children, Ashley Dawn Walker, and Amber Dianne Walker. Renee Lynn Russell married Jerry Lawrence Westbrook in Longview, Gregg County, Texas, and they have four children, Kedryn Lee Gordon, Clayton Lawrence Westbrook, Spencer Wyatt Westbrook, and Raelynn Dee Westbrook. Darryl Wayne Russell lives at home and attends Brooks Middle School in the Greenwood District of Midland County, Texas.

2) Curtis Leon Morris, Jr., has never married. 3) Charles William Morris married Susan Gail Dillow in Midland, Midland County, Texas, and they have two children—John and Rebecca. John William Morris is a senior at Texas A&M. Rebecca Jennene Morris recently married Heath Michael Wilson in Midland, Midland County, Texas.

4) James Glen Morris has never married. Oscar’s and Minerva’s second child, Halbert Arnold McKinney, was born 29 August 1919 in Cass County, Texas. After serving in the Aleution Islands and Germany during World War II, Halbert returned home to marry Mozelle Loyd. They have one child, Emanda McKinney who married first, Charles Herren and second, Bobby Williams. Emanda has a son, James Robert Herren.

Oscar’s and Minerva’s third child, Elgerene Laverne McKinney was born 2 December 1930 in Cass County, Texas. Elgerene attended school at Pruitts Lake and Avinger. She married first, Marion Keasler who was the son of David and Hattie Keasler and the grandson of John Henry Keasler who came to Cass County before 1870. Elgerene and Marion had two children, Marion Ellis, and Kathryn Lynn. Marion Ellis Keasler married Virginia Overtree and they have two sons, David Glenn, and Daniel. David Keasler married Jamie Michelle Wilson and they have one child, Noah. Kathryn Lynn Keasler married first, Mike Heflin and second, James Perkins. Kathy has no children. Elgerene married second, Levant Leland Loyd of Hughes Springs, on January 31, 1964.

With the exception of only a few months, Oscar spent his entire life in Cass County. Oscar worked in saw mills and farmed. After leaving the farm and moving into Avinger, he worked at outside house painting and other odd jobs until he was in his late 80s. He was a devout Baptist his entire life. He was saved as a young man while attending church at Turkey Creek Missionary Baptist Church. After he joined the church, he quit playing the bass fiddle and the guitar. He moved his membership to Pruitt Lake Missionary Baptist Church the Sunday following its organization and his membership remained there the rest of his life. Oscar was a Sunday School teacher and a music director who believed in singing songs note for note just as they were written! Oscar passed away 1 August 1991 in Linden, Cass County, Texas, and was buried in the Avinger Cemetery. He was 95 years old.