Maude E. Dye, A Young Oklahoma Sooner

My next blog comes from a idea of my last blog. I mentioned that many children may have been forgotten if it weren't for obituaries. My topic, Maude E. Dye finds herself listed in one census. The 1900 Federal Census, in which she was 9 years old at the time. Other then her obituary, we would virtually know nothing of this young lady's life.

To get into my story, I need to give you some background of Maude E. Dye. Her genealogy is this; William Jameson and Mary (Haggerty) Jameson- to Martha (Jameson) Dye and Morgan Jones Dye- to her parents Curtis Lucine Dye and Annis Elizabeth (Jones) Dye. Maude was the second daughter of the five surviving daughters of Curtis and Annis. Two other children died in infancy that I have no record of. Making a total of 7 children born to Curtis and Annis Dye. In 1908, Curtis and his family moved from their home in Middlefork Township, Worth County, Missouri to Arnett, Ellis County, Oklahoma. Along with Curtis Dye's family, a sister of Annis Elizabeth (Jones) Dye and her family also moved. It appears that Mansfield William Miller and Clara Belle (Dye) Miller (sister of Curtis Lucine Dye) and their family moved to Oklahoma also. It also appears the Miller family returned to Worth County, Missouri within a year of going to Oklahoma.

Now a little history of Oklahoma. The Oklahoma lands were a part of the northern Mexico lands for many years. After the Mexican-American war the land became 'Indian territory' of the United States. At the end of the 19th century the United States made a large push to settle the area with Americans. The name 'Sooner' was given to these settlers. On November 16, 1907, Oklahoma became 46th state of the United States of America

Oklahoma was what I picture as the wild west. The small towns can be pictured as similar to the towns in movies like Tombstone and 3:10 to Yuma. Thou, I could not find a picture of Arnett, I found a old post card picture of Shattuck, the next town over from Arnett.

The nearby town of Shattuck, Ellis County, Oklahoma

The short story of Maude E. Dye ends in sadness. Below is her obituary which gives a insight into her short live. The obituary can be found on the Ellis County, Oklahoma Genealogy site, http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ok/county/ellis/obits/dye-maud.htm.

Ellis County Capitol
Unknown date
Probably 15 Oct 1909
Submitted by G.M. Gillette

ANSWER DEATH'S SUMMONS

After a week's struggle with typhoid fever, death at last conquered and on Wednesday morning, Oct.13, 1909, Miss Maude Dye, the 18-year old daughter of C.L. and Annis E. Dye yielded up all that was mortal and passed into the great beyond.
In the passing away of Maude Dye, Arnett loses one of its brightest and fairest young ladies, and one whose death will not only be mourned by those nearest and dearest, but by the large circle of friends which she had won by her kind and loving disposition and attractive ways.
She was until a week ago employed as dining room girl at the Hotel Demo, and was forced to leave there on account of failing health. The funeral services were held Thursday morning at the Baptist Church, conducted by the Rev. L.A. Butler of Shattuck, and the remains were laid to rest in the Arnett cemetery, where they were followed by a large concourse of sorrowing friends. The Capital joins in expressing our deepest sympathy to the bereaved family.


Sadly today, there remains no headstone of Maude in Arnett Cemetery. Her family's settlement to the area failed. Maude's father Curtis Dye died in Arnett in 1917. Her mother spent a few years in the area living with Annis sister's family than moving to California with her youngest daughter Jessie and her family. Maude's oldest sister, Verda married and moved to Montana and had a very large family. It remains unclear at this time to what happened to Maude's sisters Vera and Carrie. It is known that Carrie married Clarence A. Butler, who's father was mentioned in the obituary.