The Hineston Chronicles  

Volume 11 Number 4

Photo added to

Historic Hineston

Facebook group

by

Kristin Stanley

Carolyn's Corner

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My father, Oscar Carl Dyess (1915 - 2006)

s/o - J. B. "Josie" Dyess - Sarah Matilda Smith

gs/o - Edmond D. Dyess - Margaret Mathis

g-gs/o - Thomas D. Dyess - Nancy Jenkins

gg-gs/o - George W. Dyess - Elizabeth Everett

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Living with a Dyess Story teller, my father, is one of the greatest adventures a girl could ever have. Daddy was one of ten children. He was number six. They lived in a very rural area, Valentine, of Rapides Parish, Louisiana. Life was hard for a share corp farmer and his family.

He married the love of his life, Edna Taris Bonnette. He was a minister before he married mother and life was hard but they never told us it was. I was six years old before I had a "store bought" coat A lady in the community made my sister, Lola Kay Dyess Desormeaux, and my clothes from flour sacks. We felt rich and there was NEVER a doubt we were not loved above everything else.

Daddy always made my sister (my only sibling) and me feel special. He used to say, "All that makes me happy is for two little girls to call me pappy". It never occurred to me that he might would have liked a boy - he made it feel so special to have two little girls.

After a long day of work, daddy came home to a great home cooked meal. We sat at the table and listened to daddy's day and in turn they listened to Lola and my day. Looking back, Mother never seem to have a day - she would sit there, smile, and made us all feel so special.

After dinner, mother cleaned the kitchen while daddy, Lola and I would go to the living room. Lola and I would have daddy sit in a chair. He had thick beautiful red hair. Lola and I would divide it in the middle and style his hair every way you could imagine. When he grew weary of the "beauty shop treatment" it was storytelling time.

We loved the stories; and, some of them we made him tell us over and over. Sometimes if he thought we needed more than the old stories, he would make up stories. He had the ability to tell the stories where you could smell the leaves and flowers, feel the breeze rushing against your checks, and could feel the animals’ fur he was talking about. His immigration was endless.

Not only did he love his family, love telling stories, he instilled this love into my heart, mind, and soul. He is the main reason I am obsessed with genealogy. He and I would tour cemeteries, visit family and friends, talk about "old times", gather information to incorporate into our family history.

I was a very curious, inquisitive child. To my mother, I frustrated her. Many times she would turn to me and say, "You ask more questions than I can answer. You are making my heart hurt. Go ask your daddy!" So off I would skip to find daddy who never grew tired of the endless questions, why this, why that, who was that, why! why! Why!

Out of all his stories, one story remains my favorite. One of daddy's younger brother was Bernice Glatt Dyess (called B. G for short). B. G. seemed to be a favorite with their father, J. B. "Josie" Dyess. Thus, the story goes:

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One cold, crisp, frosty, morning, they were all out cutting wood getting it ready to bring into the house to keep the fireplace going. All were busy working except B. G. They knew better than to tell on him because they would all be in trouble.

Therefore, B. G took advantage of the situation. He climbed a tree and would swing from frozen limb to frozen limb singing a slogan, -- "Look, I'm Papa's little pet squirrel." He did this over and over again tantalizing the working siblings on the ground. "I'm Papa's little pet cat squirrel. I'm Papa's little pet cat squirrel".

SNAP! A frozen limb broke, down came B.G., frozen limb and all! Knocking the breath of out him for a little while, B. G. lay on the cold frozen ground. As the working siblings would pass by, they would glance down at him repeating his slogan in a mocking tone, "I'm Papa's little pet squirrel!" over and again.

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Daddy would end the story with a big grin on his face. We would beg and beg him to tell the story over and over again. We loved the slogan!

I'm so thankful I had this early beginning in my life, so glad that I'm still carrying on his tradition of family love, family history. I truly love my family just as much as Daddy loved us - sometimes I think more - if that is possible.

Daddy was very progressive in his work, thoughts, etc. We started talking about the DNA part of our research. Listening intently, he told me, "Callie Baby (that is what he called me), order that kit and scrap my cheeks." He was the first Dyess to do the DNA and his DNA has broken down brick walls for us. I still have some samples left at FTDNA and at times, I have different tests performed! This makes Daddy always with me.

The following picture, made January 5, 2006, is one of the last pictures made of Daddy. It was made for a newspaper article of daddy, his life, his ministry, and his family. The second picture is the last picture that Daddy and I had made together, October 2005, at event for B. G. (Papa's Little Pet Cat Squirrel).

I cannot end this without saying, "Thanks Daddy for all the family love you instilled in me. Thanks for attending all the family reunions with me - everyone loved you - you were always the STAR!" You will always be my STAR!

 

Thanks!!!! 

Carolyn Dyess Bales "Kaite" 

Deaths

Dustin Keith Rougeau, 32, Sheridan, Wyoming, passed away on October 6, 2021.  Burial was in Lone Star Cemetery, Hineston, LA.

Elisa Maria Janney, 74, of Baton Rouge, passed away on Thursday, October 7, 2021.

Pastor Josiah Stephen Miller, 82, of Elmer, passed away on October 21, 2021. Burial was in Burrough Cemetery,  Gardner, LA.

Frankie Louise Feazell, 73, of Pineville, passed away on October 29, 2021. Burial was in Calvary Cemetery, Gardner, LA.

Emily Louise Burgess, 75 of Pineville, passed away on November 1, 2021. No funeral details available.

Kathryn G. Hilton, 86, of Calcasieu, passed away on  November 4, 2021. Burial was in Davis Crossing Cemetery, Calcasieu, LA.

Maria Ann Young, age 40, of Tioga,passed away on November 9, 2021. Memorial services will be held on a later date. 

Elizabeth Evelyn Merchant Smith, 70, of Leander, passed away on November 10, 2021. Burial was in Ebenezer Cemetery, Hicks, LA.

Betty Maxine Bunting, 80, of Pitkin, passed away on November 11, 2021. Burial was  in Blackjack Cemetery, Grant, LA.

Marion Carlos Thibodeaux Monk, 77, of Hicks, passed away on November 15, 2021. Burial was in Laurel Hill Cemetery, Hicks, LA.

Charles "CW" Golemon, 74, of Hineston, passed away on November 15, 2021. Burial was in Lone Star Cemetery, Hineston, LA. 

Magaline White Johnson, 97, of Alexandria, passed away on November 16, 2021. Burial was in Alexandria Memorial Gardens, Woodworth, LA.

James Weatherford, 72, of Fort Polk, passed away on November 17, 2021. Burial was in Czech National Cemetery, Kolin, LA.

Gloria Ann "Chippie" Smith Peterson, 75, passed away on November 23, 2021. Burial was in Circle P Cemetery, Pollock, LA.

Kaitlin Paige Mitchell, 26, of Glenmora, passed away on November 21, 2021. Burial was in Roberts Cemetery(Indian Creek Cemetery), Woodworth, LA.

James Warren, 72, of Calcasieu, passed away on December 6, 2021. Burial was in  Lone Star Cemetery, Hineston, LA

Richard Wayne Campbell, 79, of Glenmora, passed away on December 10, 2021.  Burial was in Davis Crossing Cemetery, Calcasieu, LA.

Dale Funderburk, 76, of Simpson,  passed away on December 11, 2021. Burial was in Pine Island Cemetery, Simpson, LA

Hardy Guillory, 85, of Boyce, passed away on December 12, 2021. Burial was in Burrough Cemetery, Gardner, LA.

Wayne McFarland, 72, of Otis, passed away on December 13, 2021. Burial was in Fellowship Cemetery, Hineston, LA.

Ellen Pearline Melder, 92, of Glenmora, passed away on December 16, 2021. Burial was in Roselawn Cemetery, Glenmora, LA

John Christopher Lundy, 54, of Dallas, GA, passed away on December 17,2921. Memorial service January 17, 2022, in Acworth, GA.

Pamela Stanley, 57, of Morgan City, passed away on December 18, 2021. Burial was in Lone Star Cemetery, Hineston, LA.

Lillian "Lucille" Smith McCullough, 86, passed away on December 20, 2021. Burial was in Frazier Cemetery, Dry Prong, LA.

Donna Esther McCrea, 66, of Toledo Bend,passed away on December 22, 2021. Burial was in Lone Star Cemetery, Hineston, LA.