Random Notes from Edna Keltner Interview

The Sheridan Home, Dell, AR

Notes:  Edna Keltner Interview

26 July 2001

Edna Stanley  b. 4 Dec 1910, Malden, MO    m. Dave Keltner  b. 1905 Humbolt, Tn  d. 1978

Dave worked at the airbase for 30 years.  They were the only Kelners in Dell.

Moved to Dell 1920--Left in 1929--Returned in 1955.

Mother died when she was born . Father took her and ran away. About 5 years later her Grandmother found out she was left in an orphanage. He disappeared and she never saw him again. Father left her at an orphanage in Indiana; grandmother, who lived in Mo, sold a cow and got her aunt (Clara Sheridan=sis to Della Sheridan Ozee) to go get her  (bought her a ticket to Indiana). The Sheridans lived in Arkansas.
Grandmother thought it would be better for the Sheridans to take care of her in Arkansas.

Went to work in Post Office for Ms Della Ozee. Worked 6 days/wk for $5. Not even 18 yrs old.
Ms. Della taught school at Shonyo, and she paid her out of her salary. Aunt took $2.50 for room
and board. If she was big enough to work, she was big enough to pay room and board.

Grandmother, aunt, and she lived together in Dell.

She went to Memphis and stayed with Crick’s sis (Crick=Crystal Kerbrough Cranford).
Got job at telephone office and worked there for 25 years.

Married Dave in Memphis.  No children. Dave didn’t want to adopt.

Grandmother was good friend of the Kerbroughs, who were from TN. There was no bridge
across the river (Ms). Would say it was heaven over there. Mrs. Kerbrough was kin to Keltners
way back, so when she went to Memphis, she "got mixed up with the Keltners". Was going with one of
the Keltner boys and liked him pretty good. Then Dave came along and she liked him better.

Keltners from Ripley, TN

Lots of Keltners in Missouri

Had to pay to go to school in Dell (had to pay for books and all),
so she went to Missouri to school.
Came back to Dell in the summer 1920-25. She had to pay her tuition, too.

Dell School=white frame

Mrs. Craig=big fat teacher woman, daughter Francis m. Hop Secoy

                another daug--Mattie Wilma, was the youngest

                middle daughter--Versarine

                was her teacher when she was in school. Loved her

The school sat closer to street.

Edna went to school 1 year at Dell. M.F. (Brownlee), Dallas (Brownlee), Louise Brownlee,
Versa (Haney), Pauline, Naoma (Magers Gill), Mamie (Magers Griffin),
Buddy Armstrong, Louise Armstrong, Gene Bradberry and Olive Bradberry
were her school friends.

More than one grade to a room. 2 rooms on ea side with long hall
down the middle.
You entered at the hall.

Della Sheridan,  m Angleton (had a boy). Boy=Adeal?

Then married "old man Ozee"

Pybus=where Kenny lives now (Second & Jefferson).

Carried mail. Had a little two wheel cart. Elderly. Come to Post Office, put
the mail in a big pouch, put lock on it,
took it to the depot where the clerk would put it on the train.

On east side of Dell, built up like walkway and PO was on
side of Freeman’s Store, barber shop in back.

1^st Ms Moody had nephew that was a barber, was on this side (E) =
Bryan Turner m. Johnny Mooney (or Moody?)

(Edna worked at PO at that time. Bryan would come to PO ea day
with a letter to Johnny and the next day
she’d write him back.) 

Edna got her hair cut there.

Got $1/day for chopping cotton for Mr. Hardin. Bought overalls
to chop cotton in. Hot.
That’s when she got her hair cut.

Johnny, sis to Pauline, Virginia, (Pauline had beauty shop,
m. Bob Henderson), Mary Lee (in Keiser),
died when young-----

Annie m Wiley Grice’s boy

Mooney’s lived out about where Cleo Lewis lived (where Bogan Whistle currently lives).

Bud Mooney m Pansy Evans (there were 4 Evans boys), divorced.
Then Bud Mooney  m. one of the Minyard girls

Flippin=ran drug store on the corner  (not sure which corner) Edna
thinks it’s where the Secoys drug was. (Secoys was on the east side of Main & Second)

Maggie Morgan (Clint Morgans wife), spoke her mind most of the time.
Will and Clint Morgan=bros,
also Milton was another bro.

PO on west side of street

Sawmill behind Haney House. Haney had a sawmill.
Edna says she played in the sawdust.
(Aunt Mamie said it was a grist mill--maybe both?)

Versa Haney and Mamie good friend. Mamie and Versa and Edna=same age.
They’d been at the school house playing, was walking home, Versa and Mamie got into
a quarrel and Versa said “-----" Edna was so appalled,
she picked up a stick and whipped Versa on the back side.
Edna probably wasn’t over 10 y o

Versa and Pauline were young. Older sister=Winnie Haney
 and bro named Ralph

1920-30  Boys put Otto Bradberry in box car and locked him in.
Train took him to Roseland,
 where they stopped to take on water at the water tank there.
Otto had to walk back to Dell.

Don’t know who put him in there.

Jerry Frankum, good friend of Mitchell Houston’s=it was
boys about their age who put
Bradberry in box car.