The Pottsboro Senior Center will host a special presentation given by the Preston Trail Chapter - Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) on Thursday, Nov. 13 at 10:30 a.m. Chapter members Carolyn Moir Dexheimer and Margaret Alverson will perform character re-enactments of two local pioneer women of Grayson County, Sophia Suttonfield Aughinbaugh,Coffee,Butts,Porter and Olive Ann Oatman Fairchild.
The public is invited to attend, and bring a brown bag lunch, or purchase lunch for $5.50. Advance reservations for lunch are required by 5 p.m. on Wed., Nov. 12, by calling 903-327-3728.
The local and national DAR Chapters help local veterans as well as veterans across the globe. The Preston Trail Chapter DAR meets on the 3rd Thursday of every month (Sept. – May) and is headed by Regent Lisa Lettie. For more information, contact Ms. Lettie at 817-360-6830 or Registrar Lisa Hall, 903-464-0797.
The Pottsboro Senior Center, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Lake Texoma, the City of Pottsboro, and Meals on Wheels of Texoma, is located in the Pottsboro Area Library, 104 N. Main, Pottsboro, TX 75076 For more information, contact Ann Murray -- amurray@cityofpottsboro.com or call
903-327-3728.
Carolyn and husband Don, live in Bells with their two dogs, Tweeb and Mr. T and one errant feline, Booger. The couple do have human children as well, daughters Melanie Neal, L'Cena Bateman and Michelle Brewer. They are further blessed with two grand daughters, two grand sons and one great grand son.
Carolyn is a fifth generation native of Bells and grew up listening to her family telling about the "olden days" of Bells and surrounding area. Carolyn and Don are most likely continuing to tell the stories of Bells to this seventh family generation of Bells citizens.
Carolyn retired from MEMC then spent over ten years volunteering for CASA of Grayson County. The couple attends the First United Methodist Church of Bells and are members in the Emmaus Community. She is a member of Carpenters Chapter OES, served on the Bells School Board and is currently serving as an election judge for the Bells school board and for Grayson County Precinct 210.
Carolyn did the research on Miss Sophie and wrote her lines for this play. She also performed as Miss Sophie, for many local audiences. She worked diligently to help make this endeavor a success, reaching out to friends, family and community to give them an opportunity to help also. Guess one can officially call Carolyn a "Do Gooder!"
SOPHIA SUTTONFIELD AUGHINBAUGH, COFFEE, BUTTS, PORTER
A sixteen year old girl caught up in a whirlwind romance with her much older Professor, married him and they left her home, a fort in Indiana where her father was a soldier. Disowned by her family, she was on her own when the professor abandoned her shortly after bringing her into the turmoil of the Texas Revolution. He just disappeared, probably went to Mexico to help Santa Ana. Miss Sophie most likely worried about feeding herself. Respectable women did not take jobs in those days, but she managed to survive and prosper.
Sophie’s determined will to succeed probably endeared her to greats like Sam Houston, Generals Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant and the husbands she married. Sophie was a multifaceted personality. Miss Sophie enjoyed the company of men and they enjoyed her conversation and wit.
Sophie was known as the Southern Paul Revere, the story goes: She cleverly manipulated the Union troops that stopped by Glen Eden to eat, rest and regroup. The evening ended with the soldiers drunk and sleeping in her wine cellar. Unknown to them she forded the frigid waters of the Red River, found the Confederate soldiers that had camped there and warned them. The next day after a hearty breakfast and farewell, the Union soldiers remembered her fondly, while Sophie suffered a bad case of sniffles!
The exciting life she led and being a divorced woman caused overly conservative women and some men, to shun her, even denying her membership in church. Overcoming this obstacle by finally being invited into the Methodist Congregation in Sherman by Reverend Binkley himself, was probably one of Sophie’s happiest moments. She now had respectability to go with her hard earned fortune.
Sophie’s terrible luck with being abandoned, fighting to gain a divorce, the early demise of husbands, almost losing her beloved Glen Eden to debt and having no close family to sustain her did not stop her indomitable spirit. Sophie, no stranger to firearms, defended against Indians and scoundrels, much of her life. Sophie became a great philanthropist and model citizen, making her part of the world better because she was there. A fine tribute to anyone.
Sophie’s emancipated personality emerged again when her wishes were carried out upon her death. Sophie was buried in a wild pink dress & left the goodly sum of $500.00 to the Home for Fallen Women in For Worth Texas. What a woman, what a Pioneer.
Margaret and her family have fostered, adopted and loved many animals over the years. Presently you can meet four dogs and many Watusi cattle, (from Africa) including one baby Watusi, born the past spring.
Spending time with her family and pets and helping Disabled Veterans are Margaret's passions. Her father was a Disabled Veteran and memories of his difficulties helps fuel her desire to help. Margaret has been a member of NSDAR for over 12 years. She currently serves as Treasurer of the Preston Trail Chapter.
Margaret did the research for her portrayal of Olive and wrote her own parts for the play. She also performed many times as Olive, for area civic and community groups. Margaret has worked diligently and used her own resources to promote this play, her dedication never faltered. Margaret is a good cook and her generosity will always be remembered by the actors in the play, since she has brought food to every practice!
OLIVE ANN OATMAN FAIRCHILD
Would ultimately wind up in Sherman, Texas but long after her family were massacred by Indians in a desolate part of Arizona in. Olive, age thirteen and Mary Ann, her younger sister were captured. Unknown to the girls, Alonzo, an older brother, survived the brutal attack and spent years searching for his sisters.
Fortunately, the girls were traded to the kinder, Mojave Indians, a chief and his family. Life became better. Working hard, along with all tribe members, the girls learned to love the Indians.
Sadly, Mary Ann died during a time of famine in the tribe.
The chief’s wife saved Olive from starving by feeding her mush made of her family’s seed corn. Olive loved her Indian family, but knew she had no future upon learning the tradition of her tribe: A slave must be sacrificed for every warrior killed in battle. Olive was the only slave and wars were frequent.
Imagine Olive’s amazement when Alonzo bargained for her life with help from an Indian negotiator and a Colonel from a fort in the region. Threatened with retaliation, the Mojave reluctantly let Olive leave. The only reason Olive willingly left the Indians was the human sacrifice aspect of their tribal law and she loved her brother, her only living family member.
Olive knew she could never be accepted back among whites unless she maligned the Indians. Her life revolved around traveling the country telling her story. Books were written about her and money made on her misfortune. In order to make a living, Olive spoke, what she knew were lies to crowds and even wrote a book of her own.
Olive met and married, John Fairchild, a wealthy man. Olive was a beautiful woman, but she was forever marked with distinct tattoos on her face, which did not deter John’s love. All Mojave were tattooed, They believed it was the only way to enter heaven.
They moved to Sherman. John bought and managed a bank, they adopted a daughter. In public, Olive wore a veil to cover her tattoos, causing her to be known as the Veiled Woman of Sherman. John was protective of her and banned all books about her life. He forbade Olive to discuss her ordeal, feeling the memories caused her malaise.
In her final days, Olive was regretful of her maligning of the Indians and felt weary of the weight of the regret. She may have been rescued from the Indians, but actually, her ordeal to fit in white society was another form of capture.
Olive lived on the Preston Trail and was buried in Sherman. Such horrible events probably kept the real Olive from ever emerging, we can but speculate. Tragedy left more marks on Olive, than her tattoos.
One wonders if Olive was ever able to spend a day without memories of the horrible fate of her family. Olive witnessed the Indians ripping her mother’s beloved feather comforter apart and the feathers floated down into the blood of her family. That image can hardly be erased by those persons just reading her story. Comfort can be taken in reading about Olive’s will to live and love. She was ripped from a life as a white child in a large loving family. Again she was denied safety and her life with the Indian family she came to love. So much tragedy for one person to endure. There is a town named Oatman, Arizona.
