Linda Hilburn wrote this in collaboration with Jessie: As you recall from the last issue the family lived at Spadra where Alan took over running the ferry across the Arkansas River after his son, Fred, started working as an engineer on the railroad. After living there for a year or so, Alan moved his family to Spadra Bottom where he apparently felt there were better opportunities. Life at Spadra Bottom would forever change the family. There were no schools at Spadra or Spadra Bottom so Alan and Mary Lou Belle’s children “got” to help farm. Jessie remembers chopping grass out of cotton one day when she accidentally cut down a stalk of cotton and “buried” it in the furrow so it wouldn’t be noticed. Of course, Alan was plowing and found it but didn’t try to find out which child had done the damage.

Jessie recalls that a buggy trip turned sour for Ada Cain. It started out as an “innocent” buggy trip to take Olon Manning’s grandmother to Spadra to catch the train. Ada could handle horses so well so she was in charge of driving the Manning’s buggy. In addition to Ada Cain and the grandmother, Ada Manning, Jessie Cain and Tince Manning (Olon’s sister) were along for the ride. After Olon’s grandmother got on the train, Ada Cain wanted to go see Ruth and Olon Manning who were visiting at Bennie Manning’s house at Hartman (Bennie was also Olon’s sister). Ada Cain and Ada Manning stuck together, adamant to go for the visit. Jessie and Tince felt like they should not go and tried to get them to go home instead. A discussion ensued, and Ada was in the process of turning the buggy around to head back home, when Jessie spoke up and said, “It’s bad luck to turn back,” so on they went to Hartman. This detour caused them to be late getting back home. To make matters worse, Fred Cain’s son, Ray, was at the Spadra Bottom community well when they were coming back home. He told them, “Your hide won’t hold shucks when Grandpa (Alan Cain) gets through with you.” Ada Cain sure enough felt bad then. After arriving home and after dark, Alan called Ada out of the house and gave her a whipping with his belt. Jessie knowing that she was next, started crying and said, “Daddy, I tried to get her to come home” but managed to leave out the part, “It’s bad luck to turn back,” and so Jessie was spared a whipping.

Another colorful happening was when Mary Lou Belle, Ruth, May, Ada, Jessie and Bessie went to visit Dave Cain Ellis (former wife of Willie Cain who had died) at McClain’s Bottom in their car. A short time prior to this, Fred had borrowed the car. When he returned it, for some reason it was not running well and had no brakes. Ruth, who was the driver, knew that there were no brakes but felt they could make the trip just fine. The road down into McClain’s Bottom had a steep, curving descent and immediately turned onto a bridge over the creek. They made it fine going down but they were concerned about how they would make it up the hill. On the way up, everyone got out of the car and the girls pushed. However, the car didn’t have enough power to make it up the steep grade and it started going backwards. The girls jumped out of the way as Ruth quickly, adeptly turned the car into the hill to stop it. Now what to do? A trusty team of horses, probably from the nearest neighbor came to the rescue, pulling the car up the hill, and they went on their way home thankful that the Lord had seen them safely through another harrowing experience. Jessie thinks that Alan sold the car some time later while they still lived at Spadra Bottom.

Dallas Longstreath’s parents had moved to Oklahoma at some point from the time that they lived near Blaine, when Ruth had taken Mr. Longstreath to catch the ferry and Ruth and Ada nearly froze (see previous issue). Mrs. Longstreath formerly Mrs. Ward, was also Elmer Ward’s mother. Elmer and May made a trip to Oklahoma where the Longstreath's were and visited them. While there, May took sick and Mrs. Longstreath asked the church members to come and pray for May. They did and the Lord healed her.

The year was 1917-1918 and WWI was in full swing. Elmer was called to serve his country. He and May were expecting their first child when he had to leave. May came to live with Alan and Mary Lou Belle while Elmer was in the service. Jessie doesn’t remember which Army camp he was in, but May and Ruth went to see Elmer before their little one was born. Later, on just as Elmer was about to be shipped overseas, peace was declared (11 Nov 1918) and he got to come home to see his little daughter, Alma, for the first time.

Alan probably had just gotten a good start on his crops (cotton, corn, wheat, sorghum) when he took sick, approximately July 1918. Jessie remembers him being very sick and having rigors. Mary Lou Belle had tried to get him to go to the doctor but he did not until he was severely ill. He ended up in Sparks Memorial Hospital in Ft. Smith (still open to the present the last I knew) on 13 Sep 1918, diagnosed with chronic cholangitis and cholecystitis, (inflammation of the bile duct and gallbladder respectively). The doctor planned to build him up and then do surgery, but he passed away on 17 Sep 1918, before the surgery could occur. The cause of death according to the death certificate was acute cholecystitis (the best we could make out); chronic cholangitis was also listed. Contributory was infection of gallbladder. According to the death certificate, his date of birth was March 9 and also stated he was 56 years old, so that made his year of birth to be 1862. It also stated on the death certificate that the information was given by Mary Lou Belle Cain to the best of her knowledge. This date of birth conflicts with some other records. For example the date on the tombstone is 1857-1918. But this information is now in question because Jessie recalls that many years after their deaths, some of the children paid to have tombstones put at their parents’ grave and at some other graves where there were none. Ruth and Ada made a trip to Arkansas, selected the stones and estimated the dates to go on them.

Jessie was 8 when her daddy passed away. She recalls being so excited when she heard her daddy was coming home from the hospital. She went out in the yard to watch and wait for him, not knowing that he had passed away. It was customary in those days to bring the body of the deceased to their home until time for the funeral. The funeral for Alan was held in Ware’s Chapel and burial at the adjacent cemetery under direction of the Masons.

As always, the passing of a beloved husband and father brought about drastic changes and life would never be the same for the family. Mary Lou Belle had to get help when and where she could to finish growing and harvesting the crops. God in his goodness would see Mary Lou Belle and the children through the tough times ahead.

Another change, less drastic, but still with significant impact to the family that occurred (the day before Alan was admitted to the hospital, 12 Sep 1918), was the marriage of Ruth Myrtle Cain to Olon Manning. Jessie recalls Mary Lou Belle making Ruth a beautiful taffeta dress that she wore at the wedding. (See photo).

Christmas 1918 brought Jessie a doll and a ring. Mary Lou Belle had put the ring on a ribbon and tied it around the doll’s neck. Jessie was thrilled with her gifts. One day Jessie went with May to help feed the hogs. When she was throwing corn over into the pen, her new ring came off and landed in the muck and the mire. The ring was not found. Jessie was heart broken and May helped Jessie look for it another time, but it could not be found. This sorrow has stuck with her over these 83 years.