In the first issue we commenced this feature article with the family living in the Patterson Bluff area of Arkansas (located north and west of Scranton). In the last issue the family had dispersed throughout Louisiana, Arkansas and Texas primarily working oil field or related jobs. After Mary Lou Belle passed away there might have been less initiative to keep the family together, but in reality it was most likely the fact that all her children were now married and had families of their own. 

Fred Cain, Minnie Cain Lasiter, Lou Etta Cain Edgmon and Ada Cain Barker and their families eventually settled in east Texas. May Cain Ward her family settled in southeast Texas. Ruth Cain Manning and her family remained in Haynesville, LA for several years before transferring to south central Louisiana, before retiring in Campti then Haynesville. Jessie Cain Hilburn and Bessie Cain Longstreath and their families remained in northwest Louisiana except for brief stays in San Antonio and Beaumont, TX during World War II. During the years when the siblings raised their children, it was common for large family gatherings such as summer vacation and holiday trips to Black Lake in Louisiana. However, as their children married and started their own families, the family became even more extended, and large family gatherings became much more rare, and were more likely resultant to occasions such as weddings, wedding anniversaries, and unfortunately memorial services.

There was one relatively large family reunion June 1994, held at Farmerville LA at the home of Dennis and Janice Patterson. That event also served as the eightieth birthday of Bessie Cain Longstreath. On 7 Jun 03 another reunion was held at Farmerville, LA, also celebrating Jessie’s ninety-third birthday. (Photos from the last reunion will be included in the next newsletter issue and on the web site.)

Over the past Memorial Day weekend, Jessie, Linda, Theresa Peoples and I made a return visit to the Scranton area to once again perform maintenance on gravestones at Ware’s Chapel Cemetery. Whilst there we were also able to locate Patterson’s Bluff and McClain’s Bottom. You may remember Patterson’s Bluff was the first place Jessie can remember the family living (refer to Issue One dated April 2001). We were unable to actually go onto the land where the bluff is situated overlooking the Arkansas River, because the landowner has it posted. Accordingly we were unable to make current photographs. McClain’s Bottom (refer to Vol 2 Issue 2, dated April 2002) was a different story—we did drive down the steep hill which Ruth was forced to back down in an uncontrolled fashion because the car wouldn’t make it up the hill and brake failure. However, we did not make any photos because at that time Jessie was just about exhausted and needed to get to her “beauty nap”. I have included approximate locations for both on the map for your information. Hopefully on future trips back to the area we can arrange some photos to share.

This concludes the series of feature articles about Cain Family Life. We hope you have enjoyed learning some about your roots!

By: Donald Hilburn