Ira Lloyd Giles (1915 - 1989)

Born 1 Jan 1915 in Archer, Texas, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Irene Alice Mathilda Cadmus — married 1 Mar 1944 in Texas

Died 16 Nov 1989 at age 74 in Potter County, Texas, United States

This person was created through the import of Pioneer Stock.GED on 31 October 2010. The following data was included in the gedcom. You may wish to edit it for readability.

Burial

Burial:

Date: NOV 1989

Place: Llano Cemetery, Amarillo, Potter Co., TX.

Note

Note: @NI10771@

@NI10771@ NOTE1920 census, Just. Prect. 1, Carson Co., TX., ED 13, pg. 11B, enum. asIra L.

1930 census, Amarillo Prct., Potter Co., TX., ED 6, pg. 28B.

THE FOLLOWING WAS WRITTEN BY IRA "Bill" GILES AND SUBMITTED BY HISGRANDDAUGHTER, JULIE GILES KEMPF:

"This is Our Life as I Remember It--Bill Giles

My Mom and Dad married in Gainsville, Texas in 1892. Dad was bornMay 8, 1872 in Illinois. Mom was born on February 14, 1873 in Tennessee.They met at a square dance somewhere near Gainsville, Texas. They rearedten children during their lifetime.

People in those days traveled a lot looking for better places tolive and to make a living for their families, traveled mostly by coveredwagons. One son-- Andley Lafette Giles, Leonard Monroe Giles, VirgilMarion Giles, Clarence Leroy Giles, then four daughters, ClarabelleGiles, Grace Truman Giles, Lucy Mae Giles, Irene Elizabeth Giles, thentwo sons, Ira Lloyd Giles (Bill), Morris Eugene Giles.

We were born in different places. My memory was living on a farm atLark Texas, a switch off the Rock Island Railroad, near Groom, Texas. Iremember very little of the farm, but Dad farmed grain crops, usinghorses and mules.

We lived in a two story frame house, Dad and Mom had their beef,Hogs, chickens and milk cows and garden, so we had plenty to eat.Bud(Morris) was born in this farm house. I was a small baby when Dad andMom and family came to this place in a covered wagon.

Dad has told me the winters of 1918 and 1919 was the worst known inthis region. He has told me about not seeking the bare ground for 60days, during these winters, covered with snow and zero weather.

All my brothers and sisters worked on the farm, but all have fondmemories of the farm and we were a close nit family. Dad decided in 1920to move to Amarillo, where we could go to schools and have hospitals. Dadand Mom moved to Amarillo in Oct. 1920.

Dad bought a place at 617 N. Pierce St. about 3 bedrooms, kitchen,dinning room, bathroom, and living room and a back porch, utilities room.Natural gas was just getting into Amarillo. Dad burned coal at this placefor a few months, until we got gas to the house. We had electricity andwater. Dad had to find a job and he found a job at the Amarillo SchoolDistrict as a janitor or custodian at Amarillo High School.

Some of my brothers were married and they bought homes in Amarilloand reared their families here. There was my Dad and Mom and four girlsand two boys living at 617 N. Pierce. We were one block from Buchanan St.School and about 3 blocks from St. Anthony's Hospital and 3 blocks fromthe 2nd Baptist Church, where I we were all members there. I was baptizedin this church at about the age of twelve.

My four sisters married and reared their families here. Bud and Ilived with Mom and Dad until 1935 and I got married and that left Dad,Mother, and Bud at home. I worked at numerous jobs as I quit school, whenI was 15 yrs. old. I went to work at the Western Union, deliveringtelegrams on a bicycle. Worked there for about two years, joined theNational Guard and then later enlisted in the C.C.C., CivilianConservation Corps, went to New Mexico and worked at building what is nowknown as Bandolier National Park. A U.S. Park.

I came back to Amarillo a few months later and Dad got me a job atthe Amarillo School supply room, I worked odd jobs at the school system,driving a school bus, doing plumbing work and janitor work.

I married in 1935 and in 1941 I went to work at the Post Office,delivering Special Delivery mail. In 1942, I was drafted into the Army. Iwent to Ft. Sill, Oklahoma for a few days and then shipped out toCalifornia I was there three weeks and then shipped out from SanFrancisco to Oahu, Hawaii.

I took all my basic trainning in Hawaii. After basic training, I wasassigned to the 810th Military Police, Honolulu. My first duty was amotorcycle M.P. Later, I was a Accident Investigator and the last sixmonths of duty, I was a C.I.C. Agent.

I was discharged from the Army after three years and some months.Discharged at Ft. Bliss, Texas. I came home and was glad to be inAmarillo and home. In 1944, while in Honolulu, I received a Red CrossRadiogram, telling me my mother in Amarillo was critically ill and mypresence was requested. I applied for an emergency furlough. After 22days I arrived at the Rock Island Depot at Amarillo. It was cold andsleeting and all my relatives were there to see me and mother was out ofthe hospital and waiting in a car, she was glad to see me and I huggedand hugged her.

During the time I had been in the service, my wife, Ozella Giles,found another service man, who she said she loved. I got me a divorcewhile on this furlough, we had no children. I had a good visit at homeand I had to report to the Army base at San Francisco. I received duty atFt. McDowel, an island about five miles around, adjacent to AlcatrazPrison. We would get passes into San Francisco. Me and one of my buddieswould go. We were in a restaurant on Market Street. They had a live bandand dancing. I saw three people at a table, 2 women and one service man.The older couple turned out to be Aunt Edi and her husband and IreneCadmus. The older couple danced and Irene sat there. I went over to hertable and introduced myself and asked her if she would like to dance, shesaid yes, so this is where we got acquainted.

We danced several numbers and I got her address and phone number, sowe started dating. I would come over on the boat from Ft. McDowel andride the trolley cars to about where she lived. We would go out and eat,and several times we went with her aunt and uncle and I ate several timeswith them at their apartment. Donald and Edi's husband were stationedthere in San Francisco. Aunt Edi and Irene came out from Minnesota tovisit them. I knew Irene was the girl I loved so we were married in thecity hall at San Francisco by the J.P.

We had about 2 months together before I shipped back to Honolulu. Wemade vows to each other. We had pictures made in San Francisco of each ofus when we married, April 14, 1944. I reported back to my outfit atHonolulu and served there until shipment back to the states. Irene and Icorresponded often. Irene was back in Minnesota. I arrived home atAmarillo, Nov. 9, 1945.

I had a job at the Post Office but I wanted to be free for awhile. Istayed with my Mom for a few days and then I rented an apartment as Irenewas coming home to me. Irene and her sister Hazel came, they had neverbeen in Texas before and were sort of frightened. They rode a cab fromthe Santa Fe Depot to Clarabelle's. I was there and we had a greatreunion. I had never met Hazel before, Irene was so thrilled, but so faraway from home and not knowing what we were like or what to expect, butloved me for all the things we had talked about and I loved her more thananyone in my life. She was so beautiful, peach and cream complexion andso loving, loved by everybody. I was glad to see them and all my peopleloved them.

About one month later, I went back to work at the P.O. Dept. Ireneand Hazel loved all my people and we had good times together. Dinnerswith them and family get-togethers. Hazel worked here some in Amarilloand later was homesick and went home to her parents in Sunrise,Minnesota. A few months later Irene's dad died with a heart attack. Irenewas pregnant with Randy and Dr. Robberson, her doctor, would not let herfly, so Irene and I rode the Santa Fe train to St. Paul. Dallas, Irene'sbrother, met us at the Union Station and carried us to the old farm homeat Sunrise, Minn. It was a beautiful country, all snowed over, trees andlakes and so beautiful. I had never met Irene's mother or dad. Dad was ata funeral home a few miles away and we went and looked at him severaltimes, wish I could have known him and hunted with him. the wholecommunity turned out for his funeral, he was well thought of. "

This was all Grandpa wrote. It is very little, but lots of history.I typed this nearly as he had written it.

Julie Giles Kempf