Frederick Francis Cavel (1906 - 1987)

Born 3 Nov 1906 in Oklahoma

Ancestors

Died Mar 1987 at age 80 in Chickasha, Grady, Oklahoma, USA

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Deb Cavel [send private message]

Biography

Residence

• 1910 Census Place: Justice Precinct 6, Brown, Texas; Roll: T624_1535; Page: 9B; Enumeration District: 107; Image: 435;
• Frederick Cavel 37
• Josie Cavel 31
• Susie Cavel 16
• Annie Cavel 14
• Arthur Cavel 11
• Chleo Cavel 8
• Hall Cavel 6
• Francis Cavel 3 B 1906 BP OK Son father's BP England, Mother's BP AR
• John Crouch 17

• 1920; Census Place: Parks, Stephens, Oklahoma; Roll: T625_1484; Page: 13A; Enumeration District: 259; Image: 957
• Household Members
• Name Age
• Fredrick F Cavel 47
• Josephene Cavel 42
• Mary A Cavel 24
• Arthur W Cavel 21
• Charlie H Cavel 15
• Fredrick F Cavel 13 B 1907, B OK, Son Speak English Yes Read/Write? Yes
• John H Cavel 9
• Thomason H Cavel 4

• 1930 Census; St Louis, Pottawatomie, Oklahoma; Roll: 1928; Page: 20A; *Enumeration District: 0040; Image: 656.0; FHL microfilm: 2341662; Dwelling # *268; Family # 276; Address: N.W. 1/4 Section 24 Township 7 Range 4 East;
• House # 229;
• HOH Francis F Cavel 23 White born OK married at 19 owns home worth $150 no radio can read/write father b England mother b US speaks English roustabout oil field salary worker employed
• Alma Cavel 22 white wife
• Eddie J Cavel 1 white son

Death

Death:

Date: MAR 1987

Place: Chickasha, Grady, Oklahoma, USA^[1]

Memories of Uncle Dick

This is a story I heard repeated many times over the years, usually when all the brothers were together. Some stories are too good not to repeat.

In those not-so-long-ago times before “the pill”, married ladies had few reliable ways of preventing a new little “bundle from heaven” from arriving every 11 or 12 months. One of those ways was to continue nursing the last baby as long as possible. Grandma Josie apparently had decided that this was the method for her. So Uncle Dick was still nursing at the age of five. He liked it, but the other kids teased him and called him a titty baby, so he took pains to get his mother off to himself for his nursing sessions. He preferred to have her go down to the barn where no one was likely to interrupt them.

One day Grandma had callers, a pastor and his wife from the next district over. She was serving them iced tea and cookies when Uncle Dick slipped up beside her and whispered, “I wants some tiddly.”

Grandma elbowed him away, and whispered, “Not NOW Dick, later, after the company has gone.”

But Dick was insistent, so he crowded in again and whined, “But I wants it NOW.”

Grandma said, in a firm voice. “Dick, you go outside and play. I'll see to you later.”

So, Dick, frustrated beyond his five-year-old's capacity to endure, picked up her skirt, lifted it, bent over and bit her on the leg! “I wants my tiddly NOW!” he bellowed!

And thus Dick was weaned, and 11 months later Uncle Houston (who we knew as Andy) arrived, a new bundle of joy from heaven.

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Source: Many retellings through the 1940s, 50s, and 60s, by my Dad Charlie Hall Cavel, and Uncles Arthur and Dick Cavel.

This event must have taken place when Arthur was 20, my Dad Charlie was 14, and Dick was 12, so about 1919. Charlie, Arthur and Dick were driving a herd of cattle from Velma (OK) to the rail head at Chickasha (OK). One evening they had corralled the cows and camped for the night. After a while they heard singing and shouting and, being naturally curious, they went to see what was going on.

They found a group of people having a religious meeting by torch light under a brush arbour. So the boys climbed a big tree beyond the reach of the torch light and watched through the leaf canopy as the worshippers became more and more energized under the influence of "The Spirit". Soon the worshippers were running up and down the aisles, throwing their arms in the air, falling to their knees and screaming with great emotion , "Come Lord Jesus! Come Lord Jesus!"

My Grandfather, the boys' father, was a Baptist pastor, and English as well. They were accustomed to Sunday services of measured dignity, if not solemnity. All this display of religious fervour struck the younger Charlie and Dick as almost hysterically funny.

Arthur shushed their smothered giggles with a headshake and a stern look. "Follow my lead," he whispered. "Shake your limbs as hard as you can, but don't be seen!"

They looked at him quizzically but obeyed and began to vigorously shake the limbs and branches of the tree where they sat.

Arthur lowered his voice as deep as he could and shouted, "Your prayers are answered! I'm a comin'! I'M A COMIN!"

A sudden silence fell on the congregation. The worshippers stared into the dark sky where the voice had come from, then they began to scream and scatter into the night. Not a one waited to welcome the coming of the Lord.

If their Father had ever learned of this stunt he'd have soundly whipped them all, and I'm betting no one told it openly until after Granddad's death in 1941, but while I was growing up they repeated this story again and again as evidence of what scoundrels they had been as teenagers.