Page 64 - Senior Link Magazine Spring 2020- Online Magazine
P. 64
HONORING SENIORS
Evelyn Dickey Roberts
100
and Counting
by Brad Hays
hat does 100 years look up and went to school. While she was to southwest Lubbock county, where
like? Before widespread performing as the lead in a high school W.O. farmed and they lived for the
Wadoption of electricity, play, she caught the eye of a student next 35 years.
telephones and automobiles, and just from nearby Roosevelt High School
as World War I was ending, along who, even before he met her, told his During that time, farms were almost
came the “Greatest Generation”. Life friend, “I’m going to marry that girl.” exclusively dryland farms, as modern
expectancy was 54 years at that time. His name was W.O. irrigation had not yet
The date was November 3, 1919, when Roberts, and he was been widely adopted.
Evelyn Dickey was born in Montague determined to do just Thus, depending on
County, Texas. that. Having many the weather, there
options for dates, were years of plenty
When Evelyn was a young child, Evelyn was asked out and years of leanness.
her family headed west in a covered by two different boys Having herself grown
wagon toward West Texas as her for the same Saturday up in a very modest
father, a farmer, was looking for better night. Her response environment, Evelyn
opportunities. The family settled near was that she’d go out learned to be very
New Deal, and that is where she grew with whoever got there industrious and was
first. W.O. (who went a hard worker. She
by Ordell) showed up used those skills as
at 4:30 that Saturday she and W.O. raised
and began the 65+ their family.
year-long love affair She was in every
that was to follow.
sense a true
They married on October 31, 1936, “homemaker.” Evelyn was an
in Plainview, Texas. Two daughters, excellent seamstress and, during their
Melva (Flournoy) and Jeanette visits to town on Saturdays, could
(Pair) soon came along and added see an outfit in a store window that
to the young couple’s happiness as she liked and go home and make it
family was the most important thing for herself or the girls. Among her
in Evelyn’s life. The family first chores on the farm, she tended to the
moved to Shallowater and, in 1944, chickens and hogs and even milked
64 Lubbock Senior Link
