Transcribed from a newspaper article that appeared in Dallas, Texas when she received a letter of congratulation on her ninetieth birthday from President Dwight D. Eisenhower. She said, "He doesn't know me from Adam."
In part, the article, written by Francis Raffetto, read:
"Mrs. Ward was born Sept. 25, 1864, in Birdville, Tarrant County. She has lived in Dallas a matter of seventy years or so. Her father, Major A. M. Dechman, returned from the Civil War and first saw her when she was six months old.
"My father had a military supply oxcart break down in Grand Prairie once," she recalled. So he sold the cart and oxen for the present site of Grand Prairie and $200 in Confederate money."
"That land then was just one hog wallow after another -- nobody would live there. But he later sold it for $40,000," she added.
"Mrs. Ward attended Dallas Female Seminary, on the present site of Crozier Technical High School and then the only private school in North Texas.
"She remembers the Dallas of mule cars, gas lights, cobble stones and the town lamplighter.
"I lived in a time when everything was very crude," said the fragile-looking old woman. "No bathtubs--it was washtubs, candles and oil."
"Today, although ninety, Mrs. Ward can thread a needle and read for hours. "I am a Democrat, though I am more like Governor Shivers," she said. "I was for Eisenhower and on election night I listened avidly to the news and stayed up till 2 a.m."
"She also does her own housework and lives alone in an apartment. "I've had joys and sorrows, lots of love, and a grand family," she said Saturday.
"About the birthday letter from President Eisenhower, she had only one possible theory--her nephew, Navy Capt. Robert B. McLaughlin, might have mentioned to someone while stationed in Washington for some years.
"I just don't know," she said slowly, "the President and I just aren't on name-calling terms."
In part, the article, written by Francis Raffetto, read:
"Mrs. Ward was born Sept. 25, 1864, in Birdville, Tarrant County. She has lived in Dallas a matter of seventy years or so. Her father, Major A. M. Dechman, returned from the Civil War and first saw her when she was six months old.
"My father had a military supply oxcart break down in Grand Prairie once," she recalled. So he sold the cart and oxen for the present site of Grand Prairie and $200 in Confederate money."
"That land then was just one hog wallow after another -- nobody would live there. But he later sold it for $40,000," she added.
"Mrs. Ward attended Dallas Female Seminary, on the present site of Crozier Technical High School and then the only private school in North Texas.
"She remembers the Dallas of mule cars, gas lights, cobble stones and the town lamplighter.
"I lived in a time when everything was very crude," said the fragile-looking old woman. "No bathtubs--it was washtubs, candles and oil."
"Today, although ninety, Mrs. Ward can thread a needle and read for hours. "I am a Democrat, though I am more like Governor Shivers," she said. "I was for Eisenhower and on election night I listened avidly to the news and stayed up till 2 a.m."
"She also does her own housework and lives alone in an apartment. "I've had joys and sorrows, lots of love, and a grand family," she said Saturday.
"About the birthday letter from President Eisenhower, she had only one possible theory--her nephew, Navy Capt. Robert B. McLaughlin, might have mentioned to someone while stationed in Washington for some years.
"I just don't know," she said slowly, "the President and I just aren't on name-calling terms."
Transcribed from a newspaper article that appeared in Dallas, Texas when she received a letter of congratulation on her ninetieth birthday from President Dwight D. Eisenhower. She said, "He doesn't know me from Adam."
In part, the article, written by Francis Raffetto, read:
"Mrs. Ward was born Sept. 25, 1864, in Birdville, Tarrant County. She has lived in Dallas a matter of seventy years or so. Her father, Major A. M. Dechman, returned from the Civil War and first saw her when she was six months old.
"My father had a military supply oxcart break down in Grand Prairie once," she recalled. So he sold the cart and oxen for the present site of Grand Prairie and $200 in Confederate money."
"That land then was just one hog wallow after another -- nobody would live there. But he later sold it for $40,000," she added.
"Mrs. Ward attended Dallas Female Seminary, on the present site of Crozier Technical High School and then the only private school in North Texas.
"She remembers the Dallas of mule cars, gas lights, cobble stones and the town lamplighter.
"I lived in a time when everything was very crude," said the fragile-looking old woman. "No bathtubs--it was washtubs, candles and oil."
"Today, although ninety, Mrs. Ward can thread a needle and read for hours. "I am a Democrat, though I am more like Governor Shivers," she said. "I was for Eisenhower and on election night I listened avidly to the news and stayed up till 2 a.m."
"She also does her own housework and lives alone in an apartment. "I've had joys and sorrows, lots of love, and a grand family," she said Saturday.
"About the birthday letter from President Eisenhower, she had only one possible theory--her nephew, Navy Capt. Robert B. McLaughlin, might have mentioned to someone while stationed in Washington for some years.
"I just don't know," she said slowly, "the President and I just aren't on name-calling terms."
In part, the article, written by Francis Raffetto, read:
"Mrs. Ward was born Sept. 25, 1864, in Birdville, Tarrant County. She has lived in Dallas a matter of seventy years or so. Her father, Major A. M. Dechman, returned from the Civil War and first saw her when she was six months old.
"My father had a military supply oxcart break down in Grand Prairie once," she recalled. So he sold the cart and oxen for the present site of Grand Prairie and $200 in Confederate money."
"That land then was just one hog wallow after another -- nobody would live there. But he later sold it for $40,000," she added.
"Mrs. Ward attended Dallas Female Seminary, on the present site of Crozier Technical High School and then the only private school in North Texas.
"She remembers the Dallas of mule cars, gas lights, cobble stones and the town lamplighter.
"I lived in a time when everything was very crude," said the fragile-looking old woman. "No bathtubs--it was washtubs, candles and oil."
"Today, although ninety, Mrs. Ward can thread a needle and read for hours. "I am a Democrat, though I am more like Governor Shivers," she said. "I was for Eisenhower and on election night I listened avidly to the news and stayed up till 2 a.m."
"She also does her own housework and lives alone in an apartment. "I've had joys and sorrows, lots of love, and a grand family," she said Saturday.
"About the birthday letter from President Eisenhower, she had only one possible theory--her nephew, Navy Capt. Robert B. McLaughlin, might have mentioned to someone while stationed in Washington for some years.
"I just don't know," she said slowly, "the President and I just aren't on name-calling terms."
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Advertisement
