Son of Samuel Houston and Mary Virginia (Iley) Barker.
Richard was born in Indian Territory but within a year his family had moved to Arkansas until about 1889 or so.
22 June 1900 Census the family is listed in Township 7, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory (now Oklahoma). His father is farming and he is listed as farm labor (for his dad, I'm sure).
26 Feb 1901 he was united in marriage to Laura Ella McGahey Thompson (young widow, lost both husband and only child). He was 21 and she was 19, in Fannin County, Texas. To this union 8 children were born with 7 living to adulthood. All the children are linked to them.
19-20 April 1910 Census they are in Township 12, Bryan County, Oklahoma with him farming. They have 4 children at this time being married 9 years. She states she's the mother of 5 children 4 living. From family records, she is specking of her child that died in first marriage.
During that time with farming cattle and hogs ran free. In 1916 a neighbor went to round up his hogs and none could be found, come to find out our Grandfather had killed pigs when he found them to feed his growing family, which consequently belonged to the other man. The sheriff was contacted. Our Grandfather left for California, with his wife and 5 children (one son had died at 8 month old in 1912) arriving a few months later, and our mother being born being born in a couple of month after. It is unknown if he own his land in Oklahoma or not.
In 1918 they are in Seeley, Imperial, California, according to his WWI draft card registration. He listed his occupation as farming.
1920 they are in Palo Verde, Riverside, California with the 6 children and owned their home and land. We do not know what happened with the land and home, but he became a share cropper not long after. It is said he was a lady's man and that caused problems (we don't know if he cheated or was a big flirt that upset other husbands), explaining their moving all the time. By the time our mother was a freshman in high school she had been to over 30 different schools up and down California. Our mother never talked much about her childhood. We just got bits and pieces. She really loved her dad, but from what we gather he had a heavy hand with his children.
1930 census finds them in Buttonwillow, Kern, California, with 7 children. He is renting and farming cotton.
1935 at the age of 56 he passed from cancer. Years after our mother passed we asked our dad what kind of cancer. He said that Polk was a great guy and that he suffered and passed from bladder or prostate cancer.
Polk's wife was to poor to add a stone at that time, though his children as adults talked of getting him one, last time we know of them talking about it was when their mother passed in 1961. We have since found out that they never did anything by talk of doing it.
Sadly none of us kids of my mother's ever got to meet him, being born after he was gone.
------------------------------------------
Written by granddaughter Waneta Loy Frisk
Richard was born in Indian Territory but within a year his family had moved to Arkansas until about 1889 or so.
22 June 1900 Census the family is listed in Township 7, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory (now Oklahoma). His father is farming and he is listed as farm labor (for his dad, I'm sure).
26 Feb 1901 he was united in marriage to Laura Ella McGahey Thompson (young widow, lost both husband and only child). He was 21 and she was 19, in Fannin County, Texas. To this union 8 children were born with 7 living to adulthood. All the children are linked to them.
19-20 April 1910 Census they are in Township 12, Bryan County, Oklahoma with him farming. They have 4 children at this time being married 9 years. She states she's the mother of 5 children 4 living. From family records, she is specking of her child that died in first marriage.
During that time with farming cattle and hogs ran free. In 1916 a neighbor went to round up his hogs and none could be found, come to find out our Grandfather had killed pigs when he found them to feed his growing family, which consequently belonged to the other man. The sheriff was contacted. Our Grandfather left for California, with his wife and 5 children (one son had died at 8 month old in 1912) arriving a few months later, and our mother being born being born in a couple of month after. It is unknown if he own his land in Oklahoma or not.
In 1918 they are in Seeley, Imperial, California, according to his WWI draft card registration. He listed his occupation as farming.
1920 they are in Palo Verde, Riverside, California with the 6 children and owned their home and land. We do not know what happened with the land and home, but he became a share cropper not long after. It is said he was a lady's man and that caused problems (we don't know if he cheated or was a big flirt that upset other husbands), explaining their moving all the time. By the time our mother was a freshman in high school she had been to over 30 different schools up and down California. Our mother never talked much about her childhood. We just got bits and pieces. She really loved her dad, but from what we gather he had a heavy hand with his children.
1930 census finds them in Buttonwillow, Kern, California, with 7 children. He is renting and farming cotton.
1935 at the age of 56 he passed from cancer. Years after our mother passed we asked our dad what kind of cancer. He said that Polk was a great guy and that he suffered and passed from bladder or prostate cancer.
Polk's wife was to poor to add a stone at that time, though his children as adults talked of getting him one, last time we know of them talking about it was when their mother passed in 1961. We have since found out that they never did anything by talk of doing it.
Sadly none of us kids of my mother's ever got to meet him, being born after he was gone.
------------------------------------------
Written by granddaughter Waneta Loy Frisk
Son of Samuel Houston and Mary Virginia (Iley) Barker.
Richard was born in Indian Territory but within a year his family had moved to Arkansas until about 1889 or so.
22 June 1900 Census the family is listed in Township 7, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory (now Oklahoma). His father is farming and he is listed as farm labor (for his dad, I'm sure).
26 Feb 1901 he was united in marriage to Laura Ella McGahey Thompson (young widow, lost both husband and only child). He was 21 and she was 19, in Fannin County, Texas. To this union 8 children were born with 7 living to adulthood. All the children are linked to them.
19-20 April 1910 Census they are in Township 12, Bryan County, Oklahoma with him farming. They have 4 children at this time being married 9 years. She states she's the mother of 5 children 4 living. From family records, she is specking of her child that died in first marriage.
During that time with farming cattle and hogs ran free. In 1916 a neighbor went to round up his hogs and none could be found, come to find out our Grandfather had killed pigs when he found them to feed his growing family, which consequently belonged to the other man. The sheriff was contacted. Our Grandfather left for California, with his wife and 5 children (one son had died at 8 month old in 1912) arriving a few months later, and our mother being born being born in a couple of month after. It is unknown if he own his land in Oklahoma or not.
In 1918 they are in Seeley, Imperial, California, according to his WWI draft card registration. He listed his occupation as farming.
1920 they are in Palo Verde, Riverside, California with the 6 children and owned their home and land. We do not know what happened with the land and home, but he became a share cropper not long after. It is said he was a lady's man and that caused problems (we don't know if he cheated or was a big flirt that upset other husbands), explaining their moving all the time. By the time our mother was a freshman in high school she had been to over 30 different schools up and down California. Our mother never talked much about her childhood. We just got bits and pieces. She really loved her dad, but from what we gather he had a heavy hand with his children.
1930 census finds them in Buttonwillow, Kern, California, with 7 children. He is renting and farming cotton.
1935 at the age of 56 he passed from cancer. Years after our mother passed we asked our dad what kind of cancer. He said that Polk was a great guy and that he suffered and passed from bladder or prostate cancer.
Polk's wife was to poor to add a stone at that time, though his children as adults talked of getting him one, last time we know of them talking about it was when their mother passed in 1961. We have since found out that they never did anything by talk of doing it.
Sadly none of us kids of my mother's ever got to meet him, being born after he was gone.
------------------------------------------
Written by granddaughter Waneta Loy Frisk
Richard was born in Indian Territory but within a year his family had moved to Arkansas until about 1889 or so.
22 June 1900 Census the family is listed in Township 7, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory (now Oklahoma). His father is farming and he is listed as farm labor (for his dad, I'm sure).
26 Feb 1901 he was united in marriage to Laura Ella McGahey Thompson (young widow, lost both husband and only child). He was 21 and she was 19, in Fannin County, Texas. To this union 8 children were born with 7 living to adulthood. All the children are linked to them.
19-20 April 1910 Census they are in Township 12, Bryan County, Oklahoma with him farming. They have 4 children at this time being married 9 years. She states she's the mother of 5 children 4 living. From family records, she is specking of her child that died in first marriage.
During that time with farming cattle and hogs ran free. In 1916 a neighbor went to round up his hogs and none could be found, come to find out our Grandfather had killed pigs when he found them to feed his growing family, which consequently belonged to the other man. The sheriff was contacted. Our Grandfather left for California, with his wife and 5 children (one son had died at 8 month old in 1912) arriving a few months later, and our mother being born being born in a couple of month after. It is unknown if he own his land in Oklahoma or not.
In 1918 they are in Seeley, Imperial, California, according to his WWI draft card registration. He listed his occupation as farming.
1920 they are in Palo Verde, Riverside, California with the 6 children and owned their home and land. We do not know what happened with the land and home, but he became a share cropper not long after. It is said he was a lady's man and that caused problems (we don't know if he cheated or was a big flirt that upset other husbands), explaining their moving all the time. By the time our mother was a freshman in high school she had been to over 30 different schools up and down California. Our mother never talked much about her childhood. We just got bits and pieces. She really loved her dad, but from what we gather he had a heavy hand with his children.
1930 census finds them in Buttonwillow, Kern, California, with 7 children. He is renting and farming cotton.
1935 at the age of 56 he passed from cancer. Years after our mother passed we asked our dad what kind of cancer. He said that Polk was a great guy and that he suffered and passed from bladder or prostate cancer.
Polk's wife was to poor to add a stone at that time, though his children as adults talked of getting him one, last time we know of them talking about it was when their mother passed in 1961. We have since found out that they never did anything by talk of doing it.
Sadly none of us kids of my mother's ever got to meet him, being born after he was gone.
------------------------------------------
Written by granddaughter Waneta Loy Frisk
Family Members
Siblings
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Elizabeth Ann "Bettie" Barker Martin
1869–1894
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William Thomas Barker
1873–1954
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Minnie Ruth Barker Freeman
1876–1957
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Samuel Henry Barker
1880–1936
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Charles Newton "Charlie" Barker
1882–1945
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Walter Ray Barker
1884–1976
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Allen Berry Barker
1885–1957
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Mary Lillian Barker Kropp
1887–1960
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James Harrison Barker
1889–1962
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