Pearl A Smith was born September 11, 1882 to Hampton "Hamp" A Smith and Rebecca J. "Beckie" Smith (Williams) in Mountain Home, Arkansas. She married James Alexander "Shorty" Wolf on November 26, 1900 in North Fork, Arkansas. They had 5 sons and a daughter all born in Arkansas; Oscar, Delbert, Martha, Ed, Wilson, and Herbert. By 1920 the family had moved to Cisco, Eastland, Texas. In 1921 they moved to Ponca City, Oklahoma where they ran a grocery store.
During the time period of prohibition and then the great depression the family was involved with making moonshine and bootlegging. Nearly everyone spent some time in jail and or prison. Her husband James was arrested in 1929 for selling liquor. In 1932 he was convicted of selling liquor to minors and sentenced to 3 years in prison. In 1931 while he was serving time Pearl filed for divorce. James was released from prison in 1934 and moved to Oregon to join their oldest son Oscar who had just bought a ranch there.
Pearl was arrested in 1931 along with her son Ed, for possession of a 60 gallon whiskey still and 400 gallons of whiskey mash. This case was dismissed. She was again arrested in 1936 for selling liquor to Native Americans. She was sentenced to six months in jail.
Pearl married James "Jim" Ethel Denton on September 12, 1947. Jim was a divorcee and a widower with 3 adult children. He was also a national hero. In 1937 two escaped Texas convicts, Roy (Pete) Traxler and Fred Tendil, abducted Jim and stole his car. While being held prisoner Jim managed to get ahold of the gun when the abductors fell asleep. He shot both bandits, killing Tindol and ending a 12 day reign of terror spanning 2 states.
Pearl and Jim ran a hotel and rooming house. Jim was also a former brickmason and oil pumper. Jim passed away January 10, 1964. Pearl passed the next year, September 1, 1965.
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"The Ponca City News"
Ponca City, Kay County, Oklahoma
Wednesday, 1 September 1965
Death Claims Pearl Denton, 82
Mrs. Pearl Denton, 82, Route 3, died at mid-morning today in the Grandview Osteopathic Hospital after a long illness.
She was born Sept. 11, 1882, in Mountain Home, Ark., the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Hamp Smith. She received her education in Mountain Home and was married there to Jim Wolf. They lived in a number of places before coming to Ponca City in 1914 and operating a grocery store on South Fourteenth.
Wolf preceded his wife in death. She was married to Jim Denton, and they operated a hotel and rooming houses here until his death on Jan. 10, 1963.
Surviving Mrs. Denton are a daughter, Mrs. Martha Blair of Yearsmore, Calif.; three sons, Edward and Delbert Wolf of Medford, Ore., and Herbert Wolf of Longwood, Calif.; two brothers, Frank Smith and John Smith of Calif.; and a sister.
Arrangements by the Grace Memorial ___?___
{INCOMPLETE until copy of obit can be located and re-examined}
Pearl A Smith was born September 11, 1882 to Hampton "Hamp" A Smith and Rebecca J. "Beckie" Smith (Williams) in Mountain Home, Arkansas. She married James Alexander "Shorty" Wolf on November 26, 1900 in North Fork, Arkansas. They had 5 sons and a daughter all born in Arkansas; Oscar, Delbert, Martha, Ed, Wilson, and Herbert. By 1920 the family had moved to Cisco, Eastland, Texas. In 1921 they moved to Ponca City, Oklahoma where they ran a grocery store.
During the time period of prohibition and then the great depression the family was involved with making moonshine and bootlegging. Nearly everyone spent some time in jail and or prison. Her husband James was arrested in 1929 for selling liquor. In 1932 he was convicted of selling liquor to minors and sentenced to 3 years in prison. In 1931 while he was serving time Pearl filed for divorce. James was released from prison in 1934 and moved to Oregon to join their oldest son Oscar who had just bought a ranch there.
Pearl was arrested in 1931 along with her son Ed, for possession of a 60 gallon whiskey still and 400 gallons of whiskey mash. This case was dismissed. She was again arrested in 1936 for selling liquor to Native Americans. She was sentenced to six months in jail.
Pearl married James "Jim" Ethel Denton on September 12, 1947. Jim was a divorcee and a widower with 3 adult children. He was also a national hero. In 1937 two escaped Texas convicts, Roy (Pete) Traxler and Fred Tendil, abducted Jim and stole his car. While being held prisoner Jim managed to get ahold of the gun when the abductors fell asleep. He shot both bandits, killing Tindol and ending a 12 day reign of terror spanning 2 states.
Pearl and Jim ran a hotel and rooming house. Jim was also a former brickmason and oil pumper. Jim passed away January 10, 1964. Pearl passed the next year, September 1, 1965.
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"The Ponca City News"
Ponca City, Kay County, Oklahoma
Wednesday, 1 September 1965
Death Claims Pearl Denton, 82
Mrs. Pearl Denton, 82, Route 3, died at mid-morning today in the Grandview Osteopathic Hospital after a long illness.
She was born Sept. 11, 1882, in Mountain Home, Ark., the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Hamp Smith. She received her education in Mountain Home and was married there to Jim Wolf. They lived in a number of places before coming to Ponca City in 1914 and operating a grocery store on South Fourteenth.
Wolf preceded his wife in death. She was married to Jim Denton, and they operated a hotel and rooming houses here until his death on Jan. 10, 1963.
Surviving Mrs. Denton are a daughter, Mrs. Martha Blair of Yearsmore, Calif.; three sons, Edward and Delbert Wolf of Medford, Ore., and Herbert Wolf of Longwood, Calif.; two brothers, Frank Smith and John Smith of Calif.; and a sister.
Arrangements by the Grace Memorial ___?___
{INCOMPLETE until copy of obit can be located and re-examined}
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