Beckham Co. OK - BIO: Roger Quillian Rutherford Submitted by Paulyne Taylor pingtiger@arn.net ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/ *********************************************************************** ROGER QUILLIAN RUTHERFORD BECKHAM COUNTY OKLAHOMA June 12 1897 --------October 18 1973 Roger Rutherford was the first white child born in Roger Mills County Oklahoma. He was born at Cheyenne to William Franklin and Lulu Rutherford. They were living in a half dugout, with only a wagon sheet covering the entrance. Here also lived Eli and Sarah Clinesmith grandparents of Lulu. Bill Rutherford was farming and hauling freight to Sweetwater and was often gone several days leaving Lulu alone. She often hid her children Eva and Roger in the oven when she heard or saw wild animals around the homestead. Lulu had an old red blanket that she made clothing for Roger with, material along with lumber were scarce on the prarie. Roger grew up in Oklahoma, helped his dad farm and made the move to New Liberty in 1900 when his father left Roger Mills.The Clinesmiths stayed at Cheyenne although quite old. In 1916 Roger was in the army and headed over seas for WW1. He was a private and saw the horrors of war and the mustard gas used by the Germans.He said they used bat fans to get rid of it. He was discharged in 1919 in Houston Texas. He made $7.00 a month in the army and 3 dollars of that went for insurance. He also had to pay for his uniforms. When he was discharged he had to write to his dad to send him money to get home . Roger went back to the farm, by then others had been born Joe Bert, Dora,Paul, Jessie, and Hut. His older sister Eva had married and had moved to Carlsbad New Mexico with her husband ,Edward Rice. Roger continued to help his dad, while the other kids went to near by schools. Here he met his future wife Ruth Eaton Warren. She taught most of his brothers and sisters.They were married Febuary 24 1920 at Hobart Oklahoma. Ruth taught at several of the local schools including New Liberty, and was also a board member. Roger was old enough to remember his grandparents the Clinesmiths and he remembered they were very mean. Eli was old and had been declared imcompentent, W.F. Rutherford was appointed his guardian in 1903, Eli died in 1904, and his wife Sarah died in 1905. Lulu was the only surviving heir, and inheirted the land at Cheyenne. The Clinesmiths came to the United States from Germany and could barely speak english. They had settled in Wise County Texas where William Franklin Rutherford was living with his Uncle Issac Jasper Rutherford, along with his sister Missouri Jane and brother David Oscar Rutherford. The three had been orphaned at a very young age. Sarah Rutherford their grandmother also lived with Issac and she helped raise the three children.David Oscar, William Franklin and Missouri Jane had all married by 1887 and they all moved to Oklahoma. David Oscar settled in Greer county along with Missouri Rutherford and her husband William Franklin Harris. David had married Jnetta Stout. William went on the Roger Mills. Roger was a hard working man of great character and devotion. When his father died in 1942 he cared for his mother. Roger belonged to the American Legion in Sayre Oklahoma and in 1969 he received a plaque from them for being a member for 50 years. He greatly appreciated this and it was one of his prized possessions. He use to attend all the Rutherfords reunions in Clovis New Mexico and loved visiting with his cousins and friends that always attended. He farmed all his life.I remember visiting him when he was still on the farm. He and I would start walking along the old creek and he told me stories of the long ago days when he was a boy growing up. I can remember the red dirt the almost dried up creek bed, the heat and the fields of cotton.Roger use to plow with horses, he took on most of ther farming chores with little help from his other brothers who were younger than he was. Roger was my favorite uncle, he was kind and quite. He reminded me of my grandfather W.F. Rutherford always making you feel special. He had a little boy air to him that reminded you of a bashful little kid. He had laughing eyes and always smiled.My dad told me Roger could be mean if he wanted to, and often whipped him when he acted up. He said Roger spanked him more than his dad did. He moved to town not long before he died. I went to visit him and he showed me his tractor. He had it in the back yard, he was so proud of that tractor and I know it reminded him of the farm. He helped out at the rest home and made ceramics in his garage for the old people to paint. He was 75 years old himself, and said he was making them for the old folks out at the home. I attended his funeral in 1973 when he died. He was such a special person in my life and someone I will always be glad I knew and proud that we were related. Roger was the father of Jim Bill Rutherford and Francene Louellen Rutherford Bell. Roger Quillian Rutherford spent his whole life in Beckham County Oklahoma, his life was so involved with that county and that part of Oklahoma, that it always seemed to me he was Beckham County, I will always remember him walking the fields, his roots lie deep in that soil.He had a great sense of humor, and will always be remembered as an honest man, a loving son, brother, father, husband, and uncle. He and his wife Ruth are both buried at Lone Oak cemetery at New Liberty.