OLIVE PEARCE MCFARLAND, Coke, Runnels, & Tom Green Counties, TX

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Submitted by Mary Love Berryman - marylove@tyler.net
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San Angelo Standard, 23 Jun 1968

Teacher, Pupils Hold Reunion by Bill Hinnant

Reunions are fine - expecially after 62 years.

And that's just the kind that was held here at the home of Miss Laura 
Martin, 608 E 29th, for Mrs Bob MacFarland, ex-teacher and four of her 
former pupils.

The four pupils are Miss Martin, ex-principle of Stephen F Austin 
Elementary School; Bill Martin, Coke Co ranchman; T M Wylie of 19 E 
28th; and Mrs Ted Havins of Midland.

Mrs MacFarland, of 305 S Irene St, was born Olive Pearce in the now 
extinct town of Old Runnels City, the county seat of Runnels Co until 
1880.  Her father, Henry David Pearce, was the first postmaster in Old 
Runnels City.  He was born in Illinois and early in his life came to 
live with his grandfather, who was a Baptist preacher in Sherman.

Mrs MacFarland said her father joined into the Confederate Army at 16 
and served until the end of the war.  He was interested in education, 
having brought many books with him when he came to Texas.  He was also 
instrumental in guiding her into acquiring an education and in teaching 
school.  "I read Shakespeare at nine years." she said, "I loved the 
pictures."

She said her father was an adjutant in the Southern army, and after the 
soldiers returned to the Runnels area he held reunions annually.

A custom begun by her father was the practice of writing a diary 
(acomposite history), of every Confederate soldier who passed through 
Runnels.  A complete record was kept, and after her father's death, his 
wife sent the records to the archives of the State of Texas.  "These 
records," Mrs MacFarland explained, "helped many an old soldier to get 
their pensions."

"Miss" Olive moved to "Old" Ballinger while the Indians were still in 
the Runnels area.  She recalls that John Formwalt was the first sheriff 
of Runnels Co, and that he was "more Indian than anything else."  About 
the time her father moved to Ballinger, Miss Olive said "people were 
living in dugouts;" everybody wanted land at that time and it could be 
bought cheaply or acquired through a grant.

The old Pearce Hotel in Ballinger was operated by Miss Olive's father 
after he returned from a brief period of living in Fort McKavell.  
She said that she was not much of a mixer and since Mr. Pearce required 
all the children to do their part in operating the hotel she chose to
clean the rooms.  "About that time father hired a cook to do the 
cooking during the winter,"  she said, "but we had to cook and do 
kitchen work in the summer."

Miss Olive's entry into the teaching profession was gained in an 
unusual manner.  Actually, it was the result of a controversy over 
whether or not she was old enough and proficient enough to have 
graduated from high school.  She was one of six pupils out of a large 
class to graduate and many of the parents of the failing pupils 
complained to the school officials about her, she explained.  Her 
teachers, Professors Storms and Hodnette, were thoroughly satisfied 
with her achievements and also confident of her ability, so they asked 
her to go down to the courthouse (where the examination for teahcer's 
certificates were then given) and take the examination, in order to 
substantiate their opinions.

"This was in 1902," she beamed, "and I did not have any intention of 
teaching - but I passed the test and obtained my teacher's certificate.  
I shall always remember and be grateful to Miss Sue Cochran, my first 
teacher and to Professor Storms and Hodnette.

In the fall of 1902, Miss Olive went to teach in the Lometa community
 of Coke Co.  Her brother, H H Pearce, got the job for her, she said.  
"I don't think anyone ever had any better pupils than I did,"  Miss 
Olive said proudly.  "My pupils needed to learn, and they were so 
interested in acquiring an education that they really applied 
themselves."  "However," she continued, "they were not able to attend 
school regularly because they had to help their parents work on the 
farms and ranches."

Miss Olive lived at the home of Mr and Mrs Tom S Wylie.  The Wylie 
home was at the headquarters of the Wylie Ranch, and the schoolhouse 
was situated about 400 yards from the ranch house.  Her salary was 
$35 per month, and she had to pay Mrs Wylie $8 for room and board.  
At that time I was giving my mother $5 a month and putting the rest 
of my money in the "bank so that I could go to college."

After teaching in Lometa for two years, Miss Olive attended Texas 
Baptist University in Dallas for three years, but she was forced to 
suspend her schooling there because it was very expensive."

After her marriage to Bob MacFarland in Robert Lee, she moved with her 
husband to the Ranger oilfields and taught school in three different 
schools in Ranger.  She lived in a tent in Ranger until a house could 
be built for her family because of the crowded conditions in the 
oil-boom town.