49. CHARLES MARCELLUS BRANDON
was born on 3 May 1892 in THE ROCK, GEORGIA. He died on 24 Nov 1988 in
CHANDLER, ARIZONA. CHARLES M. BRANDON, oldest son of James Walter and Annie
Mozell McLean Brandon,
was born on his Grand-father James Lawson Brandon's Plantation near the small
town of
The Rock, Upson Co., Georgia. May 30, 1892. A born "Red Head" ,
his mother used to joke "He was so red headed that the woodpeckers would
come trying to feed him"
According to his journal written late in life, his early remembrances were the
carefree days spent with his Parents, Grandparents and Aunts and Uncles there
on the Georgia Plantation
before his Dad and Mother made the decision in 1898 to dispose of all their
holdings and move west to Indian Territory (now Oklahoma).
His first impressions there were meeting so many people that spoke a language
that he had never heard before. There were other pioneering home seekers that
had moved to that part of the country as well , so the adjustment period was
not as difficult as he had first assumed.
And as they all went to school together, he soon found himself fitting in with
all his new friends , both Indian and white.
On finishing grade school, he enrolled in high school in Checotah, but living
in Brush Hill meant that he would have to find some type of boarding arrangement
in town about 15 miles away. After about the 2nd term he was dissatisfied with
the difficulties of it all, so he made the decision to suspend his schooling,
move back home, and devote full time helping out on the family farm.
Charles' interest and ability was soon noticed by neighbors and in particular
the McIntosh County Agricultural Agent, who encouraged him to enter a cotton
production contest for
teenage farm boys; to see who could grow the most cotton on 2 Acres with the
lowest production costs. With the fortunes of a good growing season, he was
able to win this contest with a yield of slightly over 2 bales per Acre. As
a prize for his winning he was awarded a trip to Washington D.C. with $500.00
expense money, Escorted by the
Agent to Oklahoma City to visit Governor Cruse, who presented him with a Certificate
of Honor. and made arrangements for him to be met in Washington by one of Senator
Gore's
staff that would be his escort during his stay there in Washington. Needless
to say he was much impressed with all the things to see and do there, and returned
home with much to relate to the family and friends.
At the age of 18 his father rewarded him with a new horse and buggy, which he
soon put to good use visiting the neighboring girls taking them to Church meetings
and social events.
He related that at community picnics and such, one of the entertaining sports
was trotting horse and buggy racing. He enjoyed entering these events, with
his buggy horse "Bitty", and was able to win against all challengers.
It was at one of these picnics that provided the setting where he was to meet
his future bride
RUBY LALIER CAWTHON, as she was there in Oklahoma visiting her Uncle Jeff and
Aunt Levy Cawthon, who had moved there from Tennessee a few years before. Upon
returning to her home in Huron, Tennessee, they communicated by mail frequently
and shortly thereafter Charles made a trip to Tennessee whereupon he met her
parents and asked for her hand in marriage. To his delight, she accepted and
he returned to Oklahoma and made arrangements for some temporary housing and
then returned to Tennessee and they were married there on June 22, 1916.
The first year of their married life in Oklahoma was time spent acquiring a permanent
home to move into, and going to work in the Oil Field as a drillers helper.
But both of them had their hearts set on farming, as it was in their blood,.
With enough money saved, and an opportunity to rent the farm where they were
living, they
started the spring with big plans and high hopes, financing was secured and their
first crop was off and going, But the War in France was worsening and the U.S.
was being drawn in. As the word went out for all young men to come in and register.
Learning that he would be called before the crop would be ready to harvest, Charles
had little choice but to sell all of his equipment and crop in the field and
enlisted so that he could leave with all the men from his neighborhood.
***********************************
Charles enlisted Sept. 22, 1917 at Eufaula, Ok.
Shipped by train to Camp Travis in San Antonio, Texas
Assigned to Supply Company, 343rd Field Artillery, 90th Division
Serial # 2234968
Special Ordinance Training in Rock Island Arsenal in Rock Island, Illinois
Promoted to Rank of Corporal, May 20, 1918
Rejoined his unit in San Antonio, Texas and shipped out for France from Hoboken,
N.J.on June 28, 1918
Served in France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany
After the War he arrived back in New York Harbor and was Honorable Discharged
the next day, June 25, 1919 with back pay of $179.81
************************************
The next years were a time of readjustment. To return to farming meant finding
the right place with living quarters, purchasing new equipment with limited financing
that was available.
With high hopes for the future now that the War was behind them, they believed
that faith, dedication and hard work would see them through.
By the end of 1923 there was three more mouths to feed. James, Clifton and Billy,
meaning added responsibility
The price of farm products began to fall to go along with the increased infestation
of the dreaded Cotton Boll Weevil, and bad weather at harvest time had reduced
everything to a "break-even" proposition at best.
It was in the spring of 1924 that bad weather had required replanting twice and
the bank where he was financing notified him of their decision to close their
doors.
It was at this time that Charles and Lalier (pronounced "Lala") made
the hard decision to relocate in Arizona, where the weather was more dependable
and irrigated farming made for increased yields with no Boll Weevils according
to Charles' brother Frank who had already moved there a few months before.
*********************************************
A NEW BEGINNING IN A NEW STATE
As remembered by son William GA. (Bill) Brandon)
With borrowed money from Mom's Uncle Jeff, a train ticket was bought and they
were on their way to Arizona, arriving there in Rittenhouse (now Queen Creek,
Arizona.) on April 12, 1924 with 65 cents in their pockets As luck would have
it, Dad went to work the same afternoon as a night watchman for the big diesel
engines that were being used for pumping irrigation water.
It was bare existence for a while without household furniture (straw for beds,
wooden boxes for chairs) in a house where daylight was coming through the cracks
in the wall.
With Uncle Frank and Aunt Iva's help they went together and bought a milk cow,
started a garden and Dad and Mom put in extra hours chopping cotton. They saved
enough money to buy a used Model T. Ford car that was nothing more than the bare
running gears, with no top. Found some used lumber and made a box bed behind
the seat. This was their only means of transportation to town some 14 miles away
over dirt and dusty roads.
The next 2 years Dad took a job as steady helper to G. R. Duncan who was breaking
some new land out of native brush just North and East of the new School House.
Dad's job was
driving and caring for the mule teams used in this operation.
Dad's background knowledge in caring and handling mules caught the eye of the
owner of the mules and a trust and life-long friendship was started, which was
the key to the opening of new doors of opportunity to getting started in the
farming business on his own.
From farm laborer, to farm manager, to operating on the shares, to part owner
and eventually full ownership of that particular farm.
On November 29, 1927, Frances was born and with a good crop harvested that year,
Mr. Duncan decided to build us a new house that fall. We were all excited about
this, especially Mom even though water was only plumbed to the kitchen, Electricity
and inside bathrooms was to come several years later.
Mom delighted in keeping a neat and clean house and caring for the needs of her
family mainly because she was a home loving person who never learned to drive
and was perfectly content in her role as homemaker. It was she who planted the
seeds of faith in us children,stressing the virtues of love, honesty, truthfulness,
sharing and respect for our elders
We all had chores and responsibilities and as loving as she always was, she did
not forsake
pulling off a Cottonwood switch and applying it when she thought we needed it.
After we had time to think back over the situation we would be called in and
humored with a big hug and kiss and everything was forgiven .
Dad felt it was just as important to learn to work, as was learning to read and
write.
Soon after school was out in the summer we were assigned certain fields that
needed weeding before any idle recreation was thought about. It seemed rather
"tough going" at times; but Dad set the example when we were young
by going to the fields with us, and rewarded us with compliments when the job
was over, and a trip to town on Saturday afternoon when he went in to get the
next weeks bill of groceries.
In the spring of 1935, Dad had made arrangements to purchase half of the farm
there where we lived. Selling all the mules except two, he bought a new tractor
and four-row cultivator as tractor farming was beginning to take the place of
horse and mule powered farming.
Our oldest brother James was 15 at the time and was excited to be able to learn
how to drive the tractor and handle some of the necessary jobs around the farm.
On October 12, 1935, James while preparing to start the tractor by cranking (no
self starters back then) The tractor, being left in gear, started on the first
pull of the crank, pinning him against the wall on the enclosed building resulting
in sudden death.
Needless to say this was a tragic loss to all the family, especially to Dad and
Mom who was inclined to blame themselves for it all, but faith and love helped
us all come closer together.
Farming was becoming more profitable as the country was slowly recovering from
the nation-wide depression 1929, so in 1940 Dad bought the other half of the
farm and began realizing his dream of being completely on his own. The enterprises
on the farm then were enlarged to include Dairy Cows,, Registered Hampshire Hogs,
later the dairy herd was sold and we went to California and bought a small herd
of about 35 head of Purebred Angus Cattle which eliminated the morning and night
chore of hand milking (what a relief) .
World War II broke out in December of 1941, resulting in a severe labor shortage
as many were going into the service or going to the West Coast to work in the
shipyards at higher pay; creating a great problem finding enough help to pick
the cotton. Toward the end of the War this problem was solved by contracting
with the Federal Government to use German Prisoners of War. We paid the Government
regular per pound wages and the Government paid the prisoners 80 cents per day.
In 1942 Dad was approached to buy a 280 Acre farm adjoining the town of Queen
Creek With us boys out of school, Dad felt it was worth the venture to enlarge
and give us boys an opportunity to learn more of the management part of farming.
So the contract was made and
we began farming under the name of Brandon Farms.
Dad became more active in community affairs and played a great part in helping
organizing the Queen Creek Soil Conservation District, a Government sponsored
organization that helped farmers level land and construct concrete ditches for
better and more efficient irrigation.
After World War II the country began to convert back from military production
to civilian needs, household appliances to automobiles to new and better farm
equipment.
We placed an order for a new International Harvest or Cotton Picking machine
in 1945 and when the factory went into production we had the privilege of buying
in 1947 the first production model to come into the State of Arizona.
The same year Dad and Mom was able to move into their new modern brick home that
Mom had wished for so long.
In the early 1950's, we children had married and were starting our own families
whereupon Dad helped arrange financing that enabled us children to go into the
farming business on our own.
Dad was always enterprising and innovative as far as coming up with new ideas
and ways to improve machinery and methods for a better job of farming. His common
sense advice was often sought out by his many friends and neighbors.
Positions that he held at various time were President of the Queen Creek Farm
Bureau, where he was instrumental in getting the County to pave and improve many
of the roads in the area. Board member of the Queen Creek Irrigation and Electrical
District which was one of the first districts to Petition the Federal Government
for the construction of what was later to became known as the Central Arizona
Project. And served for 15 years on the Queen Creek School District Board of
Trustees.
Dad retired from active farming in 1960, leasing out his farm and devoting more
of his spare time to some of his hobbys of fishing, wood work, machining his
own metal parts and constructing his miniature steam engine.
Mom continued her duties as homemaker, most of the time unassisted until arthritis
became so crippling that in later years she was confined to a wheel chair. In
October 1976 she suffered a severe stroke that necessitated putting her in a
Care Center where she passed away the following July at age 83.
Dad found life rather lonesome, living alone in a big house with so many memories,
decided to sell the home and move into town closer to Frances and Bill and their
families.
Ultimately finding a Retirement Care Center with kitchen facilities which allowed
him to do as much for himself as he felt. and have the convenience of close adjoining
neighbors to visit .
His mind remained sharp and alert as he kept abreast of current events by television
and reading his newspaper every day until near the end. He was confined to his
bed for about 6 weeks before his passing.
He died November 24, 1988, at 96 years old in the home of his daughter Frances
Pickett in Chandler, Arizona.
Completing a life that literally spanned from the "Horse and Buggy"
days into the "Space Age".
**************************************
**************************************
He was married to RUBY LALIER CAWTHON (daughter of WILLIAM
LOUIS CAWTHON and RECIE MALINDA PHILLIPS) on 22 Jun 1916 in
HURON, TENNESSEE. RUBY LALIER CAWTHON was born on 14
Dec 1893 in HURON, TENNESSEE. She died on 9 Jul 1977 in MESA, ARIZONA. CHARLES
MARCELLUS BRANDON and RUBY LALIER CAWTHON had the following children:
55 i.
JAMES EARNEST BRANDON was born on 2 Jul 1920 in FAME, McINTOSH CO., OKLAHOMA.
He died on 12 Oct 1935 in QUEEN CREEK , ARIZONA,. James Earnest Brandon, eldest
child of Charles M. and Ruby Lalier Cawthon Brandon was killed in a tractor accident
on the farm in Queen Creek, Arizona on Oct. 12, 1935
+56 ii.
CHAS. CLIFTON BRANDON.
+57 iii.
WILLIAM GIBSON BRANDON.
+58 iv.
FRANCES BRANDON.
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