HASKELL W. WALLING, JR.

The following bio was taken from page 428 of the book entitled "Rusk County History" compiled and edited and used with permission of the Rusk County Historical Commission.

Transcribed by Claudia Schuster

Submitted by Gloria Briley Mayfield, Rusk County TX Coordinator

The family of Haskell W. Walling, Jr. first actually lived in Rusk County when they moved to Turnertown in 1967. However, prior to that time they had lived very close by for about twenty years at Sun Oil Camp, which is very close to Wright City. All their children attended Gaston School in Joinerville, Texas, which meant that a big part of their lives took place in Rusk County.

Daughter, Barbara Jeanette (born July, 1943) recalls: "It seems I can almost remember the day in 1947 when my parents moved to Sun Oil Camp. My father (born January, 1923) was raised in Howe, Texas and began working in the oil fields after I was born. My mother, Margaret Aline (Phillips), was born in August, 1922 and raised in Celina, Texas. Peggy Jeanelle, my sister, was born in July, 1948, and Randall Wayne, my brother, was born in August, 1955."

"During that time, people who worked for the oil companies lived in camps close to where the supplies and trucks were kept. Sun Oil even furnished our gas, electricity, and water. My family never owned an oil well, bit I went to sleep every night to the sound of an oil well pump creaking up and down, up and down."

"Some of my happiest days were spent at Gaston School. The school had been built around the East Texas oil boom time, and during my years there the enrollment declined along with the people who left as the fields went down. There were twenty-five in my graduating class—but we thought that was just fine."

"After I graduated from Kilgore Junior College, where I had been drum major of the KJC band, I married Larry J. Ward from Ore City, Texas, who was born in Houston, April, 1943. Larry had lived in Henderson for a while during elementary school years before his parents, Lloyd and Virginia Ward, moved to Ore City. Even though we did not know each other, we can both remember some happy days at Forest Park in Henderson where one could swim, picnic, ride the train, play miniature golf, and watch fireworks across the lake on the Fourth of July."

"Larry and I now live in Dallas and own a True Value hardware store in Garland. Our boys, K. Scott (April, 1964) and John W. (December, 1965), both work in the store with us part-time."

The Walling children were all very active at Gaston School. Peggy was a twirler and also later attended Kilgore College. She is now married to Larry Brewer, and they live with their son, Joe (December, 1971), in Garland, Texas.

Randy was an Eagle Scout. Along with his scout master dad, he and a lot of other boys in the area went on campouts and did community projects. Randy is now a chiropractor in Arlington and is married to Sandy (Stevenson) from Gainesville.

All through the years, Aline and Haskell supported their children and Gaston School. They now live in Longview, but they will always remember happy days and friends in Rusk County.

Submitted by Barbara Walling Ward