PIATT-L Archives

Archiver > PIATT > 2002-04 > 1020197299


From: "Anita Acosta" <>
Subject: [PIATT] cont...Greenwood Co. history book, Frank PIATT
Date: Tue, 30 Apr 2002 13:08:19 -0700


Frank Bryden Piatt married Dora Evalene "Lena" Ott in Hamilton in 1898. They
had three children: Robert Bryden, 1898-1966: Phil Delbert, 1901-1932: and
Mary Frances, 1904-1928.
Frank and Lena lived on the home place. A new house was built nearby for
Olive (this is the base of Harmon's present home.) The farm was quite large
by that time, and took a lot of people to keep it going. Many people still
tell me they worked for the Piatts. Girls would stay there to attend school
and work for their keep. Boys stayed in the bunkhouse, worked, and walked
across the pasture to the high school.
Frank was a large man and always "chewed" a cigar. Lena was also a large
woman. She attended the academy at Baker University and she gave music
lessons. She was a fantastic cook, and everyone loved her. She was always
there when you needed her. Many stories came from this life. As Granddad
learned to drive his first car, doors had to be put on both ends of the
garage. The boys opened them both up and Granddad would keep driving through
until it "whoaed!" I'am not sure he ever really learned to drive because I
remember he thought the whole road was his!
Once when Grandmother was having a "society" meeting, Daddy and his brother
decided it was time to teach sister to swim, even though she was only one
year old, had the measles, and it was February. Another time, Daddy came to
the house alone. Inquiring about Phil's whereabouts, the others were
informed that he was gone. He was stuck in the "quicksand" at the creek.
Daddy had tried and failed to get him out, so he had convinced Phil that was
it and had left.
What must have been a busy, "fun" life turned into tragedy. In 1928, Mary
Frances, who was everyone's darling, was an opera singer in Chicago. She
contracted pneumonia and died within a week. In 1929, Phil, who had married
Ruth Milliken of Eureka, had stopped in at the doctor's office, on a trip to
Emporia. It was decided he had appendicitis, He died on the operating table.
This was more than Grandmother could take, and she passed away in 1933.
As if this wasn't enough, the Depression hit and Grandad lost large amounts
of money on cattle. He married Helen Griblin in 1935. He had diabetes and
was very ill. He continued to struggle, but finally lost everything. They
moved to Hamilton, and he worked for the State Banking Commission as a
livestock appraiser during his last years. He passed away in 1944.
Helen continued to live in Hamilton until she moved to the Madison nursing
home and died in 1985, at the age of 102. She had been a graduate nurse.
submitted by Drusill Esslinger

typed by anita





This thread: