Presented by Charlotte "Raborn" Brown

This is a story written by my mother and given to my Uncle Ralph Tanner (her youngest brother) to type and make corrections in order that there would be a record of their family history. Uncle Ralph started the project but was never able to complete the task. After the death of my mother he returned to me her notes a long with a few typed pages he had completed. Mothers work was written as she remembered the events happening. I am sure she did her best to be accurate. I have in my search of the Tanner family history found some of her dates and places to be in error, but since this is her story I choose to type what she wrote. I will put my mark (cb) and note the correction. Charlotte

As taken from the notes of
Lois "Tanner" Raborn

A HISTORY OF THE FAMILY OF THOMAS ODIN TANNER AND MAYME LEE MCCONNELL TANNER-

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DATA SUPPLIED BY LOIS TANNER RABORN- MARCH 2000

Thomas Odin Tanner was the son of Thomas P. Tanner who came from Oldham County Kentucky.

(cb)I found Thomas P. Tanner to be from Davies County Kentucky

Thomas Odin Tanner lived in the Zion community of Prairie County Arkansas most of his life. He was born in Zion on July 5,1891 He was the youngest son of Thomas Phillip and Martina Houston Tanner.

Thomas Odin Tanner

Mayme Lee McConnell was born at Antioch, White County Arkansas to parents George Harland McConnell and Hattie O’ Donald McConnell on June 4, 1895.

She moved with her parents to Ward Arkansas. In 1900 her mother died from blood poisoning incurred from an infected black berry prick. Mayme was five years old at the time. She had two sisters younger than she was-- Pebble Jane, age 3, and Georgia Helen, age 9 months -- at the time of their mother’s death. She had an older sister, Lelia Mae who was about 14 years at the time and three brothers, Melvin Earnest, Wilburn Knox, and Fred McConnell. After her mother’s death, Georgia Helen was taken by an Aunt (her mother’s sister) Mrs. Pinnell to live with her family at DeWitt, Arkansas. The two older brothers Earnest and Wilburn (called Burns) worked out. They boarded with whomever and where ever they could find work, mostly as farm hands. Lelia Mae kept house for her father and looked after the younger children, for about two years. Lelia Mae then married Marzie Bizzell of Cabot, Arkansas.

After Lelia Mae married, her father George Harland McConnell, along with Mayme, Pebble, and Fred moved to Willard, Missouri to live with his brother John and his wife Mattie McConnell.

About 1908, the Pinells in DeWitt Arkansas advised that they wanted to adopt Georgia, the child in their care. George Harland did not want to give her up for adoption, so he moved back to Carlisle, Arkansas, rented a farm and Mayme, Pebble, Georgia, Fred and he lived together as a family. The farm they rented was known as “ The Rowley Place” and it was located seven miles Southeast of Carlisle. AR.

	The McConnell Sisters Pebble Love, Mayme Tanner, and Georgie Morris
George Harland McConnell

Thomas Odin Tanner was also an orphan, his mother died when he was three years old. Jessie Mae, his sister kept house for their father. Thomas Phillip was a farmer and a Justice of the peace for Prairie County until he died in 1903.

(cb) I could not find Thomas Phillip Tanner listed in Prairie County as ever being a Justice of the peace although mom always claimed that he had been also Thomas Phillips tombstone says Jan. 23, 1899 not 1903.

Thomas Odin was nine years old when his father died. Jessie Mae Tanner married George Derrick and they took Tom and his two brothers, Leslie Hlomes, and Charles Floyd to live with them. After Tom became old enough to work he lived with the people he worked for, Gus Holt in 1908, George Raborn 1910, and Sid Snow in 1912. He worked as a farm hand.

	Tom and the Gus Holt Family Tom was invited to be part of the picture He is the boy that has been circled
Tom's sisterJessie and her husband E.K. Chamberlain

After living in the same neighborhood and attending the same church, Tom and Mayme began dating.

On this particular Sunday morning, May 5, 1912, Tom borrowed a horse and buggy from his “boss” and took Mayme to church at Zion Methodist Church. When they drove up to the church in the buggy some young folks, friends of theirs became suspicious. They thought they might be planning on getting married since they headed east from the church when they left. Their friends were right Tom had borrowed the buggy and horse from Mr. Sid Snow, who was his boss. They were headed for Fairmont, Arkansas where Dr. Kitley lived. He was the Justice of the Peace; he was also the Dr that had brought Tom into the world. He lived about 15 miles Southeast of Zion Church.

One of their friends, Ingram Smith, waited until they had gotten a ways down the road and then got on a horse and begins to follow them at a distance. Tom and Mayme had gone down the road (Which is now Highway 86) They came to a huge mud hole. At about this time they saw Dr. Kitley approaching them from the other direction. He had a message to come and deliver a baby. He said he didn’t know when he would be finished, so he suggested that they stand up in their buggy and he stood up in his buggy and read the marriage vows to them. Ingram Smith rode up on his horse in time to be their witness. Instead of being in a church, they were married standing in a buggy in a mud hole, and their best man was on a horse.

	Where Tom and Mayme went to church Zion Methodist Church
Tom and Mayme

In 1912 Tom and Mayme’s first home was a two room unpainted house on the McKeuin place in Zion community. While living there Mayme acquired a little white kitten of which she was very fond. Tom was working most of the day and the kitten was company for her. The nearest neighbors were Sherman and Sadie Berry family and the Broadus family each family lived a half mile away in opposite directions.

The kitten had a habit of running in the door of the house each time it was open. Once when Tom was going to get a bucket of water, he opens the door the cat ran inside. Tom kicked at the cat but he missed it and kicked the door facing and broke his toe. He was unable to wear his shoe for a week.

In the late fall of 1912 they moved across the Two Prairie Bayou, West to the community of Dyers Ridge. Tom was to work on that farm for the next year for Mr. Snow. Their neighbors in that area were the Cecil Smith’s and the John Bensons. The Smiths were not natives of that community they had moved there recently from Searcy Arkansas but the Benson’s were long time residents. Grand ma Benson delivered George Leslie Tanner on April 30 1913 .He was born to Tom and Mayme. He was named George for Tom’s sister Jessie’s husband George Derrick and also Mayme’s father George H. McConnell. His middle name Leslie was for Tom’s brother Leslie H. Tanner.

Tom and Mayme’s next move was in 1914. They moved east across Two-Prairie Bayou to a place called the “Vernon Place” (it was a small house, probably three rooms.). It was located on what then was known as ‘the Prairie Road ’ (now know as highway 86) This was the edge of the “Grand Prairie”, you could look for miles and see nothing but hay meadows. Tom worked that year making hay for Mr. Snow. On Sunday January 3, 1915 they moved again. This time it was west across Two Prairie Bayou to Mr. Snow’s place, about one and a half miles south of Carlisle. The move was a distance of about 15 miles. It was a beautiful day, but of course the roads were just dirt roads and since the fall and winter rains they were rutted and rough. All their possessions were loaded on a wagon and it took about eight hours to make the trip. They left around 7:00 A.M. and arrived around 3:00 P.M.

The next day January 4 1915 at about 2:00 A, M, their first daughter Mayme Lois decided to make her appearance. A blizzard had blown in from the north and it was colder than blue blazes. Dr. Tabscott was sent for and she was born. She was named Mayme after her mother.

Mayme Lois and George Leslie Tanner Oldest children of Thomas Odin and Mayme "McConnell" Tanner

In July of 1915 Tom and Mayme and family moved again to the prairie area. This time to a Two-story house on the Youngblood Place, where he worked for Tom Scott who was rice farming.

Their next move came in 1916. They moved to England Arkansas in late November of that year. It was rainy that season and Mayme had acquired some laying hens. The ground was black gumbo. Mayme’s hens would get out in the gumbo mud and it would stick to their feet until the hens could not move. Mayme would have to put on boots go out in the rain and mud pick up the hens clean their feet an shut them up in the hen house until the sun would come out and dry up the ground.

The house was built up high off the ground. Some one had bored a hole in the corner of each room so when the floors were scrubbed the water would have a place to drain. One of the games that was played by Leslie was to drop something through a drain hole then ask permission to go get it.

Tom and Mayme along with Leslie and Lois visited with their neighbors The Abney’s one Sunday afternoon. The Abney’s had two teenage girls. The girls decided to make some molasses taffy, so they sat Lois on a table where she could watch it cook. They showed her how to pull the taffy, and let her eat a piece. What an experience!

January 23, 1917 while living at England Thomas Wilburn was born. Thomas was named for his dad and one of Mayme’s brother, Wilburn Knox “Burns”.

1918 finds them back in Carlisle living on the “Ashley Place.” The Ashley Place was located south of Carlisle on Zion Road (it is now known as Raborn Road)

Tom had went into farming for himself and acquired some cows, chickens, hogs and two teams of mules Nuke and Rhody was the name of one team Kate and Jack the name of the other,

Tom with one of his cow

They had a 3-room house and were milking cows for the local creamery (Terry). Along with about 80acres of cotton and some corn. They had a gasoline engine to pump water for the stock and even had a telephone. Also May 22 of 1919 they had their fourth child, third son Charles Raymond Tanner. He was delivered by Dr. Elliott and named Charles after Tom’s brother.

	Lois, Tommy, and Leslie Tanner Photo taken on the Ashley Place south of Carlisle, Arkansas
Tom and Mayme with the new baby Charles Raymond Photo was taken by Tom's sister Jessie

Tom’s sister Jessie lived in Little Rock, since her husband “George Derrick” had died. She worked first at S. H. Kresse (a five and dime) and later at Gus Blass Co. Jessie had some friends to bring her to Carlisle in a car to see Tom, Mayme and the new baby. It was the first car Tom had ever ridden in and the first one Mayme had ever seen.

During World War 1 Mayme’s Brother Fred McConnell was drafted .The community had an ice cream party for him before he left.

In 1920 Tom decided to have a public sale and move to Little Rock. They sold almost everything and Mr. Alex Raborn took the family to Carlisle, where they bought tickets on the “Rock Island Railroad” to North Little Rock. Tom’s brother Leslie met them and took them to his house to live. (1801 N. Main St.)

The house was a large white two-story house, 10 rooms and a bathroom. It had a large front porch across the front and a two story latticed back porch. Both the front and back yard were large.

(cb)This seems to be quite a large house, but a note added in the margins of the notes states that seven people were already living there and Tom’s family numbered six at that time. I can see where one would need reservations to just use the bathroom.

The streetcar ran down Main Street in front of the house.

Tom’s family lived there until about the first of May.

(cb)I can’t find a note stating the month they came to live there but I bet both families were happy to say goodbye.

Tom had found a job with “Martin “ dairy and the Tom Tanners moved to Douglasville. Douglasville was Southwest of Little Rock, but now has become a part of the city of Little Rock.

The same year that Tom went to work for “Martin” dairy Mr. Martin bought “Midland Farm” from a Mr. Thomas and wanted Tom to manage “Midland Farm”. So the Tanners moved again, this time to a beautiful 2 story white house with a screened in porches front and back and beautiful antique furnishings.

Mr. Martin started cutting and selling some black walnut trees that Mr. Thomas had planted. Mr. Thomas could not stand to see the trees cut. So Mr. Thomas bought the place back from Mr. Martin (at $1,000 more than Mr. Martin had given)

This meant Tom and Mayme and their family had to move again. This time it was to Alexander, Arkansas Tom found work with “Dill Tractor Co. in Little Rock, but he was able to ride the train (Missouri Pacific) to Little Rock and back each day.

1921 Tom found a place in Little Rock on 1819 Shiller Ave. It was a three room shot gun house, owned by Mr. Henry Adams. The Adams lived next door; they had two daughters Mildred and Lena.

Leslie and Lois went to Centennial School.

It was while the Tanners were living here Howard Dale was born. April 22, 1921, Howard Dale Tanner was named for Howard Thomas, son of the owner of Midland Farm.

Tom decide to put in a service station in 1922.There was a location place of a station at 2025 East 3rd North Little Rock. This street is now known as Broadway or Highway 70. The owner of the location built a house next door to the station for the Tanner family.

It was a 4 room square house, with a front and back porch across the house and a room about 8ft.square was built on the back porch for a some day bathroom.

Tom ran the Service Station, the only one for a mile each way. Mayme cooked lunch for the Jitney bus drivers (6 of them) who would eat lunch while Tom serviced their bus. Leslie and Lois attended Riverside School.

It was while living here that Tom and Mayme became parents of their second daughter and sixth child. Carolyn Rose was born June 18, 1923.

2nd daughter of Tom and Mayme Tanner

E. R. Russell Oil Co. serviced the Service Station and it went out of business so Tom had to look for work again.

Tom rented about 12 acres of ground behind the Buckey Cotton oil mill; the McClean Hardwood Mill. An Acid plant and a fertilizer plant. There was a 3-room shotgun house and a barn on the place. (500 N. Buckeye)

Tom went to work for the Arkansas Water Co. He also bought some cows (six) and milked the cows, sold the milk, which he delivered on his way to work each morning.

In 1924 Tom decided to sell the cows and buy a house. The house had five rooms, a big front porch, a back porch that was screened in and stretched all the way across the back of the house, running water, an indoor water toilet but it did not have gas. The cost of the house was $975.00. The payments were $15.00 per month. There was a lot and a half, a barn and grapevines that came with the house. Tom was still working with the Water Co. Tom felt that it was a good offer so their new address became 923 West 25th North Little Rock

	Lois the older sister with Carolyn and Howard
Lois hides her face while Raymond,Tommy,Howard,and Carolyn get their picture made

The first year they lived there (1924) the school children had to attend Clendenin School. It was located on 13th and Main, which was about a mile away. In 1925 McRae School was open. It had been built on West 18th. This cut the walk to school to one half mile.

On December 5th, 1925 Tom and Mayme lost their youngest child Carolyn Rose. She passed from dropsy of the heart. It was an after math of Scarlet Fever. Carolyn was only two.

	Carolyn was buired at Zion close to Tom's Parents
This small stone marks her grave

It was a sad time for her family; the family had been quarantined due to the Scarlet Fever. The school children had not been allowed to return home and were staying with neighbors and other family. A close neighbor (Mrs. Smith) spent the night before the funeral making Carolyn's dress in which she was buried. The funeral was at Zion cemetery about 30 miles from Little Rock .She was buried close to Tom’s parents. Mayme’s brother in his car took the body. Mayme was not able to go because she was sick and still under quarantine.

Tom then traded his equity in his home to Georgia and Rube Morris (Georgia was Mayme’s sister) for 10 cows. It was in the winter months so really all he got was a big feed bill. They then moved out on Remount road for 2 months, then on out on the Conway Pike.

December 16, 1926 (a year and 11 days since the death of Carolyn) they were blessed with the birth of another Daughter Jessie Martina. Jessie was named after Tom’s sister and his mother.

It was 1928 before they moved again. He was finally able to sell the cows to a Dr. Roath, but he never paid Tom for them. They moved into North Little Rock the address this time was 1501 West 18th December 28, 1928 brought David Walter Tanner. Tom and Mayme‘s fifth son and eighth child. Tom was still working for the Water Co. but they had moved to 716 Jones Street in Little Rock. The year of 1930 Tom left the Water Co. Moved to 2325 Maryland Ave. and went to work for Arkansas Natural Gas Co. In February of 1932 Tom and Mayme along with all of their family moved back to Carlisle. They moved back to the same community that they had left some twelve years before. They lived six miles South of Carlisle on Zion Road. Tom didn’t give up his job with the Natural Gas Co. He would stay with his sister Jessie in Little Rock and come to Carlisle on the weekends.

(cb)In today's world it is not uncommon for one to work in Little Rock and live in Carlisle it is only about a 30 to 45 minute drive. I know Tom thought he was doing the best he could for his family. With the help of the boys he was able to raise a garden, and some corn and cotton. Mr. Ray (an neighbor) furnished Tom the land, a team and tools he needed to farm. Tom also help lay out the water lines for the town of Carlisle. December 1932 Tom’s last son Ralph was born making Tom and Mayme six boys’ .The next year 1933 their oldest daughter Lois got married. She married Leon Raborn. Leon had lived in Carlisle all of his life and that’s where he and Lois lived the rest of theirs.

	Tom,Mayme and their family about 1932 Taken while living in Zion comunity close to Carlisle, Arkansas
Lois Tanner,daugther of Thomas Odin and Mayme "McConnell" Tanner Married George Leon Raborn November 4,1933

Tom’s sister Jessie got married for the second time in 1935. Jessie married E. K. Chamberlain; he owned a farm in Marionville, Mo .Tom and Mayme left Carlisle along with their children except Lois who had gotten married. And moved to Marionville to work on Mr. Chamberlain’s farm. As usual things just didn’t work for Tom and Mayme the way they had hoped for in 1936 they moved back to Little Rock. That same year April 11, 1936 Tom and Mayme’s last child Esther Kathryn was born. Kathryn was number 10. With the exception of Carolyn Rose all would live to have families of their own making Tom and Mayme Grand parents 32 times,

	Kathryn Tanner Tom's and Mayme's youngest child
From right to left Lois's oldest son- Melvin- Tommy's stepdaughter -Deloris- Lesley's daughter and oldest son -Betty and Gordan- With their Aunt Kathryn and Uncle Ralph

When Tom and Mayme moved back to Little Rock Tom was able to go back to work for the Natural Gas Co, They moved three more times. 1937 found them living at 2809 south Oak in Little Rock, Tom had gone to Texas to work at construction. He was working for Grady Garms Construction Co.

	Tom and Mayme
From right to left Kathryn her nephew Melvin and brother Ralph

In 1943 Tom and Mayme left Little Rock, this time they went west (but not too far) They moved to Benton Arkansas. Tom had his filling station and grocery store Mayme had her cafe and two tourist cabins. They lived in the back part of the station, cafe, and grocery. The store was located across the highway from the State Hospital. This must of had been the set up they had been looking for because they stayed there and worked for the next twenty years. In the summer they had to haul water from a spring about a mile away in order to have enough for the cafe their well always went dry. The pluming worked for running water if there was any water but the restroom had a outside path to it. The tourist cabins became home to anyone down on their luck and didn’t have money. Tom and Mayme worked hard but there was never enough money, or time and always too much work.

	The store was on the Old Malvern Highway Across from the Arkansas State Hospital
as the inside looked in 1943

Mayme’s health wasn’t good and her legs and feet were playing out from all the standing and cooking she did. Tom was having his problems too. His blood pressure was not what it should be and he was short of breath at times. Then Tom broke a leg, how the accident happens or why Tom himself didn’t know. If he tripped, If he lost his balance, or maybe he just blacked out. Their children had seen it as a sgin that it was time for a change, It was time for Tom and Mayme to take things a little easier. And sell the store.

Tom (with casse on his foot)and Mayme take a break to visit with their son Ralph and Grand Daughter Cathey

1962 Jessie and her husband Edward Morris had them a house built in Carlisle for them to spend their retirement. Lois and Leon lived close where they could help out if they needed to make a trip to Little Rock to the Dr. or just need something from the store. The rest of their children and Grand children lived close enough that they would visit from time to time. They enjoyed their retirement in Carlisle; they had lots of good neighbors and friends such as The Archers next door. The Pfeiffer's, Mrs. Carrie Morris, Mrs. Fred Koch, and Mrs. Anne Andrews. In 1969 Tom having trouble with his heart and emphysema was taken to the Stuttgart Hospital where he passed away. He was put to rest in the Old Carlisle Cemetery.

Mayme’s health wasn’t good, the next year after Tom had died we was told she needed a pacemaker. This was a new concept to her family. It would be hard for the family to except that Mayme would be able to continue living on her own, if she had to have something to make her heart beat as it should.

It was plain that with out a pacemaker she would not be with us much longer. So Mayme got her pacemaker. She lived to be ninety-six years old.

(cb)She enjoyed her last years by reading. Her son Tommy had seen that she always had a new book to read as soon as she finished the one she was reading. Her oldest son Leslie made sure she had money enough to buy the little things she thought she would like to have. She liked to crochet and she never lacks thread. She was good at playing Scrabble. She knew how to spell and the meanings of words, you would always loose anytime you challenge her word. She liked to play Canasta. a lots of times when her sisters Georgia, and Pebble visited they would spend time playing Canasta. and just talking. Lois being close kept a check on her mother’s needs and kept the rest informed as to how she was doing and who she was visiting and when she would return.

She was never forgotten and she never forgot Tom. He was a part of her life, her partner in marriage for fifty-seven years.

Tom and Mayme's children and grandchildren taken at their 50 wedding anniversary celebration

I stop ever now and then at the cemetery where they are buried. As I stand looking down on the spot where they are side by side, I think of all the times Mayme must of wanted to say, “Tom lets just stay here I don’t want to move again” but she didn't. She just packed their things and moved with him. The thought crosses my mind that some day I might not be able to find them laying here in this spot. If Tom got the itch to move I just know Mayme would pack up and go too.

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