Biography of Tillie Bateson

1911 - 1993

TILLIE MAE (HAGAR) BATESON

Tillie Mae (Hagar) Bateson, the daughter of John Thomas and  Sabrina M. (Hornbuckle) Hagar, was born September 5, 1911 in Pocahontas, Ark. in Randolph County. She was raised with a sister and two brothers plus several half and step siblings. She moved to Oklahoma at the age of three with her family, after the death of her mother, (Sabrina Hornbuckle) and settled in and around Payne County. She lived mostly in the Perkins, Oklahoma area.

In the year (approximately) 1926 or 1927, Tillie Hagar and George Bateson met at Tyron(Lincoln County) Oklahoma. At the carnival in Tyron, Tillie rode a Ferris wheel, that George was running. For some unknown reason the ride stopped with Tillie on top. George climbed up to the top and rescued her. Tillie Hagar and George Ussary Bateson were married December 20, 1927 in Perkins and to this union nine children were born. They were

Anna Bell (deceased),  John, Pauline (deceased),  Wanita (died at the age of seven years),  Leon, Bonnie,  Janell, Gary and Richard (deceased).

Tillie could relate stories of the depression, World War I and World War II. While her husband, George served in the United States Army, Tillie raised five children and raised gardens to provide food for her family while her husband was gone to war.

At the time of George's death, Tillie still had four children at home and in school. He died April 23, 1960, at the age of 50-years. Cancer caused his death. After her husband's death Tillie and her children would clean houses, motels, dorm rooms at the OSU College or offices in order to pass the time. She not only taught her children how to work, but she also taught them respect for others by not being afraid to apply the switch or other forms of discipline. She also taught them about God.

Tillie did not complain about her life, even without the modern bathroom like we have today. The TV provided some of their entertainment. No westerns were allowed except Gunsmoke. The Lawrence Welk show was a favorite as well as the Gospel Singing Jubilee.

Tillie was a member of the Assembly of God Church and in later years she became a member of the Pentecostal Church of God. She was always willing to help with the church fundraisers and other activities. She was a member of the Pioneer Quilting Club and Extension Homemakers for many years. Her hobbies included making quilts, cloth dolls (they were made of black material with yarn for hair and used dress scraps for the clothes and put matching ribbons in the girl doll's hair. She would also make little black boys and would dress them in overalls. (The dolls were made as pairs.), and all types of crafts. She did embroidery and handquilted quilts for each of her children and pieced each of her grandchildren a quilt from feed sacks. In those days cattle feed would come in printed patterns sacks. She also made her daughter's (and her own) dresses from those feed sacks.

Tillie's mother-in-law, Molly Ann Bateson, was like a mother to her. Molly taught Tillie how to make quilts. Tillie said when they finished a quilt they would put it on the bed and took a nap on it. They did their quilting by hand as they didn't have quilting machines to use. In Tillie's younger years she raised a large garden and fruit trees. She canned fruits and vegetables in one-half gallon jars, made jelly, apple butter and watermelon preserves. She also raised chickens and turkeys and would preserve them by canning or later she would put them in the freezer. She also made lye soap from hog lard. The soap was used to do the laundry with. She would build a fire with wood to heat water in a large black cast iron pot out in the yard. The water would get in the pot by carrying the water from a well to the iron pot. After the water became the right temperature, the water was then carried, by buckets, and put into the wringer washer and also the two tubs that were used to rinse the clothes. Tillie often warned her children to stay from the iron pot as she was afraid they would get burned. Also, she warned them about getting caught in the wringer that would squeeze water from the clothing after they were lifted from the washer. The clothes would go through the wringers into the tubs for rinsing. Tillie did not have her washer inside her house she had what they called a wash house over a cellar. In one end of the building there was an opening in the floor just big enough to have a sand pile. Her children would play in the sand pile while she did the washing. The washing was an all day ordeal. After the clothes were washed and rinsed-they had to be hung on the clothesline to dry (winter and summer). Tuesday's were considered ironing days and that was another all day ordeal. After the clothes were dried they had to be taken into the house, folded or ironed and put away all in the same day. Tillie's favorite color was lavender and her favorite flower was a rose.

She had a way with flowers or trees. She could stick almost anything in the dirt and it would grow. Tillie always helped others even though she had her own children to look after, she was never too busy to help someone that had a need. Good deeds were Tillie's trademark.

Tillie passed away October 16, 1993, with congestive heart failure, at the age of 82 years. Tillie and George Bateson are buried at the Perkins Cemetery in Perkins, Oklahoma. Payne County.

Tillie had 18 grandchildren and14 great grandchildren at the time of her death.

Special thanks to Bonnie B. & D.F. Pattison for helping with this page.