Reeves, Henry Oscar

Summary

Father: John Jarrett Reeves
Mother: Rebecca Jane Cole

Birth: 29 January 1883
Birth Source: Reeves Family Bible, Headstone

Death: 15 October 1966, Lancaster Co., South Carolina
Death Source: Headstone, Obituary

Spouse1: Mary Gertrude Crimminger, m. 1 Sep 1901, White Bluff Baptist Church, Lancaster Co., South Carolina

Narrative

Children of Henry Oscar Reeves and Mary Gertrude Crimminger:

1. William Oscar Reeves, b. 25 Sep 1902
2. Lewis Stevens Reeves, b. 2 Jan 1904
3. Annie Bell Reeves, b. 13 Jun 1905
4. Hazel Allen Reeves, b. 9 July 1907
5. Gladys Irene Reeves, b. 10 Jun 1909
6. Ernest Fletcher Reeves, b. 16 Dec 1911
7. Connie Mae Reeves, b. 25 May 1914
8. Stanley Boyd Reeves, b. 4 Nov 1916
9. Clayton Crimminger Reeves, b. 17 May 1919
10. Woodrow Wilson Reeves, b. 25 Feb 1922
11. John Earle Reeves, b. 10 May 1927
12. Ola Beatrice Reeves, m. Melvin Eulease Threatt

The Lancaster Ledger, 4 Sep 1901
Married, at White Bluff, on Sunday, Sept. 1st, 1901, by J. N. Estridge, N. P., Mr. Oscar Reeves and Miss Mary Criminger, daughter of Mr. W. L. Criminger.

Oscar, as he was called, trained fox-hounds and bird-dogs when he was young. The game caught was sometimes his dinner. Oscar never learned to read. Overall, he had about a 3rd grade education. This did not cripple him though. He memorized long passages of scripture and would some times recite them in church.

He and his wife Mary owned a small farm. Once on this farm there were two roosters: a the red rooster and the white rooster. The white rooster was a bully and always got to be with the chickens because the red one could never beat the white rooster. So once, when Mary was away, Oscar poured molasses all over the white rooster and put ashes from the fire on him. When the roosters met, the red one fought and won against this new “grey” rooster, not recognizing him as the old white one.

Every night, Mary would read from the scriptures since Oscar couldn’t. Thus, he was able to remember and quote it at length. Oscar is said to have been a very strong man. The story is told that a man once bet him he could carry a cotton bale. They went down to the loading dock, and there Oscar carried one of the bales. Once, he got annoyed with his horse, hit at it, and missed, pealing his hand open. He paid no mind to it, continuing to work with the horse. Oscar loved to play catcher in baseball. Although his hands would swell after every game, he played without a glove. Later in life, Oscar worked at a box factory, cutting wood for the boxes. And although he could remember things read to him, he remained illiterate his entire life.

Sources

Birth:        Reeves Family Bible (see James Brady Reeves, Jr.)
                   Headstone, Flint Ridge Baptist Church Cemetery, Lancaster Co., South Carolina
Marriage1:  The Lancaster Ledger, 4 Sep 1901
Death:        Obituary of H. O. Reeves, The Lancaster News, 18 October 1966
                   Headstone, Flint Ridge Baptist Church Cemetery, Lancaster Co., South Carolina