1980 article about Zora and Cora Daniels Whisenhunt fromTX to OK

The Healdton Herald
Healdton, Carter Co., Oklahoma
The Old Timer of the Week articles written by HELEN HEDGEPATH for the newspaper.

January 31, 1980
Whisenhunts Real Oldtimers
Our old timer column this week took us to the home of two of Healdton’s finest citizens. They were both born in Texas but came to his area as small children. This week we honor ZORA and CORA WHISENHUNT as our Old Timers of the Week.

ZORA WHISENHUNT was born February 23, 1895 in Montague County, Texas. His parents were F. A. “BOB” and AMANDA SAWYER WHISENUNT who moved to Velma, I. T. soon after the turn of the century. He first started to school in the small community of Arthur, northwest of Velma. The town has a post office, school and a general store owned by JIM WILKERSON. SPENCER KINCANNON was one of the teachers. Zora was the oldest of eight children. He has a brother and a sister still living, J. C. WHISEHUNT of Oklahoma City and Mrs. WINNIE WADE of Dallas.

He grew up on a farm and married CORA ELLEN DANIELS, a neighbor girl that he known most of his life. They married Dec. 23, 1917 by Bro. F. F. CAVEL, a Baptist minister. He left for service in WWI not long after they married. She stayed with his parents at Loco. He was first stationed at Camp Greenleaf, Georgia, attached to a base hospital. He was discharged in June 1919.

Cora said most of the time he was gone, she helped in the homes of neighbors and friends during the terrible flu epidemic of 1918. CORA DANIELS was born August 27, 1900 in Bastrop County. Texas. Her parents moved to Velma when she was a child. Her first school was at Velma and later at both Arthur and Center Grove. She has two sisters and one brother still living, Mrs. W. I. (NELL) SANNER of Duncan, Mrs. FELIX (GENEVA) WATSON of Springdale, Arkansas, and CARL DANIELS of Ardmore.

After Zora’s discharge, they lived on land three miles south of Loco, owned by Mr. MILLER. He recalled taking cotton to the gin in Loco and in Ringling. In 1921 he started his oil field career. He went to work for the old Prairie Oil & Gas Co. in the Santa Fe field. The company built a house on the WARDEN lease and the WHISENHUNTS lived there 17 years. In 1938 they were transferred to Healdton. By this time the company was Sinclair Oil & Gas Co. They bought a house at 305 Phillips, the house where TROY HOLDER owns now. In 1940 they were transferred to Bonita, Texas where they lived for six yeas. In 1946 they were transferred back to this area. They told of living in the teachers’ dormitory at Dundee for a short time until they found a house. They purchased a house from AUGUST MEDLEY near where the FRED CLOUGHS now live. The Fred Cloughs were their neighbors at Wirt.

In 1949 they bought the property, where they live now, from Mr. WHITLAND. They have a house, a duplex, and a garage apartment and told of renting their house to Dr. RYAN when he first moved here. Another doctor, Dr. BIDIKER, also rented from them, also CLARENCE and JUANITA GOSNEY.

The Whisenhunts moved into town in 1951. His parents were living with them at the time, both in poor health. His father passed away not long after they moved to town. Zora retired in 1960 after almost 40 years with Sinclair Oil Co.

They have no children of their own. All their married life, they had someone living with them. His grandfather, A.A. SAWYER, and his parents and her parents, all lived with them in their later years. She laughed as she told of Grandpa Sawyer coming to stay with them a few days and stayed 11 years, passing away at age of 90. She recalled the late HARRY MCCLENDON visiting Grandpa Sawyer as he sat in the swing in the yard. It wasn’t until Zora retired in 1960 that it was just the two of them alone.

They have both been active in the Masonic and Eastern Star lodges. They have their 50 year pins. Cora first attended the Primitive Baptist Church and he attended the Methodist Church with his parents. They rode in a buggy to church. They first joined the Methodist Church at Loco soon after they married. When they lived at Santa Fe, they attended the Santa Fe Union Church, nondenominational, that had two Baptist services a month, one Methodist and one Church of Christ services each month.

They did some traveling after his retirement to Arizona and California.