Lyman Elbert Mason (1884-1953)

Birth
Lyman was known as "Dutch" Mason and was the son of Alexander & Clarissa (Roberts) Mason with whom he is listed in the 1900 King twp, Oregon Co. MO census. His date of birth is noted on his headstone.

Marriage and Children
Lyman married Maude Elizabeth Miller in Alton, Missouri. Their marriage is recorded in Oregon Co. Missouri (book 25, page 244). Their children are listed in Lyman's obituary & Maude's estate settlement except for Willie who died in infancy; Claude who died of a brain tumor in 1942; Henry who died during World War II; and Billy who died in 1946 of diphtheria. Claude, Henry & Billy are buried in Chelsea Cemetery, Rogers Co. Oklahoma near their parents.

. Willie Elmer Mason was born on Feb 22, 1904. He died in Sep 1904 at 7 months. . Claude Wilbert Mason (born on Apr 6, 1905). . Grace Mae Mason (born on Sep 6, 1906). . Verdie Belle Mason (born on Nov 8, 1908). . Elbert Bill Mason (born on Mar 19, 1910). . Clarissa Hester Mason (born on Dec 11, 1912). . Dora Fern Mason (born on Aug 11, 1915). . Gladys Pauline Mason (born on Jan 6, 1918). . Paul Britt Mason (born on Jul 14, 1919). . Luella Mason (born on May 1, 1921). . Corine Mason (born on Sep 21, 1922). . Joseph Henry Mason was born on Jun 6, 1925. He died on Nov 12, 1944 in Great Britian. . Harry Alden (Dude) Mason (born on Mar 9, 1928). . Billy Don Mason was born on Jul 6, 1930. He died on Jan 21, 1946.

Family Stories
From "The Mason Family" by Dora Fern Mason Mumford, 1988:

"In 1913, Lyman and his younger brother, Noah, spent several months preparing for their move to Oklahoma to join their brother and sister and their families. Lyman and Maude had five small children from the ages of eight years to seven months.  Noah and his wife, Nova Riley Mason, had no children.  They traveled by covered wagon.  Mother's brother, Jim Miller and his family were going along with their wagon. The trip was long and hard.  It took seventeen and one-half days to reach their destination.

Many problems were encountered along the way. One was the crossing of a swollen river. Uncle Jim's wagon broke down, with him on one side of the river and his wife on the other. They were forced to turn back. They were not as well prepared for this trip as my father and his brother were. For instance, Dad and Uncle Noah each had mules pulling their wagons and Uncle Jim had horses. The horses were slower than the mules and that caused problems. I cannot imagine the hardships that they endured during that trip with five young children, six adults and three wagons.

After their arrival in Oklahoma, Noah and Nova Mason settled in Alluwe in Nowata County. Lyman and Maude went to Whitehill in Rogers County. They temporarily set up housekeeping in a tent. One night a storm came up and my parents had to stand on the tent to hold it down.

Dad went to work for his brother, Walter, in the oil field. He worked the noon to midnight shift. This lasted for more than a year. The two oldest children, Claude and Mae, started to school in Whitehill. They were in the same grade and continued that way through their high school years. Our family moved to Chelsea in 1914 or 1915. My father purchased a grocery store there and operated it for four or five years. He realized that he needed more than that to support his family.

The grocery store was sold and Lyman purchased cable-tool drilling rigs and went into the business of drilling oil wells. When he moved the drilling rig to a new location, he also moved the family as close to the rig as possible. Commuting was not heard of in those days. We lived in many different locations over the years, but mostly it was within a fifty mile radius. This was very hard on the school age children.

Lyman and Maude had seven boys and seven girls. Their first-born, Willie Elmer died at seven months old, in Missouri. The children in order of birth were; Willie Elmer, Claude, Grace Mae, Verdie, Elbert, Clarissa Hester, Dora Fern, Gladys Pauline, Paul Britt, Luella, Corine, Joseph Henry, Harry Alden and Billy Don.

The Great Depression of the Thirties hit Oklahoma and Dad and Mother were struggling to provide for their large family. Dad sold his drilling rigs and moved his family to McPherson County, Kansas, where an oil boom was going on. We settled in an area called the Voshell Field and Dad went to work for Sinclair Oil Company at the salary of $175.00 per month. That was considered very good wages for that time (1931). It was here that we younger children lived through our formative years.

Farming was in the bloodstream of Lyman and he retired to a small farm near Chelsea, in Rogers County, Oklahoma. They were living there during the years of 1942-1944 when they lost three sons. Claude died in Odessa, Texas of meningitis. Henry was killed during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II and Billy Don died of diphtheria while in his teens. This was very hard on my parents. Also, Dad lost his older brother, Walter, in 1942.

After the Boys died, my parents sold their farm and moved to town. They both died in 1953, Dad on February 23rd and Mother on the nineteenth of December. They missed their fiftieth weeding anniversary by only four months. Survivors included ten children and thirty grandchildren. There are many more grandchildren now. The family has scattered over several states."

Comments by Harry A. Mason in 1998:

He said that his father took good care of the family and that they never went without. In the depression, his father would drill oil wells for double or nothing because he knew if it was a dry well they would not be able to pay anyway.

Death and Burial
Lyman died Feb 23, 1953 and is buried in Chelsea Cemetery, Chelsea, Oklahoma.