Volume 10 , Issue 24

Albert "Hap" Pearson Obit - 10/7/1907-06/2/2008

Albert Brant "Hap" Pearson, a long time Woods County, Oklahoma resident was born October 7, 1907, in Neodesha, Kansas, to Albert Francis and Elzina (Van Huss) Pearson. Hap passed away June 2, 2008, at Share Medical Center, at the age of 100 years, 7 months and 26 days.

Hap grew up in Waldron, Kansas, where he completed the fourth grade. He came to Oklahoma in 1919 at the age of twelve. He found employment working for ranchers, farmers, and construction in the Waynoka area. While working for Jess Barker, a farmer, he was given the nickname of "Happy" by Mr. Barker because he was always singing and had a happy personality.

In 1924 while working for Mr. Barker, Happy met his future wife, Florence Haltom. After two years of dating, they were married on September 7, 1926. During the early years of the Pearson's marriage, Happy worked in farming, railroad construction, gas stations, and the W. P. A. It was during his W. P. A. days where he began his carpentry work. The major W. P. A. project that he worked on was the Alva Swimming Pool, which is still in use. In 1941, the Pearsons moved to Alva. Happy worked as a civilian doing construction at Camp Gruber near Muskogee, the Prisoner of War Camp at Alva, the Clinton-Sherman Airbase at Burns Flat and fifteen months on the Island of Attu of the Aleutian Islands. It was after the move to Alva that Happy became Hap by his friends and co-workers.

After Hap's return to Alva near the end of the war, he worked as a carpenter and he and Florence ran the Mitton (or... was it Minton?) Creamery and Ice Cream Store for five years. After the Mitton Family sold their business, Hap began working for Rose Brothers Construction who were building Percival Fieldhouse on the Northwestern State College Campus. Hap's main duty was the hanging of the many large mahogany doors in the building.

After the fieldhouse was completed, Northwestern President, Sabin Percival, hired Hap for three months to build two projects. After they were completed, other projects were found for Hap to do. In 1954, new president, Dr. Brown, hired Hap as Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds. In 1956, Dr. J. W. Martin, became the President of Northwestern, which was the beginning of new buildings and renovations of existing buildings and the construction of the football and baseball fields. Hap retired from Northwestern July 1, 1974.

Hap developed a love for sports as a youngster and as a young man, he played baseball on the town teams of Greensburg, Hopeton, Dacoma, Waynoka, Alva, plus Waldron and Pratt, Kansas. In his later years, Hap loved to tube fish for bass and hunt quail. He was an avid fan and supporter of Alva and Northwestern athletics. When he had time he also enjoyed crossword puzzles, rodeos, western novels, music, dominoes, pitch, and dancing with Florence.
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