Volume 8 , Issue 34

Pioneer - Joseph Tyler Fash

Joseph "Joe" Tyler Fash was determined to stake his claim and retain control of it. Joe dug his heels deep into the flanks of his horse at the sound of the starting gun on 16 September 1893. Joe made the run into "Old Oklahoma" in 1889 and had staked a claim next to the one selected by his father in the Kingfisher area, but some "sooner" beat him in filing so Joe went back to Barber County, Kansas and waited until the opening of the Cherokee Strip.

Joseph Tyler Fash was born 4 February 1866 at Clarence, Iowa, the fifth child of James Kentner and Rebecca (Miller) Fash. James K. Fash was from Peoria, Illinois. He married Rebecca Jane Miller who was from Ohio. She died 28 October 1922 in Alva. James K. Fash was a farmer and like most farmers of his day kept looking for that spot to settle. When Joe was two years old his parents moved to Missouri and later to Barber County.

After having his claim jumped, Joe Fash went back to Eldred and on 7 May 1890 married Joanna Frances MacGregor. Joanna MacGregor was born 15 February 1871 in Washington County, Kansas, the first of twelve children of John and Lucy Ellen (Riley) MacGregor. Her father, John Jr., was from Edinburg, Scotland and came to the USA with his parents about 1856 settling in Kentucky. At the age of 16 John Jr. enlisted in Co. "D" 19th Indiana Volunteer Infantry as a drummer boy and served until the end of the war. Lucy Ellen Riley was from Kentucky. She was married to John MacGregor at Dowingsville, Grant County, KY. They later moved to Kansas.

After their marriage Anna continued to teach school as she had done since the age of 16, and Joe continued to cowboy until the opening of the Cherokee Strip. Joe got his claim this time, about four miles south of what is now Capron, Oklahoma. Their first house was a sod house of the dugout type, with half above and half below the surface of the ground.

Water was one of the biggest problems of those that did not settle on a creek or where there was a good spring. Water was also the cause of some very frightening hours to the Fash family. Anna and her four-year-old daughter, Helen, were visiting the farm of John Strothers near Sharon, Kansas when Helen pushed the boards away from the well and fell in. Anna slid down the well rope, burning the flesh off her hands, and held Helen up until she could be pulled out with a bed sheet wrapped around her. Anna was too heavy for the lady to pull out so she stayed in the well until the men came in from work in the evening.

Joe was a good carpenter and a good cabinet maker, and supplemented his farm income by building houses. He built his own house which was moved to Alva upon his death and this house still stands. He also helped build the Methodist Church in Capron. Joe operated a hardware store in Capron and Anna taught school at Centerview and worked part time in the postoffice. During the drought of the 1930's, it was Anna's egg money that kept the family in needed supplies. It seemed she could always find some eggs to take to town or some money she had hidden from the sale of eggs. All of the Fash children attended the Capron Methodist Sunday School and church where their mother was a Sunday School teacher for over 50 years.

Joe and Anna lived on the farm until 1949. When infirmities of old age began to catch up with them they moved to Alva. Joe and Anna had that companionable love that made them want to take care of each other. It was this love that kept her going the last few years of her life. She was in the hospital a week just before her final illness, and when her granddaughter took her home, Anna told her that she had spent all day exercising her legs so she could walk into the house and take care of Joe. She died 19 February 1958 at Alva. She is buried in the Capron cemetery. After losing his helpmate who had been with him for over sixty-five years, Joe lost his will to live and died 12 March 1958. Joe was laid to rest in Capron cemetery beside his beloved wife.

Joe and Anna had four children, three of whom were born on the farm south of Capron. Their first child, Alice Rebecca was born at Eldred, Kansas and died there the same year, 17 July 1891.

Charles Kentner "Kent" married Naomi Noble, the daughter of Fred and Nellie Noble. Kent, as he was known, graduated from Northwestern Normal and worked in the First National Bank. The last 14 years of his life he was the County Tax Assessor for Woods County. He died in Alva on 27 July 1964. Kent and Naomi's two daughters: Leona Maxine who married Byron Roberts and Justine Nellora who married (first) Robert Clifton Bright and (second) Ralph Stevens. Both were born in Alva, Oklahoma.

Lucy Helen married Charles Franklin Cameron the son of William J. and Carrie (Nelson) Cameron. Helen taught schools in Oklahoma and Wyoming after graduating from Northwestern Normal. She died at Stillwater, Oklahoma on 23 October 1950 and is buried at Capron. Helen and Charles had two daughters, Dorothy Jean who married Milton Leon Levy, and Joanna Lee who married William Philip Pipkin. They were both born in Capron.

Esther Louise was born 30 January 1910 in Capron. She married John Bruce Walters, the son of Ernest Finley and Gerturde (Bruce) Walters. Louise attended Northwestern Normal. She retired in 1974 from teaching and resides in Texas City, TX. Louise and Bruce have two daughters, Barbara Lou who married (Reverend) Houston Hodges and Janet Jo who married Yves Emile Jacobs, both of whom were born in Capron.

[This pioneer information about Joseph T. Fash was taken from the Pioneer Footprints Across Woods County history book, pages 211-213, written by Col. & Mrs. W. P. Pipkin in the 1970's.]
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