Ola Mae
When Ola Mae Taylor was born on June 1, 1898 near Horatio in Sevier Co. Arkansas, her father, James, was 28 and her mother, Adeline, was 18. Her father was a teamster in lumber, and she had an older brother, Clarence. Also in the home was her maternal grandfather, Judson or Jordan Pierce and her uncle George Pierce.
The next year, both her grandfather and uncle died.
By 1910 they lived on the Horatio to DeQueen road and she had 3 younger sister and a younger brother. Her dad and older brother both work at the fruit farm near Horatio.
On July 28, 1916, at the age of 18, she married James Henry “Jim” Flournoy and they had three children together. Minnie Belle was born in July 1917. On June 5, 1918, with the second baby on the way, Jim was required to register with the draft board for WWI. This must have been a stressful time for them. Edgar W was born Sept. 17, 1918 and Loree was born Dec. 17, 1919.
Jim died Dec. 28, 1922 at age 26. This left Ola Mae with three children, all 5 years and younger.
She then married Marion J Flournoy on April 3, 1924. Marion J was an uncle to Jim Flournoy. Marion and Ola Mae had three children together between 1926 and 1928. They were Edlene Marion, Marion Jutson, and Pauline Louvan.
They lived between the Mt Ida and Lone Oak communities.
In 1933 Roosevelt (FDR) was inaugurated as President. Americans were still trying to recover from The Great Depression. The country was suffering with 25 % unemployment and the agriculture workers were suffering from droughts. These severe droughts led to the dust bowl.
To help with these problems the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) and the Words Progress Administration (WPA) were formed to give work to eligible unemployed individuals. In 1935, students between the ages of 16 and 24 could apply for work with the National Youth Administration (NYA) as a part of the WPA.
Minnie Bell and Loree both worked for National Youth Association as a school nurse. They were paid $10 for a full week. During 1939 Minnie Bell worked 20 weeks and received $200 and Loree worked 40 weeks and received $400. ..
In 1942 Edgar married Imogene Burke.
In Jan 1943 Edlene married Wiley Lovell, and in September 1943 Loree married Doyce Manasco.
In 1945 Minnie Bell married Bennie Bowens. He was 32 and she was 28.
In Nov. 1950 Pauline married Andy McDonnell in Little River County.
In Feb. 1958 Jutson married Jean Wilson.
Marion died on Nov. 10, 1958 at age 79, and Ola Mae died on August 11, 1962, in Little Rock Arkansas at the age of 64. They lived most of their life in the Mt Ida community and are buried at Mt Ida Cemetery in Sevier Co. AR.
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