Betty Jean knew her Mama had happy times when she was a little girl. Mama told Betty Jean that she visited her older sister, Floy, or played with the cousins up and down the valley. Losing her mama was sooo sad, but going to school and church and playing up and down the valley with so many cousins was lots of fun; and sometimes, she even forgot, for just a little while, how much she missed her mama, Margaret Houston Casey. Betty Jean had seen the pictures of her grandmother with her hair so long she could sit on it.

FINALLY! "Ohh, Sis!" Aunt was watching for them and saw them coming.

Betty Jean thought her Aunt looked so tired. But, that didn't stop Aunt! She ran and threw her arms around Betty Jean's mother. There were times that Betty Jean wondered what it would be like to have a

First, let me tell you that Betty Jean lived near the Verdigris River in a house built before Oklahoma became a state.

Think about it…. no electricity. no running water, no TV, no electric iron, no toaster, no microwave, no hair dryer, no indoor bathroom….. Get the idea?

Why their mailbox was even 2 miles away, on the highway. Betty Jean lived two miles farther than the U S Post Office could deliver mail!

When the rains came, as they always did, she was even more isolated. The school bus could not cross the low water bridge. Sometimes weeks went by and the only person Betty Jean saw was her mama or her dad or her brother.

She was sometimes very lonely; especially as her mama was so quiet.

This summer mama seemed especially quiet.

Betty Jean had moped for days 'cause it looked as though there would be no trip.

Take most of the day to get there in the old truck, but that did not matter. Just cause she was eight years old did not mean she did not understand. She understood all right. They did not get to go every year. Surely, Dad and Mama would decide they could pay for the gas for the old red truck.

The dust billowed as Betty Jean danced in the dusty road in front of the house. Mama said, "Get your clothes packed. We’ll be leaving for Arkansas in less than a week."

Betty Jean knew to get a couple of changes of clothes for herself, just as Dad, Mama, and brother would do. Oldest brother would stay at home and look after "the place". You could not just up and leave the livestock; someone had to stay behind. The old wooden wagon seat was put in the bed of the truck up against the back of the cab. Middle brother would ride back there as usual.

The morning finally arrived. Betty Jean had been so excited she tossed and turned all night.

Before daylight, Dad and Mama loaded the truck. They even tied a package to the outside of the cab, as there was not enough room inside the cab for one more thingl The old red truck groaned and creaked for might near seven hours.

Betty Jean was so tired of being jostled on those roads. Dad called them "washboard roads".

"Only have to ford one more creek and go up the mountain and we will be there" said Dad. Aunt and Uncle lived on the "flat" of the mountain. (The top of the mountain) Betty Jean wondered if the "town kids" knew things like that.

She saw a few scattered cabins. Occasionally she would glimpse kids and grown-ups peeking around the edge of broken windowpanes and from behind the trees and corners of the buildings. By the time they arrived, neighbors knew strangers were on the mountain.

Mother was quiet… never did talk much. Sister sort of raised her after their mama died. Mama stayed with her older sister lots of times after their mama died. Frankie was such a lonely little girl after mama died...being the youngest and all. Mama told Betty Jean about her mama’s beautiful long hair and how pretty mama was; but she got sick and was in bed for a long, long time. Her papa even took mama to the Mayo Clinic but they could not help Margaret.

Betty Jean knew her Mama had happy times when she was a little girl. Mama told Betty Jean that she visited her older sister, Floy, or played with the cousins up and down the valley. Losing her mama was sooo sad, but going to school and church and playing up and down the valley with so many cousins was lots of fun; and sometimes, she even forgot, for just a little while, how much she missed her mama, Margaret Houston Casey. Betty Jean had seen the pictures of her grandmother with her hair so long she could sit on it.

FINALLY! "Ohh, Sis!" Aunt was watching for them and saw them coming.

Betty Jean thought her Aunt looked so tired. But, that didn't stop Aunt! She ran and threw her arms around Betty Jean's mother. There were times that Betty Jean wondered what it would be like to have a s

She was sometimes very lonely; especially as her mama was so quiet.

This summer mama seemed especially quiet.

Betty Jean had moped for days 'cause it looked as though there would be no trip.

Take most of the day to get there in the old truck, but that did not matter. Just cause she was eight years old did not mean she did not understand. She understood all right. They did not get to go every year. Surely, Dad and Mama would decide they could pay for the gas for the old red truck.

The dust billowed as Betty Jean danced in the dusty road in front of the house. Mama said, "Get your clothes packed. We’ll be leaving for Arkansas in less than a week."

Betty Jean knew to get a couple of changes of clothes for herself, just as Dad, Mama, and brother would do. Oldest brother would stay at home and look after "the place". You could not just up and leave the livestock; someone had to stay behind. The old wooden wagon seat was put in the bed of the truck up against the back of the cab. Middle brother would ride back there as usual.

The morning finally arrived. Betty Jean had been so excited she tossed and turned all night.

Before daylight, Dad and Mama loaded the truck. They even tied a package to the outside of the cab, as there was not enough room inside the cab for one more thingl The old red truck groaned and creaked for might near seven hours.

Betty Jean was so tired of being jostled on those roads. Dad called them "washboard roads".

"Only have to ford one more creek and go up the mountain and we will be there" said Dad. Aunt and Uncle lived on the "flat" of the mountain. (The top of the mountain) Betty Jean wondered if the "town kids" knew things like that.

She saw a few scattered cabins. Occasionally she would glimpse kids and grown-ups peeking around the edge of broken windowpanes and from behind the trees and corners of the buildings. By the time they arrived, neighbors knew strangers were on the mountain.

Mother was quiet… never did talk much. Sister sort of raised her after their mama died. Mama stayed with her older sister lots of times after their mama died. Frankie was such a lonely little girl after mama died...being the youngest and all. Mama told Betty Jean about her mama’s beautiful long hair and how pretty mama was; but she got sick and was in bed for a long, long time. Her papa even took mama to the Mayo Clinic but they could not help Margaret.

Betty Jean knew her Mama had happy times when she was a little girl. Mama told Betty Jean that she visited her older sister, Floy, or played with the cousins up and down the valley. Losing her mama was sooo sad, but going to school and church and playing up and down the valley with so many cousins was lots of fun; and sometimes, she even forgot, for just a little while, how much she missed her mama, Margaret Houston Casey. Betty Jean had seen the pictures of her grandmother with her hair so long she could sit on it.

FINALLY! "Ohh, Sis!" Aunt was watching for them and saw them coming.

Betty Jean thought her Aunt looked so tired. But, that didn't stop Aunt! She ran and threw her arms around Betty Jean's mother. There were times that Betty Jean wondered what it would be like to have a

The morning finally arrived. Betty Jean had been so excited she tossed and turned all night.

Before daylight, Dad and Mama loaded the truck. They even tied a package to the outside of the cab, as there was not enough room inside the cab for one more thingl The old red truck groaned and creaked for might near seven hours.

Betty Jean was so tired of being jostled on those roads. Dad called them "washboard roads".

"Only have to ford one more creek and go up the mountain and we will be there" said Dad. Aunt and Uncle lived on the "flat" of the mountain. (The top of the mountain) Betty Jean wondered if the "town kids" knew things like that.

She saw a few scattered cabins. Occasionally she would glimpse kids and grown-ups peeking around the edge of broken windowpanes and from behind the trees and corners of the buildings. By the time they arrived, neighbors knew strangers were on the mountain.

Mother was quiet… never did talk much. Sister sort of raised her after their mama died. Mama stayed with her older sister lots of times after their mama died. Frankie was such a lonely little girl after mama died...being the youngest and all. Mama told Betty Jean about her mama’s beautiful long hair and how pretty mama was; but she got sick and was in bed for a long, long time. Her papa even took mama to the Mayo Clinic but they could not help Margaret.

Betty Jean knew her Mama had happy times when she was a little girl. Mama told Betty Jean that she visited her older sister, Floy, or played with the cousins up and down the valley. Losing her mama was sooo sad, but going to school and church and playing up and down the valley with so many cousins was lots of fun; and sometimes, she even forgot, for just a little while, how much she missed her mama, Margaret Houston Casey. Betty Jean had seen the pictures of her grandmother with her hair so long she could sit on it.

FINALLY! "Ohh, Sis!" Aunt was watching for them and saw them coming.

Betty Jean thought her Aunt looked so tired. But, that didn't stop Aunt! She ran and threw her arms around Betty Jean's mother. There were times that Betty Jean wondered what it would be like to have a

She saw a few scattered cabins. Occasionally she would glimpse kids and grown-ups peeking around the edge of broken windowpanes and from behind the trees and corners of the buildings. By the time they arrived, neighbors knew strangers were on the mountain.

Mother was quiet… never did talk much. Sister sort of raised her after their mama died. Mama stayed with her older sister lots of times after their mama died. Frankie was such a lonely little girl after mama died...being the youngest and all. Mama told Betty Jean about her mama’s beautiful long hair and how pretty mama was; but she got sick and was in bed for a long, long time. Her papa even took mama to the Mayo Clinic but they could not help Margaret.

Betty Jean knew her Mama had happy times when she was a little girl. Mama told Betty Jean that she visited her older sister, Floy, or played with the cousins up and down the valley. Losing her mama was sooo sad, but going to school and church and playing up and down the valley with so many cousins was lots of fun; and sometimes, she even forgot, for just a little while, how much she missed her mama, Margaret Houston Casey. Betty Jean had seen the pictures of her grandmother with her hair so long she could sit on it.

FINALLY! "Ohh, Sis!" Aunt was watching for them and saw them coming.

Betty Jean thought her Aunt looked so tired. But, that didn't stop Aunt! She ran and threw her arms around Betty Jean's mother. There were times that Betty Jean wondered what it would be like to have a

Betty Jean knew her Mama had happy times when she was a little girl. Mama told Betty Jean that she visited her older sister, Floy, or played with the cousins up and down the valley. Losing her mama was sooo sad, but going to school and church and playing up and down the valley with so many cousins was lots of fun; and sometimes, she even forgot, for just a little while, how much she missed her mama, Margaret Houston Casey. Betty Jean had seen the pictures of her grandmother with her hair so long she could sit on it.

FINALLY! "Ohh, Sis!" Aunt was watching for them and saw them coming.

Betty Jean thought her Aunt looked so tired. But, that didn't stop Aunt! She ran and threw her arms around Betty Jean's mother. There were times that Betty Jean wondered what it would be like to have a sister. The two women held on to each other for a few minutes, not saying a word. Were those tears coming down mama's face....

Betty Jean’s Mama told Sister, "I have brought something for you."

Betty Jean could not imagine what it would be. There was not money to buy anything they did not HAVE to have.... And, her Mama had brought a "present!"

Mother turned and walked proudly back to the old red truck and untied the package from the outside of the cab. What was going on?

It looked like a jug! Mother had wrapped newspaper around a glass jar before putting it into several brown grocery sacks. There was string wrapped around and around the paper wrapped jug.

They all went inside the log cabin. Mother was smiling so sweetly as she cut the string from the outside of the package, Mama said the jug held fresh milk. and knew her sister could use it. She also knew the paper would keep it nice and cool on that long trip. It still felt cool! She unwrapped the jug, and unscrewed the lid to find fresh.......churned butter! The back roads of Newton County, Arkansas had churned mother’s fresh milk to fresh country butter!

Betty Jean would remember the dismay on mama’s face as long as she lived.

WAIT! Aunt and Uncle vowed as how one thing they could use more'n fresh milk was fresh churned butter!

Betty Jean was so happy they had decided to come. She had already forgotten about how tired she felt when she arrived. Everyone should be as lucky as Betty Jean to get to ride in a cramped old red truck and ride over "wash board roads” to visit an "Arkansas Aunt and Uncle".

The morning arrived. They were to leave the mountain. Betty Jean wondered about her Mother…she had been different all during their visit. Before she was quiet. But, when she came to Ark, Mama was different. Mama and her sister talked all day. and Betty Jean suspicioned all night!

All of a sudden, Betty Jean knew! She knew without being told. Mother was home. Maybe that is why they didn't come real often. The coming was wonderful; it was the leaving that was almost more than Mother could manage to do.

Yes, Frankie Casey Brown moved away to Oklahoma. Arkansas held such memories and with no phone and little outside communication, she felt cut off from her family. Poor mama, would she ever be contented?

Betty Jean pondered these things. Mama was happy, but something was missing; now Betty Jean thought she understood. Maybe mama would get better. Betty Jean hoped so. She thought about that summer occasionally, but she never mentioned it to mama. She wondered if mama ever quit missing her beautiful birth place.

Only mama knew the answer. Mama never mentioned it, and neither did Betty Jean.

After Betty Jean’s Dad retired; mama and dad would go to Arkansas. Mama would phone Betty Jean and say we’ll be home in a few days.

Suddenly, Betty Jean realized…mama called Oklahoma “home”.

Mama had found contentment…Mama knew she loved that tall Indian she had married so many years ago. Mama had come home to Oklahoma!

Some called them Frankie and Arthur; some called them Toots and Jum. They both called me Betty Jean.