Scott County Arkansas Biographies

From a special section of the Waldron News newspaper of 23 April 1981, consisting of interviews of Scott County citizens 80 Years of age and over. The interviews were done as part of a celebration of the Bank of Waldron's 80th anniversary.

LOIS K. RYE

Lois K. Rye was born March 28, 1901 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Oklahoma Territory. She and her husband, Mitchell C. Rye, who is deceased, first moved to Waldron in February of 1934 and left in 1938, moving back in 1950. Before retiring in 1950 she worked as Engineering (Civil Service ratings) and Cartograptic Draftsman. When she and her husband first came to Waldron they bought a farm on the Lamb Road. Later, they moved north of Waldron because they liked the location better. They remodeled the house and were the first people north of Waldron to have electricity. At this time the highway paving stopped at Mansfield and you could go on to Hot Springs all the way on dirt roads and the cattle had the right-of-way, oftentime when driving at night, cattle and hogs were in the center of the road. The Soil Conservation Service was just coming into Waldron to help improve farm life. The Government was buying up all of the cattle at $15.00 a head. Very few families owned pure bred stock around here and few even took good care of their cattle. They were trying to eradicate the ticks (every community and many individual families had a place to dip the cattle). Mr. and Mrs. Rye fell in love with the beauty of this country - drives in the spring to see gorgeous displays of dogwood and redbud, then in the fall the glorious color of the foliage. The forests and pine trees all made them want to stay here. In 1937 Mr. Rye was called back to his job in Oklahoma City, so they moved back to Waldron in 1950. At this time they completely remodeled their house inside and outside, built barns, greenhouse and planted gardens, both vegetables and floral. In 1951 they established the D & R Molding Co., a wholesale business selling house mouldings to western Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma. Due to Mr. Rye's health they had to sell the business and relocate in Waldron where they purchased their present home in the fall of 1975. Mrs. Rye says: "I have enjoyed life here in Arkansas, have so many dear friends here. I'm still active with house and yard, love to plant flowers and enjoy my life day by day. I love being 80 years old, every year has always seemed very special to me, although I can't get around as much as I used to, for age seems to slow me up, yet I can truthfully say that life is wonderful and I hope I can enjoy everyday that is given to me."