Scott County Arkansas Biographies

Scott County Advertiser
4 November 1992
Senior Citizens News - October Birthdays
RUTH E. (BLALOCK) COOPER

Ruth E. (Blalock) Cooper was born near Blackfork in Scott County to Houston J. Blalock and Littie Mae Shults Blaclock on October 12, 1912. My grandfather John Blalock and my father worked in timber. Grandfather ran sawmills all over Scott County and Southwest Oklahoma. When I was six years old my father died with the Spanish flu in 1918. I had one sister and one brother. Mother was young and knew no trade to work at so she put her insurance money in grandpa's business and she worked taking care of the commissary and grandpa and grandma raised us. We moved around a lot wherever the timber was. When I was seven years old we moved to Clayton, Oklahoma and I started school there. I also went to a one room school called Nine Pine out from Clayton. We moved to Hodgens, Oklahoma when I was 12 years old. There we lived and I went to school through the 10th grade. We had to ride a bus 4 miles into Heavener for the other 2 grades. My grandfather lost his business in Hodgens when the banks all failed in the late 20's. Mother and we children moved into Heavener where she started sewing for people. My Sis and I had to work too, baby sitting and keeping house for 10 cents per hour. It was at this time I had to sell a lot of my quilt tops I had made since I was 9 years old for only $3.00 a piece. This really hurt me as I never replaced all of them. My mother also quilted by the piece for $5.00 each. But we never were hungry. It was here I married William "Dutch" Morris who had lived with my grandparents for five years. He went to work in the CCC Camp at Stapp, Oklahoma. I stayed with my mother and he only got to come home 2 times a week. Our first child Doris Ann Evans now, was born in Heavener. When Dutch got out of CCC Camp he went to work for my grandfather, and we moved to Parks, Arkansas in the latter part of 1934. Our 2nd child John Ed was born here in 1936. When he was 6 months old we moved to Waldron in July 1936. I have lived in Waldron 56 years. When my children started to school I went to work at Bates Dry Goods, later for the Ladies Shop and at one time owned 1/2 interest in Waldron Dry Goods. I also worked a number of years for the Nutrition Center in the Memorial Hall. I was converted to Hodgens Baptist Church at age 14. I have been a member of the Waldron First Baptist Church since I moved here. I have been married to R.L. Cooper since March 1984.