Who is Gary Henry? Why I write about Marshall County

For the past several weeks, the Madill Record has been publishing articles I’ve written about the history of Marshall County. These articles seem to have been well received by the readers of the paper as I’ve heard from many of you via phone calls and through various Facebook pages about the county.

Yet, I realize many of you may not really know who I am and why I write these articles. So, I thought it might be helpful if I introduced myself to each of you and explained why I have a passion for sharing the history of Marshall County.

Both of my parents were born and raised in Marshall County, and my family goes back over 130 years in the county. My parents were George S. (Skippy) Henry, Jr, and Betty Ann Hughes Henry. My mom graduated fromKingstonHighSchoolin 1950 and my dad graduated in 1951.

In1895,mygreatpaternal grandparents, Perry Walter and Mary Mildred “Mamie” Henry, moved to Woodville, Indian Territory, from Grayson County, Texas. Mamie’s father,(mygreatgreatgrandfather) Richard Wallace also moved to Woodville.

Shortly after their move to Woodville, Perry Walter and Mamie welcomed their first child, Claude Henry. Sadly, Claude died shortly after childbirth. After several months, Perry Walter and Mamie were blessed with a second child, James Richard, born in 1896 in Woodville.

After James Richard, my great grandparents welcomed their second child, my grandfather, George Skipworth Henry, born in 1898. My grandfather was named after Perry Walter’s younger brother, George Skipworth Henry. After that, Perry Walter and Mamie had two more children, Alletha Marie (1901)andMaudeLee(1903).

For many years, Perry Walter was the Constable/ Marshall of Woodville. Later, he would work as a Deputy Sheriff of Marshall County during the tenure of Sheriff Thomas Christian. Tom Christian was the husband of my great grandmother, Mamie’s sister, Martha Elizabeth (Mattie) Christian. As was the norm in the early 20thcentury,mygrandmother Mamie, was a homemaker and mother, nurturing and loving my grandfather and my aunts and uncle.

Sadly in 1907, my great grandmother Mamie passed away, leaving my great grandfather to raise their four kids. Thankfully, Mamie’s sister Mattie, and her husbandTomChristianwere also living in Woodville, and they all moved in together to help Perry Walter raise the kids.

After graduating from Woodville High School, James Richard Henry enlisted in the United States Navy, and he was deployed to Europe, to fight in World War I. Following WWI, he settled in Sapulpa, Okla., where he remained for the remainder of his life.

My grandfather, George Henry was well known throughout the county. After graduating from Madill High School in 1917, he began his career as an educator, first teaching in Brownsville in southern Marshall County. For those that do not know, Brownsville was located near what is now known as “The Islands” of Lake Texoma.

After teaching at Brownsville for a few years, my grandfather went to college, first at Southeastern in Durant, then to Oklahoma State University, where he obtained his degree in public education. After college, he accepted the position of Superintendent of Aylesworth School. As Superintendent, healsotaughtseveralclasses.

After a few years at Aylesworth, my grandfather, George Henry, was hired to be Superintendent in Kington. He then spent the next 27 years in that position, retiring in 1955. Following his retirement from Kingston Schools, my grandfather moved to Oklahoma City where he worked for the Oklahoma Welfare Department. There are still many residents of Marshall County who attended school under the tutelage of my grandfather, George Henry.

PerryWalterandMamie’s daughter,AllethaMariemarried Elmer Lemmons. For a time, they lived in Denison, then Tulsa, before returning to Madill around 1930 where they remained until their deaths. Alletha and Elmer had three children: Mary, Bettye and Walter.

All three graduated from Madill High School. After graduation,MaryandWalter both eventually moved to Texas, but Bettye remained in Madill where she married Clint Williams in 1946. Together they founded the Texoma Peanut Company. Their daughter, Pam Ortloff and her husband Alan are my cousins.

Maude Lee stayed in Madill, married Walter Jones andbecameabelovedteacher in the Madill Schools. Many of the readers of the Madill Record remember my Aunt Maude from her time at the Madill Elementary School. After the death of her husband, Walter, Aunt Maude married Guy McClure.

My paternalgrandmother was Jennie Florence May. She was born in Savoy, Texas in 1911. Her parents were Bruce and Dassie May. Before my grandmother Jennie was born, my great grandfather, Bruce May had worked in Kingston, at the First National Bank.

After a few years at Kingston, he took a banking job in Savoy. Thenaround1914,my great grandparents moved back to Kingston, where my great grandfather, Bruce became President of the First National Bank of Kingston.

He served as President of the bank until it closed in 1931 following its purchase by the First Madill National Bank of Madill. My great grandfather Bruce May then moved to Madill, as Vice President of the bank.

My grandparents, George Henry and Jennie May married in July 1930, in Kingston. Jennie graduated from Kingston in 1928. Of that marriage, three sons were born - my father, George Skipworth (Skippy) Henry, Jr., Thomas Christian Henry and Walter Bruce Henry. All three boys graduated from Kingston High School.

Sadly, shortly after the birth of her third child, my grandmother Jennie passed away in 1938. My grandfather never remarried. My grandmother’s parents, BruceandDassieMaymoved in with my grandfather and his sons to help with the kids.

My dad graduated from Kingston in 1951, and then attended the University of Oklahoma for two years. He married Betty Ann Hughes of Kingston in 1951 and they moved first to Norman, then Oklahoma City, where they both lived until their deaths in 2015 and 2021.

BruceandDassieMayhad five children, Robert, Mary, my grandmother, Jennie, Annette and Ruth. Robert graduatedfromKingstonand marriedMildredWillis. They had one son, Felix Beecher May. Thatmarriageendedin divorce. Robert then married Margurite Spence. Together, they had six sons, and one daughter.

The sons were Robert, Charles, Dean, Jerry, Terry and Dennis. All graduated fromMadillHighSchool. The daughter Jennie Ruth died at the age of two. My cousin Terry still lives in Marshall County.

Mary May married Kingston resident Dorsey Willard Gibson. They lived in Kingston for many years, before finally moving to Tulsa, then the Oklahoma City area. They had two children, Dorsey Jr. and JoAnn.

Annette May stayed in Madill, married Harold Jones, and together they had Kenny, Jimmy, Jen Ann and Mary Lou. ll the kids graduated fromMadillHighSchool.

Jimmy married Marc Ann Watkins. Mary Lou is married to Logan Beard. Marc Ann and Mary Lou both still live in Madill. Marc Ann works for the Madill Genealogical and Historical Society and her son Kendal Cory Jones owns the Jones Pawn Shop in Madill.

Of these family members, my great great grandfather, Richard Wallace and my great grandparents, Perry Walter and Mamie Henry and Bruce and Dassie May are all buried in Kingston as well as my grandparents, George and Jennie Henry. My grand aunts, Alletha Lemmons and Maude Jones are buried at Woodberry Forest Cemetery in Madill along with their husbands. My other aunts and ancles, Ruth May, Robert and Margurite May, Annette and Harold Jones, and Thomas and Mattie Christian are buried in Kingston.

Mymother’sfamilymoved to Aylesworth in about 1925. My grandfather, William Vaton Hughes opened Hughes Gas and Grocery in Aylesworth aroundthatsametime. He also farmed a parcel of land near the Washita River before it was buried beneath the waters of Lake Texoma.

He was born in Alabama but moved to north Texas as ayoungman.Mygrandmother, Stella James Hughes was born in Texas. My Hughes grandparents had six daughters. The middle daughter, Chloediedinchildbirthandis buried in an unmarked grave in the Aylesworth Cemetery. My mother was born in 1933 in Aylesworth. She was the youngestofthesixdaughters.

My mother’s sisters were Virginia, Catherine, Margurite and Billie. All of them moved away shortly after graduating from high school. Virginia and Catherine graduated from Aylesworth High School, while Margurite, Billieandmymomgraduated from Kingston.

In about 1938, my mother’s familymovedtoKingston due to the planned closing of Aylesworth for the construction of Lake Texoma. My grandfather moved his grocery store to Kingston.

He opened the store in the former Kingston National Bank building on the corner of Highway 70 and Main Street. He operated that grocery for a few years, until failing health prevented him from working. That site went on to be French’s Grocery and Barwick’s Grocery.

Both of my mom’s parents are buried at the Woodberry Forest Cemetery in Madill.

Throughout my childhood, my family returned to Marshall County eight to ten times a year. During those years, I spent more time in Marshall County than anywhere else other than my home. Madill was our second home. For many years, my parents shared a mobilehomeatSoldierCreek with my cousin Dorsey Gibson, Jr. While I never lived a day in Marshall County, I havealwaysviewedMarshall County as “home.”

In 1986, I was hired by then District Attorney Fred Collins to serve as an Assistant District Attorney in District 20. After a few months in Ardmore, I was assigned totheJohnstonCountyoffice.

During our time in Tishomingo, our middle child was born. Since our doctor was in Madill, our daughter Caitlin was born there in Madill in 1987.

In 1994, I was elected as District Attorney for District 20, including Marshall County. During those years, I spent a great deal of time working in Marshall County. The very first jury trial I ever conducted as an attorney was in the big courtroom at the Marshall County Courthouse, and one of the last jury trials I conducted as a prosecutor was also at the Marshall County Courthouse.

I began writing about the history of Marshall County after doing extensive research about my family genealogy. While researching my family, I kept uncovering interesting stories about Marshall County, so I began writing about those for the MarshallCountyHistoryand Memories Facebook group. It was from this that I was invited to write a column for the Madill Record.

So that is how I got here. I may not be from Marshall County,butMarshallCounty bloodflowsthroughmyveins. I may not have lived a day in Marshall County, but five generations of my family did, and they died there, and they are buried there.

So, my roots are firmly planted in Marshall County. My story began in Marshall County in 1895. I love Marshall County and her people. And I love sharing the history and stories I have learned about Marshall County. I enjoy sharing them with you here in the Madill Record. It is my hope that you are enjoying this journey as much as me.