Nora Bernice Gentry

1897 - 1998  (101 years)

• Name	Nora Bernice Gentry  [1]
  Birth	3 Aug 1897	Goldthwaite, Mills County, Texas   [1]
  Gender	Female
  Death	19 Dec 1998	McCarney, Upton County, Texas
  Notes	From Texas Highways, October 1994, Speaking of Texas In the early 1920's Frank Pickrell, vice president and general manager of Texon Oil and Land Company, found that nobody wanted to buy an oil lease in Reagan County. Though there was no sign of oil in the county, Pickrell and others were convinced it was there for the taking. The plan was to drill a "wildcat" oil well in hopes of making the venture more attractive to investors. Pickrell traveled to New York to try to raise money for his scheme. The potential backers included a Catholic women's society. Hesitant about investing, the women consulted their priest, who suggested they ask Santa Rita, patron saint of the impossible and hopeless, for guidance. They did so, decided to invest, and gave the priest an envelope full of dried rose petals. The priest blessed the petals, then gave them to Pickrell with instructions from the women to sprinkle them over the proposed drilling site. When Pickrell returned to the site, on University of Texas land between Big Lake and Rankin, he climbed to the top of the derrick as directed, crumbled the rose petals into the breeze, and declared, "I christen thee Santa Rita." The Santa Rita gusher blew in on May 28, 1923, providing the University of Texas with unexpected wealth. Of the adults who watched the liquid gold begin to flow, 96-year-old Nora Locklin of Knickerbocker, whose husband, Dee, worked for the driller, is the only living witness. --- Barbara Barton, Knickerbocker. Furnished by Jerry Tyson BARTON, 21 October 1994 December 21, 1998 Permian Basin Death Notices Nora Locklin MCCAMEY - Nora Bernice Locklin, 101, died Saturday, Dec. 19, 1998, in a McCamey nursing home. Services will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the First Christian Church with the Revs. David Gentry and Paul Evans officiating. Graveside services will follow at 2 p.m. in the Sherwood Cemetery in Sherwood. Arrangements made by Shaffer-Nichols Funeral Home. She was born in Goldthwaite and had lived in McCamey since 1931. She was a member of First Church Church. SURVIVORS: Sons, Ronnie Locklin of Denver City and Billy Dee Locklin of McCamey; five grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren. (Research):Census Information: 1920 census Pecos Co. TX ED 161 Pg. 253A Ft. Stockton 51/51 Locklin, Dee, head, MW, 23, TX TX TX Nora B., wife, FW, 22, TX TX TX 1930 census Crockett Co. TX ED 53-1 Pg. 23A 542/601 Locklin, Dee, head, MW, 33, M, age first married 22 , TX TX TX Nora, wife, FW, 32, M, age first married 21, TX TX TX
  Person ID	I20226	Strong Family Tree
  Last Modified	17 Aug 2014

  
  

  Father	David Simon Gentry,   b. 30 Jun 1874, Grayson County, Texas d. 6 Aug 1926, Temple, Bell County, Texas (Age 52 years)
  Mother	Maude Mae Tyson,   b. 10 Jul 1875, Maysfield, Milam County, Texas d. 24 Feb 1967, Rankin, Upton County, Texas (Age 91 years)
  Marriage	7 Nov 1894	Mullin, Mills County, Texas   [1]
  	Affidavit for Marriage License - Goldthwaite, Mills County, Texas D.S. Gentry and Maude Tyson Nov. 7, 1894 Record number 12 B (From the Mills Co. TX genweb site) http://www.rootsweb.com/~txmills/Records.htm "These affidavits were sworn statements that the individuals were of age and that there were no objections to their marriage. These were not actual marriage licenses, but most of the couples considered them to be and never obtained an actual license." Sherwood Cem., Irion Co. TX Gentry, Dave S. 1874 1926 S/W Gentry, Maude M. 1875 1967 Pictures of grave stones in the Shewood Cem. is online at: http://www.rootsweb.com/~txirion/cemeteries/sherwoodcemetery.htm
  Family ID	F7237	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Dee Locklin,   b. 18 Jan 1896, Sherwood, Irion County, Texas d. 21 Feb 1983, Rankin, Upton County, Texas (Age 87 years)
  Marriage	19 Apr 1919	San Angelo, Tom Green County, Texas   [1]
  Children	1. Living   2. Living
  Family ID	F7239	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	9 Dec 2006

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 3 Aug 1897 - Goldthwaite, Mills County, Texas Marriage - 19 Apr 1919 - San Angelo, Tom Green County, Texas Death - 19 Dec 1998 - McCarney, Upton County, Texas  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Sources

  [S297] Barton, Jerry T.--family researcher (jbarton851@aol.com) 209 Southcross Rd Georgetown, TX 78628-3026 512-863-8409.