James Paul Pitzer

BIO: JAMES PAUL PITZER:
     Paul, as he was known, was the second child and first son of Annie Elizabeth (Bower) Pitzer and John Riley Pitzer.  He was born June 26, 1898 at a farm site some six miles west of Cordell, Oklahoma, on which his parents homesteaded.  Paul was born, as was his two sisters, Gladys Esther, and Anna Marie, in the 12 by 16 feet rock house his father and Uncle George Rogers built the first year his parents settled there. Paul's younger childhood was spent at that farm site.  Some years later the family moved to another farm six miles east of Cordell, Oklahoma, were their church was located on the same quarter section as the farm.  The Calvary Creek School was also located very close for Paul and his sisters to attend.
      After High School, Paul went to McPherson College, in McPherson, Kansas.  This is the Brethren Church related College.  Paul's father had attended this college and met his wife there.  As per tradition, Paul met his wife to be, while attending McPherson College.  It was not at the College, but during the summer between semesters, while working for Frank McGonigle, a farmer near Nickerson, Kansas in Reno County that Paul met Bessie Ann Hill.  They were married in the new home, under construction at the time, of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Trostle.  Bessie had been working for the Trostle's when she first met Paul.  The date of their marriage was December 21, 1919.  Paul and his new bride setup house keeping on the farm which he was raised, six miles east of Cordell, Oklahoma.  After a few years living there and having two children they moved to Pentaluma, California, and later to Modesto, California.  They traveled by train to California.  It is told, that Kenneth was just a baby at the time. He took his first steps while traveling on the train.  
        In the summer of 1930 Paul moved his family back to the Midwest.  They now had six children, two boys and four of the other kind. They settled in the northeast part of Oklahoma, south of Coffeyville, Kansas.  The trip back from California, as told by Ken Pitzer, who would have been eight at the time, was quite an adventure.
     The trip was made in a 1928 Chevrolet car, pulling a two wheel trailer along behind with all there worldly possessions.  It is remembered that somewhere along the way the trailer gave out and Paul had to make a deal, trade for a different trailer.  This cost money they couldn't afford.  Ken tells of crossing some high mountains, where the old Chevy would not pull all the load up the mountain.  They had to unload the family and lighten the load, then made several trips to get all their stuff up the mountain.
     The Pitzer's rented a farm stead three miles south of Wann, Oklahoma, where thy lived from September 1930 till September 1931. Kenneth remembers the barn at this place was struck by lighting and burned while they lived there.  The next place the Pitzer's lived was seven miles south of the Oklahoma, Kansas line on what is now Highway 169 (November 1991).  The old highway ran one mile west of the present highway, when the Pitzer's lived there from September 1931 till October 1933.  Next Paul moved his family to a farm stead east of Wann, Oklahoma for a couple of months, October and November, of 1933, before moving to a farm one mile east and one and one half miles north of Dearing, Kansas. The little town of Dearing is northwest of Coffeyville, Kansas.  Bessie and Paul lived here with their growing family from November 1933 till September 1935.  The next move was to a farm four miles north and two and one half miles east of Dearing, Kansas. Here they farmed one half section of land.  This one half section was rather different, it had a country road on all four sides of the half section. Pitzer's lived here from September 1935 till September 1936.  The last place the Pitzer's lived in the Coffeyville, Kansas area was a farm six miles north of Coffeyville.
     It was while living north of Coffeyville, that Paul made a trip to Bartlesville, Oklahoma area, to purchase cattle.  This was April 1938. The last relative to see Paul was his sister, Minnie Maye (Pitzer) Kerr, when he left her house to return to Coffeyville and his family.  He had not purchased any cattle.  Some say he had several hundred dollars cash on him, and it is speculated that he met foul play.
     The following is a letter written by James Paul Pitzer to his parents, Annie Elizabeth (Bower) Pitzer and John Riley Pitzer on December 12, 1937, (5 months prior to his disappearance).  His parent
was living in Garber, Oklahoma at that time.

     I tried to type the letter just as Paul had written it. If he used capital letters, I used capitals, if he added or left out punctuation, then I added or left out punctuation.  If he added or left out words, then I added same or left out same words.

Liberty, Kans. 12:9,37.
Dear Dady and Mother
     You wrote us such a good letter, it came Monday and we all enjoyed its contents so much.  I paid the note off at the bank at Dewey by borrowing it the $50.00 and additional $100.00 it back the banker talked me into borrowing the $100.00 for he had customer that had some extra nice gilts just ready to breed. him the banker and my land lord are awful close friends and they both wanted to help me get something in my name so I could pay my bills and they both agreed that good red hogs would pay me quicker than anything a farmer could invest his money in so being as they both it safe I have six nice red gilts traded our fat bay pig for a boar pig 150 lb. the same day I got the gilts Nov. 20 and now I have them all bred and will pig in March. the fine gilts I bought are dark red and all five weighed 980. and you remember the one we had they are all so nice and long. and gentle can scratch them they the five cost me 7cts a lb or near $70.00 I got them from the same man I got the little Pigs from in the spring.  I may never be able to fatten their pig crop but we have fixed the fence over in the big field so we can hold them their when the days are nice. our wheat is all froze until they is not much to eat. Yet they enjoy picking up the acorns in the timber turn them loose at noon and they are here at feed time.  I bought 2 little J. heifer calves about same time as pigs and 100 lb of sugar at 5.19 and 100 lb at 9.80 of compound same day, so you can see with what all we have stored for winter our check we get from government of $15.00 each month we can live. expect more money as winter gos by. easy was last winter it got up to #26.00 each month for Jan. Feb. March. then smaller checks till June.  We sure hope this finds each of well and specially Mother she afford to get sick this dread full cold weather it has been is cold lately down near zero 2 mornings.  We are still eating sliced tomatoes and fresh Pairs out of the cave the girls opened some berries for supper and corn also and both were as good as fresh ones.  Our chickens are trying hard to lay but so cold we get 9 eggs today and some days only 7 or 8.  better let me send you some more Pecans since N.C.Pitzers were their I bet you dont have many nuts left.
     Now you just keep the union suit I have some and bought Kenneth some last week.  Many thanks for offering to send then but I think best you keep them.  Clarence Lee is feeding me roasted Pecans and they are as good as roasted Peanuts or better when you can't get the Peanuts.
     Our black cow is not fresh yet but we sure wish she could hurry up.  we need more milk.  this awful cold weather when they was good wheat pasture for our cows we had plenty of milk and butter.
     We had a load of oats ground some time ago.  Philip has two teeth and has rosey red cheeks like Lorene had when little.  The children are fixing a big program for Christmas time little Jim has a long speech to say and he just enjoys learning poems.
     All are Ok this fine winter morning right at zero.  Kenneth is ready to leave for school if he dont for get to he will mail this.
                                       Paul