Gertrude Pauline Dykes, 93, died September 29, 2001, at Searcy. She was born January 13, 1908, in Weatherford, Oklahoma, to Orval Wilks and Clara Norman Wilks. Prior to retirement, she was assistant manager of the Harding University Bookstore. She was a member of the college church of Christ and Associated Women for Harding.

She is survived by a daughter, Latina Dykes of Searcy; a son, Norman Dykes of Lafayette, Louisiana; a sister, Gloria Barrett of Wichita, Kansas; granddaughter, Lisa Dykes and a grandson, Kevin Dykes of Lafayette, Louisiana.

Gertrude was preceded in death by her husband of 57 years, John Lee Dykes.

Since Gertrude worked and shared in the accomplishments of her husband, you can refer to the John Lee Dykes article in "in memoriam" regarding their accomplishments.

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A BACKWARD GLANCE OF MY LIFE
by Gertrude Dykes

Gertrude Pauline Wilks was born on January 13, 1908 to Lewis Orval and Clara Ethel Wilks at Weatherford, Oklahoma. It was a hot day. They had to haul water for the hogs to wallow in. I was the second Child. My brother, Gordon, was three years older. I had four brothers and one sister. We all had names starting with "G". - Gordon, Gertrude, Garnett, Gayle, Gloria, and Gormon. My daddy was working for Davidson Case Lumber Company. He was moved to Greenfield, Oklahoma where we lived until I was four. My brother Garnett and brother Gayle were born there. We moved to Geary, Oklahoma where my father was manager of Davidson Case. We lived in a small house there and later got a two story house with some land. We had a cow and sold milk. My sister, Gloria, was born at the small house, and my brother, Gormon, was born at the big house. I started to school in Geary and went through the 8th grade there. In the summer of 1922 we moved to Cordell where Daddy was Manager of Antrim Lumber Company. We moved there for us to attend Western Oklahoma Christian high school. We moved into a two bedroom house. In March the house got on fire. We were all in bed. We had to get up and move in a hurry. Everything was burned including all the boys clothing. We moved into a larger house and later built a house.

I finished high school in 1925 and entered OCC Junior College. In the fall of 1927 I got my first teaching job at Pleasant View near Colony teaching the first four grades in a two room school. Dinger Taylor was the other teacher. We had a room furnished for light housekeeping in upstairs with a German family near Corn, Oklahoma. We walked one mile through pastures to school. the second year I moved to Bogan Chapel near Sentinel, Oklahoma where I taught the first four grades. I was there two years. First I had a room and board with an old couple. Had great food. Then the school furnished a one room apartment with the other teacher, Dessie. From there I went to Cowden, Oklahoma where I taught grades 1 and 2. I taught only the first winter and summer term. I had a neat one room apartment there. I went to Cordell on weekends where I worked on Saturdays in different department stores.

OUR MARRIED LIFE AND HOME

In the summer of 1925 Harve and bertha Dykes and their six children - John Lee, J. Harvey, Ira, Burrel, Mabel, and Uzella moved to Cordell so John Lee could enter OCC. Harve was a carpenter and he was away in Texas working. they lived across the street from us. the families became close friends. John Lee and I fell in love. We were both freshmen at OCC. He played football. When we finished OCC Junior College he went to Abilene Christian and graduated there. Most of that time we dated. When we finished OCC I had a teaching certificate and started teaching. I went to Southwestern at Weatherford one summer and to Oklahoma A & M at Stillwater. John Lee also went to Weatherford after he finished from Abilene. He taught math one year at Clinton, Oklahoma. Then he joined the faculty at OCC teaching math, Bible, and serving as coach. He preached on Sundays in country churches.

I married John Lee Dykes on September 20, 1932 at my parents home at Cordell, Oklahoma at 6:30 a.m. J. Harvey Dykes performed the ceremony. Lucille Adrian sang with Quay Overstreet accompanying her. Wedding cake and coffee followed the ceremony. It was on a Sunday and we drove to Oklahoma City for church. then we went on to Stillwater where we were in school. We ate what had been prepared by Mother Dykes which consisted of fried chicken and grapes at Guthrie. We had a bedroom with kitchen privileges at the preacher's home for which we paid $16.50 per month. that night John Lee preached at Ripley near there where he preached all that year for $7.50/Sunday. We ate lots of eggs that winter, 10 cents a dozen. I did the laundry by hand. I took art courses at Oklahoma A & M. It was a great life. John Lee got his MA degree in math.

Our next home was at Colony, Oklahoma where John Lee was superintendent and I taught art classes. We had a nice two bedroom bungalow and a cow that Papa furnished. Lucille rented one of the bedrooms. She was teaching English there. The next year we went to Goodwell, Oklahoma where John Lee taught math, was athletic director, and had the bookstore. Our first home there was a lovely brick house. Gloria and Blanch Peters rented a bedroom. The second year we moved to a little old house where we had chickens, and the rent was cheaper. Gloria was with us there. this was during the dust storms, very bad. Norman Lee was born while we were in that house. We then moved to another house, and finally the fifth year we moved to nice bungalow with a basement apartment where Gayle and Fay lived. Norman Lee was two at that time.

In august, 1938 we came to Searcy, Arkansas for John Lee to teach at Harding College. Our first year we lived in a brick cottage on the campus. Then Dad Dykes built our house at 714 East center where we lived until January 1, 1966 when we moved to our present house (red brick) at 13 Magnolia Drive. Latina was born in 1942 while we lived on Center Street. Here we raised chickens, had a garden, also raised rabbits and had a cow which we kept near where our house is now on Magnolia.

John Lee had the bookstore at Harding. After a year I took it over and worked half days while he taught math, bible, and related subjects. Later this turned into a full time job that lasted 40 years. I enjoyed it all very much. Later John Lee took over as manager and I was his assistant. It helped to keep us young.

September 15, 1935 Norman Lee was born at Cordell, Oklahoma at Omie and Papa's house. John Lee was teaching at Panhandle A & M.

May 13, 1942 Latina was born at Rodgers Hospital in Searcy.

Norman married Carol Ann Huffaker on October 11, 1964 in Kansas City, Missouri. She was a nurse in the hospital where he did his internship in Kansas City. Norman is connected with a medical group in Lafayette, Louisiana.

Lisa was born on September 18, 1966 in Wichita Falls, Texas where they were living.

Kevin was born September 13, 1968 in Lafayette, Louisiana.