Frank POOLE, politician and used car salesman, 1940’s Picher, Ottawa, Oklahoma
This week we’ve learned about Picher’s Mayor L. VOYLES and City Councilman Ed DOBBINS (1946). Today we’re going to talk about Picher’s City Councilman #2, Frank POOLE. I believe Frank was the son of James Franklin and Willie Helen KNIGHT POOLE. He was born 15 November 1913 in Midland, Sebastian, Arkansas. He had five half-siblings: Delbert Sherman “Dee” POOLE, Eula Edna POOLE, Pleasant “Pleas” POOLE, Sr., Mazie Belle POOLE, and Gussie Dorene “Johnie” POOLE. He had four full-blood siblings: Helen Dorene “Dimple” Poole, Lorraine Doris Poole, George James Poole, and John Harold Poole.
In 1920, the family was living in Jim Fork, Sebastian, Arkansas. The family consisted of James and Willie, Willie’s son Elbert DENSON from her previous marriage to James Monroe DENSON, and James and Willie’s children- Willie H. (a daughter), James F. Jr. (our Frank POOLE), and Lorine (Lorraine). Willie H. (the daughter), James F. Jr., and Lorine were all born in Arkansas.
In 1924, the family can be placed in Picher, Ottawa, Oklahoma, where James and Willie’s son- John Harold- was born.
In 1927, Frank POOLE is listed and pictured in the Joplimo – the Joplin High School Yearbook (Joplin, Jasper, Missouri). He took part in the Boy’s Glee Club and is pictured both with his class as well as with the Glee Club.
By 1930, the family had moved to Spring Valley, Cherokee, Kansas. The family in 1930 included James Sr., Willie H. (the mother), James F. Jr., Lorraine, George J., and J. Harold. James Jr. and Lorraine were born in Arkansas and George and J. Harold were born in Oklahoma. In 1930 the family was living next to Pleasant POOLE’s family. Pleasant was James Sr.’s son from his previous marriage to Alise “Ada” Catherine JONES.
Family history posted on the internet states that James F. POOLE, Jr.’s first wife was Thelma PEEVY. No other information about Thelma is given and I have not found any information about her in my own research. The family history spoken of here can be found at http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/c/a/l/Juanita-Callahan/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-0027.html.
On 17 December 1938, James F. Jr. (now going by “Frank Clyde POOLE”) married Vera Maxine MARTIN. Both Frank and Vera lived in Picher, Ottawa, Oklahoma, at that time. A notation verifying the marriage can be found at http://www1.odcr.com/detail.php?Case=058-ML%20%202000428&County=058-.
We can place the family in Picher, Ottawa, Oklahoma, in 1943 due to the high school graduation of Harold J. POOLE. (See paragraph below)
The next piece of information found about Frank comes from an article in the 22 August 1945 issue of The Joplin Globe newspaper. The article states that Frank’s brother, Private First Class Harold J. POOLE, had returned home from overseas having received a medical discharge from the Army after a war injury that resulted in the loss of his foot. The article stated that Frank lived at East F Street (presumably in Joplin, Jasper, Missouri) at that time. The article verifies his mother as Helen POOLE “of Blue Mound”. The article also states that Harold graduated from Picher High School in 1943.
In regard to occupation, the online family history states that Frank worked in the mines in “the early days” and later became a car dealer and salesman in the Miami, Ottawa, Oklahoma, area. Frank also had a dealership in Picher for at least 14 years. He started the used car lot in 1946 and was still operating it in 1960, per ads in the Picher school yearbooks. The car lot was located on Connelly Avenue in Picher. During this time, he married his third wife, Naomi E. CHAMBERS MARSHALL. They were married on 20 June 1951 in Benton County, Arkansas. At that time, Naomi was living in Picher and Frank listed his residence as Miami, Ottawa, Oklahoma.
I have found several different death dates for Frank, but none about which I feel confident enough to pass on in this blog. Additional information about extended family includes the death certificate of Frank Clyde’s half-brother Pleasant POOLE at http://www.sos.mo.gov/images/archives/deathcerts/1958/1958_00022037.PDF. The informant was Frank Clyde’s half-brother Delbert S. POOLE. Their father is listed on the death certificate as Frank POOLE. Their mother is “unknown”.