J. L. Roach (son of Willie Ruben Roach and Edna Evelyn Muncrief) was born 23 Oct 1935 in Bromide, Oklahoma (Born @ Roach farm) Northwest of Bromide, and died 25 Dec 2003 in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma (At Home). He married Sandra Sue Upton.
Notes for J. L. Roach: J. L. Roach's name: The J for his grandpa James Roach and the L is for Laura Roach his grandmother. Also Bill had a friend in Bromide with the name of J. L. and he though it was a pretty name. (Edna Evelyn (Muncrief) Roach)
J. L. Roach was in the army for two years. He was stationed in Germany.
J. L. Roach - Graduated form South Eastern State College, Durant, Oklahoma He was a shop teacher. He taught school for 24 years, most of those years were for Union School District, Tulsa, Oklahoma. He is retired at present.
J. L. Roach was placed on the heart transplant list by Baptist Hospital in Oklahoma City on Thursday March 7, 1996.
The Way I Remember By J. L. Roach
I sit here, pondering the past and thinking of all the things I did as a kid. I'm the oldest of eight children having been born on October 23, 1935. My mom told me that it snowed the day I was born. It wasn't all that much but did cover the ground.
My earliest recollection of things happening was on March 12, 1938. My mom was about to give birth to sis, Viola. I guess that they told me that I was about to have a new baby brother or sister. The doctor was there and I was in another room. I wanted to go in to see what was going on and of course they would not let me in. I remember the doctor-carrying Viola around the bed and over to the front door, where he held her upside down by feet and gave her a swat on her bottom. She immediately started crying. So you see that was Viola's first spanking.
It's kind of fuzzy at this point but some how I became jealous of her. Mom seemed to be giving her all the attention. I loaded all my worldly possessions (all my toys) into my little wagon and moved into grandpa's room. Mom tells me that I stayed in grandpa's room several days. I don't remember this.
My next recollection is my starting school. I turned six and my dad took me down to Jackson School. The teacher was Kermit Barnes, and he assigned me a seat, then gave me a picture book to look at. Kermit and dad were standing at the front door of the one room school talking. I was busy looking at the picture book but keeping one eye on dad. Dad thought I did not see him slipping off but I did and here I went after him. He took me back and tried to slip off again. Kermit and Dad decided to wait a while before trying again. I think it was about 3 or 4 weeks until school was out for the summer, when I spent the night with Aunt Gus and Uncle Newt. We were having breakfast when in walked Kermit Barnes. He looked at me and he said, "are you coming to school today?" I was kind of afraid to say no, so I said yes. So there you have how I got started in school.
My first fight started at school. School was out and we started for home. There was another 1st grader and I started fussing with him about something. He picked up a big rock and was going to hit me, I picked up a stick about 4 feet long and told him that If he threw the rock, that I would hit him with the stick. We argued for about 10 minutes until Clinton or Ray finally stopped us.
Another time when walking home from school I saw some sheep showers. I stopped, bent down on my knees and started eating them. When I raised up both knees was solid brown. The brown wasn't mud but ticks. There were thousands on me, so I broke off a broom weed and brushed them off. Needless to say I didn't eat any more sheep showers.
I remember one day in class at Jackson School. The teacher was conducting class on something, while I was watching a bird outside the window. She asked me a question about the subject. I answered it correctly and continued to watch the bird. I think this kind of made her mad, because she told me to quit staring out the window and to pay attention.
It was in the summer of 1941 or 42 or somewhere along that time. The 2nd World War was being fought, and I decided to play soldier. I got a stick for my rifle and put one of mom's pans on my head for a helmet. I crawled through a hole in the yard fence and was marching around being a soldier. All of a sudden I hear this spooky noise, it was loud and I decided it was time to retreat. I go flying back through the hole in the fence and tear my best shirt. I don't know how old I was at the time but I don't think I was in school. I have often wondered what the noise was that I heard, but I think it was probably an old bull bellowing.
My grandmother Roach (Laura) had some funny superstitions. One day on Sunday, we were all sitting around the old wood burning heating stove talking when Earl Hilton (my cousin) pulls out his pocketknife and starts cutting his fingernails. Grandma boxed Earl up beside the head and told him to never do that again (cut your fingernails on Sunday). We all asked why. She said that if we did someone in our family would die.
I guess the biggest story that I have to tell is the famous COW LOT STORY. As I remember mom and dad were getting ready to go Bromide to get some groceries. I decided that it would be good time for me to practice my bull riding. I had to talk mom and dad into letting me stay at home; the only way was that my brother David stays with me. As soon as the car was out of sight we headed for the Cow lot. We chased the calves around trying to corner them in order to get on their backs. My brother finally got on this heifer's back and she being a gentle calf just stood there taking a step or two ever now and then. In the meantime I continued to chase the steer calves around, but not having much luck. I began to tire from this and to look for other things to do. I see the heifer's tail hanging there and wonder just what would happen if I should take that tail and give just a little twist. I took the tail and gave it a twist, the calf's head went down and back end went up, David (wearing only bib overalls) went flying over her head and into a fresh pile of you know what. He came up with his face covered and the pocket of bib overalls full. Naturally here came mom and dad, I just wilted because I just knew that I'm going to get a belt or some such thing used on my behind. All I got was a big scolding and the worst punishment I could get. I had to wash David's overalls on an old rub board. (I have that old rub board today). NOW THAT'S THE WAY IT REALLY HAPPENED CAUSE I REMEMBER.
Another time, which I remember was David and I took our minnow seine and started seining the fish where they had gone up the little branches which, flowed into Delaware Creek. These branches would begin to dry up as summer came on, trapping the fish that went up them. Wild animals would eat them or they would die when these branches dried up. We were having a good time catching them. We had several messes of fish for dinner. Everything was going great until one day I was in water a little over waist deep. We smelled this awful odor and I looked up to see a water moccasin. He was mad and letting us know about it. He was headed straight for me. I decided that it was time for me to get out of there. It is hard to move fast in that deep of water. I did though!
I remember Jay was going to go to Bromide to the show. I wanted to go with him but dad said no. I decided to try the crying technique to see if I might change dad's mind. Jay asked dad why not let me go and dad said; "No he is too big to cry over something like that". As Jay left, dad said to me, "I was going to let you go until you started the crying, you are way too big for that".
One other story and I will call it quits for now. I was with Jay up on Willingham's looking for some cattle. Jay decided to cut through some real thick timber instead of going around. We were almost through when all of a sudden we hear the buzz of rattlesnakes right under us. Our horses were standing on Tipi-toes, with their backs humped up the way a cat does. I just knew that we were going to get thrown at any time. There were hundreds of snakes running for their den. They were going right under our horses. This gave me quite a scare.
Obituary
J.L. Roach, 68 born October 23, 1935 in Pontotoc, Oklahoma, the son of Willie Ruben and Edna (Muncrief) Roach, died at his home in Broken Arrow on December 25, 2003. He was a 1953 graduate of Pontotoc schools and received his Industrial Arts Degree from Southeastern State College and did graduate work at Northeastern. He was a veteran of the United States Army. He married Sandra Upton on May 3, 1958 at Ada, Oklahoma. He taught Adult Education at TJC, he taught at Berryhill and was the Industrial Arts Teacher at Union Public Schools, retiring in 1992. He owned JL's Upholstery. He was a member of AOK Camping Club, enjoyed playing dominoes and woodworking. He was the Cub Master for the Scout Troop at Briar Glenn Elementary. He was a member of Arrow Heights Baptist Church, serving as a greeter and teller. Memorials may be made to Arrow Heights Baptist Organ Transplant Fund. He is survived by: wife Sandra Roach; daughter Patty and husband, David Lemery; son, Jeff and wife Cynthia Roach; mother Edna Roach; grandchildren, Keith Mancinelli, James Mancinelli, Lauren and Katie Roach; sisters, Viola Boggs, Billie Jean Kerns, Ruby Walker, Annie Ryan; brothers, David and Richard Roach. He was preceded in death by Sister Sandra Lou Roach. Services set for 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, December 30, 2003 at Arrow Heights Baptist Church, Broken Arrow. Burial at 3:00 p.m. at Memorial Park Cemetery in Ada, Oklahoma. Hayhurst, 258-9623.
More About J. L. Roach: Burial: 31 Dec 2003, (Swan Hill Section) Memorial Park Cemetery, Ada, Oklahoma.
More About J. L. Roach and Sandra Sue Upton: Private-Begin: Private
J. L. Roach (b. 23 Oct 1935, d. 25 Dec 2003)
Notes for J. L. Roach: