*From the FindAGrave.com memorial for Esther Bell Bouvier Stricklett:*
Stricklett Family
By Mary Virginia Stricklett:
On 24th of December 1902 Peter Stricklett and Esther Belle Bouvier were married by Jim Wilds, Justice of the peace. Afterwards Jim loaned them a horse and buggy which they drove to Blair, Nebraska. Leaving the horse in a livery barn, the couple took the train to Logan, Iowa where they had oyster soup for supper. Then the couple went to Aunt Mattie and Uncle Bert Harris' who lived on a farm nearby. The corn wasn't all picked so Dad and Mom stayed all winter and Dad helped husk the corn. When they left in the spring, Bert gave Dad a hog which Dad gave to Grandma Bouvier. This would have been 1903. Dorothy was born 12th May 1904 on the Coon place where Grandma and Grandpa Stricklett lived.
I know Dad and Mom lived for a time on the east end of South Street and Dad worked for Bill Mc Keen as "ice man." Whether this was before Dorothy was born or later I am not certain. Mom has told the story of the time she and Aunt Kate, who was still at home, left Dorothy in her highchair and went to get a watermelon from Mr. Coon's garden. When they returned they found the highchair turned over and Dorothy gone. They found her at Grandma Stricklett's house where Aunt Mattie had taken her for a joke on Mom.
I, Mary was born on the Cruickshank place in the hills west of De Soto. Dad went to a Woodman of the World picnic in Blair on Saturday 18th August 1906 and I was born in his absence with Aunt Ina and Grandma Cruickshank helping Mom.
Peter was born on Aunt Adeline's place on Mill Creek the 27th of June 1910. Dorothy started school while we lived there so she was 6 years old at the time.
Grandma Bouvier lived at the top of De Soto hill. She traded her farm for land in Arkansas and Dad and Mom, along with us three kids, Aunt Ina, Frank and Francis all went with Grandma to Deane, Arkansas in early spring. Dorothy and I went to school in Arkansas. Everything was done differently, weather and illness caused us to come back to De Soto in September.
Aunt Ina and family stayed there in Arkansas. We all lived on Grandma's farm until March of 1914, when we moved to Jack Croudy's farm above the Blair Bridge. Dorothy and I went to the Goll School with the Croudy kids. Inabelle was born there on a rainy night the 27th of May 1915. In March of 1916 we moved to Blair up on the hill. Dad worked for the railroad for awhile then farmed land up the valley. Coral Jean (Sally) and Roger (Buster) were both born on the hill in Blair.