Martha Virginia Mathews (McCann) 1911-

    Martha Virginia Matthews (McCann); one of McAlester’s most prized citizens was born an only child; October 12, 1911 in Dodge City Kansas, on a dirt road across from a school; but her clearest early memory was when she was five years old after her parents had moved to Oklahoma City in 1914. (She passed away 5 months after this interview).

Bisque German doll early 1900’s

    “My first memory was about a little boy who lived across the street in a duplex with his mother and father. I wasn’t allowed to cross the street; but he could; or he did! I always had bisque head (porcelain) dolls from Germany; and he had come over to play. I guess he got mad at me for some reason and took my doll out of my arms, and threw it out in the street and broke it’s head! I thought I’d die. Later when she had to attend class with him in school; she refrained from speaking with him; “I just couldn’t bring myself to tell him what I thought about that.”

    This was understandable; because she said; “In those days, people didn’t really speak their mind like they do today. People were more reserved than they are now. I think it’s a good thing that people can tell you what they are thinking these days but it can be a bad thing too if you go too far.”

    She remembers her mother Effie getting up early in the morning; putting on her corset and getting all dressed up to fix breakfast for the family; and seeing Virginia’s father Edward off to his job as a Realtor. “My family had a car; but my neighbor whose property touched our property behind us; still had a horse and buggy. I remember getting a buggy ride from my neighbor; but I liked to go and just sit in it on occasion. The lady with the buggy died of pneumonia in 1917. A lot of people died of pneumonia during the first World War.”

    “Ice came to us on a horse drawn wagon; and people used to put placards in the window early in the morning to let the ice man know how many pounds of ice you needed for the ice box, and he would come around back and put it in for you. You didn’t have to pay him every day. He would keep track of the ice you bought and you would pay him once a month.”

Tulsa Ice Wagon 1913 (Internet image).

Ice Ad from 1920. Click to enlarge.

     “My dad wanted me to be strong; so he made me a chin-up bar; but in those days they were called performance bars; because you got up and performed things on it. I remember begging my dad to make it lower; I must have been nine.”

    “On Sundays it was popular to go for a drive in the country. My dad would take us out to a pretty spot and ask the farmer if we could have a picnic there.”

Historic photo (Internet).

     “In the winters we used to have a LOT more snow. I think it must be true about global warming. I needed boots and I remember him taking me to B&M in Oklahoma City and buying me boots that laced up to my knees. I was so proud of those boots!”

    “Oh, I had a half brother; but I don’t remember much about him. My dad’s first wife had died of tuberculosis at the turn of the century; and when I was born my half brother was already 12. He moved out when I was six. He loved to fish; and died young. He drowned.”

    Basically growing up an only child; she was never lonely. She liked to sing and dance in front of a full length mirror which hung from a door in her parents livingroom; to opera music she played on a Victrola. She claims one of the keys to longevity; is to keep active. She liked walking and ballroom dancing.

Victrola ad (Internet image).

    “We used to ride the trolley cars. They were two lane trollies; one on both sides of the street, with an island in the middle. I think it was a dime to ride. I was young and didn’t pay that much attention; but they went all the way to Norman.” (30 miles away).

OKC to Edmond 1911.

    “The most fun I ever had in Oklahoma City was when that flier came; oh what’s his name… the man who flew; Charles Lindbergh came, and I think I was 15 going on 16 at the time. That was really a thrill. Somebody took us out; way out East in a car and then we walked the rest of the way because we wanted to be sure to get a good look at him; which we did as he rode by sitting on the back of the seat; because we were way out there. It wasn’t crowded out where we were.”

Charles Lindburgh (Internet photo)

    From that time Virginia was interested in aeroplanes. “The only thing I regret was never being able to fly in a plane. Oh I don’t mean in a big commercial plane; I’ve been in those; but I always wanted to take a ride in a small plane; just the pilot and me because a smaller plane would be able to do more tricks. “ So is that on the list of things to do in the next century; was the question. “Oh my, I’ll probably be doing good to make it another year.” she said laughing.

    To look at her one would never think this youthful lady is to be 103 in a few short months. She spoke about her dad taking her out in the country to learn to drive at age 12 even though the legal age to drive was still 16 even way back then; “I drove a car until I turned 90; because I kept my mind.” she said. She still likes to walk around Walnut Grove Living Center with her walker at a pretty good clip. “I kept my mind; but I wish my legs were better.“

    Married at 19 to Lloyd McCann; the couple moved to McAlester when their two daughters were starting Junior High and High School. “He was a good looking man; dressed nice, and looked good with his clothes on, but I didn’t like him at first; I thought he was conceited; but he was persistent, so I eventually married him.”

    “I had some premonitions in the form of dreams. Once I had a dream that my mother in law’s house burned down, and it did! My mother used to tell me she didn’t like it when I dreamed.”

    Virginia’s husband who owned the Chevy dealership in town; passed away in 1966. Her oldest daughter Patricia passed away two years ago at the age of 79. “I have seen a lot of people come and go in my time but at my age it can’t be helped.” she said.

    She attributes her long life to activity, and most importantly staying happy. “You have to just try to be happy and contented; or you may as well die.”

Click on image to enlarge. Martha Virginia Mathews McCann today.

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