Uncrowned Community Builders

Lillie Bell Curry Blunt, born April 7, 1907 is the daughter of Sid Curry and Katie Jones Curry Westbrook. She is the granddaughter of the late Jake Jones and Susan Jones and the great granddaughter of Charlie Jones and Judy Wallace. Charlie Jones was born in the Cherokee nation, Indian Territory, in the year 1834 according to one source.

Mrs. Blunt's grandfather, Jake Jones, was a resident of Chickasha. In 1937, the Oklahoma State Historical Society, the University of Oklahoma and the Works Progress Administration sponsored the Indian History Project for Oklahoma. This project was to locate people who had lived in Indian Territory during or prior to 1900. Jake Jones was interviewed for this project. This interview revealed the fact that Charlie Jones, his father was born in the Cherokee Nation, Indian Territory.

Mrs. Blunt came to Oklahoma in 1909 with her family. She lived with her family in the Ninnekah and Norge area in Grady County, where her father worked on the farm. Lillie attended the Norge Separate School. Her uncle served in World War I, and she was old enough to feel the effects of the 1918-19 epidemic of Influenza. Her aunt, Jake Jones' daughter, died in 1918. The family moved to 1201 South Shepherd Street and later purchased a home at 1228 South 3rd Street in Chickasha. Lillie then attended Lincoln School. She said, "I recall riding to school in our wagon, tying the horses to a post in the six hundred block on second street, about a block south of Lincoln school so they could graze and be under a large shade tree." She also remembers having to stay in the house because the cattle drive was coming. "A man on a horse would come to our house and tell us the cattle are coming. Everybody stay inside".

While attending Lincoln school Lillie met and married Clarence Blunt, from Earlsboro, Oklahoma. He was born in 1905 in the Oklahoma Territory. Mrs. Blunt, a housewife-homemaker is the mother of seven children. During the depression years her husband earned 10 cents an hour for the Oil Mill Company. However, because of her managing skills her family had food on the table three times a day and her three younger brothers came to her house to be fed.

She had 18 grand children within one block and she was a baby sitter, nurse and a disciplinarian. She would make biscuits in the morning deliver then to their homes to complete the breakfast before they left for school. She would take the grand children on outings and fishing trips and make appropriate fishing poles for the little children to fish with. She kept cool water in a large water can under the shade tree so the children would have cool water while playing in the yard. Her children, grand children and those that came as company knew they had to obey when visiting her home. She had fruit trees, peaches, plumbs, cherries and pears in the yard but would not allow the children to eat the fruit before it was ripe. She also had a plot of land where she planted a vegetable garden and would can jars of vegetables every year that she shared with the church, neighbors and others. She made pies for the grandchildren after they reached adulthood.

Lillie Bell tells another life story about taking in children when their family was having a difficult time feeding and taking care of them. She kept these children until the parents came back for them or they reached adulthood. Years later, one of the children came back to Oklahoma to thank Mrs. Blunt for raising her and helping her to be the woman she turned out to be. In 2003, this woman's daughter came to visit and also to thank Mrs. Blunt for helping her mother. She had heard so many good things about the time her mother spent in the Blunt home that she was compelled to come and say "I thank you for helping my mother when she needed someone".

Lillie Bell's house was a place to find food, rest and work. Clarence Blunt, her husband, later owned a truck hauling people to work with the W. P. A., to the cotton fields and other common labor jobs. Clarence Blunt also hauled trash (fore runner for city sanitation). Another individual, a friend of the Blunts, said "If I can just make it to the Blunts, I know things will be all right." Lillie made jelly, jams and canned other garden vegetables. The Blunts also had hogs to slaughter. They shared all of this with others. Lillie also shared food with them before her husband took them to work.

Lillie Bell is a 71 year member of the Church of The Living God Pillar and Ground of the Truth, at Chickasha. She serves as the Mother of the Church. She is past chairman of the deaconess board, past chairman of mission circle #1 and chairman of the Pastor's Aide Committee, and was member of the church choir that sang on the radio in 1938. She served as volunteer cook for church dinners and special occasions.

Lillie Bell is the past Most Noble Governor for the Household of Ruth Number SO/50, Lincoln School P.T. A., supporter of the Chickasha Negro Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Flowers Lovers Club.