Forrest Nathan Wright
1909-1977
Forrest Nathan “Preacher” Wright was born in Leo, Cooke County , Texas on February 18, 1909 . He was given the nickname of Preacher at a very young age. The story is told that the families around Leo would gather at a crossroads on Sunday mornings, where they would be met by a traveling minister who would conduct services from the back of a wagon. One Sunday morning the minister was late arriving, Preacher stood on a nearby tree stump and announced that he would do the preaching until the preacher came. The name stuck, and he was always called Preacher. His children never called him Dad, they called him Preacher too.
He married Ethelene Gaines on November 24, 1936 when he was 27 years old and Ethelene was 17. They lived in Texas at the time of their marriage, but traveled to Oklahoma to be married for there was no waiting period in that state.
The children of Forrest and Ethelene Wright: (photo of children)
After their marriage, they located to Royalty, Texas which was in West Texas near Odessa, where Preacher worked in the oil field and Ethelene "Emmy Lou" worked in a cafe as a waitress. She received no salary for her labor, but she and Preacher were allowed to eat all their meals there at no charge.
In the fall of 1937, Ethelene returned to the home of her parents, Ernest & Louella Gaines in Electra, Texas. Their house was then located four miles south of Electra on Highway 25.
It was here on September 11, 1937 she gave birth to Gary Forrest Wright. Dr. Ogden was the attending physician. He charged $25.00 for the delivery.
After the birth of Gary , Ethelene returned to Royalty, where she remained until December 1937 when she again returned to the home of her parents in Electra, where she remained until the summer of 1938 when she returned to Preacher who was then living in Elliott, Wilbarger Co., Texas, with his widowed mother, Martha Emsley Wright. They lived with Martha until the fall of the same year when they relocated to Petersburg, Hale Co., Texas (near Plainview, TX ), where they found work picking cotton.
With the money Preacher and Ethelene earned picking cotton, they bought a small house trailer. Ethelene’s father, Ernest Gaines came to Petersburg, and pulled the trailer to the small settlement of Kadane Corner, (near Hollliday) Wichita County , TX, where Preacher had found employment as a night watchman for the small oil company, Fain & McGaha. Soon after moving into the trailer, Preacher and Ethelene, Fain & McGaha offered to let them live in a small house on the property in return for the use of their trailer as a night watchman’s “shack.”
It was early in 1939 when they bought their first automobile. It was an “old” Plymouth .
Also in 1939, they relocated to Holliday, Archer County, Texas, where they had rented a house from Mrs. Bertha Taylor. This house had no electricity, and the water supply was from a faucet on the front porch that was shared by other neighbors. The toilet facilities were in the outhouse, and the house was heated with a wood stove that was of such poor quailty that it would glow red. Ethelene said the outhouse was so filthy that she told Gary to just use the yard and she would pick up after him.
Preacher was working as a night watchman when be became ill with appendicitis. It was necessary for him to have surgery and while he was recovering, he was fired from his job. At about the same time, on October 19, 1939 , Earnest Lynn Wright was born. He was born in the home of Ethelene’s parents in Electra, Texas . It was planned that he would be born in the Wichita Falls General Hospital, but due to the expense of Preacher’s surgery there were no funds.
Dr. Fish, a doctor from Electra was chosen to attend the birth of Earnest Lynn, and he did visit the home of Ernest Gaines on the late afternoon of the birth, but he determined that the birth was hours away, so he returned to his home in Electra for his supper. He promised to return later in the evening. During his absence, Earnest Lynn was born with Winnell Gaines (wife of Ethelene’s brother Earl) and Louella Gaines assisting in the birth.
Ethelene's father was very angry with Dr. Fish for leaving Ethelene in her time of need, and in the words of Ethelene, "he ate his ass out good," and they never received any charges from Dr. Fish for his coming to the house.
In July 2006, in response to my question to Winnell Gaines (Audrey Winnell Hudson Gaines), about her memory of Earnest Lynn's birth here was her reply:
"Yes, how well I remember that day. The doctor was just taking his time to get out of his car and knowing nothing about how long it should be after the birth before someone could pick you up, I ran out to the front gate and said, "Hurry up, the baby is already born." However he just took his time and even turned around and re-shut the front gate. When he finally came on in and had cut the cord....he handed me YOU and said, " I believe it was you to take care of this, isn't it? "
In all the excitement, I had no idea that would happen, but the other woman whose name I cannot remember (this was a neighbor lady, according to Ethelene Gaines Wright) just smiled and said; "You know as much about bathing a baby as I do, so the remainder of the job was for me to take care that you were in the best of care and bathed as well as I could have possibly given.
Naturally, you are the only baby I was ever required to bath at birth. So you have always been special memory to me. "
For Christmas 1939, Preacher and Ethelene Wright gave themselves a present of having the electricity turned on in their house in Holliday, and to celebrate they bought a small plastic radio.
Preacher again began working as a night watchman for Southern Petroleum in Holliday , Texas where he was the security watch on oil drilling rigs. He continued in this capacity until the spring of 1941, when he was offered a job as a “pumper” of an oil lease located outside Holiday . The pay for this job was $154 per month (this would amount to $25,164 per annum in 2005 dollars) and a house would be provided.
This house had no electricity, but light was provided by the use of asbestos mantles that were attached to natural gas fixtures on the ceiling. Every evening these lights needed to be lighted with a match. The refrigerator was also powered by natural gas. The water supply was from a gravity tank that was replenished periodically by a water truck.
There was a battery operated radio that had the battery charged by means of a “wind charger.” This device was an automobile generator that had a airplane type propeller affixed to the shaft and it was mounted high on a pole that was a little taller than the peak of the roof. The generator charged a battery that provided power for the radio. Radio listening time was limited due to the drain on the battery. Many times you would hear, “turn that radio off, your using up all the battery.”
This house consisted of two bedrooms, with a bathroom located between them, a living room, kitchen and a screened-in back porch. For outbuildings there was a single car detached garage, a chicken coop and a large metal oil tank that was approximately 10 feet in diameter in which an opening had been cut. This was used as a shelter for the milk cow. There was also a small pig sty where Preacher raised pigs for the table.
Soon after Preacher and Ethelene moved into this house, World War II began. Because Preacher was in an occupation that was considered essential to the war effort, he was given a deferment from the draft, and was never called to serve in the military.
On June 26, 1944 , Michael Corbett Wright was born in the Bethania Hospital, Wichita Falls, Texas . Since he was born in the summer months, he was kept cool by placing wet diapers over the sides of his crib. This crib was placed in the bedroom of Gary and Lynn.
Preacher continued to work as a pumper for Southern Petroleum until the end of the war in 1945, and a nephew of the boss returned from the service, and at that time Preacher was fired in order to make a job available for this returning “veteran.”
Preacher found work as a “roustabout” (laborer) with Fain & McGaha soon after he left the employ of Southern Petroleum.
Preacher and Ethelene bought a house in the town of Holliday, Texas . They paid $2,000 ($21,000 in 2005 dollars) for it, and it was sitting on a lot that was leased. (In about 1960 this lot was purchased for $500 ($3,200 in 2005 dollars)
This house also had two bedrooms, a living room, kitchen and a screened in back porch, and a detached garage. There was running water provided by the town, electricity, natural gas for heat, but no bathroom. There was an outhouse about 50 feet from the back door. Preacher also raised chickens behind the garage of this house.
On February 11, 1947 , Judy LuJean Wright was born in the Bethania Hospital , Wichita Falls , Texas . Her two oldest brothers, Gary and Lynn, were placed in the home of their grandmother Martha Wright, and Michael went to stay with Ernest and Louella Gaines while Ethelene was in the hospital. Just prior to Judy’s birth all the boys contracted the whooping cough, so it was necessary to fumigate the house was some type bomb that required evacuating the house for a couple of days before Judy could be broght from the hospital.
The Wright family continued to live in this house until about 1950 when Preacher was offered another job as a pumper with Southern Petroleum. At this time, it was necessary for the family to relocate to another company provided house that had been built for us on the oil lease, which was about seven miles north of Archer City, Texas.
This house consisted, as were the last two, of two bedrooms, bath, kitchen, living room and a screened in back porch. It did have electricity, and water again was provided by a gravity tank that needed replenishing by truck about every month. The bathroom was located between the two bedrooms, and contained the only closet in the house. To gain access it was necessary to go through one of the bedrooms. Preacher covered the insect screen on the back porch with plastic sheeting, and converted this room to a bedroom for Ethelene and him. It was cold in the winter, hot in the summer, and when the wind blew the plastic made a terrific noise as it slapped against the screen. Gary and Lynn shared the front bedroom which contained bunk beds, Lynn on top, Gary on bottom, and the second bedroom was shared by Mike and Judy.
From this house, the school bus picked up the kids on the highway and delivered them to Archer City, where none of the children would have brilliant careers in public education.
This house was never hooked up to a telephone, and television was not available in this part of the world until about 1955. When we did get a television, the antenna was placed atop a long pipe that rested on a metal plate, and the whole thing was attached to the side of the house. There were two television stations, one in Wichita Falls, and one in Lawton, Oklahoma , which were in opposite directions. Therefore, it was necessary to turn the antenna to receive the different broadcast stations. In order to direct the antenna, someone would go outside and by using a large pipe wrench would slowly turn the antenna toward the other station while someone inside would yell; “a little more! … that’s to far …. Go back … you went to far again stupid.” Life was good way back then.
From this house all the children went forth to seek their fortunes. Gary to the Army, Lynn and Mike to the Navy and Judy to get married.
Preacher and Ethelene continued to live in this house for a few more years, but soon returned to their house in Holliday, which had been rented out for the previous years.
On June 9, 1971 , Preacher and Ethelene were divorced. They both subsequently remarried, Preacher to Lucy Reck, widow of Charlie Reck of Electra, Texas and Ethelene to Marvin Fox of Vernon, Texas.
Preacher retired from a lifetime of working in the oil field in 1971, at age 62, but immediately began working again on a part-time basis as a pumper, and continued working almost until the end of his life at 68 years old.
On February 6, 1977 Preacher, while living in Iowa Park , Texas, with his second wife Lucy, suffered a heart attack and was driven to the General Hospital in Wichita Falls , Texas by Lucy.
He was placed in the coronary care unit of this hospital where he was treated by Dr. Donald Terry. His children and brothers and sisters converged on the hospital and visited him during his three week stay. Gary came from Dallas, Lynn from Boston , and Mike from Providence, Rhode Island, and Judy from the Houston area. Upon discharge he was fitted with a portable monitor for his heart.
Based on the monitoring information, it was decided he needed a pacemaker and was readmitted to the hospital, where this device was implanted on March 25, 1977 . He remained in the hospital where his condition continued downhill. He began to have jerking movements in his hands and Dr. Terry explained this as, “your father is a very nervous type person.”
On April 7, 1977 , because of his critical condition a decision was made by Lucy, Gary, Lynn, Mike, Judy and with Preacher’s concurrence, he should be moved to Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas . Through the efforts of Dr. Terry we were able to obtain a helicopter from the U.S. Army at Fort Sill , Oklahoma . The helicopter was dispatched and landed in the parking lot of the hospital where Preacher was loaded aboard, and in the company of Mike Wright, they flew to Love Field in Dallas . From Love Field he was taken by ambulance to Baylor Hospital .
Following in Lucy’s car, with Lynn driving, was Lucy and her daughter. We arrived in Dallas within ninety minutes. No doubt a land speed record that survives. When we arrived on the outskirts of Dallas ,and we had no idea where the hospital was, we hired a taxi to lead us to the hospital
Soon after Preacher’s admission it was determined that his major problems were due to severe electrolyte depletion and the only treatment they administered was to infuse him with two IV’s of saline and one of sodium. In the Wichita Falls hospital he was only allowed to eat Jello, in their inept attempt to prevent coronary congestion while being infused with diuretics.
Within two hours, Preacher was lucid and alert and watching the baseball game on television and asking for something to eat. The first physical and EKG revealed that he had not suffered a heart attack at all. The doctor said there was some evidence of an “old” attack, but the current problem was not caused by a heart attack. It was also determined that the pacemaker was unnecessary, besides was not installed properly, so it was removed.
It has always been unclear what caused Preacher’s initial illness. Was it really a heart attack or was it mistreatment subsequent to his hospitalization by Dr. Terry that caused the damage to his heart? No one will ever know the whole truth.
Preacher continued to be treated at Baylor until his discharge on April 23, 1977 . He and Lucy went to the home of her son in Dallas for a short rest, but on April 29th he was readmitted after he became nauseous. They determined that he was not having another heart attack, so he was discharged the next morning. Soon thereafter, he returned to Iowa Park with Lucy. He never regained his strength and continued to be tired all the time.
After some reflection regarding the mistreatment he had received by Dr. Terry, and with Preacher’s concurrence, we decided to bring suit against the doctor and hospital in Wichita Falls .
Because Wichita Falls is a small tight-knit community it was decided to retain a lawyer in Dallas and Lucy’s son, Bob Reck agreed to retain attorney Ken Fuqua of the firm Wilson, Berry, Jorgenson & Fuqua.
On the evening of July 2, 1977 , Preacher and Lucy, who were entertaining one of Lucy’s sons and his family for supper in their home in Iowa Park, Preacher felt tired and decided to retire to the bedroom so he could rest. A few minutes later, Lucy went to check on him and found him in distress and having difficulty breathing. She asked if he wanted to return to the hospital and according to her, he looked at her pleadingly and shook his head no. An ambulance was called anyway, and it is assumed he died at home or in the ambulance on the way back to the General Hospital in Wichita Falls, Texas.
On July 5, 1977 he was buried in the Reck Family plot in the “new” Electra Texas Cemetery . A Masonic ceremony was conducted at the gravesite to honor him.
The family decided to proceed with the lawsuit, and after exchanging a few letters between the lawyer and the doctor in Dallas , the lawyer said that he would not continue the case unless the family retained an expert medical witness to review the records. The lawyer stated that given Preacher’s age and “station in life," the most we might expect to recover would be $15,000. After expenses and legal fees were paid, it was decided by Lucy and Lynn that to continue would be unwise, so we instructed Bob Reck to tell the lawyer to stop the proceedings. He never charged for any of his work.
The correspondence regarding Preacher’s medical treatment and potential lawsuit are included on the following pages.