Memories from the Homestead: Garber school teacher Gertie Oliver Bass

Last week I took y'all back to September 1908 and mentioned an area school teacher, Miss Gertie Oliver, who later became Gertie Bass. I know some of you remember her as she was a longtime Stone County resident.  

It's been fun looking back at some of the early Garber teachers. These young ladies were just out of school themselves, with a load of responsibility as they taught grades one through eight, under most circumstances. Their salary was usually $25 to $30 a month. Previously, I've discussed May King and Lunda Palmer. Today, let's get better acquainted with Gertie.

A Stone County native, Gertie Oliver was born to Johnnie and Dora Oliver on November 25, 1887. This youngster dealt with a tragic childhood. Moving to Indian Territory for work opportunities, Johnnie worked with his wife's brother. At age eighteen Dora passed away when Gertie was just twenty-two months old in Cleveland, now Cleveland, Oklahoma, on August 8, 1889. Johnnie and his infant daughter would return Missouri, moving to the Kirbyville area where his parents were living.

On the trip back to Missouri, Johnnie had stopped the wagon for the night and took the mules to a nearby creek for water, leaving little Gertie and the family dog in the wagon. Suddenly he heard the dog barking and rushed back to the wagon to find two Indians about to steal Gertie. The dog is what had saved her.

Johnnie remarried in May 1890 to Dovie White and they had four children together. When Gertie was eleven, Dovie and Johnnie died a day apart, October 6 and 7, 1899, from typhoid fever. She was 32; he was 40. Both are laid to rest near Flag at the Lewallen Cemetery. Gertie and the other children (three girls and a boy) came to live with their grandparents, James and Keziah. Gertie finished her schooling at Old Branson School and excelled in her studies.  

At age 19, taking the teacher's exam and receiving her certificate in Forsyth, Gertie would teach at Flag, and later Old Branson, Boston Center and Garber. Her first run at the Garber school lasted from September through December 1908. She married Charlie Bass (son of John and Clara Bass) on December 3, 1908.  

Charlie and Gertie settled near Garber not far from Roark. Returning to the school position there, she taught the entire session from October 1909 through March 1910. Charlie and Gertie's daughter Vivian was born in April 1914. This ended Gertie's teaching career. In 1919 the family purchased 400 acres two miles east of Reeds Spring where they had a large orchard. Their property was well known for peaches, apples, pears and grapes. Their next daughter, Vera, was born in April 1923.

 Charlie was remembered around Garber as the county road overseer, at a time when improvements were being made as automobiles were beginning to make their appearance in our community. There had long been an attempt to build a highway west out of Branson all the way to Marvel Cave. It took time, as it wasn't completed until 1935.

In 1924, the family relocated to Detroit as Charley worked for the Ford Motor Company. They returned to their Reeds Spring property the following year.

 Charlie died at the young age of 48 on February 5, 1935. Four years later, Gertie sold their farm and moved to Reeds Spring, working as a cook at the school and working at the canning factory in the summer.

She married her second husband, Ross Gatton on June 15, 1948. He died after a heart attack five months later on November 1, 1948. He was from Mount Vernon and was buried there.  

A Stone County resident for seventy years, Gertie lived an incredible long life. She passed away on March 8, 1986, at the age of 98. She's in the Eisenhour Cemetery at Spokane buried next to Charlie. She was survived by both daughters, a sister, three step-children, four grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, and one great-great-granddaughter.

Some of you might know that Charlie and Gertie's oldest daughter Vivian married Alfred Morrill, grandson of Uncle Ike/Levi Morrill. And Vera married Wayne Goodall. Vivian passed away in 2001 at the age of 86 and Vera died in 2015 at the age of 92.  

What wonderful folks we've been blessed with here in our community. It's an honor to celebrate them. Happy trails, everyone.