Spring rains began in the last part of March and the fields had not been plowed for planting.  The water in the creeks was running at rapid speed and at times would go over the banks.  The farmers waited for the sun to dry the ground before planting.

John McClung, who was Virginia’s father, and a farmer near Marshall, had come before the rain began with no need to hurry home.  Perry always enjoyed listening to his Grandpa McClung tell about his mother, who was a Cherokee Indian princess of great beauty.

John met his wife, Virginia’s mother, when trading with J.M. Harkey at Snowball.  In 1886, J.M. Harkey was a man of importance at Snowball, (Searcy County) Arkansas.  He was a Grand Master of Masonic Lodge.  He conducted the ceremonies when the Masonic Hall was built.  Virginia’s mother was the oldest daughter of J. M. Harkey.  She died while Virginia was young.  Some years later, J.M. Harkey moved west and established a trading post a few miles from what is now Hot Springs, Arkansas.  This place later became known as the town of Ola, Arkansas (Yell County).  J.M. Harkey named the town after his youngest daughter.

Around the fire at night, Sarah and Amos would tell about their experiences working for John Rose and running his mill on Cedar Creek.  It was built at the foot of a hill and water for turning the wheel came from a large spring halfway up the hill.  A dam was built near the spring, forming a large pond.  A gate was made to shut off the water when the mill wasn’t in operation.  A “mill race” was built extending over the top of the large wheel causing the wheel to turn by the pressure of the water.  The large wheel connected to the smaller one within the mill house, which turned the burrs for grinding grain.  Later, Srarah and Amos built a mill on Bear Creek near Gilbert patterned after John Rose Mill.

The months of April and May passed quickly.  The farmers were still planting their crops in the field.  The women and children could be seen on the hill sides pciking wild strawberries.  As soon as the strawberry season was over, the balckberries had turned from red to black.  Huckleberries ripen in the first part of July and the hills were covered with berry pickers most of the time from May to July.  Wonderful berry pies graced the tables, laden with fresh garden potatoes and peas.  Fish were in abundance in the creeks and the river.

The cornfields were an array of tassles.  There was always a race between Wayne and Enoch to see which one could produce the first roasting ears.  Enoch was the guest at Wayne’s house of the third of July and he said to Wayne, “ My corn will be ready to eat before long.”  Wayne looked out over his field of corn.  He could not see the hot rocky ground.  There were rocks so small and numerous it would be impossible to county them.  They were covered with a rich dirt.  Wayne said, “Perry, go get us some corn to eat.”  His son ran into the cornfield and plucked a few ears of corn.  When he returned home, he found he had blistered his feet on the rocky ground.  His father felt very bad about sending him into the cornfield with him not owning a pair of shoes.  The father took the son to Hensely’s Store for Perry’s first pair of store bought shoes.

On the twentieth of August, plans of going to Tahlequah came to pass as four wagons lined up to leave for Indian Territory.  The first wagon belonged to Wayne and his wife, Virginia, and their children: Perry, Millie, John, and Garland.  The second wagon carried Amos and Sarah with the camping supplies in it.  Henry and Adaline Middleton were behind the supply wagon and their children were William, Sarah and John, Charles, and baby Frank.  Enoch followed with his wife in the fourth wagon.