In 1919, a covered wagon left Denning, Arkansas with Perry and Hannah, their daughter, and their two sons.  It was the hot, dry month of August and water was in short supply because most wells had gone dry.  They stopped at one place and asked for just enough water for the children to have a drink.  The parents traveled on without water for the rest of the day.  This family was on the road for thirteen days before they reached Cleveland, Oklahoma.

Perry borrowed five dollars from a black man on Friday.  The next day Perry worked running cement floor for an oil refinery near Cleveland.  He returned the borrowed money, and moved to a cotton community of Boston Pool, which is located between Hominy and Cleveland, Oklahoma.

The rest of that year was spent picking cotton.  After the cotton season, Perry leased the Della bryant Place located two and a half miles off Highway 20 between Skiatook and Hominy, Oklahoma, not far from the Old Stone Store.  A short distance away stood Mountain View School, where Opal and Johnnie with their Aunt Amanda, Uncle Red (Marvin), Aunt Ricey and Uncle Elbert and Uncle Albert attended school.

Perry and Hannah moved to a site near the Old Quapaw Bridge west of Skiatook where their youngest child, Walter, was born.  While residing here, in 1924, Perry got a contract to deliver U.S. Mail to the Wild Horse Store and other places.  There were two oil camps along his route.  One was around the Wild Horse Store and the other was the Shell Oil Camp.  Perry purchased a 1927 Chevrolet to drive over the rough dirt roads.  In the winter of 1929, snow drifted so deep his car stalled, and by the time he finished his route, his ears had frostbite.

Jack Sweitzner came to Drumright, Oklahoma in 1927 to work in the oil fields.  This same year his sister, Maud and her family, rented the C.F. Rogers Place, north of Skiatook, Oklahoma.  This place was next to Perry’s new place, where he stayed for twenty-one years.

Jack came to visit his sister and husband there and he met Opal Holt.  They were married in October of 1928.  On their wedding night, about 1 a.m., they heard a knock on the door.  When this knock was answered, about five men stood at the door and demanded they come with them to town.  They were taken to Skiatook where someone provided a wheelbarrow and Jack was told to push Opal down Main Street in it, which he did.  This was a popular custom, called “charivary.”

January 6, 1929, Opal gave birth to a daughter named Walsie Lee.  Walsie carried her name only two years when she proceeded to rename her grandparents.  Hannah was renamed “Maw Maw” and Perry was called “Paw Paw” by their vivacious little granddaughter.  Sam and Valley Sweitzner became know as “Popie Sam” and “Granny.”  She would have named her baby brother if Aunt Ricey had not been so quick to call him Douglas Shannon.

Opal was so busy caring for her household; she probably couldn't remember her own name by the time Flossie Mae was born.

Johnnie Holt was not allowing his opportunity to pass.  He named Opal’s third daughter, LaRue Virginia.

Opal finally named her second son Benny Rex, and thirteen years later she gave her youngest child the name of Deborah Ann.